Nicholas Woodeson

 

 

Nicholas Woodeson:

A classic character actor, always believable and technically accomplished without being at all obtrusive. In fact you will have seen Nicholas Woodeson quite often if you have watched British television much since the '80s.     

Or if you've seen some of the bigger feature films of the period, because he appears in 'Heaven's Gate' (1980), 'The Russia House' (1990), 'The Pelican Brief' (1993), Bill Murray's 'The Man Who Knew Too Little' (1997), 'The Avengers' (1998), 'Mad Cows' (1999), 'Topsy-Turvy' (1999), 'John Carter' (2012), and 'Hannah Arendt' (2012), 'Skyfall' (2012), 'The Limehouse Golem' (2016) and 'Paddington 2' (2019). And he's the conductor dragged out of bed at the beginning of 'The Death of Stalin' (2017).       

Appearing in the film version of 'The Avengers' (1999)

                     

On television, Nicholas Woodeson, can be spotted in quite a cavalcade of quality viewing, encompassing 'Poirot', 'Red Riding', the BBC's 1999 'Great Expectations' as Wemmick to Charlotte Rampling's Miss Havisham, 'The Blackheath Poisonings', 'Mapp & Lucia', 'Blackeyes' and 'Rome'.

And plenty of more everyday stuff: 'Doc Martin', 'Midsomer Murders', 'Touch of Frost', and the unavoidable 'Holby City'.

In the concert scene from 'The Death of Stalin' (2017) 

It's notable that he's played a very wide range of characters, from doctors and detectives to scientists and spies. Interestingly, he has also appeared several times as a rabbi - 'Friday Night Dinner', 'Disobedience (2017), 'My Father's Secrets' (voice, 2022), although he isn't Jewish and is a fairly outspoken critic of US interference in the Middle East, where he was born - his father being a British diplomat.    

Nicholas Woodeson-imdb

Marcia Warren

Marcia Warren:

A very accomplished, indeed award-winning, stage actress, often seen in Alan Ayckbourn's comedy plays but equally at home with Shakespeare, Chekhov and Beckett, she has nevertheless been able to fit in a number of memorable film and TV roles. She might be familiar as William Gaunt's troublesome neighbour, Vera Botting, from the '80s BBC comedy 'No Place Like Home', or possibly from the more recent 'Vicious' with Derek Jacobi, Ian McKellen and Frances De La Tour - all of whom she has acted with on various prestigious stages.    

Brilliantly portraying the great character actress Esma Cannon in a recreation of 
'Carry On Cabby' from the TV drama 'Hattie'. Ruth Jones plays Hattie Jacques

Equally adept at playing duchesses and dogsbodies, Marcia Warren has also appeared in some good quality television drama, see 'The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes', 'The Father Brown Mysteries' and 'The History of Mr Polly', (edit: Add the 2017 season opener of 'Sherlock' to that list) as well as a lot of average prime time series such as 'Holby City', 'The Bill', 'Midsomer Murders', 'Doctors' and 'Casualty'. 

As the unworldly Penelope in the camp sitcom, 'Vicious',
starring Derek Jacobi and Ian McKellen 

Sitcoms have been a staple of her TV career, including the generally forgotten 1983 Larbey and Esmonde effort 'Now and Then', 'September Song', 'Life Of Riley', 'Searching', 'Jam & Jerusalem', 'Miracles Take Longer' and 'Keeping Up Appearances'.   

As the widow of the mild-mannered lothario in 'Mr Love' (1985)
Behind her is the late Patsy Byrne, Nursie from 'Blackadder' 

Films include 'Mr Love' (1985), 'Don't Get Me Started' (1994),  'Unconditional Love' (2002), 'Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont' (2005), 'Leap Year' (2010).

Marcia Warren-imdb