Andy Bradford

 

Andy Bradford:

Although a much-lauded name in the British film and TV industry, largely through his excellent work as a stuntman and fight co-ordinator, Andy Bradford isn't all that well known as an actor, despite having appeared in a pretty interesting cross-section of productions over the years. My personal favourite being the still-chilling and odd 'Robin Redbreast'. 

In 'The Family Way' (1966)

In the folk horror Play for Today, 'Robin Redbreast' 
with the late Anna Cropper in 1970 

As agent 009 in 'Octopussy' (1983) pursued
by two deadly assassins 

Beginning with an uncredited appearance in 'Carry On Cowboy' (1965), Andy Bradford has cropped up in a surprising list of TV favourites. There's been a mix of cop shows such as 'Z-Cars', 'Special Branch', 'Dixon of Dock Green', all the way up to 'Taggart' and several episodes of 'The Bill', as well as the expected action series where his stunt skills obviously came in handy, including 'The Protectors', 'The Adventurer', 'The Professionals', 'The Sandbaggers' and er, 'Dempsey & Makepeace'.  

Bradford (far right) in 'Catweazle', as one of 
Sam's roleplaying Norman knight pals

Other, less expected, shows include 'Catweazle', 'Mr Bean', four different characters in the distinctly action-light 'Crown Court', as well as soaps such as 'Coronation Street' and"Emmerdale Farm'. All very redolent stuff for me, and perhaps some of you.

Andy Bradford-imdb

Harry 'Aitch' Fielder

 

Harry 'Aitch' Fielder:

† April 26 1940 – February 6 2021

King of the Extras, Harry Fielder has died. A legendary supporting player in the British film and television industries, it's almost easier to list which classic productions he doesn't appear in. 

It's apparently something of a game among Brit film buffs to spot his fleeting appearances, particularly in horror films, Carry-Ons, classic TV (all the ITC cult shows, plenty of 'Dr Who'), every great sitcom, and beyond. A tough looking Londoner, he appears often as coppers and villains, but there aren't many bit-part roles he hasn't tackled. 

Trivia: He got paid £11 a day for his seven days work as one of Darth Vader's elite troopers.
  

Harry 'Aitch' Fielder-imdb

Pip Torrens

Pip Torrens: 

Bromley-born actor Philip 'Pip' Torrens has a really very extensive body of work in his résumé, stretching back to the mid-'80s, with literally dozens of roles in a range of films and television, including some pretty big titles. Despite this, you'll probably recognise his suave good looks, but perhaps not be able to come up with the name. Early casting made much of his classic young Englishman vibe, while latterly this has transformed into something of the wry sophisticate, with a plethora of professional, military, or villainous complexions.    

As newbie copper PC Monkhouse, with his well-crucial
nemesis Delbert Wilkins in the 'Lenny Henry Show'

His cinema career seems to begin with the horribly-clichéd Rob Lowe teen movie 'Oxford Blues' (1987), but continues with the likes of the epic 'Little Dorrit' (1987), 'A Handful Of Dust' (1988), 'Eminent Domain' (1990), Patriot Games (1992), War Horse (2011), The Iron Lady' (2011), 'Tomorrow Never Dies' (1997), 'How To Get Ahead In Advertising' (1989), 'Remains Of The Day' (1993), 'Longitude' (2000), the Keira Knightley 'Pride & Prejudice' (2005), 'My Week With Marilyn' (2011), 'Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens' (2015), and 'Darkest Hour' (2017). A fair cross section of a few decades there.  

As Egyptologist Howard Carter  in the enjoyably far-fetched
'Young Indiana Jones: Treasure Of The Peacock's Eye' TV movie,
seen here with William Osborne playing EM Forster   

Although his CV is heavier on the serious, literary, and historical material, there are a few light comedy and comedy-drama roles on television. For example, 'The Lenny Henry Show', 'Murder Most Horrid', 'Yes, Prime Minister', 'Up The Women', 'Jeeves & Wooster', latterday 'Minder', and 'The Brittas Empire' among the comedies. Add to that some gentle detective/mystery fare such as 'Rosemary & Thyme', 'Lovejoy', 'Marple', 'Ruth Rendell Mysteries', 'Midsomer Murders', 'Van Der Valk ' and 'Maigret'. Not to mention the generally well-liked David Tennant era 'Doctor Who' stories 'The Family Of Blood' and 'Human Nature'.       

Back-lit and inscrutable as the royal adviser, Sir Alan 'Tommy'
Lascelles, a stern presence in the TV series 'The Crown'    

There are a few potboilers too, parts in the sort of shows that make up many actors' bread and butter. Among these we might consider popular schedule-filler such as 'Heartbeat', 'The Bill' (five roles, all different), 'Casualty' and a courtroom lawyer stint in 'Coronation Street'. 

As Colonel Kaplan in 'Star Wars: Episode VII -
The Force Awakens' (2015), somewhat in the
tradition of Michael Culver as Captain Needa.    
 

But it's in the semi-heavyweight division that Pip Torrens has been most notable. See, for example, his strong role in 'The Crown', and several other historical dramas such as 'Shackleton', 'Versailles', 'Fleming', and 'War & Peace'.

As the amusingly evil and perverse Herr Starr in the 
extreme comic-book TV adaptation 'Preacher'

Recent appearances of interest include 'Deep State', 'Black Mirror', and the playfully OTT comic book-based 'Preacher' in which he achieves the difficult job of stealing the show from a cast of fallen angels, saintly superheroes and God himself, with his portrayal of the hilariously ruthless Herr Starr.

To judge by his record thus far, there are many excellent roles in store for this accomplished actor, so hopefully this small salute will mean that a few more people will be able instantly to put a name to the face.

 Pip Torrens-imdb      

Michael Culver

Michael Culver: 

† Jun 16 1938– Feb 27 2024

Now here's a face of the seventies, a lean, shrewd-looking actor who carved his name into a swathe of memorable roles through the heyday of popular television, yet without quite becoming a star.   

As the caddish Danny, telling the world that he doesn't love Annabelle. Soon to be 

pushed off the Albert Bridge by that miffed lady and not, as it turns out, by

a lovelorn Rodney Bewes. All in a day's work for a 'Man In A Suitcase'.  
         

He's another of that dwindling band of actors whose careers straddle the cult TV years of the '60s and '70s, when he appeared in 'Maigret', 'The Avengers', 'The Plane Makers', 'Man In A Suitcase', and 'Space:1999', and more mature roles in dramas such as 'Within These Walls', 'Doomwatch', 'Churchill's People' and 'Warship'. Perhaps his highest-profile part was in the very popular 'Secret Army' as the comparatively sympathetic German officer Brandt who tempers some of the Nazi fervour of his Gestapo counterpart Kessler (played by Clifford Rose). Younger viewers at the time would probably associate him more with 'The Adventures Of Black Beauty'.

Hirsute's you. Culver plays the dastardly kidnapper Kurt with some

impressive mutton chops, alongside the late Ralph Bates at his glossiest

in 'Nuisance Value', an episode of 'The Persuaders' from 1972 

The later '70s and early '80s kept things nicely on the boil with appearances in favourites like 'The Sweeney', 'Minder', 'Squadron', 'Hammer House Of Horror', 'The Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes', 'Boon', 'The Professionals' and 'Shoestring'.  

As Prior Robert in the medieval detective series 'Cadfael'

Then there's the cinema CV, which contains some pretty impressive titles, kicking off with (uncredited) roles in 'From Russia With Love' (1963) and 'Thunderball' (1965), and including 'A Passage To India' (1984), the Peter O'Toole 'Goodbye Mr Chips' (1969). As with many British character actors, though, he is known throughout geekdom for his brush with the Star Wars franchise, in this case as Captain Needa, another imperial officer who gets on the wrong side of Darth Vader. 

Still breathing in 'The Empire Strikes Back' (1980). But not for long. 

Michael Culver-imdb

Denis Lawson

Denis Lawson:

Compact and suavely handsome in a slightly weasely way, Scottish actor Denis Lawson is a stalwart of British television, but probably known only to the wider world - or the nerdier portion of it - as Wedge Antilles, one of the heroic X-Wing pilots of the original 'Star Wars' trilogy. Extra galactic trivia points are doubtless also accrued by being the uncle of Obi Wan Kenobi, Ewan McGregor. 

As Launcelot Gobbo in the 1973 ITV version of

'The Merchant of Venice'

'Survivors': an episode called 'The Future Hour' from 1975

Up until 'Star Wars' (1977) or whatever they call it now, he had been in an interesting grab-bag of serious drama, typified by the televised version of the NT 'Merchant of Venice' with Laurence Olivier, late night plays like 'Ms Jill or Jack' and 'The Paradise Run', and middle-brow TV hits like 'Survivors', and 'Rock Follies'.



Starring in the DJ sitcom 'The Kit Curran Radio Show'

made by Thames Television in 1984.

The '80s were a bit of a boom time and he appeared in memorable stuff like the quirky time-travel TV play 'The Flipside of Dominick Hyde' and the prescient neo-noir conspiracy crime serial 'Dead Head' as well as getting the starring role in the lightweight sitcom 'The Kit Curran Radio Show'.    

As a jet-setting assassin in 'Bergerac' 

There was also some day-to-day drama and comedy to fill the diary too, 'Boon' and 'Bergerac', 'Robin Hood' and 'Miss Marple', and 'The Good Companions' and 'Victoria Wood: As Seen On TV'. More recently, he had the key role of Jarndyce in the BBC's adaptation of 'Bleak House', as well as major parts in the ghost tale 'Marchlands', 'Criminal Justice' and now 'New Tricks'. I also enjoyed the bleak slapstick of the 'Inside No 9' episode where he played the victim of Shearsmith and Pemberton's hapless art thieves.

Aside from the George Lucas gigs, his film credits include a rare Scottish part in 'Local Hero' (1983) and Jack Rosenthal's clever class vignette, 'The Chain' (1984). He also appears alongside his nephew in 'Perfect Sense' (2011), an example of that under-represented genre, romantic Scottish epidemic-apocalypse sci fi. 

Dennis Lawson-imdb

Kenneth Colley

Kenneth Colley:

† Dec 7 1937 - Jun 30 2025 

A rather serious, flinty-looking character actor, verging on the hangdog at times, Ken Colley has been a highly accomplished TV and film fixture for three decades, without ever quite becoming a celebrity. His roles in big films include 'The Empire Strikes Back' (1980) and 'Return of the Jedi' (1983), Ken Russell's 'The Devils' (1971), 'Mahler' (1974) and 'Lisztomania' (1975). He was the contract killer in Ari Karausmaki's 'I Hired a Contract Killer' (1990), and he appears in the Slade movie 'Flame' 1975'. It's also him in the middle distance as the hardly-audible Jesus in 'The Life of Brian', surely one of the classic bit-part credits of all time.     

In the surprisingly gritty Slade rock saga, 'Flame' (1975) 

Getting his collar felt by Patrick Mower in 'Special Branch' in 1974

His impressive TV resumé includes some brilliant and varied work. In the '60s he went from
'The Avengers' - to playing Hitler in an 'Omnibus' special - to fronting children's programme 'Look and Read' as the quietly likeable Mr Moon. By the '70s he was to be spotted in 'The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes', 'The Sweeney', 'The Protectors',  'Ripping Yarns' and 'Arthur of the Britons', as well as paying the mortgage with the odd 'Crown Court', 'Z-Cars', 'Hazell' and 'Target'. And that's him as the haunted derelict accordion man in Dennis Potter's 'Pennies from Heaven'. 

Bringing information to the cunning and unscrupulous private detective,
Dorrington (Peter Vaughan) in 'The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes'

In more recent years, there are fewer highlights, perhaps, beyond the mini-series 'I Remember Nelson', ironically now little-remembered, in which he played the great hero of Trafalgar. For the most part it's a lot of 'Holby City', 'Midsomer Murders', 'Peak Practice', etc, and a stint on 'EastEnders'.

Here's an interesting oddity though, Ray Davies of the Kinks puts his nostalgic daydreamer's view of London on to celluloid as the director of this hour-long movie: 'Return to Waterloo' (1984). Clichéd to the point of self-parody, but Ken Colley is good.

Kenneth Colley-imdb