Gerald Harper

Gerald Harper (15 February 1929 – 2 July 2025) was an English actor, best known for his work on television, having played the title roles in Adam Adamant Lives! (1966–67) and Hadleigh (1969–76). He then returned to his main love, the theatre. His classical work includes playing on Broadway with the Old Vic company, playing Iago at the Bristol Old Vic and Benedick at the Chichester Festival Theatre. Other plays in London included Crucifer of Blood at the Haymarket Theatre, House Guest, A Personal Affair, Suddenly at Home and Baggage. He directed many plays, amongst them a production of Blithe Spirit in Hebrew at the Israeli National Theatre.

Early life Harper was born in Barnet, Hertfordshire on 15 February 1929. He started in the London Arts Theatre followed by Liverpool Playhouse, before returning to London to perform in Charley's Aunt with Frankie Howerd.

Career Harper's film credits include The Admirable Crichton (1957), A Night to Remember (1958), The League of Gentlemen (1960), Tunes of Glory (1960), The Young Ones (1961), The Punch and Judy Man (1963), The Shoes of the Fisherman (1968) and The Lady Vanishes (1979). Television work included The Sleeper, The Corsican Brothers and Gazette.

He also had roles in Free as Air and Ross and toured in the United States with the Old Vic and Boeing-Boeing. He toured the country in 2008 as the lead in Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None directed by Joe Harmston for producer Bill Kenwright. He also played one of the barristers in The Baccarat Scandal at Chichester Festival Theatre which starred Keith Michell.

Harper also presented radio programmes, including The Sunday Affair for Capital Radio in the 1970s. He starred in the radio serialisation of Prudence by Jilly Cooper in 1979, alongside Felicity Kendall. There was also a series of Saturday afternoon shows for BBC Radio 2 in the late 1980s and early 1990s, in which he played classic songs from the past and gave away bottles of champagne and chocolates.

In 2001, when he was in his early seventies, he began a relationship with 30-year-old actress Sarah Alexander; the relationship ended when she left him for actor Peter Serafinowicz in 2002.

Harper died on 2 July 2025, at the age of 96, after being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.

Selected filmography

Film

Television Year Title Role Notes 1964 The Sleeper Peter Dibden 6 episodes 1965 A Man Called Harry Brent Detective Inspector Alan Milton 6 episodes 1966 A Game of Murder Detective Inspector Jack Kerry 6 episodes 1966-1967 Adam Adamant Lives! Adam Adamant 29 episodes 1968 City '68 Roy Swift Episode: "The Jonah Site" 1968 Gazette James Hadleigh 9 episodes 1968 The Champions Croft Episode: "The Fanatics" 1969-1976 Hadleigh James Hadleigh 52 episodes 1975 Thriller Greg Miles Episode: "If It's a Man - Hang Up!" 1978 The Flockton Flyer Master of Foxhounds Episode: "A Question of Honour"