Ian McNeice

Ian McNeice (born 2 October 1950) is an English film and television actor. On television, he has played government agent Harcourt in the 1985 television series Edge of Darkness, Bert Large in the comedy-drama Doc Martin, the Newsreader in historical drama Rome (2005–2007) and Winston Churchill in Doctor Who (2010–2011). He has also appeared in films including The Englishman Who Went up a Hill but Came down a Mountain, Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls and Frank Herbert's Dune.

Early life and education McNeice was born in Basingstoke, Hampshire. His acting training started at the Taunton School in Somerset, followed by the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) and two years at the Salisbury Playhouse. The next few years were spent in theatre, including a four-year period with the Royal Shakespeare Company and a production of Nicholas Nickleby on Broadway.

Career McNeice's television breakthrough was as Harcourt in the award-winning series Edge of Darkness. He played the alcoholic sous chef Gustave LaRoche on the television series Chef!, and went on to appear in the 2000 miniseries Frank Herbert's Dune as the evil Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, a role he later reprised for the 2003 sequel Children of Dune. His television appearances have included all ten series of Doc Martin, in which he plays Bert Large, series 4 episode 4 of Midsomer Murders, and the third episode of the second series of Lewis. He appears as the Newsreader in the HBO/BBC production Rome and as Mr. Tapling of the British diplomatic service in Hornblower- The Examination for Lieutenant.

McNeice has also appeared in a number of films, including 84 Charing Cross Road, Day of the Dead, No Escape, From Hell and The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain. His breakthrough into American films occurred when he played Fulton Greenwall in Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls (1995). He played the Nazi Gerhard Klopfer in the 2001 BBC/HBO television film Conspiracy.

Since then, he has been in Around the World in 80 Days (2004) and the 2005 supernatural thriller White Noise. He also appeared as Potiphar in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

McNeice gave his distinctive voice and accent to voice-acting roles like the Vogon character Kwaltz, director of the Vogon Constructor Fleet, in the 2005 film adaptation of Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. In 2007, he made his Doctor Who debut when he guest-starred as villain Zeus in the Big Finish BBC Digital Radio 7 drama Immortal Beloved. He had a cameo role as Joachim von Kortzfleisch, a German general who refused to put his troops under the command of officers plotting to depose Hitler's government, in Valkyrie.

McNeice was initially cast in the role of Illyrio Mopatis in the HBO pilot of Game of Thrones, but because of scheduling conflicts the role was then given to Roger Allam. McNeice appeared as Winston Churchill in four episodes of Doctor Who in 2010 and 2011; he had previously played Churchill in the 2008 premiere production of the Howard Brenton play Never So Good, and later played him again in the 2012 stage version of The King's Speech.

McNeice also starred as The Architect in the 2017 independent feature film, The House of Screaming Death.

Personal life He married Kate Nicholls, the daughter of Anthony Nicholls (actor), and lived in Broad Campden in Gloucestershire.

McNeice has three children.

Selected filmography

Television Year Title Role NotesRef.1982Voice Over"Fats" BannermanTV Movie 1982 The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby Wackford Squeers / Scaley / Croupier 3 episodes (TV mini-series) 1983 The Cleopatras Alexander 2 episodes (TV mini-series) 1984 Minder Eric Morgan Episode: "Rocky Eight and a Half" 1985 The Optimist Thug Episode: "The Light Fantastic" 1985 Edge of Darkness Harcourt 5 episodes (TV mini series) 1987 Sputniks, Bleeps and Mr.Perry Geoffrey Perry TV drama/ documentary 1987 A Perfect Spy Sefton Boyd 1 episode (TV mini-series) 1988 Wipe Out Phillip Benton 5 episodes (TV mini-series) 1989 Boon Graham Barker Episode: "In For the Monet" 1989 Around the World in 80 Days Batcular 3 Episodes (TV mini series) 1991 Lovejoy Gervais Rackham Episode: "The Italian Venus" 1991 The Ruth Rendell Mysteries Ivan Teal 3 episodes 1992 B&B Horace Gilbert TV Movie 1992 Miss Pym's Day Out Vicar of Finstock TV Movie 1992 The Cloning of Joanna May Dr. Holly 2 episodes (TV mini-series) 1992 The Blackheath Poisonings George Collard 3 episodes (TV mini series) 1992 Dick Baker TV Movie 1993 Watching Minister Episode: "Knotting" 1993 Inspector Morse Pathologist Episode: "Deadly Slumber" 1993 Stay Lucky Franklyn Bysouth 10 episodes 1993 Age of Treason Casca TV Movie 1994 Ain't Misbehavin' Chuck Pervis Series 1, Episode 4 1994 Minder Hargreaves Episode: "All Quiet on the West End Front" 1994 Chef! Gustave LaRoche 3 episodes 1994– 1995 Pie in the Sky Barry Wilkes 2 episodes 1995 Sharpe's Battle Wagonmaster-General Colonel Runciman TV Movie 1995 Bugs Doctor Peter Hunter Episode: "A Sporting Chance" 1996 Cadfael Canon Eluard Episode: "The Devil's Novice" 1997 Have Your Cake and Eat It Zief 4 episodes (TV mini-series) 1998 Hornblower Mr. Tapling Episode: The Examination for Lieutenant 1998 A Certain Justice Desmond Ulrick 3 episodes 1998 Liverpool 1 George Episode: "Lead Balloon" 1999 A Christmas Carol Albert Fezziwig TV Movie 1999 Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Potiphar Video 1999 David Copperfield Mr. Dick 2 episodes (TV mini-series) 2000 Longitude Astronomer Royal Doctor Nathanial Bliss TV mini-series 2000 Frank Herbert's Dune Baron Vladimir Harkonnen 3 episodes (TV mini-series) 2000 The Sleeper Mr. Tarburck 1 episode (TV mini-series) 2000 Midsomer Murders Village doctor Episode: "Who Killed Cock Robin" 2001 Armadillo Ivan 2 episodes (TV mini-series) 2002 Relic Hunter Harry Kane Episode: "Fountain of Youth" 2003 Frank Herbert's Children of Dune Baron Vladimir Harkonnen 3 episodes (TV mini-series) 2004 Spartacus Lentulus Batiatus 2 episodes (TV mini-series) 2004 Spooks Judge Episode: "Persephone" 2004–2022 Doc Martin Bert Large 78 episodes 2005 The Last Detective Raymond Price Episode: "Three Steps to Hendon" 2005–2007 Rome The Newsreader 20 episodes 2007 New Tricks Michael Meadowcroft Episode: "Big Topped" 2008 Lewis Reverend Francis King Episode: "Life Born of Fire" 2009 Cleopatra: Portrait of a Killer Cassius Dio (Historian) TV film 20102011 Doctor Who Winston Churchill 4 episodes 2010 Jonathan Creek Father Roderick Alberic Episode: "The Judas Tree" 2012 The Mystery of Edwin Drood Mayor Sapsea 2 episodes (TV mini-series) 2021 Foundation Master Statistician Tivole Episode: "Barbarian at the Gate" 2022 The Sandman Bartender Episode: "The Sound of Her Wings"

Film Year Title Role NotesRef. 1983 Grizzly II: The Concert Bernie 1983 Voice Over "Fats" Bannerman 1984 Top Secret! Blind souvenir salesman 1986 Whoops Apocalypse Thrush 1987 Personal Services Harry 1987 84 Charing Cross Road Bill Humphries 1987 Cry Freedom Uncredited 1987 Bernard Rice 1988 Farmer 1989 Valmont Azolan 1990 1871 Prince of Wales 1990 Merrydew 1991 Secret Friends First Businessman 1992 Year of the Comet Ian 1993 Don't Leave Me This Way Oscar Ghilardi 1994 No Escape King 1995 Funny Bones Stanley Sharkey 1995 George Garrad 1995 Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls Fulton Greenwall 1997 Iva Grushinsky 1997 Mayhew 1998 How to Make the Cruelest Month Peggy Asks 1999 The Auteur Theory Sir Maximilian Fair Brown 1999 Pishchik 2000 The Nine Lives of Tomas Katz Inspector 2001 Anazapta Bishop 2001 Dr. Sproul 2001 Town & Country Peter Principal 2001 MI5 officer Lewison 2001 From Hell Dr. Robert Drudge 2001 Conspiracy Dr Gerhard Klopfer 2002 Amnèsia Doug Chandler 2002 Man and Boy Nigel Batty 2002 Priest 2003 Chaos and Cadavers Harry Kane 2003 I'll Be There Graham 2003 Blackball Hugh the Sideburns 2004 Freeze Frame Forensic Profiler Saul Seger 2004 Around the World in 80 Days Colonel Kitchener 2004 Alex Miln 2004 Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason Quizmaster 2005 White Noise Raymond Price 2005 Kwaltz Voice only 2005 Oliver Twist Limbkins 2006 Coroner 2008 Day of the Dead DJ Paul 2008 Valkyrie Joachim von Kortzfleisch 2008 Just Because You're Paranoid... The Therapist Short film 2012 Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger Mr. Peterson Senior 2017 The Man Who Invented Christmas Edward Chapman 2017 The House of Screaming Death The Architect 2023 Napoleon Louis XVIII 2024 We Are Tourists Harry