James Bree

James Rutherfoord Worsfold Thomson (20 July 1923 – 1 December 2008 ), known professionally as James Bree, was a British actor who appeared on stage, and played many supporting roles in both film and television.

Bree was educated at Radley College near Abingdon, Oxfordshire and during the Second World War served in the RAF. He later trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama. He changed his surname to Thomson-Bree after inheriting land from his great-uncle, Archdeacon William Bree.

On stage, Bree was in the original productions of Thornton Wilder's The Matchmaker in London's West End in 1954; and in John Arden's Sergeant Musgrave's Dance at the Royal Court in 1959. He was also one of the founder members of Peter Hall's Royal Shakespeare Company at Stratford in 1960.

Bree performed three roles in the original series of Doctor Who. He played the Security Chief in the 1969 Patrick Troughton story The War Games, Nefred in the 1980 Tom Baker story Full Circle and Keeper of the Matrix in the 1986 Colin Baker story The Ultimate Foe.

He died in December 2008, aged 85, after a long illness.

Filmography

Film Just My Luck (1957) – Ford (uncredited) Never Let Go (1960) – Orders Clerk A Matter of Choice (1963) – Alfred Who Was Maddox? (1964) – Reynolds On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) – Gebrüder Gumbold Satan's Slave (1976) – Malcolm Yorke The Odd Job (1978) – Mr. Kemp On the Black Hill (1988) – Colonel Bickerton Without a Clue (1988) – Barrister

Television

The Avengers (1963–1968) – Arthur Wilkington / Miller Z-Cars (1964–1972) – Smedley / Mr. Hodge / Tim Duncan R3 (1965) – Professor Chernev The Prisoner (1967) – Villers The Troubleshooters (1967–1968) – Winbush / Jack Lang The First Lady (1968) – Richard Pettifer Doctor Who (1969–1986) – Security Chief / Nefred / Keeper of the Matrix Randall and Hopkirk (1969) – Mullet, the InnKeeper Codename (1970) – Meyer Doctor at Large (1971) – Mr. Gilbert The Persuaders! (1971) – Bill Wilton Upstairs, Downstairs (1971) – Sir Adam The Shadow of the Tower (1972) – The Priest Ace of Wands (1972) – Matilda Edgington / The Major Softly, Softly: Task Force (1972) – George Bensfield Special Branch (1973) Looking For Clancy (1975) – Guy Wall Madame Bovary (1975) – Beadle Hadleigh (1976) – Robert Marshall I, Claudius (1976) – Montanus The Duchess of Duke Street (1976) – Ross Rising Damp (1977) – Peppery Man Secret Army (1977) – Gaston Colbert The Sweeney (1978) – Saxby All Creatures Great and Small (1978–1988) – Humphrey Cobb / Mr. Plenderleith The Professionals (1978) – Grant Rumpole of the Bailey (1979) – Mr Glassworth The Jewel in the Crown (1984) – Uncle Arthur The Return of Sherlock Holmes (1986) – Coroner Silent Witness (1996) – Brewer