James Smillie

James Smillie (born 28 November 1944), also credited variously as Jim Smillie and Jim Smilie, is a Scottish-Australian actor.

Career Although his family remained in Perth, Smillie returned to the United Kingdom in 1972, to appear in stage roles in London's West End. He has continued to divide his time between the UK and Australia throughout his career, working in television, film and stage productions, and as a voiceover artist. He also had a small part in 1979 American action film Jaguar Lives!, opposite Christopher Lee and Donald Pleasence. In 1983, he appeared in made-for-TV movie Skin Deep, which featured Nicole Kidman in an early role.

Later, Smillie appeared in 2002 TV sports drama film The Junction Boys, alongside Tom Berenger and Ryan Kwanten. Two action adventure TV films followed, with Final Contract: Death on Delivery in 2005 and Good Girl, Bad Girl in 2006. More recently, he had parts in English-Italian romance film The Correspondence with Jeremy Irons, and historical sports drama Tommy's Honour with Sam Neill, both in 2016, before appearing in 2017 British drama Romans (aka Retaliation) alongside Orlando Bloom He then had a role in 2019 British black comedy adventure film Get Duked!.

Theatre Smillie has appeared as a leading man on stage in both the UK and Australia. His early stage credits in Australia included playing Orin in Eugene O'Neill's Mourning Becomes Electra (1964), the title role in Tom Jones at the Perth Festival (1969), Edward Rutledge in a J. C. Williamson's touring production of 1776 (1971), and Chance Williams in Tennessee Williams's Sweet Bird of Youth (1972). The following year he played the role of Emile de Beque in South Pacific in Australia in 1984.

Returning to the UK after his Australian stint in Return to Eden, Smillie played the leading role of Georges in a 1987 production of La Cage aux Folles at the London Palladium, after Denis Quiley retired from the role. The story was centred around two middle-aged gay men raising a teenage son together, while running a club in St Tropez. However, three weeks after James made the role his own, the show closed, due to a slump in bookings caused by the AIDS scare of the 1980s. and voiced the role of Justice Computer in British sci-fi series Red Dwarf.

Smillie has also performed voiceover for numerous advertisements, with brands including CNN, Netflix, Ford Capri, Securite Assurance, Papa John's, Amels Yachts, The Scottish Cup, Florida Aquarium, Star Dynasties, Turkish Space Agency, Suzuki, Fantasy Flight Films, Pixel Elixir, Funcom, Citibank, Aveleda Wines and Ardnamurchan Whisky, Phillips and The New York Times. He has voiced characters for videos games including Warhammer’s World of Tanks, Lord of the Rings, Goblin Stone, King Lot, Space Cows and Golden Toad. He has also provided voiceover for animations, and narrated documentaries, podcasts and audiobooks.

Personal life Smillie currently lives in Glasgow, in Scotland.

Filmography

Television YearTitleRoleNotesRef 1965 Folk Cellar Host 1 episode 1966–1972 Homicide Various roles 5 episodes 1967 Adventure Island Smilie Jim 1 episode Crackerjack! Host I Like Music Host 13 episodes 1972 Dead of Night Keith Hopkirk Episode: "Bedtime" 1973 The World About Us Narrator Documentary series, episode: "The Tea and Sugar – A Story of the Nullarbor" 1974 Dial M for Murder Larry Peters 1 episode Z-Cars Roy Prentiss 1 episode 1975 Thriller Bob Mallory 1 episode Wodehouse Playhouse Police Sergeant 1 episode Space: 1999 Baxter 1 episode 1976 Jumbo Spencer Mr. Spencer (credited as Jim Smillie) 3 episodes Battle of the Sexes Various roles (credited as James Smilie) 6 episodes 1977 The Tomorrow People Mike Harding 2 episodes The Mackinnons James Grant 2 episodes The Barry Humphries Show Singing Hussar 2 episodes 1978 Life at Stake Wayne Grant 1 episode 1979 Prisoner (aka Prisoner: Cell Block H) Steve Wilson 28 episodes 1980 The Gentle Touch Harry 1 episode The Latchkey Children Malcolm McCrae Miniseries, 3 episodes Metal Mickey Manager 1 episode 1981 Take a Letter, Mr. Jones Dr. Norton (credited as James Smilie) 1 episode 1983 Return to Eden Dr. Dan Marshall (credited as Jim Smilie) Miniseries, 3 episodes 1985 Return to Eden Dr. Dan Marshall (credited as James Smillie) 22 episodes Red Dwarf: Smeg Ups Justice Computer (voice) Video 2002 Always Greener Frank (voiceover) 1 episode The Junction Boys Dwayne Hess TV film 2016 The Correspondence (aka La corrispondenza) Preside / Dean of Faculty Feature film Tommy's Honour A.K.H. Boyd Feature film 2023 The Man from Oghuz Vazir Imran (voice) Animated short film 2024 The Pleasures of the Damned Voice Short film (in post-production)

Podcast series YearTitleRoleNotesRef 2020 Making the Cut: The (Mostly) True Story of a Retired Surgeon Father / Mr Maingot / Education Dept Secretary / British Man 2 2021 Worlds of Doctor Who: Special Releases: Lady Christina John Flint Season 2, 1 episode Worlds of Doctor Who: Special Releases: Missy Alfredo Season 3, 1 episode Beyond the Dark 2023 Folktown Narrator 4 episodes Once Upon a Time in Zombieville Voom Buckstop / Dr Smillie 2024 The Fountainhead Inkunilati Video game Cygni: All Guns Blazing Video game 2020 One Voice Awards Best Male Character Voice – Animation It's Hip to Be Square One Voice Awards Best Male Performance – Gaming Space Cows One Voice Awards Best Overall Performance – Corporate / Explainer Aveleda 2022 One Voice Awards Best Performance – TV Promo 4 Days to Save the World One Voice Awards Male Voiceover Artist of the Year Vox Awards Judge's Choice Award Flibustier Paris – Rock Star Vox Awards Best Character Performance Goblins of Elderstone One Voice Awards Best Male Performance – Radio Commercial Pet Food Warehouse – It's a Jungle Out There One Voice Awards Best Male Performance – Radio Commercial DHL Vox Awards Best Human Performance in an Animation Akogun – Brutalizer of Gods One Voice Awards Best Overall Performance – Corporate / Explainer Blackout LivePlot XR One Voice Awards Outstanding Live Event Announcer The 2025 European Congress on Evangelism – Gospel History in Europe One Voice Awards Best Male Performance – TV / Web Commercial Telia – iPhone 16 Pro