Oliver Ford Davies

Oliver Robert Ford Davies (born 12 August 1939) is an English actor, theatre historian, director, playwright, and writer. He is best known for his extensive theatre work, and to a broader audience for his role as Sio Bibble in Star Wars Episodes I to III. He is also known for his roles as Peter Foxcott in the ITV legal drama Kavanagh QC and as Maester Cressen in HBO's epic fantasy series Game of Thrones.

Early life and education Oliver Robert Ford Davies was born in Ealing, Middlesex, England, on 12 August 1939. His father was a teacher. In 1956 he joined the eminent Ealing amateur company Questors. He won a scholarship to Merton College, Oxford, where he read history and became president of the Oxford University Dramatic Society. After obtaining his DPhil, he did a postgraduate teaching qualification.

His first professional appearances were, at the age of 27, in the 1967 season at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre – which at that time included Michael Gambon, Brian Cox, Timothy Dalton, and Anna Calder-Marshall. Davies' long and prolific association with the Royal Shakespeare Company started in 1975, when director Terry Hands cast him as Mountjoy in Henry V. His breakthrough in theatre came in 1990, when he was given the lead role in Sir David Hare's Racing Demon at the Royal National Theatre in London. In May 2009, Davies appeared in All's Well That Ends Well at the Royal National Theatre as the King of France. In 2010, he appeared at the Orange Tree Theatre as Balfour in the premiere of Ben Brown's play The Promise, about the Balfour Declaration.

In 2011, he appeared in a stage adaptation of Michelle Magorian's book Goodnight Mister Tom, in which he played the central character, Thomas Oakley. He was back with the RSC in 2014 as Justice Shallow in Henry IV, Part 2. Davies again appeared with David Tennant in Richard II in 2013. In 2019, Davies played the Button Moulder in David Hare's adaptation of Henryk Ibsen's Peter Gynt at the Olivier Theatre.

Screen On television, Davies had a regular role as Peter Foxcott QC in Kavanagh QC and was schoolmaster Le Bas in the serialisation of A Dance to the Music of Time (1997). He also appeared with John Thaw in an episode of Inspector Morse and also appeared in the ITV television drama The Uninvited, and in a 2002 episode of the popular drama Foyle's War.

On film, his most prominent role was Sio Bibble in the Star Wars prequel trilogy films, released in 1999, 2002 and 2005. In 2003, Davies appeared in the film Johnny English, where he portrayed the Archbishop of Canterbury. He appeared as Maester Cressen in the TV series Game of Thrones.

Writing Non-fiction Davies' books include Playing Lear (2003), an account of his experience while performing King Lear at the Almeida Theatre, and Performing Shakespeare (2007, republished 2019). Both are published by Nick Hern Books.

Recognition and honours Davies was awarded the Laurence Olivier Award in 1990 (1989 season) for Best Actor in a New Play for Racing Demon. and was well-reviewed by actor and theatre director Andrew Hilton.

He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2024 New Year Honours for services to drama.

Personal life and views Davies is left wing politically, and an internationalist. He has said that the actor he most admires is Paul Scofield, in particular his portrayal of King Lear in 1962.

Selected filmography Films Defence of the Realm (1986) – Anthony Clegg Scandal (1989) – Mr. Woods, MI5 Paper Mask (1990) – Coroner Sense and Sensibility (1995) – Doctor Harris Mrs Brown (1997) – Dean of Windsor Mrs Dalloway (1997) – Hugh Whitbread Titanic Town (1998) – Whittington An Ideal Husband (1999) – Sir Hugo Danforth Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999) – Sio Bibble Blow Dry (2001) – Doctor Hamilton Just Visiting (2001) – Pit Rivers Revelation (2001) – Professor Casaubon Sunday (2002) – Lord Hailsham Bertie and Elizabeth (2002) – Cosmo Gordon Lang Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002) – Sio Bibble Johnny English (2003) – Archbishop of Canterbury The Mother (2003) – Bruce Agatha Christie's Sparkling Cyanide (2003) - Colonel Geoffrey Reece Gladiatress (2004) – (uncredited) Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005) – Sio Bibble Heidi (2005) – Dr. Classen National Theatre Live: All's Well That Ends Well (2009) – King of France The Deep Blue Sea (2011) – Hester's Father Royal Shakespeare Company: Henry IV Part II (2014) – Shallow The Last Witness (2018) – Sir Alexander Cadogan / Anthony Eden / Owen O'Malley (voice) Christopher Robin (2018) – Old Man Winslow A Splinter of Ice (2021) – Graeme Greene Triangle of Sadness (2022) – Winston

TV The Protectors (1973) – Hansen, episode "Bagman" The Brontes of Haworth (1973) – John Hunter Thompson, "Home and Abroad" Father Brown (1974) – Det. Insp. Corliss, episode "The Eye of Apollo" A Taste for Death (1988 mini-series) – Father Francis Barnes, 6 episodes A Very British Coup (1988 mini-series) – Sir Horace Tweed, 3 episodes Inspector Morse (1991) – Frederick Redpath, episode "Second Time Around" (S05:E01) Maigret (1992 TV series) – Dr. Pardon, episode "Maigret on the Defensive" (S02:E03) The Way We Live Now (1997) - Gerald Ryle, 2 episodes A Dance to the Music of Time (1997) – Le Bas, "Post War", "The Twenties" Pie in the Sky (1997) – James Truman, MP, episode "Squashed Tomatoes" (S05:E01) Heartbeat (1999) – Henry Tomkinson, episode "Testament" Kavanagh QC (1999-2001) – Peter Foxcott QC, 26 episodes Agatha Christie's Poirot (2000) – Dr. James Sheppard, "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd" The Way We Live Now (2001) - Mr Longestaffe, 4 episodes Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story (2001) - Dr Newman, 2 episodes Murder (2002) - Father Daniel, 4 episodes Sirens (2002) - Henry Marshall, 2 episodes Foyle's War (2002) – Lawrence Gascoigne, "A Lesson in Murder" (S01:E3) Midsomer Murders (2005 TV series) – Otto Benham, episode "Hidden Depths" (S08:E06) Waking the Dead (2007) – Hugo Keegan, "The Fall" Parts 1 & 2 Game of Thrones (2012) – Maester Cressen, episode "The North Remembers" (S02:E01) Agatha Christie's Marple (2013) – Major Palgrave, "A Caribbean Mystery" You, Me and the Apocalypse (2015) – Cardinal Crawshaw "24 Hours to Go", "Saviour Day" Catastrophe (2017) – Wallace, episode 3.3 Father Brown (2018) – Bishop Golding, episode "The Two Deaths of Hercule Flambeau" (S06:E10) Departure (2020) – Amis, episode "Prime Suspect" (S01:E03) Casualty (2024) – Ziggy Rustin, episode "The Truth Will Set You Free" (S39:E05)

Footnotes