Peter Howell

Peter Norman Bulmer Howell (25 October 1919 – 20 April 2015) was an English actor. Howell was active in film, television, radio and theatre.

Biography Early life Born in London, England, he was educated at Winchester College and began studying law at Christ Church, Oxford, but left in 1939 after being called up for military service in World War II. He served as a second-lieutenant in the Rifle Brigade, but was invalided out with dysentery during the North Africa Campaign in 1943. Shortly after, he made his professional stage debut with the Old Vic company. His West End plays included The Affair, The Doctor's Dilemma, Little Boxes, and Conduct Unbecoming. He played the prison governor in the 1979 film Scum.

On BBC Radio 4, Howell played Ducem Barr in the episode The General from The Foundation Trilogy during 1973, Saruman in the 1981 adaptation of The Lord of the Rings and had a recurring role as the Right Reverend Cyril Hood, Bishop of Felpersham, in the long-running drama The Archers from 1987 to 2006.

Personal life and death Howell married Susan Cheshire in 1957, and they remained together until her death in 1992. They had three daughters, Polly, Tamara and Camilla, and a son, Benji. He was a close friend of fellow actor Sir Ian McKellen, who was godfather to his daughter Tamara.

Howell was an active member of the Labour Party who campaigned for a number of social issues. He was also a longtime member of the Marylebone Cricket Club, and opposed their planned 1968–69 England cricket tour of apartheid-era South Africa, which was eventually cancelled. He helped to raise funds for the building of Watermans Arts Centre near his home in Chiswick, west London.

Filmography Year Title Role Notes1960 Tarzan the Magnificent Dr. Blake 1960 Watch Your Stern Admiral's Secretary 1960 No Kidding Father of Angus 1961 The Hellfire Club William Pitt – Earl of Chatham 1961 Raising the Wind Prof. Lumb 1962 Two Letter Alibi Carlton1963 Incident at Midnight Inspector Macready 1964 The Devil-Ship Pirates The Vicar 1979 Scum Governor 1984 John Wycliffe: The Morning Star Dr. John Wycliffe 1985 AD Atticus TV Mini-Series, 2 episodes, Uncredited1987 Bellman and True The Bellman 1993 Shadowlands College President 1994 Princess Caraboo Clerk of the Court 1996 The Innocent Sleep Sir Frank 2004 The Libertine Bishop (final film role)