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Geoffrey Palmer picture

Geoffrey Palmer

Acting
Known For

93 Years Old

Geoffrey Dyson Palmer, OBE (4 June 1927 - 5 November 2020) was an English actor known for his roles in British television sitcoms playing Jimmy Anderson in The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin (1976–79), Ben Parkinson in Butterflies (1978–1983) and Lionel Hardcastle in As Time Goes By (1992–2005). His film appearances include A Fish Called Wanda (1988), The Madness of King George (1994), Mrs. Brown (1997), and Tomorrow Never Dies (1997). Geoffrey Dyson Palmer was born on 4 June 1927 in North Finchley, Middlesex. He was the son of Frederick Charles Palmer, who was a chartered surveyor, and Norah Gwendolen (née Robins). He attended Highgate School from September 1939 to December 1945. He served as a corporal instructor in small arms and field training in the Royal Marines during his national service from 1946 to 1948, following which he briefly worked as an unpaid trainee assistant stage manager. Palmer's early television appearances included multiple roles in episodes of The Army Game (Granada Television), two episodes of The Baron and as a property agent in Cathy Come Home (1966). After a major break in John Osborne's West of Suez at the Royal Court with Ralph Richardson, he acted in major productions at the Royal Court and for the National Theatre Company and was directed by Laurence Olivier in J. B. Priestley's Eden End. Palmer found the play so dull, however, that he was deterred from a stage career. Two BBC sitcom roles brought him attention in the 1970s: the hapless brother-in-law of Reggie Perrin in The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin (1976–79), and the phlegmatic dentist Ben Parkinson in Butterflies (1978–1983). In 1978, Palmer appeared as organized crimelord Simon Sinclair in London Weekend Television's hard-hitting police drama The Professionals, the episode entitled "Where the Jungle Ends". Palmer played Doctor Price in the Fawlty Towers episode "The Kipper and the Corpse" (1979), determined to have breakfast amidst the confusion caused by the death of a guest and Fawlty's inept way of handling the emergency. In 1986, Palmer appeared as Donald Fairchild in the first series of an ITV sitcom, Executive Stress, alongside Penelope Keith. He later left, and was replaced by Peter Bowles. Palmer later starred opposite Judi Dench for over a decade in another BBC sitcom, As Time Goes By (1992–2005). In 1997, he also appeared with Dench in the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies, in which he portrayed Admiral Roebuck to Dench's M, and Mrs Brown, playing Sir Henry Ponsonby to Dench's Queen Victoria. Palmer married Sally Green in 1963. They had a daughter, Harriet, and a son, Charles, a television director. Palmer was a longtime resident of Lee Common in the Chiltern Hills, Buckinghamshire, and enjoyed fly fishing in his spare time. At the time of his death, he resided in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire. Palmer died peacefully at his home on 5 November 2020, aged 93

Born

Finchley, Middlesex, England, UK on 4th June 1927

Died

5th November 2020

All Credits

Angels Image
Angels
Agatha Christie's Poirot Image
Agatha Christie's Poirot
Vice Admiral Hamling
The BBC Television Shakespeare Image
The BBC Television Shakespeare
Quince
Doctor Who Image
Doctor Who
Masters
Doctor Who Image
Doctor Who
Administrator
The Avengers Image
The Avengers
Martin Smythe
The Avengers Image
The Avengers
Paul Manning
The Avengers Image
The Avengers
The Kenny Everett Television Show Image
The Kenny Everett Television Show
Various
BBC Play of the Month Image
BBC Play of the Month
Monteith
The Saint Image
The Saint
Pete Ferguson
Softly, Softly Image
Softly, Softly
Blackadder Image
Blackadder
Field Marshal Haig
An Audience with... Image
An Audience with...
Self
No Hiding Place Image
No Hiding Place
No Image
The Alan Titchmarsh Show
Self
Play for Today Image
Play for Today
Jack Buckett
Play for Today Image
Play for Today
Detetective Chief Inspector Harris
Play for Today Image
Play for Today
The Wednesday Play Image
The Wednesday Play
Property Agent
Mr. Men and Little Miss Image
Mr. Men and Little Miss
Bergerac Image
Bergerac
Nigel Carter
The Troubleshooters Image
The Troubleshooters
Jeremy Martin
The One Show Image
The One Show
Self
The Professionals Image
The Professionals
Simon Sinclair
The Professionals Image
The Professionals
Avery
The Human Jungle Image
The Human Jungle
Williams
No Image
The Revenue Men
Bill Mitchell
The Sweeney Image
The Sweeney
Commander Watson
Ashes to Ashes Image
Ashes to Ashes
Lord Scarman
Van der Valk Image
Van der Valk
Head of Faculty
Natural World Image
Natural World
Narrator
Crown Court Image
Crown Court
Kenneth Eden
Out of the Unknown Image
Out of the Unknown
Chief Officer
Fawlty Towers Image
Fawlty Towers
Dr. Price
Inspector Morse Image
Inspector Morse
Matthew Copley-Barnes
The Hollow Crown Image
The Hollow Crown
Lord Chief Justice
The Goodies Image
The Goodies
School Headmaster
The Man in Room 17 Image
The Man in Room 17
Ian McWatt
As Time Goes By Image
As Time Goes By
Lionel Hardcastle
Butterflies Image
Butterflies
Ben Parkinson
Mystery and Imagination Image
Mystery and Imagination
The Expert Image
The Expert
Asst. Chief Constable Rogers
Grumpy Old Men Image
Grumpy Old Men
Narrator
Hot Metal Image
Hot Metal
Gideon's Way Image
Gideon's Way
Jeff Grant
The Savages Image
The Savages
Donald
Dalgliesh Image
Dalgliesh
Edwin Lorrimer
The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin Image
The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin
Jimmy Anderson
Doomwatch Image
Doomwatch
Major Sims
Oxbridge Blues Image
Oxbridge Blues
Fred
Absolute Power Image
Absolute Power
Paddington Image
Paddington
Head Geographer
He Knew He Was Right Image
He Knew He Was Right
Sir Marmaduke Rowley
The 1940's House Image
The 1940's House
Narrator (voice)
Colditz Image
Colditz
Doc
Whoops Apocalypse Image
Whoops Apocalypse
Bill Brand Image
Bill Brand
Malcolm Frear
The Last Song Image
The Last Song
Tomorrow Never Dies Image
Tomorrow Never Dies
Admiral Roebuck
No Image
Fairly Secret Army
Major Harry Truscott
A Fish Called Wanda Image
A Fish Called Wanda
Judge
Peter Pan Image
Peter Pan
Sir Edward Quiller Couch
The Pink Panther 2 Image
The Pink Panther 2
Joubert
No Image
The Joe Baker Show
The Legacy of Reginald Perrin Image
The Legacy of Reginald Perrin
No Image
Chateau Monty
Executive Stress Image
Executive Stress
Best Of Enemies Image
Best Of Enemies
Anna and the King Image
Anna and the King
Lord John Bradley
Ben Travers Farces Image
Ben Travers Farces
Hugh Stafford
W.E. Image
W.E.
Stanley Baldwin
The Madness of King George Image
The Madness of King George
Warren
Edward the Seventh Image
Edward the Seventh
Sir Edward Clarke
The Honorary Consul Image
The Honorary Consul
British Ambassador
No Image
Look at the State We're In!
The Ruler
Londoners Image
Londoners
Jack Poncey
Fawlty Towers: Re-Opened Image
Fawlty Towers: Re-Opened
Self / Dr Price
Mrs Brown Image
Mrs Brown
Henry Ponsonby
Clockwise Image
Clockwise
Headmaster
Doctor Who: Voyage of the Damned Image
Doctor Who: Voyage of the Damned
Captain Hardaker
Stiff Upper Lips Image
Stiff Upper Lips
His Butler's Voice
To Olivia Image
To Olivia
No Image
Christabel
Mr. Burton
Dickens Image
Dickens
Piccadilly Jim Image
Piccadilly Jim
Bayliss
Stig of the Dump Image
Stig of the Dump
Robert
O Lucky Man! Image
O Lucky Man!
Examination Doctor/Basil Keyes
Alice Through the Looking Glass Image
Alice Through the Looking Glass
White King
Run For Your Wife Image
Run For Your Wife
Man on Toilet
Hawks Image
Hawks
SAAB Salesman
Lost Christmas Image
Lost Christmas
Dr. Clarence
A Midsummer Night's Dream Image
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Quince
A Zed & Two Noughts Image
A Zed & Two Noughts
Fallast
No Image
The Man-Eating Leopard of Rudraprayag
Corbett's Ghost
Cathy Come Home Image
Cathy Come Home
Property Agent
Stalag Luft Image
Stalag Luft
The Kommandant
A Prize of Arms Image
A Prize of Arms
Cpl. Myers
No Image
Bulldog Breed
The Young Visiters Image
The Young Visiters
Minnit
Rat Image
Rat
The Doctor
Doctor Who: The Mutants Image
Doctor Who: The Mutants
Administrator
Ring of Spies Image
Ring of Spies
Police Officer (uncredited)
No Image
Loyalties
Graviter
No Image
The Odd Man
Const. Swift
Margaret Thatcher: The Long Walk to Finchley Image
Margaret Thatcher: The Long Walk to Finchley
Sir John Crowder
Bert & Dickie Image
Bert & Dickie
Charles Burnell
The Outsider Image
The Outsider
Col. Wyndham
Season's Greetings Image
Season's Greetings
Bernard
Incident at Midnight Image
Incident at Midnight
Dr. Tanfield
A Question of Attribution Image
A Question of Attribution
Donleavy
Smack and Thistle Image
Smack and Thistle
Sir Horace Wimbol
Doctor Who and the Silurians Image
Doctor Who and the Silurians
Masters
The Insurance Man Image
The Insurance Man
The Angry Doctor
Goodbye Image
Goodbye
Jack
Michael Regan Image
Michael Regan
Chief Superintendent
No Image
The High Game
Man at the Clinic
Only Make Believe Image
Only Make Believe
Richard Nicholls
Queen Victoria's Last Love: Abdul Karim Image
Queen Victoria's Last Love: Abdul Karim
Narrator
Absurd Person Singular Image
Absurd Person Singular
Ronald Brewster-Wright
No Image
Reckless: The Sequel
Robert Crane
No Image
No Place Like Earth
Chief Officer
Mr. Kershaw's Dream System Image
Mr. Kershaw's Dream System
Psychiastrist
No Image
The Houseboy
Eric
No Image
Pope John Paul II: 1920 - 2005
Narrator
The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin Image
The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin
Jimmy Anderson
Inside Rooms: 26 Bathrooms, London & Oxfordshire Image
Inside Rooms: 26 Bathrooms, London & Oxfordshire
Narrator
No Image
Walrus: Two Tonne Tusker
Narrator
Safe at Work? Image
Safe at Work?
Narrator
The Battle of Billy's Pond Image
The Battle of Billy's Pond
First Policeman
A Story to Frighten the Children Image
A Story to Frighten the Children
Det. Chief Insp. Harris
Mr. Men & Little Miss: The Christmas Letter Image
Mr. Men & Little Miss: The Christmas Letter
Narrator / Santa