Skip to content
Join free
George Murcell
Actor

George Murcell

30 Oct 1925Born
3 Dec 1998Died
73Age at death
62Credits

Biography

Arthur George Murcell (30 October 1925 – 3 December 1998) was a British character actor. Born in Italy, he made his film debut in Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's The Battle of the River Plate (1956), Murcell went on to develop a career playing snarling villains in both film and television. These could either be stupid, brutish henchmen, as in Hell Drivers and Campbell's Kingdom (both 1957), or sophisticated rogues, such as Needle in "You Have Just Been Murdered", an episode of The Avengers.

He specialised in playing foreign characters, including Germans, Russians and South Americans.

Read the full biography

A number of these roles were in ITC adventure TV series of the 1960s and 1970s, such as Danger Man, The Baron, The Saint, The Champions (Reply Box No.666 episode, 1967) Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased), The Persuaders! and Jason King. His film roles included Sea of Sand (1958), The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964), The Heroes of Telemark (1965), Kaleidoscope (1966), The Fixer (1968), A Dandy in Aspic (1968), The Assassination Bureau (1969), A Walk with Love and Death (1969), Penny Gold (1973), Special Branch (1974), Inside the Third Reich (1982, as Hermann Göring), Year of the Gun (1991), and Cutthroat Island (1995).

He enjoyed a long stage career, which involved working with Tyrone Guthrie and Peter Brook, and was active in the Royal Shakespeare Company.In the 1970s, he acquired a Victorian church in North London, which he converted into an Elizabethan-style theatre in collaboration with director Adrian Brown. In 1973, he opened it as "St George's Theatre", intending that it present little-seen classical plays.

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, he continued to work at St George's Theatre as both an actor and a director, often with his wife, Elvi Hale.

Known for

Filmography

  1. 2022Presented in SupercolorisationSeries: Professor Rudolph Popkiss / Black Morgan (voice), Professor Rudolph Popkiss (voice) (credit only) (1 episode)
  2. 1996The Ice PrincessFilm
  3. 1995Cutthroat IslandFilm: Mordachai Fingers
  4. 1991Year of the GunFilm: Pierre Bernier
  5. 1988Pascali's IslandFilm: Herr Gesing
  6. 1986Peter the GreatSeries (4 episodes)
  7. 1982Inside the Third ReichSeries: Herman Goering (2 episodes)
  8. 1981SmugglerSeries: Silas Kemble (13 episodes)
  9. 1977The ProfessionalsSeries: Yashinkov (1 episode)
  10. 19771990Series: Tiny (8 episodes)
  11. 1975Rime of the Ancient MarinerFilm
  12. 1975Penelope Pulls It OffFilm: Owen
  13. 1974Armchair CinemaSeries: Maître Rabut (1 episode)
  14. 1974The PrisonFilm: Maître Rabut
  15. 1973Penny GoldFilm: Doctor Merrick
  16. 1973Mafia JunctionFilm
  17. 1971The Rivals of Sherlock HolmesSeries: Inspector Vandeleur (1 episode)
  18. 1971The Persuaders!Series: Zorakin (1 episode)
  19. 1971Jason KingSeries (1 episode)
  20. 1971The HorsemenFilm: Mizrar
  21. 1970A Sound from the SeaFilm: George
  22. 1970ManhuntSeries: Franco (1 episode)
  23. 1969A Walk with Love and DeathFilm: The Captain
  24. 1969The PossessedFilm: Liputin
  25. 1969The Assassination BureauFilm: Zeppelin pilot
  26. 1968The ChampionsSeries: Nikko, El Gaudillo (1 episode)
  27. 1968The Year of the Sex OlympicsFilm: Grels
  28. 1968A Dandy in AspicFilm
  29. 1968Rogues' GallerySeries: Sir Esmond Bellasize (1 episode)
  30. 1967The Naked RunnerFilm
  31. 1967You Only Live TwiceFilm: Russian Diplomat (uncredited)
  32. 1966The InformerSeries: Willie Cluff (1 episode)
  33. 1966KaleidoscopeFilm: Johnny
  34. 1965The Heroes of TelemarkFilm: Sturmfuhrer
  35. 1965Thirty-Minute TheatreSeries: Second Man (1 episode)
  36. 1965Gideon's WaySeries: Kautsky (1 episode)
  37. 1964Theatre 625Series: Delamarche, Wensley Grafton, Grels (1 episode)
  38. 1964The Fall of the Roman EmpireFilm: Victorinus
  39. 1962In Search of the CastawaysFilm: Ayerton's Assistant
  40. 1962The SaintSeries: Vogler, Abdul Graner (2 episodes)
  41. 1962The Cherry OrchardFilm: Yermolai Alexeyevich Lopahin
  42. 1961The PursuersFilm: Freddy
  43. 1961SupercarSeries (39 episodes)
  44. 1961The AvengersSeries: Needle (2 episodes)
  45. 1960Crossroads to CrimeFilm: Diamond
  46. 1960Sunday-Night PlaySeries: Gannerac (1 episode)
  47. 1960Danger ManSeries: Bruno (1 episode)
  48. 1960There Was a Crooked ManFilm: Receptionist at 'The McKillup Arms'
  49. 1960The Angry SilenceFilm: Jones
  50. 1959Don't Panic ChapsFilm: Meister
  51. 1959No Hiding PlaceSeries (1 episode)
  52. 1958Sea of SandFilm: Cpl. Simms
  53. 1958Sea FuryFilm: Loudon
  54. 1958Blood of the VampireFilm: First Guard
  55. 1957Campbell's KingdomFilm: Max, a worker
  56. 1957Hell DriversFilm: Tub
  57. 1956The Battle of the River PlateFilm: Chief Officer, Newton Beach
  58. 1956The Adventures of Sir LancelotSeries: Jaggyd (1 episode)
  59. 1956Armchair TheatreSeries: Beno (1 episode)
  60. 1955The Merry ChristmasFilm: Mr. Fezziwig
  61. 1955The Adventures of Robin HoodSeries: Sheriff's Guard (1 episode)
  62. 1950Sunday Night TheatreSeries: M. Lafarge (1 episode)

Biography and credits from TMDB. This website uses TMDB and the TMDB APIs but is not endorsed, certified, or otherwise approved by TMDB.