Quick Facts
Biography
Benjamin John Whitrow (born 17 February 1937) is an English actor.
Biography
He attended the Dragon School, Tonbridge School, and RADA. Whitrow also served in the King's Dragoon Guards from 1956 to 1958. He joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1981. He played Russell in the radio version of After Henry.
In 1989, Whitrow appeared in episode four of the BBC Two sketch show A Bit of Fry and Laurie (series one), playing an irate member of the audience who claimed that Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie had stolen several of their sketches from him.
Between 1990 and 1992, Whitrow appeared in the sitcom The New Statesman as Paddy O'Rourke, a Labour shadow minister who feigned an Irish accent when in public to attract the working-class vote.
Whitrow was nominated for the BAFTA TV Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Mr Bennet in Pride and Prejudice. He has a son, Angus, by actress Celia Imrie.
In the year 2000, in the successful animated movie Chicken Run, Whitrow voiced the character of Fowler; an old rooster who claims to have fought in World War II.
Select Filmography
Cinema
- 2009: Bomber as Alistar
- 2006: Scenes of a Sexual Nature as Eddie Wright
- 2000: Chicken Run as Fowler (voice)
- 1997: The Opium War as Lord Palmerston
- 1995: Restoration as Merivel's Father
- 1987: Personal Services as Mr. Marsden
- 1988: Hawks as Mr. Granger
- 1986: Clockwise as a Headmaster
- 1982: Brimstone and Treacle as Businessman
- 1979: Quadrophenia as Jimmy's Boss
Television
- Agatha Christie's Partners in Crime as Sir Arthur Merivale in episode 'Finessing the King'
- The Queen's Sister as Cronin
- Tom Jones as Squire Allworthy
- Bognor as Eric Gringe in 'Deadline'
- Pride and Prejudice as Mr Bennet
- The New Statesman as Paddy O'Rourke
- Chancer as Robert Douglas
- Play for Today as Josh
- Tales Of The Unexpected What Have You Been Up To Lately, as Fergus Locke
- Fireman Sam as Basil Steelers
- Troilus and Cressida as Ulysses
- The Merchant of Venice as the Duke of Venice (opposite Laurence Olivier as Shylock)
- The Sweeney as Det. Chief Supt. Braithwaite
- Hay Fever as Richard Greatham
- The Brontes of Haworth as Arthur Bell Nicholls
- Rumpole of the Bailey as The Right Reverend Bill Britwell
- Bergerac as B J Farrell
- Man Down (TV series) Series 2 episode 2 of Man Down as Tim
- Midsomer Murders (TV series) as Sir Malcolm Frazer in episode 'Secrets and Spies'
Radio
- 1980: Unman, Wittering & Zigo as the headmaster; by Giles Cooper; BBC R4 7/8/1980.
- 1984: Dracula In White by Peter Redgrove; BBC R4 7/3/1984.
- 1984: Tragedy at Law as the Judge; by Cyril Hare; BBC Radio 4 Saturday Night Theatre 7/4/1984.
- 1985–89: After Henry as Russell; BBC Radio 4 series by Simon Brett.
- 1992: A Warden for All Saints as James Montague, by H.S. Bhabra; BBC R4 29/4/1992.
- 1995: In The Red as the bank manager murderer; by Mark Tavener; BBC Radio 4 series 5/1/1995-16/2/1995.
- 1997: MR James Ghost story readings – The Late Book.
- 1999: Plum's War by Michael Butt, BBC R4 7/7/99.
- 2003: Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh, dramatised by Jeremy Front, BBC R4 8/3/2003.
- 2003: The Last Bark of the Bulldog by Jonathan Smith; Benjamin Whitrow portrays Winston Churchill; BBC R4 21/6/2003.
- 2011: Portrait of Winston, by Jonathan Smith; sequel to The Last Bark of the Bulldog; BBC R4 13/9/2011