Geoffrey Palmer
From The TV IV
| Geoffrey Palmer | |
 | |
| Born | June 4, 1927 in London, England |
| Notable Roles | The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin: Jimmy Anderson
As Time Goes By: Lionel Hardcastle |
| Notable Episodes | Fawlty Towers: 2x04 - The Kipper and the Corpse |
| Awards | Other: Officer of the Order of the British Empire |
Geoffrey Palmer is a British actor best known for his work opposite Judi Dench in the British sitcom As Time Goes By, as well as his appearances in dozens of TV shows and movies, including A Fish Called Wanda, The Madness of King George and the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies.
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[edit] Biography
Geoffrey Palmer was born on June 4, 1927 in London, England. As a young man, he served as a corporal in the Royal Marines. After his discharge, he worked for a while at an imports office and as an accountant, until a girlfriend convinced him to work with her at an amateur dramatics society.
He soon found plenty of stage work, eventually serving as assistant stage manager, first at the Q Theatre, then at Croydon's Grand Theatre. He was especially sought after in comedies, where his deadpan delivery served him well. TV and film work soon followed, and he was constantly working throughout the 1960s and '70s. In 1976, he began the role which would make him a celebrity in Britain when he played Jimmy Anderson in The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin.
In 1992, he found his greatest international success opposite Dame Judi Dench in the British sitcom As Time Goes By. In 2005, he was named an Officer of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II for his work in British theater. He lives with his wife, Sally Palmer, with whom he has had two children.
[edit] Roles
[edit] Starring Roles
| Series | Role | Year(s) | Season(s) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Army Game | Solider | 1958-1959 | 3 | ||||||||
| Best of Enemies | Johnson | 1968 | 1 | ||||||||
| Edward the King | Sir Edward Clarke | 1975 | 1 | ||||||||
| Bill Brand | Malcolm Frear | 1976 | 1 | ||||||||
| The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin | Jimmy Anderson | 1976-1982 | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||||
| Butterflies | Ben Parkinson | 1978-2000 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |||||
| The Last Song | Leo Bannister | 1981-1983 | 1 | 2 | |||||||
| Whoops Apocalypse | Foreign Secretary | 1982 | 1 | ||||||||
| Death of an Expert Witness | Dr. Edwin Lorimer | 1983 | 1 | ||||||||
| Fairly Secret Army | Major Harry Kitchener Wellington Truscott | 1984-1986 | 1 | 2 | |||||||
| Hot Metal | Harry Stringer | 1986 | 1 | ||||||||
| Executive Stress | Donald Fairchild | 1986 | 1 | ||||||||
| After the War | Major General Sir Robert Godolphin | 1989 | 1 | ||||||||
| As Time Goes By | Lionel Hardcastle | 1992-2005 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| The Legacy of Reginald Perrin | Jimmy Anderson | 1996 | 1 | ||||||||
| Tales from the River Bank | Narrator | 1997 | 1 | ||||||||
| Middle Classes: Their Rise and Sprawl | Narrator | 2001 | 1 | ||||||||
| The Savages | Donald | 2001 | 1 | ||||||||
| Stig of the Dump | Robert Tollworth | 2002 | 1 | ||||||||
| Grumpy Old Men | Narrator | 2003-2005 | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||||
| He Knew He Was Right | Sir Marmaduke Rowley | 2004 | 1 | ||||||||
[edit] Guest Starring Roles
[edit] Specials and Made-for-TV Movies
| Title | Role | Airdate | Series/Banner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Going, Going, Gone... Free? | Ralph | July 9, 1975 | |
| A Midsummer Night's Dream | Quince | December 13, 1981 | The Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare |
| The Insurance Man | The Angry Doctor | February 22, 1986 | |
| Season's Greetings | Bernard | December 24, 1986 | |
| Christabel | Mr. Burton | November 16, 1988 | |
| A Question of Attribution | Donleavy | October 4, 1992 | |
| Stalag Luft | Commander | October 27, 1993 | |
| Full Throttle | Sir Stanley Birkin | February 2, 1995 | Heroes and Villains |
| Reckless: The Movie | Robert Crane | October 11, 1998 | |
| Butterflies Reunion Special | Ben Parkinson | November 17, 2000 | Butterflies |
| Judi Dench: A BAFTA Tribute | Himself | January 12, 2002 | A BAFTA Tribute |
| Dickens | William Makepeace Thackeray | May 11, 2002 | |
| Looking for Victoria | Narrator | October 27, 2003 | |
| The Young Visiters | Minnit | December 26, 2003 | |
| The Man-Eating Leopard of Rudraprayag | Corbett's Ghost | December 2, 2005 |
[edit] Talk, News and Game Show Appearances
[edit] Notable Film Roles
- A Zed & Two Noughts (1985): Fallast
- A Fish Called Wanda (1988): Judge
- The Madness of King George (1994): Warren
- Her Majesty, Mrs. Brown (1997): Henry Ponsonby
- Tomorrow Never Dies (1997): Admiral Roebuck
- Anna and the King (1999): Lord John Bradley
[edit] Memorable Moments
- Fawlty Towers:
- 2x04 - The Kipper and the Corpse: As Dr. Price, Palmer has been called away from his breakfast of sausages to declare a dead man's time of death. He has waited through constant delays for his sausages. At last, he catches Basil Fawlty trying to hide the body in the kitchen. He chews Basil out and demands that Basil makes "sure this area is scrubbed before any more food is prepared in here." When Basil promises to do so, Price adds, "Sausages excepted, you may cook them immediately. I'll take the risk."
[edit] Awards and Accolades
[edit] Other Awards
- Order of the British Empire
- Officer of the Order of the British Empire (2005) - For work in drama
