Donald Sumpter (born 13 February 1943)[1] is an English actor who has appeared in film and television since the mid-1960s. His credits include Doctor Who episode The Wheel in Space (1968), The Black Panther (1977), Bleak House (1985), The Queen's Nose (1995-1998), Great Expectations (1999), Nicholas Nickleby (2001), Enigma (2001), K-19: The Widowmaker (2002), The Constant Gardener (2005), Being Human (2009-2010), Ultramarines: The Movie (2010), Black Mirror (2011), Game of Thrones (2011-2012), Endeavour (2018), Les Misérables (2018), and Chernobyl (2019).

Donald Sumpter
Sumpter at The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo film premiere in 2012
Born (1943-02-13) 13 February 1943 (age 81)
OccupationActor
Years active1966–present

Career edit

Sumpter was born on 13 February 1943,[1] in Brixworth, Northamptonshire, England.[2]

One of his early television appearances was the 1968 Doctor Who serial The Wheel in Space with Patrick Troughton as the Doctor.[1] Sumpter appeared in Doctor Who again, in the 1972 serial The Sea Devils with Jon Pertwee.[1] Sumpter also appeared in the Doctor Who spin-off The Sarah Jane Adventures. In 2015, he appeared as the Time Lord President Rassilon in the Doctor Who episode "Hell Bent".[1]

His early film work included a lead role as real life criminal Donald Neilson in the 1977 film The Black Panther.[3] Sumpter also appeared in many television films and serials, including adaptations of Dickens' novels: Nicholas Nickleby in 2001,[2] Great Expectations in 1999,[2] and Bleak House in 1985.[2]

Sumpter played the part of villain Ronnie Day in Big Deal (1985). He took the role of the suspected serial killer Alexander Bonaparte Cust in the 1992 Agatha Christie's Poirot adaptation of The ABC Murders. He has also appeared in episodes of Midsomer Murders, The Bill, Holby City, Black Mirror, and A Touch of Frost.[2]

From 1995 - 1998, Sumpter had a recurring role as Uncle Ginger in the Children's BBC series The Queen's Nose.[4] He played Harold Chapple in Our Friends in the North, and portrayed the physicist Max Planck in Einstein and Eddington. He has also been seen as Kemp in the horror-drama series Being Human. In seasons 1 and 2, he portrayed Maester Luwin in the HBO series Game of Thrones.[5]

His film appearances include The Constant Gardener (2005), K-19: The Widowmaker (2002), Enigma (2001) and Ultramarines: The Movie (2010).[2]

In 2018, he played film star Emil Valdemar in Endeavour, Series 5, Episode 2: "Cartouche.[6] The same year, he appeared as Monsieur Mabeuf in the BBC adaption of Les Misérables.[7]

Filmography edit

Films edit

Year Title Role Notes
1968 The Window Cleaner David
The Lost Continent Sparks – the radioman Uncredited
1969 Night After Night After Night Pete Laver
1970 Groupie Girl Steve
The Walking Stick Max
1971 Bleak Moments Norman's friend
Sunday Bloody Sunday Party Guest
1974 Stardust TV Producer
1977 Hardcore Mark
The Black Panther Donald Neilson [3]
1979 Meetings with Remarkable Men Pogossian
1983 Curse of the Pink Panther Dave
1990 Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead Claudius
1992 Méchant garçon Michael, le père
1993 Being Human Salgedo as Don Sumpter
1995 Richard III Brackenbury
1997 Tangier Cop Ahmed Yaasin
2001 Enigma Leveret
The Point Men Benni Baum
2002 K-19: The Widowmaker Gennadi Savran
2005 The Constant Gardener Tim Donohue
2007 Eastern Promises Yuri
2009 God & Lucy God Short film
2010 Among Us Man on bench
Ultramarines: The Movie Pythol Voice role
2011 The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Detective Inspector Gustaf Morell
2014 Bypass Grandfather
2015 In the Heart of the Sea Paul Macy
2016 The Knackerman Ron Short film
2017 The Man Who Invented Christmas Jacob Marley

Television edit

Year Title Role Notes
1966 The Wednesday Play Soldier 1 episode: "A Hero of Our Time"
1967 Softly Softly Ted Reece 1 episode: "Ted Reece"
Love Story 1 episode: "Cinéma Vérité"
Z-Cars Dave Caller 2 episodes: "It's Easy Once You Know How"
1968 Doctor Who Enrico Casali 6 episodes: "The Wheel in Space"
Sanctuary Lee 1 episode: "The Girl with the Blue Guitar"
1969 ITV Saturday Night Theatre Leary 1 episode: "Pig in a Poke"
The First Churchills Lord Cutts 1 episode: "A Famous Victory"
1970 Mad Jack Wilmot
The Adventures of Don Quick Gezool 1 episode: "The Benefits of Earth"
1972 Doctor Who Commander Ridgeway 3 episodes: "The Sea Devils"
Armchair Theatre Dellow 1 episode: "The Breaking of Colonel Keyser"
1973 Barlow at Large Jim Page 1 episode: "Strays"
Hadleigh Tony
1975 Centre Play Johnny 1 episode: "The Saliva Milkshake"
Sadie, It's Cold Outside Plumber 1 episode
Quiller Hudson 1 episode: "Assault on the Ritz"
Softly, Softly: Taskforce George Hartley 1 episode: "Choirboy"
1977 Jesus of Nazareth Aram
Seven Faces of Woman Joe Belladona 1 episode: "She: Anxious Anne"
Play for Today Spalding 1 episode: "Catchpenny Twist"
The Children of the New Forest Ned Corbould
1978 Crown Court 1 episode: "To Catch a Thief"
Target Heslop 1 episode: "Promises"
Les Misérables Agent
1979 The Other Side 1 episode: "Contact"
1980 Shoestring Stanley Reeves 1 episode: "The Teddy Bears’ Nightmare"
1981 BBC Television Shakespeare Sextus Pompeius "Antony & Cleopatra"
The Rose Medallion Harry
1982 The Brack Report Paul Brack
1983 Bergerac Roscoe 1 episode: "Fall of a Birdman"
1984 Minder Sudbury 1 episode: "Hypnotising Rita"
1985 Time Trouble
Oscar Clibborn 1 episode: "Gilded Youth"
Bleak House Nemo 2 episodes
1985–1986 Big Deal Ronnie Day Recurring
1986 Boon Jack Evans, Doreen's ex-husband 2 episodes: "Grand Expectations" & "For Whom the Chimes Toll"
1989 Bergerac Harry Tilson 1 episode: "Second Time Around"
1990 Ruth Rendell Mysteries Edward Peveril 3 episodes: "Some Lie and Some Die"
1991 Aimée Frank
1992 Agatha Christie's Poirot Alexander Bonaparte Cust 1 episode: "The A.B.C. Murders"
The Blackheath Poisonings Insp. Titmarsh
1993 The Buddha of Suburbia Matthew Pyke
The Bill DCI Grant 1 episode: "Nothing Ventured"
1994 Grushko Kartashov 3 part series
Drop the Dead Donkey Inspector 1 episode: "The Strike"
Between the Lines Milan 2 episodes: "The End User"
1995–2000 The Queen's Nose Uncle Ginger Recurring [4]
1996 Our Friends in the North Commander Harold Chapple Recurring
Cold Lazarus Dr Rawl 2 episodes
1998 Bombay Blue Supt. John Mayberry
1999 Great Expectations Compeyson
2000 Dalziel and Pascoe Gus Mullavey 1 episode: "A Sweeter Lazarus"
2001 In Deep Keith Sullivan 1 episode: "Romeo Trap"
The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby Mr Brooker
2002 The Estate Agents Mr Love 1 episode: "Gangsters"
2003 Serious and Organised Jimmy Fisk 1 episode: "Deal with the Devil"
A Touch of Frost Maynard 1 episode: "Hidden Truth"
Ultimate Force General Harkin 1 episode: "Mad Dogs"
The Bill Archie Foster 2 episodes
Seven Wonders of the Industrial World Farrington 1 episode: "Brooklyn Bridge"
Holby City Jay Miller 1 episode: "Façade"
2004 Midsomer Murders Tim Settingfield 1 episode: "Sins of Commission"
The Last Detective Alfie Clemens 1 episode: "The Long Bank Holiday"
2005 Rose and Maloney Ronnie Johnson 1 episode
2006 Eleventh Hour Richard Adams 1 episode: "Kryptos"
The Chatterley Affair Gerald Gardiner
The Eagle: A Crime Odyssey
Ørnen: En krimi-odyssé
Aca Popov / Milan Nacuk 2 episodes: "Kodenavn: Minos"' & "Kodenavn: Ithaka – Del 24"
The Bill Alfie Sutton 1 episode
Dracula Alfred Singleton
2007 Fallen Angel Simon Martlesham
Holby City William Chase 1 episode: "Past Imperfect"
2008 Heist King Edward
Heroes and Villains Garnier 1 episode: "Richard the Lionheart"
Taggart Alex Sternwood 1 episode: "Point of Light"
New Tricks Bobby 'Tar' Mcadam 1 episode: "Couldn't Organise One"
Tess of the d'Urbervilles Parson Tringham
Einstein and Eddington Max Planck
2009 Into the Storm Lord Halifax
The Sarah Jane Adventures Erasmus Darkening 2 episodes: "The Eternity Trap"
2009–2010 Being Human Kemp Recurring; 9 episodes
2010 Spooks Stephen Kirby 1 episode Series 9 Ep 3
Merlin The Fisher King 1 episode: "The Eye of the Phoenix"
2011 The Suspicions of Mr Whicher Peter Edlin QC
Black Mirror Julian Hereford 1 episode: "The National Anthem"
2011–2012 Game of Thrones Maester Luwin Series 1–2, 14 episodes
2012 Wallander Fredrik Thorson 1 episode: "An Event in Autumn"
The Secret of Crickley Hall [8] Gordon Pyke Episodes 2 & 3
2013 The Mill Samuel Greg Series 1
Atlantis Tiresias 1 episode: "Twist of Fate"
2014 New Worlds Sidney Episodes 3 & 4
One Child Jim Ashley 3 part series
Quirke Josh Crawford Episode 1 Christine Falls
2015 Coalition[9] Paddy Ashdown TV film
Jekyll and Hyde Garson 10 part series
Doctor Who The President Episode: "Hell Bent"
2017 Peaky Blinders Arthur Bigge Episodes 1 & 6
2018 Endeavour Emil Valdemar Episode 2: "Cartouche" [6]
12 Monkeys Seer 3 Episodes: "The End" (uncredited), "Legacy" & "Demons"
Les Misérables Monsieur Mabeuf 3 episodes [7]
2019 Chernobyl Zharkov 2 episodes
Temple George 2 episodes
2020 Exposed: The Church's Darkest Secret Bishop Peter Ball Docu-drama, 2 episodes
2021 The Cleaner Sir James 1 episode: "The Aristocrat"

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e "Donald Sumpter Biography". allamericanspeakers.com. 20 October 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Ben Allen. "Donald Sumpter Credits". tvguide.com. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
  3. ^ a b "40 years on: The tragic story of Lesley Whittle remembered". shropshirestar.com. 16 January 2015.
  4. ^ a b "Meet the cast of BBC's Les Misérables". eightieskids.com. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
  5. ^ "HBO Game of Thrones Maester Luwin Played by Donald Sumpter". hbo.com. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
  6. ^ a b Louisa Mellor (11 November 2021). "Endeavour's Best Guest Cast - Donald Sumpter as Emil Valdemar in 'Cartouche' (Series 5, Episode 2)". denofgeek.com. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
  7. ^ a b Ben Allen (24 June 2019). "Meet the cast of BBC's Les Misérables". radiotimes.com. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
  8. ^ BBC: The Secret Of Crickley Hall
  9. ^ McGurk, Stuart (18 March 2015). "Channel 4's Coalition drama: who's who?". GQ. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 28 March 2015.

External links edit