Home

Geoffrey Palmer

Known for acting · Born 4 June 1927 · Died 5 November 2020 · aged 93 · Finchley, Middlesex, England, UK

158 credits

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.

Sign in to add favoritesIMDb profile ↗

Known for

As Time Goes By

1992

Mr. Men and Little Miss

1995

Mrs Brown

1997

Butterflies

1978

Alice Through the Looking Glass

1998

A Fish Called Wanda

1988

A Zed & Two Noughts

1985

Absolute Power

2003

Executive Stress

1986

Family Solicitor

Family Solicitor

1961

Grumpy Old Men

2003

Doctor Who

1963

Acting (158)

2021To OliviaFilm
2014PaddingtonHead GeographerFilm
2013Walrus: Two Tonne TuskerNarratorFilm
2012The Hollow CrownLord Chief JusticeSeries
2012Run For Your WifeMan on ToiletFilm
2012Bert & DickieCharles BurnellFilm
2012Queen Victoria's Last Love: Abdul KarimNarratorFilm
2011W.E.Stanley BaldwinFilm
2011Lost ChristmasDr. ClarenceFilm
2009The Pink Panther 2JoubertFilm
2009Fawlty Towers: Re-OpenedSelf / Dr PriceFilm
2008Ashes to AshesLord ScarmanSeries
2008Margaret Thatcher: The Long Walk to FinchleySir John CrowderFilm
2008Chateau Monty · 6 episodesSeries
2007Doctor Who: Voyage of the DamnedCaptain HardakerFilm
2007The Alan Titchmarsh ShowSelfSeries
2006The One ShowSelfSeries
2006James Bond's Greatest HitsNarrator (voice)Film
2005The Man-Eating Leopard of RudraprayagCorbett's GhostFilm
2005The Funny Blokes of British ComedySelfFilm
2005Pope John Paul II: 1920 - 2005NarratorFilm
2004Piccadilly JimBaylissFilm
2004He Knew He Was RightSir Marmaduke Rowley · 3 episodesSeries
2003Peter PanSir Edward Quiller CouchFilm
2003Absolute Power · 12 episodesSeries
2003The Young VisitersMinnitFilm
2003Grumpy Old MenNarrator · 14 episodesSeries
2003Looking for VictoriaNarrator · 2 episodesSeries
2002Stig of the DumpRobert · 6 episodesSeries
2002DickensThackeray · 3 episodesSeries
2001The SavagesDonald · 6 episodesSeries
2001The 1940s HouseNarrator (voice) · 5 episodesSeries
2000RatThe DoctorFilm
1999Anna and the KingLord John BradleyFilm
1998Alice Through the Looking GlassWhite KingFilm
1998Stiff Upper LipsHis Butler's VoiceFilm
1998Reckless: The SequelRobert CraneFilm
1998Mr. Men & Little Miss: The Christmas LetterNarrator / SantaFilm
1997Tomorrow Never DiesAdmiral RoebuckFilm
1997Mrs BrownHenry PonsonbyFilm
1996The Legacy of Reginald PerrinJimmy Anderson · 7 episodesSeries
1995Mr. Men and Little Miss · 104 episodesSeries
1995Look at the State We're In!The RulerSeries
1994The Madness of King GeorgeWarrenFilm
1993Stalag LuftThe KommandantFilm
1992As Time Goes ByLionel Hardcastle · 67 episodesSeries
1991A Question of AttributionDonleavyFilm
1991Smack and ThistleSir Horace WimbolFilm
1989Agatha Christie's PoirotVice Admiral HamlingSeries
1989Screen OneDonleavySeries
1988A Fish Called WandaJudgeFilm
1988HawksSAAB SalesmanFilm
1988ChristabelMr Burton · 2 episodesSeries
1987Inspector MorseMatthew Copley-BarnesSeries
1986ClockwiseHeadmasterFilm
1986Hot MetalHarold Stringer · 6 episodesSeries
1986The Insurance ManThe Angry DoctorFilm
1986Executive Stress · 19 episodesSeries
1986Season's GreetingsBernardFilm
1985A Zed & Two NoughtsFallastFilm
1985Inside Rooms: 26 Bathrooms, London & OxfordshireNarratorFilm
1985Absurd Person SingularRonald Brewster-WrightFilm
1985Radio PicturesGlyn BryceFilm
1984Fairly Secret ArmyMajor Harry Truscott · 13 episodesSeries
1984Oxbridge BluesFredSeries
1983BlackadderField Marshal HaigSeries
1983The Honorary ConsulBritish AmbassadorFilm
1983Natural WorldNarratorSeries
1983DalglieshEdwin Lorrimer · 2 episodesSeries
1983Death of an Expert WitnessEdwin Lorrimer · 3 episodesSeries
1983The Fall and Rise of Reginald PerrinJimmy AndersonFilm
1983Waters of the MoonRobert LancasterFilm
1982The Kenny Everett Television ShowVariousSeries
1982Whoops ApocalypseForeign Secretary · 4 episodesSeries
1982Mr. Kershaw's Dream SystemPsychiastristFilm
1982The HouseboyEricFilm
1982The Funny Side of ChristmasJimmy Anderson, Ben ParkinsonFilm
1981BergeracNigel CarterSeries
1981A Midsummer Night's DreamQuinceFilm
1981The Last Song · 13 episodesSeries
1981Plays for PleasureAlec BootSeries
1980Safe at Work?NarratorFilm
1979The OutsiderCol. WyndhamFilm
1978ButterfliesBen Parkinson · 28 episodesSeries
1978Scorpion TalesArnold SparrowSeries
1978An Audience with...SelfSeries
1977The ProfessionalsAvery, Simon SinclairSeries
1977Maidens' TripWilfred · 3 episodesSeries
1976The Fall and Rise of Reginald PerrinJimmy Anderson · 7 episodesSeries
1976The Battle of Billy's PondFirst PolicemanFilm
1976Bill BrandMalcolm Frear · 4 episodesSeries
1976A Story to Frighten the ChildrenDet. Chief Insp. HarrisFilm
1976LoyaltiesGraviterFilm
1975Fawlty TowersDr. PriceSeries
1975The SweeneyCommander WatsonSeries
1975Angels · 3 episodesSeries
1975GoodbyeJackFilm
1975Three Comedies of MarriageDennisSeries
1974Happy Ever AfterMr Critchley, Bob HolsgroveSeries
1974Churchill's PeopleSamuel PartridgeSeries
1973O Lucky Man!Examination Doctor/Basil KeyesFilm
1973Only Make BelieveRichard NichollsFilm
1973Away from It AllAsheSeries
1972ColditzDoc · 2 episodesSeries
1972Van der ValkHead of FacultySeries
1972Crown CourtKenneth Eden · 3 episodesSeries
1972Doctor Who: The MutantsAdministratorFilm
1972Six Days of JusticeMr. NicholasSeries
1971Michael ReganChief SuperintendentFilm
1971The UninvitedJack MervynFilm
1970The GoodiesSchool HeadmasterSeries
1970Play for Today, Detetective Chief Inspector Harris, Jack BuckettSeries
1970Doctor Who and the SiluriansMastersFilm
1970DoomwatchMajor Sims · 2 episodesSeries
1970The High GameMan at the ClinicFilm
1970Ben Travers FarcesHugh Stafford · 7 episodesSeries
1970MenaceMajor RyderSeries
1969ITV Saturday Night TheatreMacSeries
19691+1=1.5GosfordFilm
1968The ExpertAsst. Chief Constable Rogers · 2 episodesSeries
1968Frost on SundaySelf – GuestSeries
1968The Chequers ManoeuvreProfessor WybrowFilm
1967The Further Adventures of the MusketeersOliver Cromwell · 2 episodesSeries
1967ITV PlayhouseHarper, Oscar, Bradley Fawcett, Man at the clinic, EricSeries
1967The Revenue MenBill MitchellSeries
1967TrappedDoctor Clay MorrowSeries
1967City '68RobinsSeries
1966Cathy Come HomeProperty AgentFilm
1966Mystery and ImaginationTurnerSeries
1966Softly, SoftlySeries
1965Out of the UnknownJack Mervyn · 3 episodesSeries
1965BBC Play of the MonthMonteithSeries
1965Thirty-Minute TheatreProfessor WybrowSeries
1965Gideon's WayJeff GrantSeries
1965The Man in Room 17Ian McWattSeries
1965The TroubleshootersJeremy MartinSeries
1965No Place Like EarthChief OfficerFilm
1965The Joe Baker Show · 6 episodesSeries
1965LondonersJack PonceySeries
1964Ring of SpiesPolice Officer (uncredited)Film
1964The Wednesday PlayProperty Agent · 2 episodesSeries
1964DetectiveChief Superintendent SmeedSeries
1963Doctor WhoAdministrator, Masters · 3 episodesSeries
1963The Human JungleWilliamsSeries
1963Incident at MidnightDr. TanfieldFilm
1963Drama '63: A Well Dressed ManBasil MallardFilm
1962The SaintPete FergusonSeries
1962A Prize of ArmsCpl. MyersFilm
1962SuspenseNewspaper ReporterSeries
1962Bulldog Breed · 7 episodesSeries
1961The AvengersDr. Terence, Paul Manning, Martin SmytheSeries
1961Drama 61-67Basil MallardSeries
1961Family SolicitorHugh Cowley · 24 episodesSeries
1960The Strange World of Gurney SladeFloor managerSeries
1960The Odd ManConst. Swift · 4 episodesSeries
1959No Hiding PlaceDet. Sgt. WalshSeries
1956Armchair TheatreRankinSeries
—Best Of Enemies · 7 episodesSeries