Tim Pigott-Smith (born on 13 May, 1946, in Rugby, Warwickshire, England) is an English film and television actor. He was educated at Wyggeston Boys' School, Leicester, King's Grammar School, Stratford Upon Avon and Bristol University. He trained as an actor at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. Roles include appearances in the television dramatisations of The Jewel in the Crown and Mrs Gaskell's North and South.
His film career has recently included the 2004 film Alexander, The Four Feathers, Gangs of New York, Johnny English and The Remains of the Day, and V for Vendetta.
Pigott-Smith is a regular stage actor in Shakespearean and Greek roles; for instance, he played Posthumus in John Barton's 1974 production of Cymbeline for the Royal Shakespeare Company. He has also made something of a name for himself as a narrator. He narrated notable TV documentaries such as the Battlefield series, which examines pivotal battles of the Second World War from an operations point of view.
He has also appeared twice in Doctor Who, in the stories The Claws of Axos (1971), and The Masque of Mandragora (1976).
He is also a noted radio actor, appearing in many productions on BBC Radio 4.
British classical stage and TV actor Tim Pigott-Smith is a familiar face both here and in his native England. A drama major, he graduated from the University of Bristol in 1967 (where he frequently lectures) and made his professional debut two years later with the Bristol Old Vic. Predominantly a stage player in both regional and repertory, he made his Broadway debut in "Sherlock Holmes" as Dr. Watson in 1974. Over the years, he has appeared opposite England's theatre royalty including Judi Dench, Helen Mirren, Geraldine James, Margaret Tyzack, and Patrick Stewart. He formed his own theatre company in later years, Compass, and served as its artistic director from 1989-1992. In addition, he has directed several major productions including "Hamlet" and "A Royal Hunt of the Sun." He has taken several Shakespearean classics to TV, including his Hotspur in "Henry IV, Part I" and Angelo in "Measure for Measure," and delivered impressive performances in such prestigious mini-series productions as "Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years," "Fame Is the Spur" and "The Jewel in the Crown." Lesser known for his body of film work, such movies as Aces High (1976), his film debut, Joseph Andrews (1977), Victory (1981), Clash of the Titans (1981), State of Emergency (1986), Remains of the Day (1993), and Martin Scorcese's Gangs of New York (2002) have yet given him that necessary breakout role. Tim is a frequent broadcaster who has recorded many audio books and has published the anthology, "Out of India." He has long been married to actress Pamela Miles and they have one son, Tom, who is a concert solo violinist. He recently scored critical acclaim in "The Iceman Cometh" (both London and Broadway), and as Ebenezer Scrooge in "A Christmas Carol." Most recently he graced the stage with Ms. Mirren in the 4 1/2 hour production of "Mourning Becomes Electra."
