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Geoffrey McGivern

ActorBorn January 1, 1952 (73 years)
Geoffrey M. McGivern is a British actor in film, television, radio and stage, as well as a comedian. He is best known for originating the role of Ford Prefect in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

He played Ford Prefect in the radio series (1978–80) and subsequent LP releases of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams whom he knew from Cambridge University, and reprised the role for the four new series broadcast on BBC Radio 4 between 2004 and 2018. A more recent radio broadcast was in The Ape That Got Lucky and he has appeared in TV shows such as Noel's House Party, Press Gang, Chef!, Big Train, Blackadder the Third ("Dish and Dishonesty") as Ivor Biggun, Chelmsford 123, Jonathan Creek, 15 Storeys High, Armstrong and Miller, Toast of London and series three of Peep Show.

McGivern appeared in the first series of the comedy show Big Train in 1998, and later that year for the 1998 radio SciFi drama Paradise Lost in Cyberspace (Colin Swash, BBC) McGivern teamed up with old Hitchhiker's colleague Stephen Moore and Lorelei King (member of cast in the 2005 Hitchhiker's radio show sequel). He later played the Supreme Ruler in BBC2's sci-fi comedy Hyperdrive (2006–2007). In 2007, he appeared in the BBC Radio 4 comedy Peacefully in their Sleeps and in 2008 he appeared as Professor John Mycroft in the BBC2 science sitcom Lab Rats and in the 2008 BBC series Little Dorrit where he played Mr Rugg. He also appeared in episode 5 of series 3 of the TV series A Bit of Fry and Laurie. In 2015, he guest-starred in EastEnders as Dickie Ticker, the crude comic brought in by Mick Carter for Kush Kazemi's stag night. In 2016, he appeared in four episodes of the Disney Channel musical drama The Lodge, as Patrick. McGivern played the narrator Charlie Swinburne in the BBC Radio's 2013 six part dramatisation of G. K. Chesterton's The Club of Queer Trades.

In 2017, he appeared in the Channel 4 sitcom Back, written by Simon Blackwell, alongside David Mitchell and Robert Webb. Later that year, he began portraying the recurring role of Frank in the Netflix series Free Rein.

Since 2019, he has appeared as recurring character Barclay Beg-Chetwynde in the BBC comedy Ghosts. In 2022, he appeared as the main character Russ, in Radio 4 comedy No-Platformed. The show's episode guide contains a humorous note about McGivern's extensive credit list, by starting a list of his credits and then adding "oh, hundreds of things".

In 2024, he appeared as recurring character Lord Rookwood in the Apple TV+ series The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin.

Movies & Shows on Plex

  • Peep Show
  • My Family
  • Plebs
  • Onegin
  • Roald Dahl's Esio Trot
  • Heartbeat
  • The New Statesman (1987)
  • Blandings
  • Boomers

Known For

  • A Bit of Fry & Laurie
  • Jonathan Creek
  • Alas Smith and Jones
  • Free Rein: The Twelve Neighs of Christmas
  • Back
  • This is Jinsy
  • Roald Dahl's Esio Trot
  • Free Rein
  • The Young Americans
  • Quacks
  • The Ghoul
  • Drop The Dead Donkey
  • Cold Call
  • Semi-Detached
  • Dead Boss
  • Lab Rats (2008)
  • Stressed Eric
  • Chelmsford 123

Filmography

2024
The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin (TV Series) · as Lord Rookwood
2022
Sister Boniface Mysteries (TV Series) · as Malise Bonham Crane
2021
The Larkins (2021) (TV Series) · as Station Master Fox
2020
Stardust · as Mr. Jones
2020
Quiz (TV Series) · as Lieutenant Colonel Village
2020
Hapless (TV Series) · as Ronnie
2020
COBRA (2020) (TV Series) · as Gerald Kendrick
2019
Cold Call (TV Series) · as Simon Zima
2019
Ghosts (2019) (TV Series) · as Barclay Beg-Chetwynde
2019
This Time with Alan Partridge (TV Series) · as Old Lady
2019
Semi-Detached (TV Series) · as Barry
2018
2018
Hard Sun (TV Series) · as Alan Beeny
2017
Back (TV Series) · as Uncle Geoff
2017
Quacks (TV Series) · as The Pub Landlord
2017
Free Rein (TV Series) · as Frank
2017
Decline and Fall (TV Series) · as Mr. Wilson
2017
SS-GB (TV Series) · as Headmaster
2017
The Halcyon (TV Series) · as Lord Ambrose
2016
The Ghoul · as Morland
2016
The Lodge (TV Series) · as Patrick
2016
Brief Encounters (TV Series) · as Donald
2016
Upstart Crow (TV Series) · as Sir Thomas
2016
Here Boy · as Des
2016
Tracey Ullman's Show (TV Series) · as Peter
2015
Together (2015) (TV Series) · as Douglas The Neighbour
2015
Midwinter of the Spirit (TV Series) · as Tim Purefoy
2015
Valentine's Kiss (TV Series) · as Lucas Gardener
2015
The Royals (2015) (TV Series) · as Winston Moody
2015
Mr Bean: Funeral · as Priest
2015
2014
Grantchester (TV Series) · as Archdeacon
2014
Boomers (TV Series) · as Roy
2014
Outlander (TV Series) · as Dr. Simms
2014
Siblings (TV Series) · as Frank
2014
The Widower (TV Series) · as Harbour Master
2014
Suspects (TV Series) · as Dr. Philip Cleaving
2013
Nixon's The One (TV Series) · as John Mitchell
2013
Still Open All Hours (TV Series) · as Jordan
2013
Drifters (TV Series) · as Hugh
2013
You, Me & Them (TV Series) · as Mervin Pegg
2013
Vicious (TV Series) · as Antonio St. Alexis
2013
Plebs (TV Series) · as Simeon
2013
The Mimic (TV Series) · as Kingsley
2013
Heading Out (TV Series) · as Humphrey
2013
Jo (TV Series) · as Jean Pelletier
2013
Blandings (TV Series) · as Sir Roderick Glossop
2012
A Young Doctor's Notebook (TV Series) · as Pharmacist
2012
Some Girls (TV Series) · as Mr. Jefferies
2012
A Touch of Cloth (TV Series) · as Andy Preacherman
2012
Toast of London (TV Series) · as Acker Herron
2012
Dead Boss (TV Series) · as Tony
2012
Endeavour (TV Series) · as Lefty Townsend
2011
Holy Flying Circus · as Dog Walker /petitioner /man Whose Wife Malcolm Muggeridge Said Made A Lovely Breakfast
2011
Dark Matters (TV Series) · as Dr. Cameron
2011
Episodes (TV Series) · as Bob
2010
This is Jinsy (TV Series) · as Trince
2009
Kröd Mändoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire (TV Series) · as Old Man In Hood
2009
Law & Order: UK (TV Series) · as Geoffrey Sykes
2009
Cowards (TV Series) · as Narrator
2008
Little Dorrit (TV Series) · as Rugg
2008
Lab Rats (2008) (TV Series) · as Professor John Mycroft
2008
Margaret Thatcher: The Long Walk to Finchley · as Dartford Returning Officer
2008
Hancock & Joan · as Billy Marsh
2008
Freezing (TV Series) · as Cheese Man
2008
The Revenge Files of Alistair Fury (TV Series) · as Tommy
2007
2007
The Armstrong & Miller Show (TV Series) · as Various Characters
2007
Magicians · as Magic Shop Manager
2007
Benidorm (2007) (TV Series) · as Beverley Westwood
2006
Hyperdrive (TV Series) · as Supreme Ruler
2004
The Worst Week of My Life (TV Series) · as Santa
2003
Peep Show (TV Series) · as Gerard
2003
Blackball · as Brian Cronk
2002
15 Storeys High (TV Series) · as Neville
2002
Look Around You (TV Series) · as Schoolmaster
2002
Believe Nothing (TV Series) · as Richard Nixon
2002
Thunderpants · as Metallurgist
2001
World of Pub (TV Series) · as Tribute Tom
2000
My Family (TV Series) · as Ted Draper
2000
Doctors (TV Series) · as Charlie Burn
1999
Onegin · as Andrey Petrovitch
1999
All Along the Watchtower (TV Series) · as Greg
1999
Holby City (TV Series) · as Ed Cuthbert
1998
Big Train (TV Series) · as Policeman
1998
In The Red (TV Series) · as Clarence Twist
1998
The Very Thought of You · as Travel Agent
1998
Stressed Eric (TV Series)
1998
Playing the Field (TV Series) · as Mr Barratt
1997
Underworld (TV Series) · as Farmer
1997
Wing and a Prayer (TV Series) · as Don Gittings
1997
Jonathan Creek (TV Series) · as Barry Opper
1997
Bremner, Bird and Fortune (TV Series) · as Cast
1996
Annie's Bar (TV Series) · as Stiggy Bedford-Bounds
1996
Paul Merton in Galton & Simpson's... (TV Series) · as Sergeant
1994
Nice Day at the Office (TV Series) · as Gary Buston
1993
To Play the King (TV Series) · as Bill Rochester
1993
The Young Americans · as Brian Carver
1993
Chef! (TV Series) · as Bank Manager
1992
Absolutely Fabulous (TV Series) · as Customs Officer
1992
Heartbeat (TV Series) · as Harry
1992
The Pall Bearer's Revue (TV Series) · as Cast
1991
Noel's House Party (TV Series) · as Actor In Gotcha Sketch
1991
Murder Most Horrid (TV Series) · as Mason
1991
Paul Merton: The Series (TV Series) · as David Murray
1991
Joking Apart (TV Series) · as Dave
1991
Lazarus and Dingwall (TV Series) · as Film Director
1990
Freddie and Max (TV Series) · as Neville
1990
Drop The Dead Donkey (TV Series) · as Repeat Introductions (voice) (uncredited)
1990
1989
1989
Birds Of A Feather (TV Series) · as Mr Blair
1989
KYTV (TV Series) · as Clifford Halliwell
1989
Press Gang (TV Series) · as Man In Restaurant
1988
Colin's Sandwich (TV Series) · as The 1st Writer
1988
Chelmsford 123 (TV Series) · as Wolfbane
1987
A Bit of Fry & Laurie (TV Series) · as Mr. Tollerby
1987
The New Statesman (1987) (TV Series) · as Producer
1986
Mr Pye (TV Series) · as Harry Portiner
1986
Mr. Pye · as Harry Portiner
1985
EastEnders (TV Series) · as Dickie Ticker
1984
The Bill (TV Series) · as Det. Sup. Hodges
1984
Alas Smith and Jones (TV Series) · as (various)
1982
Blackadder (TV Series) · as Ivor Biggun
1977
Rosie (TV Series) · as Arnold

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