Adrian Scarborough

British actor (born 1968)

Adrian Scarborough

Born|

Adrian Philip Scarborough

(1968-05-10) 10 May 1968 (age 55)

Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, England

Years active| 1993–present
Spouse| Rose Blackshaw
Children| 2

Adrian Philip Scarborough (born 10 May 1968) is an English actor.

He has appeared in films including The Madness of King George (1994), Gosford Park (2001), Vera Drake (2004), The History Boys (2006), The King's Speech (2010), Les Misérables (2012) and 1917 (2019). He is also known for his roles in television such as Cranford (2007–2009), Gavin & Stacey (2007–2010; 2019), Upstairs Downstairs (2010–2012), The Paradise (2013), Crashing (2016), A Very English Scandal (2018), Killing Eve (2019), and The Chelsea Detective (2022).

Scarborough is also an accomplished theatre actor and has twice won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role; he won in 2011 for his role in the Terence Rattigan play After the Dance and in 2020 for his performance in Tom Stoppard's play Leopoldstadt.

## Early life[edit]

Scarborough was born and raised in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire. He attended Brooksby Melton College and trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, winning the Chesterton Award for Best Actor for school graduates.[1]

## Career[edit]

Scarborough made his big-screen debut in 1994 in The Madness of King George.[1] His other movie appearances have included Sweet Revenge, Gosford Park, Vera Drake, Notes on a Scandal, The History Boys, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, The King's Speech, and Les Misérables.

One of Scarborough's early television roles was J.G. Quiggin in the 1997 adaptation of A Dance to the Music of Time. He was also seen in the BBC series Let Them Eat Cake with Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders. He played "Bouffant", the gay couturier/servant/confidante to Saunder's character, the "Comtesse de Vache".[2] His other appearances on television have included productions such as Cranford, the television film Into the Storm, Psychoville and as Charlie in the BBC comedy series Miranda.[3] He has appeared in three episodes of Midsomer Murders, playing separate characters in series 5, series 10, and series 18. He is also the voice of Abney in the BBC Children's Television programme Abney & Teal. He voiced Benjamin Bunny in The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends.

In 2007, he played the character Harry Hepple in an episode of BBC New Tricks series 4.4 Nine Lives.

Scarborough is particularly well known for his appearances with Julia Davis in the BBC sitcom Gavin & Stacey as warring married couple Pete and Dawn Sutcliffe, who are friends and neighbours of Gavin Shipman's (Mathew Horne) parents in Essex. He is also identified for his role as the butler Mr. Pritchard in the BBC series Upstairs, Downstairs.[4][5]

In 2012 he appeared in the ITV series Mrs Biggs with fellow Gavin & Stacey star Sheridan Smith, playing the eponymous character's father Bernard (the real-life father of Charmian Brent, ex-wife of Ronnie Biggs). He played an alien known as Kahler-Jex in an episode of Doctor Who entitled "A Town Called Mercy", which aired on 15 September 2012.[6]

On stage, Scarborough has made frequent appearances at the Donmar, the Almeida, and in the West End and he has appeared in twenty productions for the Royal National Theatre. On 19 June 2011, he took part in The Barn Theatre presents... with Elliot Brown at the Barn Theatre, Welwyn Garden City[7] Most recently he has appeared in Hedda Gabler at the Old Vic, again with frequent collaborator Sheridan Smith.[8] In 2013, he played a role in Darkside, Tom Stoppard's radio drama based on Pink Floyd's album The Dark Side of the Moon.[9] In 2013 he starred in the ITV sitcom Edge of Heaven he played Bald Gary.

In 2015, Scarborough appeared as Clive Trueman in the BBC TV series Father Brown episode 3.15 "The Owl of Minerva". Scarborough also appeared in the Starz sitcom Blunt Talk as Harry, valet to Walter Blunt, a role which he reprised in the second season a year later.

In 2016, Scarborough appeared as Colin in the Channel Four sitcom Crashing and as Tony Pitt in the ITV series Midsomer Murders episode 18.4 "A Dying Art".

In 2017, Scarborough appeared in the film adaptation of Ian McEwan's On Chesil Beach as Lionel Mayhew, as well as alongside David Tennant in Don Juan in Soho as his Chauffeur, for its run in the West End at Wyndham's Theatre.

From 2 to 24 November 2018, Scarborough portrayed Dr Willis in the Nottingham Playhouse production of the Alan Bennett play The Madness of George III, with Mark Gatiss as the king,[10] which follows his role as Fortnum in the 1994 film version of the play. The same year, he was Hal Gallsworthy in the film Christopher Robin. In 2019, Scarborough was Villanelle's handler "Raymond" in the 2nd season of the TV show Killing Eve.[11]

## Personal life[edit]

Scarborough lives in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire. He and his wife, Rose (née Blackshaw), have a son named Jake and a daughter named Esme.[12]

## Filmography[edit]

### Film[edit]

Year  | Title  | Role  | Notes

|
|
|

1994  | The Madness of King George | Fortnum  |
1995  | In the Bleak Midwinter | Young Actor  |
1998  | The Revengers' Comedies | Percy Cutting  |
Love Is the Devil: Study for a Portrait of Francis Bacon | Daniel Farson |
St. Ives | Le Bon  |
2000  | Last Resort | Council Official  |
2001  | Gosford Park | Barnes  |
2002  | Dirty Pretty Things | The Doctor  |
2003  | To Kill a King | Sergeant Joyce  |
Bright Young Things | Customs Officer  |
2004  | Vera Drake | Frank  |
2006  | The History Boys | Wilkes  |
Notes on a Scandal | Martin  |
2007  | Elizabeth: The Golden Age | Calley  |
2010  | The Kings Speech | BBC Radio Announcer  |
2012  | Les Misérables | Toothman  |
2013  | Delicious | Victor  |
2014  | A Little Chaos | Daniel Le Vielle  |
2017  | On Chesil Beach | Lionel Mayhew  |
2018  | Patrick | Mr. Peters  |
Christopher Robin | Hal Gallsworthy  |
2019  | The Last Vermeer | Dirk Hannema |
1917 | Major Hepburn  |
2020  | Artemis Fowl | The Goblin Chief  |

### Television[edit]

Year  | Title  | Role  | Notes

|
|
|

1991–2008  | The Bill | Tim Lock/Harvey/Tommy  | 3 episodes
1993–1995  | The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends | Mr. Benjamin Bunny (voice)  | 2 episodes
1995  | The Governor | Walter Brinkley  | 6 Episodes
An Independent Man | Robin Swallow  | Episode: And So to Bed
Coogan's Run | Councillor Len Crabbe  | 2 episodes
1996  | The Wind in the Willows | Nephew Mole (voice)  | Television Movie
1997  | Cows | Vicar  | Television Movie
A Dance to the Music of Time | JG Quiggin  | 3 episodes
1999  | Let Them Eat Cake | Bouffant  | 6 episodes
The Passion | Martin  | Television series
2000  | Heartbeat | Martin Padmore  | Episode: Smile for the Camera
2002  | TLC | The Phlebotomist  | Episode: Angry Nurse
2002–2016  | Midsomer Murders | Tony Pitt/Eddie Carfax/Peter Fogden  | 3 episodes
2003  | Promoted to Glory | Arnold  | Television Movie
2006  | Saxondale | Chairman  | Episode: Episode 1.2
2007  | The Trial of Tony Blair | Simon  | Television Movie
New Tricks | Harry Hepple  | Episode: Nine Lives
Maxwell | Bob Cole  | Television Movie
The History of Mr Polly | Rusper  | Television Movie
The Commander: The Fraudster | Clive Seway  | Television Movie
2008–2010  | 3rd & Bird | Mr. Beakman (voice)  | Animated series
2007–2019  | Gavin & Stacey | Pete Sutcliffe | Supporting role, 8 episodes
2008  | 10 Days to War | Steve  | Episode: Blowblack
Poppy Shakespeare | Middle Class Michael  | Television Movie
Caillou | Mr. Hinkle  | Episode: Star Light, Star Bright
2009  | Minder | Harvey Stevensen  | Episode: Thank Your Lucky Stars
Kingdom | Jeff  | Episode: Episode #3.4
Into the Film | Sawyers  | Television Movie
Psychoville | Mr. Jolly/Surgeon  | 6 episodes
2010–2012  | Upstairs Downstairs | Mr. Warwick Pritchard  | 9 episodes
2011  | National Theatre Live: The Habit of Art | Donald / Humphrey Carpenter  | Theatre broadcast
The Adventures of Abney & Teal | Narrator / Abney (voice)  | Television Series
2012  | Watson & Oliver | Performer  | 4 Episodes
Doctor Who | Kahler-Jex  | 2 episodes
Mrs. Biggs | Bernard Powell  | 4 episodes
Restless | Morris Devereux  | 2 episodes
2013  | The Paradise | Fenton  | 4 episodes
2013–2014  | Plebs | Claudius  | 6 episodes
2013–2015  | Up the Women | Frank  | 7 episodes
2014  | Death in Paradise | Leo Pascal  | Episode: An Artistic Murderer
Edge of Heaven | Bald Gary  | 6 episodes
The Great War: The People's Story | Winston Churchill | Documentary Series
National Theatre Live: King Lear | The Fool | Theatre broadcast
The Incredible Adventures of Professor Branestawn | The Vicar  | Television Movie
2015  | Professor Branestawn Returns | The Vicar  | Television Movie
Miranda | Charlie  | 5 episodes
Father Brown | Clive Trueman  | Episode: The Owl of Minerva
Call the Midwife | Barrington Swann  | Christmas Special
2015–2016  | Blunt Talk | Harry Chandler  | 20 episodes
2016  | Crashing | Colin  | 6 episodes
Stella | Horst  | Christmas Special
Maigret in Montmartre | Dr. Bloch  | Television Movie
2017  | Urban Myths | Chief Inspector Danders  | Episode: Agatha Christie
Little Women | Mr. Davis  | Episode: #1.2
2018  | The Darkwater Bride | Unknown  | Video
Urban Myths | Inspector Danders  | Episode: "Agatha Christie"
A Very English Scandal | George Carman, Q.C | Episode: "Episode #1.3"
National Theatre Live: The Madness of George III | Dr. Willis | Theatre broadcast
2019  | Killing Eve | Raymond  | 3 episodes
The Accident | Philip Walters  | 4 episodes
2019–2022  | Sanditon | Dr. Fuchs  | 7 episodes
2020  | The Windsors | Ian Drabble  | Episode: "Episode #3.4"
2021  | Murder, They Hope | Jacob  | Episode: "The Bunny Trap"
2021–2022  | Bloods[13] | Gary  | 16 episodes
2022–present  | The Chelsea Detective | DI Max Arnold  | 8 episodes

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b "Hunt is launched for missing drama award". This is Bristol. 19 June 2012. Archived from the original on 5 May 2013. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
2. ^ "British Comedy Guide - Let Them Eat Cake - Characters". Sitcom.co.uk. Archived from the original on 10 January 2014. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
3. ^ "Comedy - Miranda - Miranda Meets... Sally Phillips And Adrian Scarborough". BBC. 29 November 2010. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
4. ^ "Adrian Scarborough - IMDb". IMDb.
5. ^ Scarborough, Adrian. "TV blog: Upstairs Downstairs: Playing Mr Pritchard". BBC. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
6. ^ Jones, Paul (7 March 2012). "Doctor Who: Upstairs Downstairs star Adrian Scarborough cast in series seven". Radio Times. Retrieved 20 March 2012.
7. ^ "King's Speech actor coming to Welwyn Garden City theatre". Welwyn Hatfield Times. 5 June 2011. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
8. ^ "Q&A: Adrian Scarborough; OfficialLondonTheatre.com". OfficialLondonTheatre.com. 10 September 2012. Retrieved 30 October 2017.
9. ^ "Pink Floyd album inspires Sir Tom Stoppard radio play". BBC. 28 March 2013. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
10. ^ "The Madness of George III". Nottingham Playhouse. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
11. ^ Killing Eve, season 2
12. ^ "The Gavin & Stacey star you pass in the street". Berkhamsted & Tring Gazette. 11 November 2009. Retrieved 19 March 2012.
13. ^ "'When I found out that we had this cast, I was like yeah, no one's working!'". 2 May 2021.

## External links[edit]

* Adrian Scarborough at IMDb
* Adrian Scarborough at British Comedy Guide

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