Colin McFarlane

Colin Andrew Ignatius Peter McFarlane (born 15 September 1961) is a British actor, narrator and voice actor. He is best known for his role as Gillian B. Loeb in two films of Christopher Nolan's ''The Dark Knight Trilogy'', Ulysses in the STARZ television drama series '' Outlander'', the voice of Bulgy in the children's television series ''Thomas & Friends'', the voice of PC Malcolm Williams in the children's television series ''Fireman Sam'', and as the voice of "The Cube" on ITV.

He also appeared in '' The Commuter'' (2018), in which he played Conductor Sam, as Chancellor Riggs in the 2015 holiday television movie ''Crown for Christmas'' (2015), as General Pierce in the science fiction horror film '' Patient Zero'' (2018) and as Aloisius Dupree in three films of the Batzan Trilogy titled ''The Invisible Guardian'', ''The Legacy of the Bones'' and ''Offering to the Storm'' in 2017, 2019 & 2020, respectively.

His voice roles in animation and video games include JJ in ''Bob the Builder'', Thadius Vent in ''Oscar's Orchestra'', Harrison in ''Chuggington'', Sparkie the Dragon in ''Mike the Knight'', Sergeant Slipper in ''Dennis and Gnasher'', Thunder in ''Fable'', Uzimushi in '' Shinobido: Way of the Ninja'', The Forgotten One in '' Castlevania: Lords of Shadow'', Avalon Centrifuge in ''LittleBigPlanet 2'', Heimdall in ''Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2'' and Bernard Goodwin in ''Planet Zoo''.

Early life

McFarlane was born on 15 September 1961 in Upper Clapton, London, to Jamaican parents. His father, Sidney McFarlane MBE served in the RAF and his mother, Gwendolyn McFarlane worked in the NHS. His father was awarded the MBE in 1999 for voluntary service to the community and for service with the Ministry of Defence. The family subsequently moved several times before settling in Lincoln, where McFarlane grew up. He attended the Perse School, Cambridge, and later read drama at Loughborough University, graduating in 1983.

Career

Television

Mcfarlane's first professional television role was in 1985 with a three episode guest stint, as Detective Sergeant Watson, in ITV's hit police procedural ''Dempsey and Makepeace''. From there, he would go on to feature in London Weekend Television's made-for-TV film ''Dutch Girls'', alongside Colin Firth and fellow ''Outlander'' alumni Bill Paterson. The next year he featured in an episode of London Weekend Television's maternity mini-series ''To Have and To Hold'', which focused on a surrogate mother carrying a child for her sister. In 1988, McFarlane guest starred in a season two episode of ITV's drama ''Bust'', which followed a man in the wake of bankruptcy.

1992 saw McFarlane appear in CITV's children's series ''Tales From the Poop Deck'', where he portrayed Lieutenant Parkinson of HMS Intrepid, and a guest appearance on several episodes of Channel 4's sitcom ''Sean's Show''. Later that year he would feature in an episode of mystery series '' Virtual Murder'', an episode of BBC's anthology series ''Screen One'' entitled ''Black and Blue'', and the made-for-TV film
Lenny Henry: In Dreams
'. In 1993 he would guest star in children's series '' Runaway Bay'' and ITV's comedy ''Jeeves and Wooster'', which focused on Hugh Laurie's Wooster and Stephen Fry's Jeeves. Two years later he would have guest appearances on ITV's ''Clas
Act
and'' BBC's police procedural ''Backup.''

McFarlane would go on, in 1996, to feature in an episode of BBC's Rowan Atkinson led police comedy '' The Thin Blue Line'', Channel 4's made-for-TV film ''The Final Passage'', and the finale of ITV's four part thriller series '' Circles of Deceit''.

His numerous TV credits include ''Judge John Deed'', ''Jonathan Creek'', ''Casualty'', '' Death in Paradise'', ''Father Brown'' and ''Holby City''. He has also appeared in two of the UK's most-watched soap operas. He appeared in five episodes of ''Coronation Street'' from August to September 2010 as a consultant neurosurgeon, Mr Jordan, and played DCI Irving in an episode of ''EastEnders'' in April 2014 as part of the "Who Killed Lucy Beale?" storyline.

He has also made regular appearances in British TV comedy, in the shows ''The Fast Show'', '' Randall & Hopkirk'', ''Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps'', ''Harry and Paul'' and '' The Thin Blue Line''. He played Inspector Norris in the ''Black Books'' episode ''The Blackout'', Inspector Terrence Brown in the first episode of ''Dirk Gently'' and voiced the Judge in the 2016 revival of the sitcom ''Porridge''.

He also featured in the CBBC shows '' M.I. High'' and '' Hounded'' as the evil Dr Muhahahaha.

Film

McFarlane's first film was 1996's short film ''A Mulatto Song'', which focused on the life of George Bridgetower, a virtuoso violinist from the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. The next year would see him feature in the direct-to-film film ''I'd Like A Word With You'', a corporate training video on how to deal with discipline interviews. He portrayed Police Commissioner Gillian B. Loeb in the critically acclaimed films ''Batman Begins'' (2005) and ''The Dark Knight'' (2008). He has also made numerous appearances in the ''Doctor Who'' franchise, voicing the Heavenly Host in the Christmas special "Voyage of the Damned" and playing Moran in the "Under the Lake" and " Before the Flood" episodes of the ninth series from 2015. In addition, he also appeared in the third series of ''Torchwood'', ''Children of Earth'', as the American military representative Colonel Pierce.

He appears alongside Matt Smith and Natalie Dormer

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