Geoffrey Dyson Palmer (4 June 1927 – 5 November 2020) was an English actor. He was best known for his roles in British television

sitcoms A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use new ...

playing Jimmy Anderson in '' The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin'' (1976–79), Ben Parkinson in ''

Butterflies Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The group comprises ...

'' (1978–1983) and Lionel Hardcastle in '' As Time Goes By'' (1992–2005). His film appearances include ''

A Fish Called Wanda ''A Fish Called Wanda'' is a 1988 heist comedy film directed by Charles Crichton and written by Crichton and John Cleese. It stars Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline, and Michael Palin. The film follows a gang of diamond thieves who double- ...

'' (1988), '' The Madness of King George'' (1994), ''

Mrs Brown ''Mrs Brown'' (also theatrically released as ''Her Majesty, Mrs Brown'') is a 1997 British drama film starring Judi Dench, Billy Connolly, Geoffrey Palmer, Antony Sher, and Gerard Butler in his film debut. It was written by Jeremy Brock and ...

'' (1997) and ''

Tomorrow Never Dies ''Tomorrow Never Dies'' is a 1997 spy film, the eighteenth in the ''James Bond'' series produced by Eon Productions and the second to star Pierce Brosnan as fictional MI6 agent James Bond. Directed by Roger Spottiswoode from a screenplay ...

'' (1997).

Early life and education

Geoffrey Dyson Palmer was born on 4 June 1927 in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

, England. He was the son of Frederick Charles Palmer, who was a chartered surveyor, and Norah Gwendolen (née Robins). He attended

Highgate School Highgate School, formally Sir Roger Cholmeley's School at Highgate, is an English co-educational, fee-charging, independent day school, founded in 1565 in Highgate, London, England. It educates over 1,400 pupils in three sections – Highgat ...

from September 1939 to December 1945. He served as a corporal instructor in small arms and field training in the

Royal Marines The Corps of Royal Marines (RM), also known as the Royal Marines Commandos, are the UK's special operations capable commando force, amphibious warfare, amphibious light infantry and also one of the :Fighting Arms of the Royal Navy, five fighti ...

during his

national service National service is the system of voluntary government service, usually military service. Conscription is mandatory national service. The term ''national service'' comes from the United Kingdom's National Service (Armed Forces) Act 1939. The ...

from 1946 to 1948, following which he briefly worked as an unpaid trainee assistant stage manager.

Career

Palmer's early television appearances included multiple roles in episodes of '' The Army Game'' (

Granada Television ITV Granada, formerly known as Granada Television, is the ITV franchisee for the North West of England and Isle of Man. From 1956 to 1968 it broadcast to both the north west and Yorkshire but only on weekdays as ABC Weekend Television was its ...

), two episodes of '' The Baron'' and as a property agent in ''

Cathy Come Home ''Cathy Come Home'' is a 1966 BBC television play about homelessness. It was written by Jeremy Sandford, produced by Tony Garnett and directed by Ken Loach. A 1998 ''Radio Times'' readers' poll voted it the "best single television drama" an ...

'' (1966). After a major break in

John Osborne John James Osborne (12 December 1929 – 24 December 1994) was an English playwright, screenwriter and actor, known for his prose that criticized established social and political norms. The success of his 1956 play '' Look Back in Anger'' tr ...

's ''West of Suez'' at the

Royal Court A royal court, often called simply a court when the royal context is clear, is an extended royal household in a monarchy, including all those who regularly attend on a monarch, or another central figure. Hence, the word "court" may also be appl ...

with

Ralph Richardson Sir Ralph David Richardson (19 December 1902 – 10 October 1983) was an English actor who, with John Gielgud and Laurence Olivier, was one of the trinity of male actors who dominated the British stage for much of the 20th century. He w ...

, he acted in major productions at the Royal Court and for the National Theatre Company and was directed by

Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier (; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director who, along with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud, was one of a trio of male actors who dominated the British stage ...

in J. B. Priestley's '' Eden End''. Palmer found the play so boring, however, that it put him off a stage career for good. 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 ''

'' (1978–1983). He also played Doctor Price in the ''

Fawlty Towers ''Fawlty Towers'' is a British television sitcom written by John Cleese and Connie Booth, broadcast on BBC2 in 1975 and 1979. Two series of six episodes each were made. The show was ranked first on a list of the 100 Greatest British Televisio ...

'' 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 Dame Penelope Anne Constance Keith, (née Hatfield; born 2 April 1940) is an English actress and presenter, active in film, radio, stage and television and primarily known for her roles in the British sitcoms '' The Good Life'' and '' To the M ...

. He later left, and was replaced by

Peter Bowles Peter Bowles (16 October 1936 – 17 March 2022) was an English television and stage actor. He gained prominence for television dramas such as '' Callan: A Magnum for Schneider'' and ''I, Claudius''. He is however, best remembered for his roles ...

. Palmer later starred opposite

Judi Dench Dame Judith Olivia Dench (born 9 December 1934) is an English actress. Regarded as one of Britain's best actresses, she is noted for her versatile work in various films and television programmes encompassing several genres, as well as for her ...

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 The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors hav ...

film ''

,'' in which he portrayed Admiral Roebuck, and ''

'', playing Sir Henry Ponsonby to Dench's

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previ ...

. Palmer's voice-over skills led to frequent work in commercials. Campaigns he was involved with include the 'Slam in the Lamb' ads for the Meat & Livestock Commission and the

Audi Audi AG () is a German automotive manufacturer of luxury vehicles headquartered in Ingolstadt, Bavaria, Germany. As a subsidiary of its parent company, the Volkswagen Group, Audi produces vehicles in nine production facilities worldwide. ...

commercials in which he was heard using the phrase " Vorsprung durch Technik". As a narrator, he worked on the BBC series' '' Grumpy Old Men'' and ''Grumpy Old Holidays'', as well as narrating the

audiobook An audiobook (or a talking book) is a recording of a book or other work being read out loud. A reading of the complete text is described as "unabridged", while readings of shorter versions are abridgements. Spoken audio has been available in sc ...

version of Dickens' ''

A Christmas Carol ''A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas'', commonly known as ''A Christmas Carol'', is a novella by Charles Dickens, first published in London by Chapman & Hall in 1843 and illustrated by John Leech. ''A Christmas ...

'', released in 2005 as a

podcast A podcast is a program made available in digital format for download over the Internet. For example, an episodic series of digital audio or video files that a user can download to a personal device to listen to at a time of their choosin ...

Penguin Books Penguin Books is a British publishing, publishing house. It was co-founded in 1935 by Allen Lane with his brothers Richard and John, as a line of the publishers The Bodley Head, only becoming a separate company the following year.Little England'', and he continued to appear in productions written by ''Reggie Perrin'' creator

David Nobbs David Gordon Nobbs (13 March 1935 – 8 August 2015"C ...

, the last of these being the radio comedy '' The Maltby Collection'' broadcast from 2007. In the 2006 DVD series ''The Compleat Angler'', Palmer partnered Rae Borras in a series of episodes based on

Izaak Walton Izaak Walton (baptised 21 September 1593 – 15 December 1683) was an English writer. Best known as the author of ''The Compleat Angler'', he also wrote a number of short biographies including one of his friend John Donne. They have been coll ...

's 1653 ''

The Compleat Angler ''The Compleat Angler'' (the spelling is sometimes modernised to ''The Complete Angler'', though this spelling also occurs in first editions) is a book by Izaak Walton. It was first published in 1653 by Richard Marriot in London. Walton continu ...

''. In 2007, he recorded ''

The Diary of a Nobody ''The Diary of a Nobody'' is an English comic novel written by the brothers George and Weedon Grossmith, with illustrations by the latter. It originated as an intermittent serial in '' Punch'' magazine in 1888–89 and first appeared in book fo ...

'' by

George Grossmith George Grossmith (9 December 1847 – 1 March 1912) was an English comedian, writer, composer, actor, and singer. His performing career spanned more than four decades. As a writer and composer, he created 18 comic operas, nearly 100 musical ...

and

Weedon Grossmith Walter Weedon Grossmith (9 June 1854 – 14 June 1919), better known as Weedon Grossmith, was an English writer, painter, actor, and playwright best known as co-author of ''The Diary of a Nobody'' (1892) with his brother, music hall comedian ...

as an online audiobook. In December 2007, Palmer appeared in the role of the Captain in "

Voyage of the Damned ''Voyage of the Damned'' is a 1976 drama film directed by Stuart Rosenberg, with an all-star cast featuring Faye Dunaway, Oskar Werner, Lee Grant, Max von Sydow, James Mason, and Malcolm McDowell. The story was inspired by actual events co ...

", the Christmas special episode of the BBC science-fiction series ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the ...

''; Palmer previously appeared in the classic era of the show in the

Third Doctor The Third Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He was portrayed by actor Jon Pertwee. Within the series' narrative, the Doctor is a centuries-old alien Time Lord fr ...

serials '' Doctor Who and the Silurians'' (1970) (as Masters) and '' The Mutants'' (1972) (as the Administrator). In March 2009, he joined in a sketch with the two double acts Armstrong and Miller and

Mitchell and Webb Mitchell and Webb are a British comedy double act, composed of David Mitchell and Robert Webb. They are best known for starring in the Channel 4 sitcom ''Peep Show'' and their radio and TV sketch shows ''That Mitchell and Webb Sound'' and ''T ...

for

Comic Relief Comic relief is the inclusion of a humorous character, scene, or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work, often to relieve tension. Definition Comic relief usually means a releasing of emotional or other tension resulting from a comic epis ...

. In 2011, he played the reactionary father-in-law of the eponymous clergyman of '' Rev.'' in its Christmas episode.

Personal life and death

Palmer married Sally Green in 1963. They had a daughter, Harriet, and a son,

Charles Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was " ...

, a television director. Palmer lived at

Lee Common The Lee (formally known as just Lee) is a village in Buckinghamshire, England. It is located in the Chiltern Hills, about 2 mi north east of Great Missenden and 3 mi south east of Wendover. The Lee is also the name of a civil parish wi ...

in the

Chiltern Hills The Chiltern Hills is a chalk escarpment in England. The area, northwest of London, covers stretching from Goring-on-Thames in the southwest to Hitchin in the northeast - across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, and Bedfordshi ...

Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire (), abbreviated Bucks, is a ceremonial county in South East England that borders Greater London to the south-east, Berkshire to the south, Oxfordshire to the west, Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-e ...

, and enjoyed

fly fishing Fly fishing is an angling method that uses a light-weight fishing lure, lure—called an artificial fly—to catch fish. The fly is Casting (fishing), cast using a fly rod, Fishing reel#Fly reel, reel, and specialized Fly line, weighted line. T ...

in his spare time. Palmer died at his home on 5 November 2020 following a short illness, aged 93.

Awards and recognition

In the New Year's Honours List published 31 December 2004 he was appointed an

Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

(OBE) for services to drama. A drawing of Palmer by

Stuart Pearson Wright Stuart Pearson Wright (born 1975, Northampton) is an English portrait artist, winner of the BP Portrait Award. Life and works Wright went to school in Eastbourne, Sussex and graduated from Slade School of Fine Art, University College of London (1 ...

is in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery, London.

Appearances

Stage

*'' Sabrina Fair'' by Samuel Taylor at the

Theatre Royal, Nottingham The Theatre Royal in Nottingham, England, is a theatre venue in the heart of Nottingham City Centre and is owned by Nottingham City Council as part of a complex that also includes the city's Royal Concert Hall. The Theatre Royal attracts major ...

(1955). *'' Eden End'' by J. B. Priestley at the

Royal National Theatre The Royal National Theatre in London, commonly known as the National Theatre (NT), is one of the United Kingdom's three most prominent publicly funded performing arts venues, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal Opera House. I ...

(1974). *''

Kafka's Dick ''Kafka's Dick'' is a 1986 play by Alan Bennett.Dalglish, DarreKafka's Dick, Piccadilly Theatre (Review)at London Theatre Archive, 26 January 1999; unavailable 30 July 2020. It is a play about the nature of fame, and how reputation is gained. Pl ...

'' by

Alan Bennett Alan Bennett (born 9 May 1934) is an English actor, author, playwright and screenwriter. Over his distinguished entertainment career he has received numerous awards and honours including two BAFTA Awards, four Laurence Olivier Awards, and two ...

at the

Royal Court Theatre The Royal Court Theatre, at different times known as the Court Theatre, the New Chelsea Theatre, and the Belgravia Theatre, is a non-commercial West End theatre in Sloane Square, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England ...

(1986). *''West of Suez'' by John Osbourne.

Radio

* '' At Home with the Snails'' (2001–2002) * ''

Les Misérables ''Les Misérables'' ( , ) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its origin ...

'' as Inspector Javert (2002) * '' The Man Who Was Thursday'' (2005) * ''

High Table, Lower Orders ''High Table, Lower Orders'' is a BBC Radio 4 comedy-drama murder mystery written by Mark Tavener and set in a fictional University of Cambridge college in crisis. The first series was broadcast in six episodes from 18 February to 25 March 200 ...

'' (2005–2006) * '' The Maltby Collection'' (2007–2009) * '' A Murder of Quality'' (2009) * ''

The Screwtape Letters ''The Screwtape Letters'' is a Christian apologetic novel by C. S. Lewis and dedicated to J. R. R. Tolkien. It is written in a satirical, epistolary style and while it is fictional in format, the plot and characters are used to address Chris ...

'' as C.S. Lewis (2009) * '' North by Northamptonshire'' (2011–2012) * '' Two Pipe Problems: The Case of the Missing Meerschaum'' as Mortimer Tregennis (2011)

Television

*'' The Army Game'' (1958–1960) as Various Characters *'' The Strange World of Gurney Slade'' (1960) as Television Studio Floor Manager in Episode 1 *'' The Avengers'': ** " Propellant 23" (1962) as Paul Manning ** " Man with Two Shadows" (1963) as Dr. Terence ** "A Surfeit of H₂O" (1965) as Martin Smythe *'' The Saint'': **"The Rough Diamonds" (1963) as Pete Ferguson *'' Gideon's Way'' (TV Series) **"The Alibi Man" (1965) as Jeff Grant *'' The Baron'': **"Masquerade" (1966) as Anstruther **"The Killing" (1966) as Anstruther *'' The Wednesday Play'': **''

'' (1966) as Property Agent *'' Mrs Thursday'' (1966) as Henry Baxter * '' Best of Enemies'' (1968) as Johnson *''

'' **" Doctor Who and the Silurians" (1970) as Masters **" The Mutants" (1972) as Administrator **"

" (2007) as Captain Hardaker *'' Colditz – Gone Away Part 1'' (1972) as Doc *''

Whodunnit! A ''whodunit'' or ''whodunnit'' (a colloquial elision of "Who asdone it?") is a complex plot-driven variety of detective fiction in which the puzzle regarding who committed the crime is the main focus. The reader or viewer is provided with the c ...

'' (1975) as Suspect *'' The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin'' (1976–1979) as Jimmy Anderson *''

'' (1978–1983) as Ben Parkinson *''

The Sweeney ''The Sweeney'' is a 1970s British television police drama focusing on two members of the Flying Squad, a branch of the Metropolitan Police specialising in tackling armed robbery and violent crime in London. It stars John Thaw as Detective Insp ...

'' (1978) as Commander Watson in "Feet of Clay" *'' The Professionals'' (1978) as Sinclair in "Where The Jungle Ends" *''

''- " The Kipper and the Corpse" (1979) as Dr. Price *'' The Goodies'' (1980) as School Headmaster *'' The Last Song'' (1981) as Leo Bannister *'' Whoops Apocalypse'' (1982) as Foreign Secretary *''Death of an Expert Witness'' (1983) as Dr. Edwin Lorrimer *'' The Professionals'' (1983) as Avery in "The Ojuka Situation" *'' Fairly Secret Army'' (1984–1986) as Major Harry Kitchener Wellington Truscott *'' Executive Stress'' (1986 first series only) as Donald Fairchild No. 1 *''

Season's Greetings The Christmas season or the festive season (also known in some countries as the holiday season or the holidays) is an annually recurring period recognized in many Western and other countries that is generally considered to run from late November ...

'' (1986) as Bernard *'' Hot Metal'' (1986) as Harold Stringer *'' Christabel'' (1988) as Mr. Burton *''

Blackadder Goes Forth ''Blackadder Goes Forth'' is the fourth series of the BBC sitcom ''Blackadder'', written by Richard Curtis and Ben Elton, which aired from 28 September to 2 November 1989 on BBC1. The series placed the recurring characters of Blackadder, Bald ...

'' **" Goodbyeee" (1989); as Field Marshal Douglas Haig *''

Inspector Morse Detective Chief Inspector Endeavour Morse, GM, is the eponymous fictional character in the series of detective novels by British author Colin Dexter. On television, he appears in the 33-episode drama series '' Inspector Morse'' (1987–2000), ...

'' ** "The Infernal Serpent" (1990) as Matthew Copley-Barnes *'' Bergerac'' ** "Roots of Evil" (1990)as Nigel Carter *'' As Time Goes By'' (1992–2005) as Lionel Hardcastle *''

Mr. Men and Little Miss ''Mr. Men and Little Miss'', known in the United States as ''The Mr. Men Show'' and in French as ''Monsieur Bonhomme'', is a 1994–1997 animated children's television series based on the original '' Mr. Men and Little Miss'' books created in ...

'' as the Narrator and Santa Claus (in "The Christmas Letter") *'' The Legacy of Reginald Perrin'' (1996) as Jimmy Anderson *'' Alice through the Looking Glass'' (1998) as White King *'' The Savages'' (2001) as Donald *''

The 1940s House ''The 1940s House'' is a British historical reenactment reality television series made by Wall to Wall/Channel 4 in 2001 about a modern family that tries to live as a typical middle-class family in London during The Blitz of World War II.Cooper ...

'' (2001) as Narrator *''

Stig of the Dump ''Stig of the Dump'' is a children's novel by Clive King which was first published in the United Kingdom in 1963. It is regarded as a modern children's classic and is often read in schools. It was illustrated by Edward Ardizzone and has been t ...

'' (2002) as Robert *'' Absolute Power'' (2003) as Lord Harcourt *'' Grumpy Old Men'' (2003–2004, 2006) as Narrator *''

He Knew He Was Right ''He Knew He Was Right'' is an 1869 novel written by Anthony Trollope which describes the failure of a marriage caused by the unreasonable jealousy of a husband exacerbated by the stubbornness of a wilful wife. As is common with Trollope's work ...

'' (2004) as Sir Marmaduke Rowley *''Grumpy Old Holidays'' (2006) as Narrator *'' Ashes to Ashes'': ** "

Episode 8 Episode 8 may refer to: * "Episode 8" (''Humans'' series 1), the eighth and final episode of the first series * "Episode 8" (''Twin Peaks''), the first episode of the second season of the American mystery television series * "Series 8, Episode 8 ...

" (2008); as

Lord Scarman Leslie George Scarman, Baron Scarman, (29 July 1911 – 8 December 2004) was an English judge and barrister, who served as a Law Lord until his retirement in 1986. Early life and education Scarman was born in Streatham but grew up on the b ...

*''

The Long Walk to Finchley ''Margaret Thatcher: The Long Walk to Finchley'', subtitled in the initial credits ''How Maggie Might Have Done It'', is a 2008 BBC Four television drama based on the early political career of the young Margaret Thatcher (née Roberts), from her ...

'' (2008); as

John Crowder Sir John Frederick Ellenborough Crowder (10 November 1891 — 9 July 1961) was a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Finchley from the 1935 general election until the 1959 general e ...

*''

Agatha Christie's Poirot ''Poirot'' (also known as ''Agatha Christie's Poirot'') is a British mystery drama television programme that aired on ITV from 8 January 1989 to 13 November 2013. David Suchet starred as the eponymous detective, Agatha Christie's fictional Her ...

'': ** " The Clocks" (2011) as Vice Admiral Hamling *'' Grandpa in My Pocket'' ** "Captain Dumbletwit's Toughest Mission Yet!" (2010) as Grandad Gillbert *'' Rev'' ** "Christmas Special" Series 2, episode 7 (2011) as Martin *'' Henry IV, Part II'' (2012); as

Lord Chief Justice Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the peerage in the United Kingdom, or are ...

*''

Royal Variety Performance The ''Royal Variety Performance'' is a televised variety show held annually in the United Kingdom to raise money for the Royal Variety Charity (of which King Charles III is life-patron). It is attended by senior members of the British royal ...

'' (2014); as the announcer (voice-only)

Film

*''

A Prize of Arms ''A Prize of Arms'' is a 1962 British crime film directed by Cliff Owen and starring Stanley Baker, Helmut Schmid, Patrick Magee and Tom Bell with early appearances by several actors including Fulton Mackay, Michael Ripper, Stephen Lewis, Geo ...

'' (1962) as Cpl. Myers *''

Incident at Midnight ''Incident at Midnight'' is a 1963 British crime film directed by Norman Harrison and starring Anton Diffring, William Sylvester and Justine Lord. It was made at Merton Park Studios as part of the series of ''Edgar Wallace Mysteries'', in this c ...

'' (1963) as Dr. Tanfield *''

Ring of Spies ''Ring of Spies'' (also known as ''Ring of Treason'') is a 1964 British spy film directed by Robert Tronson and starring Bernard Lee, William Sylvester and Margaret Tyzack. It is based on the real-life case of the Portland Spy Ring, whose activit ...

'' (1964) as Police Officer (uncredited) *'' Cast a Giant Shadow'' (1966) as David (uncredited) *''

O Lucky Man! ''O Lucky Man!'' is a 1973 British comedy-drama fantasy film directed by Lindsay Anderson, and starring Malcolm McDowell as Mick Travis, whom McDowell had first played as a disaffected public schoolboy in his first film performance in Ander ...

'' (1973) as Examinator Doctor / Basil Keyes *''The Battle of Billy's Pond'' (1976) – First Policeman *'' The Outsider'' (1979) as Colonel Wyndham *'' The Honorary Consul'' (1983) as Belfrage: British Ambassador *''

A Zed & Two Noughts ''A Zed & Two Noughts'' is a 1985 film written and directed by Peter Greenaway. This film was Greenaway's first collaboration with cinematographer Sacha Vierny, who went on to shoot virtually all of Greenaway's work in the 1980s and 1990s, unti ...

'' (1985) as Fallast *''

Clockwise Two-dimensional rotation can occur in two possible directions. Clockwise motion (abbreviated CW) proceeds in the same direction as a clock's hands: from the top to the right, then down and then to the left, and back up to the top. The opposite ...

'' (1986) as Headmaster *''

'' (1988) as Judge *''

Hawks Hawks are birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. They are widely distributed and are found on all continents except Antarctica. * The subfamily Accipitrinae includes goshawks, sparrowhawks, sharp-shinned hawks and others. This subfamily ...

'' (1988) as SAAB Salesman *'' The Madness of King George'' (1994) as Warren *'' Mrs. Brown'' (1997) as Henry Ponsonby *''

'' (1997) as Admiral Roebuck *''

Stiff Upper Lips ''Stiff Upper Lips'' is a 1997 film directed by Gary Sinyor and starring Sean Pertwee, Georgina Cates, Robert Portal, Samuel West, Prunella Scales, Peter Ustinov, and Brian Glover in his final film role. It is a broad parody of British period ...

'' (1998) as His Butler's Voice *''

Anna and the King ''Anna and the King'' is a 1999 American biographical period drama film directed by Andy Tennant and written by Steve Meerson and Peter Krikes. Loosely based on the 1944 novel '' Anna and the King of Siam'', which gives a fictionalized accoun ...

'' (1999) as Lord John Bradley *''Rat'' (2000) as The Doctor *''

Peter Pan Peter Pan is a fictional character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. A free-spirited and mischievous young boy who can fly and never grows up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood having adventures on the mythi ...

'' (2003) as Sir Edward Quiller Couch *'' Piccadilly Jim'' (2004) as Bayliss *''

The Pink Panther 2 ''The Pink Panther 2'' is a 2009 American comedy-mystery film directed by Harald Zwart. It is the eleventh installment in '' The Pink Panther'' film series and the sequel to the 2006 film '' The Pink Panther'', a reboot of the popular comedy seri ...

'' (2009) as Joubert *'' W.E.'' (2011) as

Stanley Baldwin Stanley Baldwin, 1st Earl Baldwin of Bewdley, (3 August 186714 December 1947) was a British Conservative Party politician who dominated the government of the United Kingdom between the world wars, serving as prime minister on three occasions, ...

*'' Lost Christmas'' (2011) as Dr. Clarence *'' Run for Your Wife'' (2012) as Man on Bus *'' Bert and Dickie'' (2012) as Charles Burnell *''The Last Sparks of Sundown'' (2014) as Sir Buster Sparks (voice) *''

Paddington Paddington is an area within the City of Westminster, in Central London. First a medieval parish then a metropolitan borough, it was integrated with Westminster and Greater London in 1965. Three important landmarks of the district are Padd ...

'' (2014) as The Boss Geographer *'' To Olivia'' (2021) as Geoffrey Fisher (final film role)

Recordings (spoken word)

*'' Welcome to the Pleasuredome (Fruitness Mix)'' (1985) *'' Esio Trot'' (1990) *''

The BFG ''The BFG'' (short for ''The Big Friendly Giant'') is a 1982 children's book written by British novelist Roald Dahl and illustrated by Quentin Blake. It is an expansion of a short story from Dahl's 1975 book ''Danny, the Champion of the World'' ...

'' (1989) *''

'' (2005) *''

'' (2007)

References

External links

* * *
Selected performances in Theatre Archive University of Bristol
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Palmer, Geoffrey 1927 births 2020 deaths 20th-century English male actors 21st-century English male actors 20th-century Royal Marines personnel Audiobook narrators British male comedy actors English male film actors English male radio actors English male stage actors English male television actors English male voice actors Male actors from Buckinghamshire Male actors from London Officers of the Order of the British Empire People educated at Highgate School Royal Marines ranks