George Pastell (13 March 1923 – 4 April 1976) was a

Cypriot Cypriot (in older sources often "Cypriote") refers to someone or something of, from, or related to the country of Cyprus. * Cypriot people, or of Cypriot descent; this includes: **Armenian Cypriots **Greek Cypriots **Maronite Cypriots **Turkish C ...

character actor in British films and television programmes. Sources vary as to whether his real name was Nino (IMDb) or George Pastellides (BFI). His marriage record gives his name as Georgiou Pastellides while his RADA record lists his name as George Pastel.

Early life

Born to a French mother and Greek father, Pastell began his career spending two years in banking. Aged 21, he joined the

Greek National Theatre The National Theatre of Greece () is based in Athens, Greece. History The first permanent theatre in modern Greece had been the Boukoura Theatre from 1840, but it had difficulty in managing its operation and stood empty for long periods of t ...

. Leaving Cyprus a few years later with only £50 in his pocket, Pastell came to England, scarcely able to speak much English. However, he studied the language by taking evening classes at the Pitman School and soon graduated from the

Royal Academy of Dramatic Art The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA; ) is a drama school in London, England, that provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in the Bloomsbury area of Central London, close to the Sen ...

Career

He made his film debut in '' Give Us This Day'' (1949), credited as Nino Pastellides, and played villains in film and television. He was often cast by

Hammer Film Productions Hammer Film Productions Ltd. is a British film production company based in London. Founded in 1934, the company is best known for a series of Gothic horror and fantasy films made from the mid-1950s until the 1970s. Many of these involve clas ...

as Eastern characters such as Mehemet Bey in ''

The Mummy A mummy is an unusually well preserved corpse. Mummy or The Mummy may also refer to: Places *Mummy Range, a mountain range in the Rocky Mountains of northern Colorado in the United States *Mummy Cave, a rock shelter and archeological site in Par ...

'' (1959), the High Priest of Kali in ''

The Stranglers of Bombay ''The Stranglers of Bombay'' is a 1959 British adventure horror film directed by Terence Fisher for Hammer Films dealing with the British East India Company's investigation of the cult of Thuggee stranglers in the 1830s. The film stars Guy Rolf ...

'' (1960), Inspector Etienne in ''

Maniac Maniac (from Greek μανιακός, ''maniakos'') is a pejorative for an individual who experiences the mood known as mania. In common usage, it is also an insult for someone involved in reckless behavior. Maniac may also refer to: Film * ' ...

'' (1963), and Hashmi Bey in ''

The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb ''The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb'' is a 1964 British horror film produced, written and directed by Michael Carreras, starring Terence Morgan, Ronald Howard, Fred Clark and introducing Jeanne Roland. Plot "Egypt in the year 1900". The mummy o ...

'' (1964). His exotic looks often saw him cast in spy films of the '60s such as '' From Russia with Love'' (1963); '' Licensed to Kill'' (1965); ''

A Man Could Get Killed ''A Man Could Get Killed'' is a 1966 American adventure comedy film directed by Ronald Neame and Cliff Owen, shot on various locations in Portugal and starring James Garner, Melina Mercouri, Sandra Dee, Anthony Franciosa, and Robert Coote. Film ...

'' (1966); ''

That Riviera Touch ''That Riviera Touch'' is a 1966 British comedy film directed by Cliff Owen and starring Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise. It is the second feature-length film made by the comedy duo Morecambe and Wise. The film opened at the Leicester Square Thea ...

'' (1966); and ''

Deadlier Than the Male ''Deadlier Than the Male'' is a 1967 British adventure crime mystery film. It is one of the many take-offs of James Bond produced during the 1960s, but is based on an already established detective fiction hero, Bulldog Drummond. Richard Johnso ...

'' (1967). He also appeared in the films ''

Tiger Bay Tiger Bay ( cy, Bae Teigr) was the local name for an area of Cardiff which covered Butetown and Cardiff Docks. Following the building of the Cardiff Barrage, which dams the tidal rivers, Ely and Taff, to create a body of water, it is re ...

'', '' The Angry Hills'' (1959), ''

The Siege of Sidney Street ''The Siege of Sidney Street'' is a 1960 British historical drama film co-directed by Robert S. Baker and Monty Berman. It stars Donald Sinden, Nicole Berger and Kieron Moore. The film dramatises the 1909 Tottenham Outrage - a bungled wag ...

'' (1960), ''

Konga Konga () is a locality situated in Tingsryd Municipality, Kronoberg County, Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of ...

'', ''

The Frightened City ''The Frightened City'' is a 1961 British neo-noir gangster film about extortion rackets and gang warfare in the West End of London. It stars Herbert Lom, John Gregson and a pre-Bond Sean Connery, who plays a burglar called Paddy Damion. He ...

'' (1961), '' On the Beat'' (1962), ''

The Moon-Spinners ''The Moon-Spinners'' is a 1964 American mystery film starring Hayley Mills, Eli Wallach and Peter McEnery in a story about a jewel thief hiding on the island of Crete. Produced by Walt Disney Productions, the film was based upon a 1962 suspense ...

'' (1964), ''

The Long Duel ''The Long Duel'' is a 1967 British adventure film directed by Ken Annakin and starring Yul Brynner, Trevor Howard, Charlotte Rampling and Harry Andrews. It is set in British-ruled India of the 1920s but was filmed in Spain. Plot Superintende ...

'' (1967) and '' The Magus'' (1968). He also appeared as the villain in the '60s television series ''

Danger Man ''Danger Man'' (retitled ''Secret Agent'' in the United States for the revived series, and ''Destination Danger'' and ''John Drake'' in other overseas markets) is a British television series that was broadcast between 1960 and 1962, and again b ...

''; '' The Avengers''; ''

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 u ...

''; ''

The Champions ''The Champions'' is a British espionage thriller/science fiction/occult detective fiction adventure television series. It was produced by Lew Grade's ITC Entertainment production company, and consists of 30 episodes broadcast in the UK on ITV ...

''; ''

The Saint The Saint may refer to: Fiction * Simon Templar, also known as "The Saint", the protagonist of a book series by Leslie Charteris and subsequent adaptations: ** ''The Saint'' (film series) (1938–43), starring Louis Hayward, George Sanders an ...

''; and '' Department S''. Pastell had dual citizenship between the United Kingdom and United States with homes in Miami, Florida and Manhattan. He was a member of the

Screen Actors Guild The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) was an American labor union which represented over 100,000 film and television principal and background performers worldwide. On March 30, 2012, the union leadership announced that the SAG membership voted to m ...

as well as a theatrical instructor for

Pasadena Playhouse The Pasadena Playhouse is a historic performing arts venue located 39 S. El Molino Avenue in Pasadena, California, United States. The 686-seat auditorium produces a variety of cultural and artistic events, professional shows, and community engage ...

. After retiring from the acting industry in 1969, Pastell spent his final years touring the nation, performing in musical theatre with his wife.

Death

He died on 4 April 1976 from a heart attack.

Selected filmography

* ''

Adam and Evelyne ''Adam and Evelyne'', released in the U.S. as ''Adam and Evalyn'', is a 1949 romance film starring Stewart Granger and Jean Simmons. According to Robert Osborne, host of Turner Classic Movies, this suited the stars, as they were romantically inv ...

'' (1949) - Headwaiter at Restaurant (uncredited) * ''

Madness of the Heart ''Madness of the Heart'' is a 1949 British drama film directed by Charles Bennett and starring Margaret Lockwood, Paul Dupuis and Kathleen Byron. Plot summary Lydia Garth meets Paul de Vandiere, a French nobleman, but their romance is plagued ...

'' (1949) - Waiter * '' Give Us This Day'' (1949) - The Lucy * ''

Moulin Rouge Moulin Rouge (, ; ) is a cabaret in Paris, on Boulevard de Clichy, at Place Blanche, the intersection of, and terminus of Rue Blanche. In 1889, the Moulin Rouge was co-founded by Charles Zidler and Joseph Oller, who also owned the Olympia (P ...

'' (1952) - Man at First Bar (uncredited) * ''

The Gambler and the Lady ''The Gambler and the Lady'' is a 1952 British crime film directed by Patrick Jenkins and Sam Newfield and starring Dane Clark, Kathleen Byron and Naomi Chance. It was made by Hammer Films. Plot An American gambler, Forster (Clark), aspires to ...

'' (1952) - Jacko Spina * ''

Deadly Nightshade ''Atropa belladonna'', commonly known as belladonna or deadly nightshade, is a toxic perennial herbaceous plant in the nightshade family Solanaceae, which also includes tomatoes, potatoes, and eggplant (aubergine). It is native to Europe, North ...

'' (1953) - Ferrari (uncredited) * ''

South of Algiers ''South of Algiers'' (U.S. ''The Golden Mask'') is a 1953 British travel adventure film, directed by Jack Lee and starring Van Heflin, Wanda Hendrix and Eric Portman. It is based on an original screenplay by Robert Westerby, and was partly ...

'' (1953) - Hassan * '' Blind Spot'' (1958) - Schrieder * '' Battle of the V-1'' (1958) - Eryk * ''

'' (1959) - 'POLOMA' Captain * ''

Deadly Record ''Deadly Record'' is a 1959 'B' feature British crime drama directed by Lawrence Huntington, and based on a novel by Nina Warner Hooke. It aired in the US as part of the ''Kraft Mystery Theatre''. ''Plot'': When airline pilot Trevor Hamilton's wi ...

'' (1959) - Angelo * '' The Angry Hills'' (1959) - Papa Panos * ''

'' (1959) - Mehemet Bey * ''

'' (1959) - High Priest of Kali * '' Bottoms Up'' (1960) - Swarthy Man * ''

'' (1960) - Brodsky * ''

'' (1961) - Prof. Tagore * ''

'' (1961) - Sanchetti * ''

Village of Daughters ''Village of Daughters'' is a 1962 British comedy film directed by George Pollock and starring Eric Sykes, Scilla Gabel, John Le Mesurier, Grégoire Aslan, Graham Stark, and Warren Mitchell Warren Mitchell (born Warren Misell; 14 January 1 ...

'' (1962) - 2nd Pickpocket * ''

Masters of Venus ''Masters of Venus'' is a 1962 British science fiction film, science fiction serial film, film serial in 8 parts, made by the Children's Film Foundation for cinema distribution as a Saturday morning serial for children. It's directed by Ernest Mor ...

'' (1962) - Kallas * '' On the Beat'' (1962) - Manzini * ''

Tarzan's Three Challenges ''Tarzan's Three Challenges'' is a 1963 British-American adventure film filmed in Metrocolor. It is a follow-up to 1962's '' Tarzan Goes to India''. The film was Jock Mahoney's second and final turn as the apeman, was produced by Sy Weintraub, ...

'' (1963) - Khan (voice, uncredited) * ''

Impact Impact may refer to: * Impact (mechanics), a high force or shock (mechanics) over a short time period * Impact, Texas, a town in Taylor County, Texas, US Science and technology * Impact crater, a meteor crater caused by an impact event * Impac ...

'' (1963) - Sebastian 'The Duke' Dukelow * ''

'' (1963) - Inspector Etienne * '' From Russia with Love'' (1963) - Train Conductor * '' The Secret Door'' (1964) - Antonio * ''

'' (1964) - Police lieutenant * ''

'' (1964) - Hashmmi Bey * ''

'' (television series; 'The Colonel's Daughter') (1964) - Petel * ''

The High Bright Sun ''The High Bright Sun'' is a 1964 British action film directed by Ralph Thomas and starring Dirk Bogarde, George Chakiris and Susan Strasberg. It is set in Cyprus during the EOKA uprising against British rule in the 1950s. It was based on a ...

'' (1965) - Prinos * ''

The Intelligence Men ''The Intelligence Men'' is a 1965 comedy film starring the British comic duo Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise. In the US, it was retitled ''Spylarks''. It is subtitled " M.I.5 plus 2 equals 0". The film was successful enough to enable Morecambe a ...

'' (1965) - Assassin (uncredited) * ''

She She most commonly refers to: *She (pronoun), the third person singular, feminine, nominative case pronoun in modern English. She or S.H.E. may also refer to: Literature and films *'' She: A History of Adventure'', an 1887 novel by H. Rider Hagga ...

'' (1965) - Haumeid (voice, uncredited) * '' Licensed to Kill'' (1965) - Second Russian Commisar * ''

Out of the Unknown ''Out of the Unknown'' is a British television science fiction anthology drama series, produced by the BBC and broadcast on BBC2 in four series between 1965 and 1971. Most episodes of the first three series were a dramatisation of a science f ...

'' ('No Place Like Earth', episode) (1965) - Major Kahn * ''

'' (1966) - Lazlo * ''

'' (1966) - Ali * ''

Khartoum Khartoum or Khartum ( ; ar, الخرطوم, Al-Khurṭūm, din, Kaartuɔ̈m) is the capital of Sudan. With a population of 5,274,321, its metropolitan area is the largest in Sudan. It is located at the confluence of the White Nile, flowing n ...

'' (1966) - Giriagis Bey (uncredited) * ''Run with the Wind'' (1966) - Lennie * ''

'' (1967) - Carloggio * ''

'' (1967) - Ram Chand * '' The Magus'' (1968) - Andreas-Priest * ''

Vendetta for the Saint ''Vendetta for the Saint'' is a 1964 mystery novel featuring the character of Simon Templar, alias "The Saint". ''Vendetta for the Saint'' was the first full-length Saint novel published since ''The Saint Sees it Through'', 18 years earlier. A te ...

'' (1969) - Marco Ponti

References

External links

*
George Pastell
at Theatricalia {{DEFAULTSORT:Pastell, George 1923 births 1976 deaths British male film actors British male television actors Cypriot male actors 20th-century British male actors Cypriot expatriates in the United Kingdom Cypriot emigrants to the United States Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art