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Kenneth Cranham (born 12 December 1944) is a Scottish film, television, radio and stage actor.


Early life

Cranham was born in
Dunfermline Dunfermline (; sco, Dunfaurlin, gd, Dùn Phàrlain) is a city, parish and former Royal Burgh, in Fife, Scotland, on high ground from the northern shore of the Firth of Forth. The city currently has an estimated population of 58,508. Accord ...
,
Fife Fife (, ; gd, Fìobha, ; sco, Fife) is a council area, historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries with Perth and Kinross (i ...
, the son of
Lochgelly Lochgelly ( ; gd, Loch Gheallaidh, IPA: ɫ̪ɔxˈʝaɫ̪ai is a town in Fife, Scotland. It is located between Loch Ore, Lochs Ore and Gelly to the north-west and south-east respectively. It is separated from Cowdenbeath by the village of ...
-born Margaret McKay Cranham (née Ferguson) and Ronald Cranham, a London-born
civil servant The civil service is a collective term for a sector of government composed mainly of career civil servants hired on professional merit rather than appointed or elected, whose institutional tenure typically survives transitions of political leaders ...
.


Career

Cranham trained at the National Youth Theatre of Great Britain, and at
RADA 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 Senat ...
. He starred in the title role in the popular 1980s comedy drama ''
Shine on Harvey Moon ''Shine on, Harvey Moon'' is a British television series made by Witzend Productions and Central Television for ITV from 8 January 1982 to 23 August 1985 and briefly revived in 1995 by Meridian Broadcasting. This generally light-hearted serie ...
'', prior to which he had appeared as Charlie Collins in ''
A Family at War ''A Family At War'' is a British drama Television program, series that aired on ITV (TV network), ITV from 1970 to 1972. It was created by John Finch and made by ITV Granada, Granada Television for ITV. The original producer was Richard Doubled ...
'' (1971). He also appeared in ''
Layer Cake A layer cake (US English) or sandwich cake (UK English) is a cake consisting of multiple stacked sheets of cake, held together by frosting or another type of filling, such as jam or other preserves. Most cake recipes can be adapted for lay ...
'', ''
Gangster No. 1 ''Gangster No. 1'' is a 2000 British crime drama film directed by Paul McGuigan. It is based on the stage play ''Gangster No.1'' written by Louis Mellis and David Scinto. The film stars Paul Bettany in the title role and features Malcolm McDo ...
'', ''
Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...
'', ''
Oliver! ''Oliver!'' is a coming-of-age stage musical, with book, music and lyrics by Lionel Bart. The musical is based upon the 1838 novel '' Oliver Twist'' by Charles Dickens. It premiered at the Wimbledon Theatre, southwest London in 1960 before op ...
'' and many other films. Cranham was cast as the deranged Philip Channard and his Cenobitic alter-ego in the
Horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit fear or disgust in its audience for entertainment purposes. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements include monsters, apoca ...
'' Hellbound: Hellraiser II''. Among many stage credits are West End productions of ''
Entertaining Mr Sloane ''Entertaining Mr Sloane'' is a three-act play written in 1963 by the English playwright Joe Orton. It was first produced in London at the New Arts Theatre on 6 May 1964 and transferred to the West End's Wyndham's Theatre on 29 June 1964. Plo ...
'', '' Loot'', ''
An Inspector Calls ''An Inspector Calls'' is a play written by English dramatist J. B. Priestley, first performed in the Soviet Union in 1945 and at the New Theatre in London the following year. It is one of Priestley's best-known works for the stage and is c ...
'' (both transferring to
Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
), ''
The Ruffian on the Stair ''The Ruffian On the Stair'' is a play by British playwright Joe Orton which was first broadcast on BBC Radio in 1964, in a production by John Tydeman. It is an unsympathetic yet comedic one-act portrayal of working class England, as played out ...
'', '' The Birthday Party'' and ''
Gaslight Gas lighting is the production of artificial light from combustion of a gaseous fuel, such as hydrogen, methane, carbon monoxide, propane, butane, acetylene, ethylene, coal gas (town gas) or natural gas. The light is produced either direct ...
'' (at the
Old Vic Old or OLD may refer to: Places *Old, Baranya, Hungary * Old, Northamptonshire, England *Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD) *OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, Ma ...
). For his role as Inspector Goole in ''
An Inspector Calls ''An Inspector Calls'' is a play written by English dramatist J. B. Priestley, first performed in the Soviet Union in 1945 and at the New Theatre in London the following year. It is one of Priestley's best-known works for the stage and is c ...
'', he was nominated for a
Laurence Olivier Award The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply the Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre in London at an annual ceremony in the capital. The awards were originally known as ...
. In 2016, Cranham won the
Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Play The Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Play is an annual award presented by the Society of London Theatre in recognition of achievements in commercial London theatre. The awards were established as the Society of West End Theatre Awards ...
for his role as Andre in
Florian Zeller Florian Zeller (; born 28 June 1979) is a French novelist, playwright, theatre director, screenwriter, and film director. He won the Prix Interallié for his 2004 novel ''The Fascination of Evil'' and several awards for his plays. He wrote and ...
's '' The Father''. The play originated at the
Theatre Royal Bath The Theatre Royal in Bath, England, was built in 1805. A Grade II* listed building, it has been described by the Theatres Trust as "One of the most important surviving examples of Georgian theatre architecture". It has a capacity for an audie ...
's
Ustinov Studio The Ustinov Studio is a studio theatre in Bath, England. It is the Theatre Royal's second space, built in 1997 at the rear of the building on Monmouth Street. It is named after the actor Peter Ustinov who led the fundraising programme for the ...
in the autumn of 2014, before touring the country and transferring to the West End in the summer of 2015, returning to the
Duke of York's Theatre The Duke of York's Theatre is a West End theatre in St Martin's Lane, in the City of Westminster, London. It was built for Frank Wyatt and his wife, Violet Melnotte, who retained ownership of the theatre until her death in 1935. Designed by th ...
in spring 2016. The play received an unprecedented five star review from every leading national press publication. Cranham's performance was described as "the performance of his life".The Father (Tricycle Theatre)
WhatsonStage.com, 13 May 2015. Retrieved 22 December 2018 For
BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...
's ''
Afternoon Play ''Drama'' (formerly ''Afternoon Theatre'', ''Afternoon Drama,'' ''Afternoon Play'') is a BBC Radio 4 radio drama, broadcast every weekday at 2.15pm. Generally each play is 45 minutes in duration and approximately 190 new plays are broadcast each ...
'', Cranham has played DS Max Matthews in ''The Interrogation'' by Roy Williams (2012–present) and starred as Thomas Gradgrind in BBC Radio's 2007 adaptation of Dickens' '' Hard Times''.


Personal life

His first wife was actress
Diana Quick Diana Marilyn Quick (born 23 November 1946) is an English actress. Early life and family background Quick was born on 23 November 1946 in London, England. She grew up in Dartford, Kent, the third of four children. Her father was Leonard Qui ...
. He has two daughters: Nancy Cranham from a relationship with actress
Charlotte Cornwell Charlotte Cornwell (26 April 1949 – 16 January 2021) was an English actress, singer, and a celebrated teacher of acting on the faculty at the University of Southern California (2003-2012). She began her career as an actress in Richard Cott ...
, and Kathleen Cranham with his second wife, to whom he is still married, actress
Fiona Victory Fiona Victory (born 1952) is an Irish actress. Her television roles include: Louise Daly in ''Bracken'' (1980), Harriet Wright in ''Shine on Harvey Moon'' (1982), Maeve Phelan in ''The Hanging Gale'' (1995) and Dr Annie Robbins in '' Dangerfield ...
.


Filmography


Film

*''
Oliver! ''Oliver!'' is a coming-of-age stage musical, with book, music and lyrics by Lionel Bart. The musical is based upon the 1838 novel '' Oliver Twist'' by Charles Dickens. It premiered at the Wimbledon Theatre, southwest London in 1960 before op ...
'' (1968) as Noah Claypole *''
Otley Otley is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish at a bridging point on the River Wharfe, in the City of Leeds metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. Historic counties of England, Historically a part of the West Ridi ...
'' (1968) as Kid #3 *''
Fragment of Fear ''Fragment of Fear'' is a 1970 British thriller film directed by Richard C. Sarafian and starring David Hemmings, Gayle Hunnicutt, Wilfrid Hyde-White, Roland Culver, Flora Robson and Arthur Lowe. It was adapted from the 1965 novel '' A Fragme ...
'' (1970) as Joe *'' All the Way Up'' (1970) as Tom Midway *''
Up Pompeii ''Up Pompeii!'' is a British television comedy series broadcast between 1969 and 1970, starring Frankie Howerd. The first series was written by Talbot Rothwell, a scriptwriter for the ''Carry On'' films, and the second series by Rothwell and S ...
'' (1971) as First Christian *''
Brother Sun, Sister Moon ''Brother Sun, Sister Moon'' ( it, Fratello Sole, Sorella Luna) is a 1972 film directed by Franco Zeffirelli and starring Graham Faulkner and Judi Bowker. The film is an examination of the life of Saint Francis of Assisi. Plot Francesco, the sp ...
'' (1972) as Paolo *'' Vampira'' (1974) as Paddy, the Delinquent *''
Robin and Marian ''Robin and Marian'' is a 1976 British-American romantic adventure film from Columbia Pictures, shot in Panavision and Technicolor, that was directed by Richard Lester and written by James Goldman after the legend of Robin Hood. The film stars Sea ...
'' (1976) as Jack's Apprentice *''Peer Gynt'' (1976) *''
Joseph Andrews ''The History of the Adventures of Joseph Andrews and of his Friend Mr. Abraham Adams'', was the first full-length novel by the English author Henry Fielding to be published and among the early novels in the English language. Appearing in 1742 ...
'' (1977) as The Wicked Squire *'' Chocolat'' (1988) as Boothby *''
Stealing Heaven ''Stealing Heaven'' is a 1988 film directed by Clive Donner and starring Derek de Lint, Kim Thomson and Denholm Elliott. It is a costume drama based on the French 12th-century medieval romance (a true story) of Peter Abelard and Héloïse and on ...
'' (1988) as Suger *'' Hellbound: Hellraiser II'' (1988) as Dr. Philip Channard / Channard Cenobite * '' Frederick Forsyth Presents: Just Another Secret'' (1989) as Brosch *''
A Little Bit Of Lippy A, or a, is the first Letter (alphabet), letter and the first vowel of the Latin alphabet, Latin alphabet, used in the English alphabet, modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name ...
'' (1989) as Reggie Titherington *''
Prospero's Books ''Prospero's Books'' is a 1991 British avant-garde film adaptation of William Shakespeare's '' The Tempest'', written and directed by Peter Greenaway. Sir John Gielgud plays Prospero, the protagonist who provides the off-screen narration and ...
'' (1991) as Sebastian *'' Under Suspicion'' (1991) as Frank *''Tale of a Vampire'' (1992) as Edgar *''
Bed of Roses A bed is an item of furniture that is used as a place to sleep, rest, and relax. Most modern beds consist of a soft, cushioned mattress on a bed frame. The mattress rests either on a solid base, often wood slats, or a sprung base. Many b ...
'' (1996) as Simon *''Deep in the Heart'' (1996) as Robert Flaherty *''
The Boxer "The Boxer" is a song written by Paul Simon and recorded by the American music duo Simon & Garfunkel from their fifth studio album, '' Bridge over Troubled Water'' (1970). Produced by the duo and Roy Halee, it was released as a standalone sing ...
'' (1997) as Matt MaGuire *''
RPM Revolutions per minute (abbreviated rpm, RPM, rev/min, r/min, or with the notation min−1) is a unit of rotational speed or rotational frequency for rotating machines. Standards ISO 80000-3:2019 defines a unit of rotation as the dimensionl ...
'' (1998) as Biggerman *''Vigo'' (1998) as The Producer *''
Women Talking Dirty ''Women Talking Dirty'' is a 1999 British comedy film directed by Coky Giedroyc and starring Helena Bonham Carter, Gina McKee and James Nesbitt. It is an adaptation of the novel ''Women Talking Dirty'' written by Isla Dewar, who also wrote the ...
'' (1999) as George *''The Last Yellow'' (1999) as Len *''
Kevin & Perry Go Large ''Kevin & Perry Go Large'' is a 2000 British teen coming of age sex comedy film based on the Harry Enfield sketch Kevin the Teenager. The film was written by Dave Cummings and Harry Enfield and directed by Ed Bye. Enfield, Kathy Burke and Louisa ...
'' (2000) as Vicar *''
Gangster No. 1 ''Gangster No. 1'' is a 2000 British crime drama film directed by Paul McGuigan. It is based on the stage play ''Gangster No.1'' written by Louis Mellis and David Scinto. The film stars Paul Bettany in the title role and features Malcolm McDo ...
'' (2000) as Tommy *'' Born Romantic'' (2000) as Barney *''
The Most Fertile Man in Ireland ''The Most Fertile Man in Ireland'' is a 2000 Irish comedy film directed by Dudi Appleton and starring Bronagh Gallagher, Kris Marshall and James Nesbitt. Cast *Kris Marshall as Eamonn Manley *Kathy Kiera Clarke as Rosie *Bronagh Gallagher as ...
'' (2000) as Da *'' Shiner'' (2000) as Gibson *''
Two Men Went to War ''Two Men Went to War'' is a 2002 British war comedy-drama film based on a true World War II story, from Raymond Foxall's book ''Amateur Commandos'' which describes the adventures of two army dental corps soldiers who sneak off on their own pers ...
'' (2002) as Sgt. Peter King *''
Man Dancin' ''Man Dancin is a 2003 Scottish crime drama film directed by Norman Stone and starring Alex Ferns, James Cosmo, Tom Georgeson, Kenneth Cranham and Jenny Foulds. Plot Ex-boxer Jimmy Kerrigan (Alex Ferns) is released from a Northern Irish prison a ...
'' (2003) as D.I. Pancho Villers *'' Blackball'' (2003) as Chairman Collins *''
Trauma Trauma most often refers to: * Major trauma, in physical medicine, severe physical injury caused by an external source * Psychological trauma, a type of damage to the psyche that occurs as a result of a severely distressing event *Traumatic i ...
'' (2004) as Detective Constable Jackson *''
Layer Cake A layer cake (US English) or sandwich cake (UK English) is a cake consisting of multiple stacked sheets of cake, held together by frosting or another type of filling, such as jam or other preserves. Most cake recipes can be adapted for lay ...
'' (2004) as Jimmy Price *'' Mangal Pandey: The Rising'' (2005) as Kent *''
A Good Year ''A Good Year'' is a 2006 romantic comedy film directed and produced by Ridley Scott. The film stars Russell Crowe, Marion Cotillard, Didier Bourdon, Abbie Cornish, Tom Hollander, Freddie Highmore and Albert Finney. The film is loosely based ...
'' (2006) as Sir Nigel *''
Hot Fuzz ''Hot Fuzz'' is a 2007 action comedy film directed by Edgar Wright and written by Wright and Simon Pegg. Starring Pegg, Nick Frost, Timothy Dalton, and Jim Broadbent, the film centres on two police officers investigating a series of mysteriou ...
'' (2007) as James Reaper *''
Valkyrie In Norse mythology, a valkyrie ("chooser of the slain") is one of a host of female figures who guide souls of the dead to the god Odin's hall Valhalla. There, the deceased warriors become (Old Norse "single (or once) fighters"Orchard (1997:36) ...
'' (2008) as Field Marshal
Wilhelm Keitel Wilhelm Bodewin Johann Gustav Keitel (; 22 September 188216 October 1946) was a German field marshal and war criminal who held office as chief of the '' Oberkommando der Wehrmacht'' (OKW), the high command of Nazi Germany's Armed Forces, duri ...
*'' Running in Traffic'' (2009) as Bill Cullen *''
Made in Dagenham ''Made in Dagenham'' is a 2010 British comedy-drama film directed by Nigel Cole and starring Sally Hawkins, Bob Hoskins, Miranda Richardson, Geraldine James, Rosamund Pike, Andrea Riseborough, Jaime Winstone, Daniel Mays and Richard Schiff. ...
'' (2010) as Monty Taylor *'' 5 Days of War'' (2011) as Michael Stilton *''National Theatre Live: The Cherry Orchard'' (2011) as Firs *''Flying Blind'' (2012) as Victor *''Suspension of Disbelief'' (2012) as Bullock *''
Closed Circuit Closed circuit can refer to: *Closed-circuit television *Closed-circuit radio *Rebreather – breathing sets * ''Closed Circuit'' (1978 film), a 1978 Italian film * ''Closed Circuit'' (2013 film), a 2013 British thriller film *An electric circuit ...
'' (2013) as Cameron Fischer *''
The Legend of Hercules ''The Legend of Hercules'' is a 2014 American 3D action fantasy film directed by Renny Harlin, written by Daniel Giat and Sean Hood, and starring Kellan Lutz, Gaia Weiss, Scott Adkins, Roxanne McKee, and Liam Garrigan. It was distributed by Lio ...
'' (2014) as Lucius *''
Maleficent Maleficent ( or ) is a fictional character who appears as the main antagonist in Walt Disney Productions' 16th animated feature film, ''Sleeping Beauty'' (1959). She is represented as an evil fairy and the self-proclaimed " Mistress of All Evil ...
'' (2014) as King Henry *''
Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool ''Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool'' is a 2017 biographical romantic drama film directed by Paul McGuigan and starring Annette Bening and Jamie Bell, with a cast that includes Vanessa Redgrave and Julie Walters. It is based on the memoir o ...
'' (2017) as Joe Turner *'' Mr. Jones'' (2019) as
David Lloyd George David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor, (17 January 1863 – 26 March 1945) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1916 to 1922. He was a Liberal Party politician from Wales, known for leading the United Kingdom during t ...
*'' Official Secrets'' (2019) as Judge Hyam


Television

* ''
City '68 City '68 is a UK 60 minute television anthology series of dramas about the emerging problems of a city. It was created by H.V. Kershaw and produced by Granada Television. Twenty episodes aired from 1967 to 1968. Directors included Michael Apte ...
'' (1967) as Len * ''Ways with Words'' (1967) * ''Boy Meets Girl'' (1969) as Tom Last * ''
Z-Cars ''Z-Cars'' or ''Z Cars'' (pronounced "zed cars") is a British television police procedural series centred on the work of mobile uniformed police in the fictional town of Newtown, based on Kirkby, near Liverpool. Produced by the BBC, it debuted ...
'' (1970) as Togo Millington * '' Softly, Softly: Taskforce'' (1970–1972) as Ken Buckley / Ashley * ''
A Family at War ''A Family At War'' is a British drama Television program, series that aired on ITV (TV network), ITV from 1970 to 1972. It was created by John Finch and made by ITV Granada, Granada Television for ITV. The original producer was Richard Doubled ...
'' (1971) as Charlie Collins * '' Hadleigh'' (1971) as Andrew Matlock * ''
From a Bird's Eye View ''From a Bird's Eye View'' is a 1970 ATV and ITC Entertainment co-produced sitcom. In the United States it aired on NBC, which had originally ordered the series as an entry in the 1969–70 TV season but pushed it back to the 1970–71 season ...
'' (1971) as Tim O'Donovan * ''
New Scotland Yard Scotland Yard (officially New Scotland Yard) is the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police, the territorial police force responsible for policing Greater London's 32 boroughs, but not the City of London, the square mile that forms London' ...
'' (1972) as David Collins * '' Budgie'' (1972) as Inky Ballantine * ''Achilles Heel'' (1973) as Gordon * ''
Crown Court The Crown Court is the court of first instance of England and Wales responsible for hearing all Indictable offence, indictable offences, some Hybrid offence, either way offences and appeals lied to it by the Magistrates' court, magistrates' court ...
'' (1973–1981) as John Tucker / Clive Jessup QC * ''
Village Hall A village hall is a public building in a village used for various things such as: United Kingdom In the United Kingdom, a village hall is usually a building which contains at least one large room (plus kitchen and toilets), is owned by a local ...
'' (1975) as Lop * ''Against the Crowd'' (1975) as Geoff Smailes * '' Holding On'' (1977) as Ted Wheelwright * ''The Velvet Glove'' (1977) as Townie * ''
Danger UXB ''Danger UXB'' is a 1979 British ITV television series set during the Second World War. It was developed by John Hawkesworth and starred Anthony Andrews as Lieutenant Brian Ash, an officer in the Royal Engineers (RE). The series chronicles ...
'' (1979) as Sapper Salt / L / Corporal Salt * ''
Donkeys' Years ''Donkeys' Years'' is a play by English playwright Michael Frayn that premiered at the Globe Theatre, London, in 1976. The play is a West End farce, a genre that Frayn parodied five years later in his play within a play "Nothing On" from ''N ...
'' (1980) as Bill Taylor * ''
Thérèse Raquin ''Thérèse Raquin'' is an 1868 novel by French writer Émile Zola, first published in serial form in the literary magazine ''L'Artiste'' in 1867. It was Zola's third novel, though the first to earn wide fame. The novel's adultery and murder ...
'' (1980) as Camille Raquin * '' Enemy at the Door'' (1980) as Jack Foster * ''
Cribb ''Cribb'' (''Sergeant Cribb'' in North America) is a television police drama, which debuted in 1979 as a 90-minute TV film from Granada Television in the United Kingdom. Later, thirteen 50-minute episodes were produced, which ran from 1980 to ...
'' (1980) as Francis Mostyn-Smith * '' 'Tis Pity She's a Whore'' (1980) as Giovanni * ''
The Merchant of Venice ''The Merchant of Venice'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. A merchant in Venice named Antonio defaults on a large loan provided by a Jewish moneylender, Shylock. Although classified as ...
'' (1980) as Gratiano * '' Strangers'' (1980–1982) as Det. Chief Insp. Jim Lennard / Willie Bruce * ''
Brideshead Revisited ''Brideshead Revisited: The Sacred & Profane Memories of Captain Charles Ryder'' is a novel by English writer Evelyn Waugh, first published in 1945. It follows, from the 1920s to the early 1940s, the life and romances of the protagonist Charles ...
'' (1981) as Sergeant Block * '' The Bell'' (1982) as Nick Fawley * ''
Shine on Harvey Moon ''Shine on, Harvey Moon'' is a British television series made by Witzend Productions and Central Television for ITV from 8 January 1982 to 23 August 1985 and briefly revived in 1995 by Meridian Broadcasting. This generally light-hearted serie ...
'' (1982–1985) as Harvey Moon * '' Reilly: Ace of Spies'' (1983) as Lenin * ''Heart of the High Country'' (1985) as Calvin Laird * ''
Dead Man's Folly ''Dead Man's Folly'' is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie, first published in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company in October 1956 and in the UK by the Collins Crime Club on 5 November of the same year. The US edition retailed at $2.9 ...
'' (1986) as Detective Inspector Bland * ''A Sort of Innocence'' (1987) as Eric Palmer * ''
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), ...
'' (1987) as Cedric Downes * ''
The Play on One ''The Play on One'' (''Play on One'' in the final series) is a British television drama anthology series, produced by the BBC Nations and Regions in its studios outside London, and transmitted on BBC1 BBC One is a British free-to-air pub ...
: Normal Service'' (1988) as Peter * ''Just Another Secret'' (1989) as Brosch * ''
Boon Boon may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Boon (game), a trick-taking card game * ''Boon'' (novel), a 1915 satirical work by H. G. Wells * ''Boon'' (TV series), a British television series starring Michael Elphick * The Ultimate Boo ...
'' (1989) as Aiden Curtis * ''
Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit ''Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit'' is a novel by Jeanette Winterson published in 1985 by Pandora Press. It is a coming-of-age story about a lesbian girl who grows up in an English Pentecostal community. Key themes of the book include transition ...
'' (1990) as Pastor Finch * ''TECX'' (1990) as Colonel Braum * ''
Casualty Casualty may refer to: *Casualty (person), a person who is killed or rendered unfit for service in a war or natural disaster **Civilian casualty, a non-combatant killed or injured in warfare * The emergency department of a hospital, also known as ...
'' (1990) as James Lawrence * ''Dunrulin'' (1990) as Mr. Kneecap * ''
El C.I.D. ''El C.I.D.'' is an ITV television crime drama comedy that ran for three seasons from 7 February 1990 until 2 March 1992. The series starred Alfred Molina as Bernard Blake, a C.I.D. officer who takes early retirement and moves to Spain where ...
'' (1990–1992) as Gus Mercer * ''
Chimera Chimera, Chimaera, or Chimaira (Greek for " she-goat") originally referred to: * Chimera (mythology), a fire-breathing monster of Ancient Lycia said to combine parts from multiple animals * Mount Chimaera, a fire-spewing region of Lycia or Cilici ...
'' (1991) as Hennessey * '' Bergerac'' (1990) as Gascoigne * ''
Van der Valk ''Van der Valk'' is a British television crime drama series produced for the ITV (TV network), ITV network. The first series ran from 1972 to 1992; followed by a remake in 2020. Created by Nicolas Freeling and based on his novels about a dete ...
'' (1991) as Dirk Boutsen * ''
Murder Most Horrid ''Murder Most Horrid'' is a British black comedy anthology series starring Dawn French. It was broadcast on BBC Two for four series runs, in 1991, 1994, 1996 and 1999. Created by Paul Smith (television writer), Paul Smith, who also co-created '' ...
'' (1991) as Inspector Salford * ''
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles ''The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles'' is an American television series that aired on ABC from March 4, 1992, to July 24, 1993. Filming took place in various locations around the world, with "Old Indy" bookend segments filmed in Wilmington, Nort ...
'' (1992) as Colonel Schmidt * '' Between the Lines'' (1992) as D.C.I. Stubbs * ''
Minder A minder is the person assigned to guide or escort a visitor, or to provide protection to somebody, or to otherwise assist or take care of something, i.e. a person who " minds". Government-appointed persons to accompany foreign visitors are of ...
'' (1993) as Walter * ''
Screen One ''Screen One'' is a British television anthology drama series, produced by the BBC and distributed by BBC Worldwide, that was transmitted on BBC One from 1989 to 1998. A total of six series were broadcast, incorporating sixty individual fil ...
'' (1993) as Douglas * ''
Lovejoy ''Lovejoy'' is a British television comedy-drama mystery series, based on the novels by John Grant under the pen name Jonathan Gash. The show, which ran to 71 episodes over six series, was originally broadcast on BBC1 between 10 January 19 ...
'' (1993) as Litvak * ''Requiem Apache'' (1994) as Tony * ''On Dangerous Ground'' (1996) as Brig. Charles Ferguson * '' Heartbeat'' (1996) as Charlie Wallace * ''
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall ''The Tenant of Wildfell Hall'' is the second and final novel written by English author Anne Brontë. It was first published in 1848 under the pseudonym Acton Bell. Probably the most shocking of the Brontës' novels, it had an instant and phe ...
'' (1996) as Reverend Millward * ''Midnight Man'' (1997) as Brig. Charles Ferguson * '' Get Well Soon'' (1997) as Inspector Trussler * '' Our Mutual Friend'' (1998) as Silas Wegg * '' Kavanagh QC'' (1998) as Roy Lawrence * ''
The Murder of Stephen Lawrence ''The Murder of Stephen Lawrence'' is a British television true crime drama film, written and directed by Paul Greengrass, that first broadcast on ITV on 18 February 1999. It won the BAFTA TV Award for Best Single Drama. The film, based on the ...
'' (1999) as Michael Mansfield QC * ''Justice in Wonderland'' (2000) as George Carman * ''
Lady Audley's Secret ''Lady Audley's Secret'' is a sensation novel by Mary Elizabeth Braddon published in 1862. John Sutherland. "Lady Audley's Secret" in ''The Stanford Companion to Victorian Fiction'', 1989. It was Braddon's most successful and well-known novel. ...
'' (2000) as Sir Michael Audley * ''The Ancients'' (2000) as William Blake * ''
The Sins ''The Sins'' is a BBC television series that aired from 24 October 2000 until 5 December 2000. The series centres on Len Green (Pete Postlethwaite), a former bank robber and getaway driver, who has retired from the criminal life and joined th ...
'' (2000) as Gilbert * ''
Without Motive ''Without Motive'' is a British crime drama series broadcast on ITV, starring Ross Kemp as the main protagonist, Detective Constable Jack Mowbray, a born and bred Bristol detective whose world is turned upside down when he is assigned to a majo ...
'' (2000) as DCS Derek Henderson * '' NCS: Manhunt'' (2001) as Ricky Valesi * ''
Dalziel and Pascoe Detective Superintendent Andrew "Andy" Dalziel and Detective Sergeant, later Detective Inspector, Peter Pascoe are two fictional Yorkshire detectives featuring in a series of novels by Reginald Hill. Characterisation and style Dalziel is ...
'' (2001) as Tommy Collingwood * ''Night Flight'' (2002) as Ted Atwell * ''Dickens'' (2002) as John Forster * ''
Believe Nothing ''Believe Nothing'' (2002) is a British sitcom starring Rik Mayall as Quadruple Professor Adonis Cnut, the cleverest man in Britain, and Oxford's leading moral philosopher. He is paid huge amounts of money for his views, consulted by the gover ...
'' (2002) as DI Aldiss * ''
Pollyanna ''Pollyanna'' is a 1913 novel by American author Eleanor H. Porter, considered a classic of children's literature. The book's success led to Porter's soon writing a sequel, ''Pollyanna Grows Up'' (1915). Eleven more ''Pollyanna'' sequels, know ...
'' (2003) as Mr. Pendleton * ''
Killing Hitler ''Killing Hitler'' is a BBC drama examining the ''Operation Foxley'' plot to kill Adolf Hitler. Written and directed by Jeremy Lovering, it was first broadcast on 30 March 2003. Cast * Peter McDonald as LB/X * Kenneth Cranham as Brigadier S ...
'' (2003) as Brigadier Sir Stewart Menzies * ''
Sparkling Cyanide ''Sparkling Cyanide'' is a work of detective fiction by British writer Agatha Christie, first published in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company in February 1945 under the title of ''Remembered Death'' and in UK by the Collins Crime Club in the De ...
'' (2003) as George Barton * ''Bible Mysteries'' (2003) * '' M.I.T.: Murder Investigation Team'' (2005) as Ray Morgan * ''
Genghis Khan ''Chinggis Khaan'' ͡ʃʰiŋɡɪs xaːŋbr />Mongol script: ''Chinggis Qa(gh)an/ Chinggis Khagan'' , birth_name = Temüjin , successor = Tolui (as regent)Ögedei Khan , spouse = , issue = , house = Borjigin , ...
'' (2005) as Genghis Khan (voice) * ''
Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...
'' (2005) as
Pompey Magnus Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus (; 29 September 106 BC – 28 September 48 BC), known in English as Pompey or Pompey the Great, was a leading Roman general and statesman. He played a significant role in the transformation of ...
* ''
The Lavender List ''The Lavender List'' is a docudrama originally broadcast on BBC Four on 1 March 2006. It chronicles the events that led to the drafting of the so-called "Lavender List", a satirical name given to Harold Wilson's controversial 1976 resignation ...
'' (2006) as Harold Wilson * '' The Chatterley Affair'' (2006) as Older Keith * '' Hustle'' (2006) as Francis Owen * ''
Hannibal Hannibal (; xpu, 𐤇𐤍𐤁𐤏𐤋, ''Ḥannibaʿl''; 247 – between 183 and 181 BC) was a Carthaginian general and statesman who commanded the forces of Carthage in their battle against the Roman Republic during the Second Puni ...
'' (2006) as Narrator (voice) * ''
New Tricks ''New Tricks'' is a British television police procedural The police show, or police crime drama, is a subgenre of procedural drama and detective fiction that emphasizes the investigative procedure of a police officer or department as the ...
'' (2006) as Lord McCready * ''
The Line of Beauty ''The Line of Beauty'' is a 2004 Man Booker Prize-winning novel by Alan Hollinghurst. Plot The novel is set in Britain in three parts, taking place in 1983, 1986 and 1987. The story surrounds the young gay protagonist, Nick Guest. Nick is mid ...
'' (2006) as Sir Maurice Tipper * ''
Afterlife The afterlife (also referred to as life after death) is a purported existence in which the essential part of an individual's identity or their stream of consciousness continues to live after the death of their physical body. The surviving ess ...
'' (2006) as Stan Mundy * '' Victoria Cross Heroes'' (2006) as Narrator * ''
Doc Martin ''Doc Martin'' is a British medical comedy drama television series starring Martin Clunes as Doctor Martin Ellingham. It was created by Dominic Minghella after the character of Dr Martin Bamford in the 2000 comedy film '' Saving Grace''. The ...
'' (2006, 2022) as Terry * ''
Lilies ''Lilium'' () is a genus of herbaceous flowering plants growing from bulbs, all with large prominent flowers. They are the true lilies. Lilies are a group of flowering plants which are important in culture and literature in much of the world. M ...
'' (2007) as Mr. Pritchard * '' Sinking of the Lusitania: Terror at Sea'' (2007) as Captain Turner * ''
The Last Detective ''The Last Detective'' is a British TV comedy drama series, broadcast on ITV between 7 February 2003 and 31 May 2007, starring Peter Davison as the title character, Detective Constable " Dangerous Davies". The series is based on the "Dangero ...
'' (2007) as Gary Solway * ''The Curry Club'' (2007) as Bob * ''
Heroes and Villains "Heroes and Villains" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1967 album ''Smiley Smile'' and their unfinished ''Smile'' project. Written by Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks, Wilson envisioned the song as an Old West-themed ...
'' (2007) as General Carteaux * '' Tess of the D'Urbervilles'' (2008) as Mr Clare * ''
Merlin Merlin ( cy, Myrddin, kw, Marzhin, br, Merzhin) is a mythical figure prominently featured in the legend of King Arthur and best known as a mage, with several other main roles. His usual depiction, based on an amalgamation of historic and le ...
'' (2008) as Aulfric * ''
Agatha Christie's Marple ''Agatha Christie's Marple'' (or simply ''Marple'') is a British ITV (TV network), ITV television programme loosely based on the books and short stories by British crime novelist Agatha Christie. The title character was played by Geraldine McEw ...
'' (2008) as Rex Fortescue * '' Spanish Flu: The Forgotten Fallen'' (2009) as MJ O'Loughlin * ''
Midsomer Murders ''Midsomer Murders'' is a British crime drama television series, adapted by Anthony Horowitz and Douglas Watkinson from the novels in the '' Chief Inspector Barnaby'' book series (created by Caroline Graham), and broadcast on two channels of I ...
'' (2010) as Jude Langham * ''
The Night Watch ''Militia Company of District II under the Command of Captain Frans Banninck Cocq'', also known as ''The Shooting Company of Frans Banning Cocq and Willem van Ruytenburch'', but commonly referred to as ''The Night Watch'' ( nl, De Nachtwacht), i ...
'' (2011) as Horace Mundy * ''
Upstairs Downstairs Upstairs Downstairs may refer to: Television *Upstairs, Downstairs (1971 TV series), ''Upstairs, Downstairs'' (1971 TV series), a British TV series broadcast on ITV from 1971 to 1975 *Upstairs Downstairs (2010 TV series), ''Upstairs Downstairs'' ...
'' (2012) as Sergeant Ashworth * ''
Falcón ) , anthem = , image_map = Falcon in Venezuela.svg , map_alt = , map_caption = Location within Venezuela , pushpin_map = , pushpin_map_alt = , pushpin_mapsiz ...
'' (2012) as Alberto Montes * ''
Panto! ''Panto!'' is a 2012 one-off Christmas special, made by Baby Cow Productions and broadcast by ITV on Thursday 27 December 2012. The special centres on Lewis Loud, a local Morecambe disk jockey in his stage debut of Dick Whittington at the Gr ...
'' (2012) as Jerry * '' Death in Paradise'' (2013) as Father John * ''
In the Flesh In the Flesh may refer to: Books * ''In the Flesh'' (2009 graphic novel), a collection of stories by Koren Shadmi Film and TV * ''In the Flesh'' (1998 film), an American gay-themed murder mystery film * ''In the Flesh'' (2003 film), an Indian ...
'' (2013–2014) as Vicar Oddie * '' 37 Days'' (2014) as John Burns * '' Moving On'' (2014) as Mike * '' A.D. The Bible Continues'' (2015) as
Tiberius Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus (; 16 November 42 BC – 16 March AD 37) was the second Roman emperor. He reigned from AD 14 until 37, succeeding his stepfather, the first Roman emperor Augustus. Tiberius was born in Rome in 42 BC. His father ...
* ''Neil Gaiman's Likely Stories'' (2016) as Dean Smith * '' War & Peace'' (2016) as Uncle Mikhail * ''
The White Princess ''The White Princess'' is a 2013 historical novel by Philippa Gregory, part of her series '' The Cousins' War''. It is the story of Elizabeth of York, daughter of Edward IV of England and Elizabeth Woodville, and later wife of Henry VII and ...
'' (2017) as John Morton * '' Bancroft'' (2017) as Charlie Baverstock * ''
Hatton Garden Hatton Garden is a street and commercial zone in the Holborn district of the London Borough of Camden, abutting the narrow precinct of Saffron Hill which then abuts the City of London. It takes its name from Sir Christopher Hatton, a favouri ...
'' (2019) as Brian Reader * '' Finding Alice'' (2021) as Gerry Walsh


Radio

*''Grossman's War: Stalingrad'' (2019) as Stepan Spiridonov *''The Father'' (2016) as Andre *''The Interrogation'' (2012–present) as DS/DI Max Matthews *''
The Moonstone ''The Moonstone'' (1868) by Wilkie Collins is a 19th-century British epistolary novel. It is an early example of the modern detective novel, and established many of the ground rules of the modern genre. The story was serialised in Charles Di ...
'' (2011) as Sergeant Cuff *''
The Hireling ''The Hireling'' is a 1973 British drama film directed by Alan Bridges, based on a 1957 novel of the same title by L. P. Hartley, which starred Robert Shaw and Sarah Miles. It tells the story of a chauffeur who falls in love with an aristocra ...
'' (2011) as the Narrator *''Grossman's War: Life and Fate'' (2011) as Stepan Spiridonov *''My Mad Grandad'' (2009) as Bernard Hill *''
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy ''Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy'' is a 1974 spy novel by British author John le Carré. It follows the endeavours of taciturn, aging spymaster George Smiley to uncover a Soviet mole in the British Secret Intelligence Service. The novel has receive ...
'' (2009) as Inspector Mendel *''
Call for the Dead ''Call for the Dead'' is John le Carré's first novel, published in 1961. It introduces George Smiley, the most famous of le Carré's recurring characters, in a story about East German spies inside Great Britain. It also introduces a fiction ...
'' (2009) as Inspector Mendel *''Left in Trust'' (2009) *'' Hard Times'' (2007) as Thomas Gradgrind *''Answered Prayers'' (2004) as Walter *''
The Winter's Tale ''The Winter's Tale'' is a play by William Shakespeare originally published in the First Folio of 1623. Although it was grouped among the comedies, many modern editors have relabelled the play as one of Shakespeare's late romances. Some criti ...
'' (2004) as Polixenes *''The Chief Inspector Dover Mysteries'' (2003) as Chief Inspector Dover *'' His Dark Materials: Northern Lights'' (2003) as Farder Coram *''
Barry Lyndon ''Barry Lyndon'' is a 1975 period drama film written, directed, and produced by Stanley Kubrick, based on the 1844 novel ''The Luck of Barry Lyndon'' by William Makepeace Thackeray. Starring Ryan O'Neal, Marisa Berenson, Patrick Magee, Leonard ...
'' (2003) as The Earl of Crabs *''Hopes and Desires: "The Non-Entity"'' (2003) as Dmitri *''
Carmilla ''Carmilla'' is an 1872 Gothic fiction, Gothic novella by Irish author Sheridan Le Fanu and one of the early works of vampire fiction, predating Bram Stoker's ''Dracula'' (1897) by 26 years. First published as a Serial (literature), serial in ' ...
'' (2003) as Mountebank/General *''
New Grub Street ''New Grub Street'' is a novel by George Gissing published in 1891, which is set in the literary and journalistic circles of 1880s London. Gissing revised and shortened the novel for a French edition of 1901. Plot The story deals with the lite ...
'' (2002) as Mr. Yule *''
Little Dorrit ''Little Dorrit'' is a novel by Charles Dickens, originally published in serial form between 1855 and 1857. The story features Amy Dorrit, youngest child of her family, born and raised in the Marshalsea prison for debtors in London. Arthur Cl ...
'' (2001) as Mr. Merdle *''
Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...
'' (1999) as Claudius *''In the Chair'' (1998) as Jim Hardie *''
The Barchester Chronicles ''The Barchester Chronicles'' is a 1982 British television serial produced by Jonathan Powell for the BBC. It is an adaptation by Alan Plater of Anthony Trollope's first two Chronicles of Barsetshire, ''The Warden'' (1855) and ''Barchester Towe ...
'' (1997) as Crawley *''
The Tin Drum ''The Tin Drum'' (german: Die Blechtrommel, ) is a 1959 novel by Günter Grass. The novel is the first book of Grass's ' ('' Danzig Trilogy''). It was adapted into a 1979 film, which won both the 1979 Palme d'Or and the Academy Award for Bes ...
'' (1996) as Matzerath *'' Brighton Rock'' (1996) as Cubitt *''
Cyrano de Bergerac Savinien de Cyrano de Bergerac ( , ; 6 March 1619 – 28 July 1655) was a French novelist, playwright, epistolarian, and duelist. A bold and innovative author, his work was part of the libertine literature of the first half of the 17th cen ...
'' (1996) as De Guiche *''Talking'' (1995) as The Judge *''It's Cold Outside'' (1995) as Ray *''
Beau Geste ''Beau Geste'' is an adventure novel by British writer P. C. Wren, which details the adventures of three English brothers who enlist separately in the French Foreign Legion following the theft of a valuable jewel from the country house of a rel ...
'' (1994) as Sgt. Major LeJaune *''Only The Good Die Young'' (1992) as Stone *''
Georgy Girl ''Georgy Girl'' is a 1966 British romantic comedy-drama, starring Lynn Redgrave in the titular role, with Charlotte Rampling, Alan Bates, and James Mason. Directed by Silvio Narizzano, the film was based on the 1965 novel by Margaret Forster. ...
'' (1992) as James *''
The Admirable Crichton ''The Admirable Crichton'' is a comic stage play written in 1902 by J. M. Barrie. Origins Barrie took the title from the sobriquet of a fellow Scot, the polymath James Crichton, a 16th-century genius and athlete. The epigram-loving Ernest is p ...
'' (1986) as Crichton *'' The White Devil'' (1983) as Duke Francisco *''Fear and Fear Again'' (1983) as Franz Kafka *''
Busman's Honeymoon ''Busman's Honeymoon'' is a 1937 novel by Dorothy L. Sayers, her eleventh and last featuring Lord Peter Wimsey, and her fourth and last to feature Harriet Vane. Plot introduction Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane marry and go to spend thei ...
'' (1983) as Frank Crutchley *'' The Dog It Was That Died'' (1982) as Hogben *'' Loot'' as Hal *''Men of Violence'' (1979) as Blaze *''
The Ruffian on the Stair ''The Ruffian On the Stair'' is a play by British playwright Joe Orton which was first broadcast on BBC Radio in 1964, in a production by John Tydeman. It is an unsympathetic yet comedic one-act portrayal of working class England, as played out ...
'' (1964) as Wilson *''Boy Dudgeon'' (1963) as Boy Dudgeon He has also performed a number of readings for BBC Radio.


Awards and nominations


Theatre


References


External links

*
Kenneth Cranham HBO Bio

Kenneth Cranham on BBC Genome
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cranham, Kenneth 1944 births Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art National Youth Theatre members Living people People from Dunfermline Scottish male film actors Scottish male television actors Scottish male radio actors Scottish people of English descent 20th-century Scottish male actors 21st-century Scottish male actors