Oliver Ford Davies
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Oliver Robert Ford Davies (born 12 August 1939) is an English actor and writer, best known for his extensive theatre work, and to a broader audience for his role as Sio Bibble in ''
Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop-culture Cultural impact of S ...
'' Episodes I to III. He is also known for his role as Maester Cressen in
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series '' Game of Thrones''.


Early life and academic career

Davies was born in Ealing, Middlesex, England. He attended the
King's School, Canterbury The King's School is a public school (English independent day and boarding school for 13 to 18 year old pupils) in Canterbury, Kent, England. It is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference and the Eton Group. It is Britain's ...
. In 1956 He joined the eminent Ealing amateur company Questors. He won a scholarship to Merton College, Oxford, where he read History and became President of the
Oxford University Dramatic Society The Oxford University Dramatic Society (OUDS) is the principal funding body and provider of theatrical services to the many independent student productions put on by students in Oxford, England. Not all student productions at Oxford University a ...
. After obtaining his DPhil, he worked as a history lecturer at the
University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...
before taking up acting professionally in 1967.


Acting career

In 1959, as a member of the Oxford University Experimental Theatre Club, he appeared in his first Stratford performance in the Memorial Theatre's open-air production of ''
Bartholomew Fair The Bartholomew Fair was one of London's pre-eminent summer charter fairs. A charter for the fair was granted to Rahere by Henry I to fund the Priory of St Bartholomew; and from 1133 to 1855 it took place each year on 24 August within the preci ...
''. His first professional appearances were, at the age of 27, in the 1967 season at the
Birmingham Repertory Theatre Birmingham Repertory Theatre, commonly called Birmingham Rep or just The Rep, is a producing theatre based on Centenary Square in Birmingham, England. Founded by Barry Jackson, it is the longest-established of Britain's building-based theatre ...
. Short Seasons at the
Mermaid In folklore, a mermaid is an aquatic creature with the head and upper body of a female human and the tail of a fish. Mermaids appear in the folklore of many cultures worldwide, including Europe, Asia, and Africa. Mermaids are sometimes asso ...
, London, the
Oxford Playhouse Oxford Playhouse is a theatre designed by Edward Maufe and F.G.M. Chancellor. It is situated in Beaumont Street, Oxford, opposite the Ashmolean Museum. History The Playhouse was founded as ''The Red Barn'' at 12 Woodstock Road, North Oxfor ...
and the
Cambridge Arts Theatre Cambridge Arts Theatre is a 666-seat theatre on Peas Hill and St Edward's Passage in central Cambridge, England. The theatre presents a varied mix of drama, dance, opera and pantomime. It attracts some of the highest-quality touring productions ...
followed. His long and prolific association with the
Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and produces around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, St ...
started in 1975, when director
Terry Hands Terence David Hands (9 January 1941 – 4 February 2020) was an English theatre director. He founded the Liverpool Everyman Theatre and ran the Royal Shakespeare Company for thirteen years during one of the company's most successful periods; h ...
cast him as Mountjoy in ''
Henry V Henry V may refer to: People * Henry V, Duke of Bavaria (died 1026) * Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor (1081/86–1125) * Henry V, Duke of Carinthia (died 1161) * Henry V, Count Palatine of the Rhine (c. 1173–1227) * Henry V, Count of Luxembourg (1 ...
''. He is an Honorary Associate Artist of the company. From 1990 until 2019 He appeared more frequently at the National Theatre, London, until at the age of 80 he lent his "sublime presence" to the part of the appraising button moulder in
Henryk Ibsen Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright and theatre director. As one of the founders of modernism in theatre, Ibsen is often referred to as "the father of realism" and one of the most influential playw ...
's '' Peter Gynt'' at the Olivier Theatre. On television, Davies had a regular role as Peter Foxcott QC in '' Kavanagh QC'' and was schoolmaster Le Bas in the serialization of ''A Dance to the Music of Time'' (1997). He also appeared with John Thaw in an episode of ''Inspector Morse'' and also appeared in the
ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...
television drama '' The Uninvited'', and in a 2002 episode of the popular drama ''
Foyle's War ''Foyle's War'' is a British detective drama television series set during and shortly after the Second World War, created by '' Midsomer Murders'' screenwriter and author Anthony Horowitz and commissioned by ITV after the long-running series ...
''. On film, his most prominent role was probably Sio Bibble in the ''
Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop-culture Cultural impact of S ...
''
prequel trilogy The ''Star Wars'' prequel trilogy, colloquially referred to as the prequels, is a series of epic space-opera films written and directed by George Lucas. It was produced by Lucasfilm Ltd. and distributed by 20th Century Fox. The trilogy was re ...
films, released in 1999, 2002 and 2005. In 2003, Davies appeared in the film ''
Johnny English ''Johnny English'' is a 2003 spy comedy film directed by Peter Howitt and written by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and William Davies. It is a British-French venture produced by StudioCanal and Working Title Films, and distributed by Universal Pi ...
'', where he portrayed the
Archbishop of Canterbury The archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and a principal leader of the Church of England, the ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. The current archbishop is Justi ...
. He appeared on stage as Polonius in ''
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 ...
'' with the
Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and produces around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, St ...
, alongside
David Tennant David John Tennant (''né'' McDonald; born 18 April 1971) is a Scottish actor. He rose to fame for his role as the tenth incarnation of the Doctor (2005–2010 and 2013) in the BBC science-fiction TV show '' Doctor Who'', reprising the rol ...
and
Patrick Stewart Sir Patrick Stewart (born 13 July 1940) is an English actor who has a career spanning seven decades in various stage productions, television, film and video games. He has been nominated for Olivier, Tony, Golden Globe, Emmy, and Screen Actors ...
, and in 2009 appeared in '' All's Well That Ends Well'' 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 ...
as the King of France. In 2010, he appeared as Balfour in the premiere of Ben Brown's play ''The Promise'', about the Balfour Declaration. In 2011, he appeared in a stage adaptation of
Michelle Magorian Michelle Magorian (born 6 November 1947) is an English author of children's books. She is best known for her first novel, '' Goodnight Mister Tom'', which won the 1982 Guardian Prize for British children's books and has been adapted several ti ...
's book ''
Goodnight Mister Tom ''Goodnight Mister Tom'' is a children's novel by English author Michelle Magorian, published by Kestrel in 1981. Harper & Row published an American edition the same year. Set during World War II, it features a boy abused at home in London wh ...
'', in which he played the central character, Thomas Oakley. He was back with the
Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and produces around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, St ...
in 2014 as Justice Shallow in '' Henry IV, Part 2''. Davies again appeared with David Tennant in '' Richard II'' in 2013. In February 2019 Davies discussed his career in the BBC Radio Three series ''Private Passions''.


Awards and nominations

Davies was awarded the Laurence Olivier Award in 1990 (1989 season) for Best Actor in a New Play for '' Racing Demon''. He was twice nominated for a Laurence Olivier Theatre Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role for his performance in ''Absolutely! (perhaps)'' at the
Wyndham's Theatre Wyndham's Theatre is a West End theatre, one of two opened by actor/manager Charles Wyndham (the other is the Criterion Theatre). Located on Charing Cross Road in the City of Westminster, it was designed c.1898 by W. G. R. Sprague, the archit ...
in 2003, and again in 2009 for his performance as Polonius in the RSC production of ''Hamlet'' at the
Novello Theatre The Novello Theatre is a West End theatre on Aldwych, in the City of Westminster. It was known as the Strand Theatre between 1913 and 2005. History The theatre was built as one of a pair with the Aldwych Theatre on either side of The Waldo ...
.


Books

Davies's books include ''Playing Lear'', an account of his experience while performing King Lear at the
Almeida Theatre The Almeida Theatre, opened in 1980, is a 325-seat producing house with an international reputation, which takes its name from the street on which it is located, off Upper Street, in the London Borough of Islington. The theatre produces a diver ...
, and ''Performing Shakespeare''. Both are published by
Nick Hern Books Nick Hern Books is a London-based independent specialist publisher of plays, theatre books and screenplays. The company was founded by the former Methuen drama editor Nicholas Hern in 1988. History Nick Hern Books was founded in June 1988,Sara ...
.


Playwright

Davies's drama ''King Cromwell'' was staged at the
Orange Tree Theatre The Orange Tree Theatre is a 180-seat theatre at 1 Clarence Street, Richmond in south-west London, which was built specifically as a theatre in the round. It is housed within a disused 1867 primary school, built in Victorian Gothic style. T ...
, Richmond, in November 2003. The director was Sam Walters and Davies himself took the title role.


Partial filmography

*''
Defence of the Realm ''Defence of the Realm'' is a 1986 British political thriller film directed by David Drury, starring Gabriel Byrne, Greta Scacchi, and Denholm Elliott, with Robbie Coltrane in a supporting role. The film takes its title from the Defence of the ...
'' (1986) – Anthony Clegg *''
Scandal A scandal can be broadly defined as the strong social reactions of outrage, anger, or surprise, when accusations or rumours circulate or appear for some reason, regarding a person or persons who are perceived to have transgressed in some way. Th ...
'' (1989) – Mr. Woods, MI5 *'' Paper Mask'' (1990) – Coroner *''
Sense and Sensibility ''Sense and Sensibility'' is a novel by Jane Austen, published in 1811. It was published anonymously; ''By A Lady'' appears on the title page where the author's name might have been. It tells the story of the Dashwood sisters, Elinor (age 19) a ...
'' (1995) – Doctor Harris *''
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) – Dean of Windsor *''
Mrs Dalloway ''Mrs. Dalloway'' is a novel by Virginia Woolf, published on 14 May 1925, that details a day in the life of Clarissa Dalloway, a fictional upper-class woman in post-First World War England. It is one of Woolf's best-known novels. The working ...
'' (1997) – Hugh Whitbread *'' Titanic Town'' (1998) – Whittington *'' An Ideal Husband'' (1999) – Sir Hugo Danforth *'' Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace'' (1999) – Sio Bibble *'' Blow Dry'' (2001) – Doctor Hamilton *'' Just Visiting'' (2001) – Pit Rivers *''
Revelation In religion and theology, revelation is the revealing or disclosing of some form of truth or knowledge through communication with a deity or other supernatural entity or entities. Background Inspiration – such as that bestowed by God on the ...
'' (2001) – Professor Casaubon *''
Bertie and Elizabeth ''Bertie & Elizabeth'' is a 2002 television film directed by Giles Foster and produced by Carlton Television. The film explores the relationship between King George VI and his wife Queen Elizabeth from their first meeting to the King's death i ...
'' (2002) – Cosmo Gordon Lang *'' Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones'' (2002) – Sio Bibble *''
Johnny English ''Johnny English'' is a 2003 spy comedy film directed by Peter Howitt and written by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and William Davies. It is a British-French venture produced by StudioCanal and Working Title Films, and distributed by Universal Pi ...
'' (2003) –
Archbishop of Canterbury The archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and a principal leader of the Church of England, the ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. The current archbishop is Justi ...
*'' The Mother'' (2003) – Bruce *''
Gladiatress ''Gladiatress'' is a 2004 British comedy film, starring Sally Phillips, Fiona Allen and Doon Mackichan. It is partly a spoof of 2000's ''Gladiator (2000 film), Gladiator''. Plot Three unlikely heroines Worthaboutapig (Sally Phillips), Dwyfuc ...
'' (2004) – (uncredited) *'' Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith'' (2005) – Sio Bibble *''
Heidi ''Heidi'' (; ) is a work of children's fiction published in 1881 by Swiss author Johanna Spyri, originally published in two parts as ''Heidi: Her Years of Wandering and Learning'' (german: Heidis Lehr- und Wanderjahre) and ''Heidi: How She Use ...
'' (2005) – Dr. Classen *''National Theatre Live: All's Well That Ends Well'' (2009) – King of France *'' The Deep Blue Sea'' (2011) – Hester's Father *''Royal Shakespeare Company: Henry IV Part II'' (2014) – Shallow *'' The Last Witness'' (2018) – Sir Alexander Cadogan / Anthony Eden / Owen O'Malley (voice) *''
Christopher Robin Christopher Robin is a character created by A. A. Milne, based on his son Christopher Robin Milne. The character appears in the author's popular books of poetry and ''Winnie-the-Pooh'' stories, and has subsequently appeared in various Disney ...
'' (2018) – Old Man Winslow *''A Splinter of Ice'' (2021) - Graeme Greene *''
Triangle of Sadness ''Triangle of Sadness'' (french: Sans filtre, lit=Without Filter) is a 2022 satirical black comedy film written and directed by Ruben Östlund in his English-language feature film debut. The film stars Harris Dickinson, Charlbi Dean, Dolly de ...
'' (2022) - Winston


Partial TV series filmography

* ''
The Protectors ''The Protectors'' is a British television series, an action thriller created by Gerry Anderson. It was Anderson's second TV series to exclusively use live actors as opposed to marionettes (following ''UFO''), and his second to be firmly set in ...
'' (1973) – Hansen, episode "Bagman" * ''The Brontes of Haworth'' (1973) – John Hunter Thompson, "Home and Abroad" * ''
Father Brown Father Brown is a fictional Roman Catholic priest and amateur detective who is featured in 53 short stories published between 1910 and 1936 written by English author G. K. Chesterton. Father Brown solves mysteries and crimes using his intuiti ...
'' (1974) – Det. Insp. Corliss, episode "The Eye of Apollo" * ''A Taste of Death'' (1988 mini-series) – Father Francis Barnes, 6 episodes * ''
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), ...
'' (1991) – Frederick Redpath, episode "Second Time Around" (S05:E01) * ''
Maigret Jules Maigret (), or simply Maigret, is a fictional French police detective, a '' commissaire'' ("commissioner") of the Paris ''Brigade Criminelle'' ('' Direction Régionale de la Police Judiciaire de Paris:36, Quai des Orfèvres''), created b ...
'' (1992 TV series) – Dr. Pardon, episode "Maigret on the Defensive" (S02:E03) * ''Sense and Sensibility'' (1995) – Doctor Harris; Jane Austen adaptation * ''A Dance to the Music of Time'' (1997) – Le Bas, "Post War", "The Twenties" * ''Heartbeat'' (1999) - Henry Tomkinson, episode "Testament" * ''
Pie in the Sky Pie in the sky, an idiom meaning an impossible or unlikely idea or plan as well as an empty wish or promise. Pie in the sky may refer to: * ''Pie in the Sky'' (TV series), a UK television series about a police officer turned restaurateur * ''Pie ...
'' (1997) – James Truman, MP, episode "Squashed Tomatoes" (S05:E01) * ''Kavanagh QC'' (1999, 2001) – Peter Foxcott QC, Peter Foxcott, 26 episodes * ''Agatha Christie's Poirot'' (2000) – Dr. James Sheppard, "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd" * ''
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 ...
'' (2005 TV series) – Otto Benham, episode "Hidden Depths" (S08:E06) * ''Waking the Dead'' (2007) – Hugo Keegan, "The Fall" Parts 1 & 2 * '' Game of Thrones'' (2012) – Maester Cressen, episode "The North Remembers" (S02:E01) * ''Agatha Christie's Miss Marple'' (2013) – Major Palgrave, "A Caribbean Mystery" * ''
You, Me and the Apocalypse ''You, Me and the Apocalypse'' (working title ''Apocalypse Slough'') is a British-American comedy-drama miniseries. The series was green-lit on 8 January 2015. It debuted on Sky 1 on 30 September 2015 and on NBC on 28 January 2016. Sky 1 said ...
'' (2015) – Cardinal Crawshaw "24 Hours to Go", "Saviour Day" * ''Catastrophe'' (2017) – Wallace, episode 3.3 * ''
Father Brown Father Brown is a fictional Roman Catholic priest and amateur detective who is featured in 53 short stories published between 1910 and 1936 written by English author G. K. Chesterton. Father Brown solves mysteries and crimes using his intuiti ...
'' (2018) – Bishop Golding, episode "The Two Deaths of Hercule Flambeau" (S06:E10)


References


External links

* *
Nick Hern Books
{{DEFAULTSORT:Davies, Oliver Ford 1939 births Living people Alumni of Merton College, Oxford English male film actors English male stage actors English male television actors People educated at The King's School, Canterbury Laurence Olivier Award winners Royal Shakespeare Company members English male Shakespearean actors People from Ealing Male actors from London