Thomas George Bell (2 August 1933 – 4 October 2006) was an English actor on stage, film and television. He often played "menacing or seedy roles, perhaps most memorably playing

sexist Sexism is prejudice or discrimination based on one's sex or gender. Sexism can affect anyone, but it primarily affects women and girls.There is a clear and broad consensus among academic scholars in multiple fields that sexism refers primaril ...

Detective Sergeant Bill Otley, antagonist to

Helen Mirren Dame Helen Mirren (born Helen Lydia Mironoff; born 26 July 1945) is an English actor. The recipient of numerous accolades, she is the only performer to have achieved the Triple Crown of Acting in both the United States and the United Kingdom. ...

's DCI Jane Tennison in ''

Prime Suspect ''Prime Suspect'' is a British police procedural television drama series devised by Lynda La Plante. It stars Helen Mirren as Jane Tennison, one of the first female Detective Chief Inspectors in Greater London's Metropolitan Police Service, who ...

''".

Early life

Bell was born on 2 August 1933, in

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...

, Lancashire. His family was large, and he had little contact with his father, a merchant seaman. Evacuated as a child during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, he lived with three different families in

Morecambe Morecambe ( ) is a seaside town and civil parish in the City of Lancaster district in Lancashire, England. It is in Morecambe Bay on the Irish Sea. Name The first use of the name was by John Whitaker in his ''History of Manchester'' (1771), w ...

, Lancashire. In 1948, at age 15, Bell began to act in school plays. His younger brother Keith also became an actor. On leaving school he trained under

Esme Church Esme Church (10 February 1893 – 31 May 1972) was a British actress and theatre director. In a long career she acted with the Old Vic Company, the Royal Shakespeare Company and on Broadway. She directed plays for the Old Vic, became head of the ...

at the Bradford Civic Theatre; fellow pupils included

Billie Whitelaw Billie Honor Whitelaw (6 June 1932 – 21 December 2014) was an English actress. She worked in close collaboration with Irish playwright Samuel Beckett for 25 years and was regarded as one of the foremost interpreters of his works. She was al ...

and

Robert Stephens Sir Robert Graham Stephens (14 July 193112 November 1995) was a leading English actor in the early years of Britain's Royal National Theatre. He was one of the most respected actors of his generation and was at one time regarded as the natur ...

. He later worked in repertory in Liverpool and

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

Career

Michael Coveney Michael Coveney (born 24 July 1948) is a British theatre critic. Education and career Coveney was born in London and educated at St Ignatius’ College, Stamford Hill, and Worcester College, Oxford. After graduation, he worked as a script re ...

described Bell as a "naturally gifted and unusually reserved leading actor", with a "quiet, mesmeric brand of acting". On television he had the role of Albert Stokes in

Harold Pinter Harold Pinter (; 10 October 1930 – 24 December 2008) was a British playwright, screenwriter, director and actor. A Nobel Prize winner, Pinter was one of the most influential modern British dramatists with a writing career that spanne ...

's first success in the medium, '' A Night Out'' (1960), while in the same year his first film appearance came in

Joseph Losey Joseph Walton Losey III (; January 14, 1909 – June 22, 1984) was an American theatre and film director, producer, and screenwriter. Born in Wisconsin, he studied in Germany with Bertolt Brecht and then returned to the United States. Blackliste ...

's '' The Criminal''. He continued to appear in the

British New Wave The British New Wave is a style of films released in Great Britain between 1959 and 1963. The label is a translation of '' Nouvelle Vague'', the French term first applied to the films of François Truffaut, and Jean-Luc Godard among others. Styli ...

films of the early 60s including ''

The Kitchen The Kitchen is a non-profit, multi-disciplinary avant-garde performance and experimental art institution located at 512 West 19th Street, between Tenth and Eleventh Avenues in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. It was founde ...

'' (1961) and ''

The L-Shaped Room ''The L-Shaped Room'' is a 1962 British film directed by Bryan Forbes, based on the 1960 novel of the same name by Lynne Reid Banks. It tells the story of Jane Fosset ( Leslie Caron), a young French woman, unmarried and pregnant, who moves in ...

'' (1962) with

Leslie Caron Leslie Claire Margaret Caron (; born 1 July 1931) is a French-American actress and dancer. She is the recipient of a Golden Globe Award, two BAFTA Awards and a Primetime Emmy Award, in addition to nominations for two Academy Awards. She is one ...

. At an awards ceremony for the latter, he drunkenly interrupted a speech by

Prince Philip Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, later Philip Mountbatten; 10 June 1921 – 9 April 2021) was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. As such, he served as the consort of the British monarch from E ...

, yelling "Tell us a funny story", to the obvious embarrassment of table companions

Richard Attenborough Richard Samuel Attenborough, Baron Attenborough, (; 29 August 192324 August 2014) was an English actor, filmmaker, and entrepreneur. He was the president of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and the British Academy of Film and Televisio ...

and

Bryan Forbes Bryan Forbes CBE (; born John Theobald Clarke; 22 July 1926 – 8 May 2013) was an English film director, screenwriter, film producer, actor and novelist described as a "Renaissance man"Falk Q. . BAFTA. 17 October 2007. Retrieved 9 May 2013 an ...

. While the Duke of Edinburgh apparently took the heckle in good humour, retorting "If you want a funny story, I suggest you engage a professional comic", the incident added to Bell's reputation as a hellraiser, and "did little to further iscareer". His other notable films of the decade included ''

H.M.S. Defiant ''H.M.S. Defiant'' (released as ''Damn the Defiant!'' in the United States) is a British naval war CinemaScope and Technicolor film from 1962 starring Alec Guinness and Dirk Bogarde. It tells the story of a mutiny aboard the fictitious ship ...

'' (1962), ''

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, Geof ...

'' (1962), ''

Ballad in Blue ''Ballad in Blue'' (originally titled ''Blues for Lovers'') is a 1965 British drama music film starring R&B legend Ray Charles. The film was the last to be directed by Paul Henreid. Plot Ray Charles helps blind boy David in his struggle to ...

'' (1965), ''

He Who Rides a Tiger ''He Who Rides a Tiger'' is a 1965 British crime drama directed by Charles Crichton, and starring Tom Bell and Judi Dench. Background The film was based on the real-life cat-burglar Peter Scott Sir Peter Markham Scott, (14 September 190 ...

'' (1965) and ''

The Long Day's Dying ''The Long Day's Dying'' is a 1968 British Techniscope war film directed by Peter Collinson, based on the 1962 novel of the same name by Alan White and starring David Hemmings. It was listed to compete at the 1968 Cannes Film Festival, but the ...

'' (1968). In 1978, he came to worldwide attention portraying

Adolf Eichmann Otto Adolf Eichmann ( ,"Eichmann"
''

Emmy The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

-winning tv-series ''

Holocaust The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe; a ...

'', and he received a BAFTA nomination for the series '' Out'', in which he played convicted armed robber, Frank Ross. Declared bankrupt in 1982, Bell bounced back with a later career renaissance, appearing in several British films including ''

Wish You Were Here Wish You Were Here may refer to: Film, television, and theater Film * ''Wish You Were Here'' (1987 film), a British comedy-drama film by David Leland * ''Wish You Were Here'' (2012 film), an Australian drama/mystery film by Kieran Darcy-Smith ...

'',

Peter Greenaway Peter Greenaway, (born 5 April 1942) is a Welsh film director, screenwriter and artist. His films are noted for the distinct influence of Renaissance and Baroque painting, and Flemish painting in particular. Common traits in his films are the ...

's ''

Prospero's Books ''Prospero's Books'' is a 1991 British Experimental film, avant-garde film adaptation of William Shakespeare's ''The Tempest'', written and directed by Peter Greenaway. John Gielgud, Sir John Gielgud plays Prospero, the protagonist who provide ...

'', ''Swing'' and the 1990 film '' The Krays'', where he played the part of Jack "The Hat" McVitie, one of the

Kray twins Ronald Kray (24 October 193317 March 1995) and Reginald Kray (24 October 19331 October 2000) were identical twin brothers, gangsters and convicted criminals. They were the foremost perpetrators of organised crime in the East End of London, Engl ...

' murder victims. In 1991, he played the dour owner of a run-down seaside waxworks museum in the

Thames TV Thames Television, commonly simplified to just Thames, was a franchise holder for a region of the British ITV television network serving London and surrounding areas from 30 July 1968 until the night of 31 December 1992. Thames Television broad ...

sitcom ''Hope It Rains'', written by John Esmonde and Bob Larbey and directed by

John Howard Davies John Howard Davies (9 March 193922 August 2011)
' ...

. It ran for two series comprising thirteen episodes. Although he tended to eschew live performance, Bell's few stage appearances included a role in the 1979 UK première of '' Bent'',

Martin Sherman Martin Gerald Sherman (born December 22, 1938) is an American dramatist and screenwriter best known for his 20 stage plays which have been produced in over 60 countries. He rose to fame in 1979 with the production of his play '' Bent'', which e ...

's play about homosexuality, staged 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, Englan ...

. He played the character Horst, opposite

Ian McKellen Sir Ian Murray McKellen (born 25 May 1939) is an English actor. His career spans seven decades, having performed in genres ranging from Shakespearean and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction. Regarded as a British cultural i ...

's Max. The play's examination of homosexual love, set in a

Nazi Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...

death camp, was shocking for many theatregoers at the time and uncovered a previously little-examined area of Nazi brutality. 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 ...

series ''Prime Suspect'', Bell played Detective Sergeant Bill Otley opposite Helen Mirren in the first (1991), third (1993) and final series (2006), the latter being one of his last on-screen appearances. His gripping portrayal of the toxic character secured Bell's second BAFTA nomination, in 1993.

Personal life

Bell was married to the actress Lois Daine from 1960 to 1976. They had one son, Aran, who is also an actor. His partner from 1976 until his death was the costume designer Frances Tempest, with whom he had a step-daughter, Nellie, and a daughter, Polly.

Death

Bell had enjoyed working with TV director Danny Hiller, and agreed to appear in his first feature film ''Love Me Still'' at the suggestion of their mutual friend, showbiz accountant Jose Goumal. While clearly ill, Bell soldiered on and completed filming only a few days before the end of his life. He died in hospital in

Brighton Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze A ...

on 4 October 2006, aged 73, following a short illness. A few days later, "the poignantly timed broadcast of Prime Suspect - The Final Act" was broadcast, "in which a visibly frail Otley died on screen".

Filmography

Film

* '' The Criminal'' (1960) – Flynn * ''

Payroll A payroll is the list of employees of some company that is entitled to receive payments as well as other work benefits and the amounts that each should receive. Along with the amounts that each employee should receive for time worked or tasks pe ...

'' (1961) – Blackie * ''

'' (1961) – Paul * ''

Echo of Barbara ''Echo of Barbara'' is a 1960 British crime film directed by Sidney Hayers, and based on a novel of the same title by Jonathan Burke. It concerns Soho stripper Paula, who poses as Barbara, the missing sister of crooked Sam Roscoe, hoping to unco ...

'' (1961) – Ben * ''

'' (1962) – Evans * ''

'' (1962) – Fenner * ''

'' (1962) – Toby * ''Sands of Beersheba'' (1964) – Dan * ''

'' (1965) – Steve Collins * ''

'' (1965) – Peter Rayston * ''

The Violent Enemy ''The Violent Enemy'' is a 1968 film directed by Don Sharp and starring Tom Bell, Susan Hampshire, Ed Begley, and Noel Purcell. The plot concerns an IRA plot to blow up a British power station. Premise IRA bomb expert Sean Rogan escapes from p ...

'' (1968) – Sean Rogan * ''

'' (1968) – Tom Cooper * '' In Enemy Country'' (1968) – Ian * '' Lock Up Your Daughters!'' (1969) – Shaftoe * ''

All the Right Noises ''All the Right Noises'' is a 1971 British drama film directed by Gerry O'Hara and starring Tom Bell, Olivia Hussey, Judy Carne and John Standing. It is set in London. Premise A married man with two young children, working as a lighting techn ...

'' (1971) – Len Lewin * '' Quest for Love'' (1971) – Colin Trafford * ''

The Spy's Wife ''The Spy's Wife'' is a 1972 British short crime film directed by Gerry O'Hara and starring Ann Lynn, Dorothy Tutin, Tom Bell, Vladek Sheybal and Julian Holloway. Cast *Dorothy Tutin as Hilda Tyler *Ann Lynn as Grace * Tom Bell as Tom Tyle ...

'' (1972) – Tom Tyler * '' Straight on Till Morning'' (1972) – Jimmy Lindsay * ''

Royal Flash ''Royal Flash'' is a 1970 novel by George MacDonald Fraser. It is the second of the Flashman novels. It was made into the film '' Royal Flash'' in 1975 and remains the only Flashman novel to be filmed. Plot summary ''Royal Flash'' is set durin ...

'' (1975) – De Gautet * '' The Sailor's Return'' (1978) – William Targett * ''

Summer Lightning ''Summer Lightning'' is a novel by P. G. Wodehouse, first published in the United States on 1 July 1929 by Doubleday (publisher), Doubleday, Doran, New York, under the title ''Fish Preferred'', and in the United Kingdom on 19 July 1929 by Her ...

'' (1984) – Mr Clark * '' The Innocent'' (1985) – Frank Dobson * ''

The Magic Toyshop ''The Magic Toyshop'' (1967) is a British novel by Angela Carter. It follows the development of the heroine, Melanie, as she becomes aware of herself, her environment, and her own sexuality. Plot summary The novel starts with Melanie stealin ...

'' (1987) – Uncle Philip * ''

'' (1987) – Eric * '' Resurrected'' (1989) – Mr. Deakin * '' The Krays'' (1990) – Jack 'The Hat' McVitie * ''

'' (1991) – Antonio * ''

Let Him Have It ''Let Him Have It'' is a 1991 British drama film directed by Peter Medak and starring Christopher Eccleston, Paul Reynolds, Tom Courtenay and Tom Bell. The film is based on the true story of Derek Bentley, who was convicted of the murder of a ...

'' (1991) – Fairfax * ''Angels'' (1992) – Michael * ''Sensatsiya'' (1993) – American Scientist * ''Seconds Out'' (1993) – Jack * ''

Feast of July ''Feast of July'' is a 1995 American-British neo noir crime film directed by Christopher Menaul and produced by Merchant Ivory Productions, based on the 1954 novel by H. E. Bates, starring Embeth Davidtz and Ben Chaplin. Plot The movie opens with ...

'' (1995) – Ben Wainwright * '' Preaching to the Perverted'' (1997) – Henry Harding MP * '' Swept from the Sea'' (1997) – Isaac Foster * ''

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) – Joe MaGuire's father (uncredited) * '' Swing'' (1999) – Sid Luxford * ''

Tube Tales ''Tube Tales'' is a 1999 British anthology film of nine short films based on the true-life experiencesThe person who submitted the details of the experience to Time Out magazine being credited as 'Originator'. of London Underground passengers as ...

'' (1999) – Old Gent (segment "Horny") * ''

The Last Minute ''The Last Minute'' is a 2001 British-American urban gothic film, written and directed by Stephen Norrington. It shows a struggling man hitting bottom and finding light in unexpected places, and trying a huge alternative as the solution to hi ...

'' (2001) – Grimshanks * ''

Lava Lava is molten or partially molten rock (magma) that has been expelled from the interior of a terrestrial planet (such as Earth) or a moon onto its surface. Lava may be erupted at a volcano or through a fracture in the crust, on land or un ...

'' (2001) – Eric * '' My Kingdom'' (2001) – Quick * ''

Long Time Dead ''Long Time Dead'' is a 2002 British horror film, co-written and directed by Marcus Adams in his directorial debut. Set in the United Kingdom, the film follows a group of college students in which they experiment with an Ouija board and inadv ...

'' (2002) – Becker * ''Oh Marbella!'' (2003) – Ronnie, Ackerman * '' Devil's Gate'' (2003) – Jake * '' Dead Man's Cards'' (2005) – Billy The Cowboy * ''Friends and Enemies'' (2006) * ''Love Me Still'' (2008) – Lenny Ronson

Television (selected)

* 1958: ''

Armchair Theatre ''Armchair Theatre'' is a British television drama anthology series of single plays that ran on the ITV network from 1956 to 1974. It was originally produced by ABC Weekend TV. Its successor Thames Television took over from mid-1968. The Canadi ...

'': "

No Trams to Lime Street ''No Trams to Lime Street'' is a 1959 British television play, written by the Welsh playwright Alun Owen for the ''Armchair Theatre'' anthology series. Produced by ABC Weekend TV for transmission on the ITV network, the play was broadcast on 18 ...

" * 1960: ''

'': '' A Night Out'' * 1967: '' The Virginian'' Series 6 Episode 5 – Cpl. Johnny Moon * 1972. ‘’

The Frighteners ''The Frighteners'' is a 1996 supernatural comedy horror film directed by Peter Jackson and co-written with Fran Walsh. The film stars Michael J. Fox, Trini Alvarado, Peter Dobson, John Astin, Dee Wallace Stone, Jeffrey Combs, R. Lee Ermey ...

,(ep.4‘the minder’). * 1972: ''

Hedda Gabler ''Hedda Gabler'' () is a play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. The world premiere was staged on 31 January 1891 at the Residenztheater in Munich. Ibsen himself was in attendance, although he remained back-stage. The play has been can ...

'' (''

Play of the Month ''Play of the Month'' is a BBC television anthology series, which ran from 1965 to 1983 featuring productions of classic and contemporary stage plays (or adaptations) which were usually broadcast on BBC1. Each production featured a different wor ...

'', BBC) – Eilert Lovborg * 1974: ''

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 ...

'' – Shadbolt * 1978 ** ''

'' (US mini-series) –

Adolf Eichmann Otto Adolf Eichmann ( ,"Eichmann"
''

Out'' (UK series) – Frank Ross * 1981: ''

Sons and Lovers ''Sons and Lovers'' is a 1913 novel by the English writer D. H. Lawrence. It traces emotional conflicts through the protagonist, Paul Morel, and his suffocating relationships with a demanding mother and two very different lovers, which exert c ...

'' – Walter Morel * 1983: '' Reilly: Ace of Spies'' –

Felix Dzerzhinsky Felix Edmundovich Dzerzhinsky ( pl, Feliks Dzierżyński ; russian: Фе́ликс Эдму́ндович Дзержи́нский; – 20 July 1926), nicknamed "Iron Felix", was a Bolshevik revolutionary and official, born into Poland, Polish n ...

* 1988: ''

The Rainbow ''The Rainbow'' is a novel by British author D. H. Lawrence, first published by Methuen & Co. in 1915. It follows three generations of the Brangwen family living in Nottinghamshire, focusing particularly on the individual's struggle to growth ...

'' - Old Tom Brangwen * 1990: '' Chancer'' – Mr. Love, Derek's father * 1991: ''

'' (series 1) – D.S. Bill Otley * 1991–92: ''Hope It Rains'' (UK sitcom series) – Harry Nash * 1993: ** ''

'' (series 3) – D.S. Bill Otley ** ''

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, North ...

'': "Young Indiana Jones and the Phantom Train of Doom" –

Paul Emil von Lettow-Vorbeck Paul Emil von Lettow-Vorbeck (20 March 1870 – 9 March 1964), also called the Lion of Africa (german: Löwe von Afrika), was a general in the Imperial German Army and the commander of its forces in the German East Africa campaign. For four ye ...

* 1999 ''

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 ...

'' ("Recalled to Life") * 2006 ** '' Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire'': "Revolution" –

Publius Cornelius Scipio Nasica Serapio Publius Cornelius Scipio Nasica Serapio (182/181–132 BC) was a politician of the Roman Republic best remembered today for leading a mob that assassinated the tribune Tiberius Gracchus, and hunted and killed Tiberius' supporters afterwards. A ...

** '' Blue Murder'' – Vinny McAteer (broadcast 3 November 2006 on

) ** ''

: The Final Act'' (series 7) – D.S. Bill Otley

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bell, Tom 20th-century English male actors 1933 births 2006 deaths