Geoffrey Whitehead

Early life

Whitehead was born on 1 October 1939 in Grenoside, Sheffield. After his father was killed in the Second World War, he received an RAF benevolent grant which sent him to a minor public school. He later attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, where he became friends with fellow student John Thaw.

Career

Whitehead's television appearances include Bulldog Breed (1962); Z-Cars (1964–1965 and 1972–1975), playing two different regular characters; Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em (1973); The Sweeney, Season 2 Episode 6 "Trap" (1975); Thriller (1 episode, 1974); Wodehouse Playhouse, ("Rodney Fails to Qualify"); The Doll, 1975; Robin's Nest (1977); Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson (1979–1980, as Sherlock Holmes); "Gerald Pinkerton" in Pinkerton's Progress (1983); Peter the Great (1986); Chelmsford 123 (1988–1990); War and Remembrance (1988); Second Thoughts (1991–1994); The House of Eliott (1991); Executive Stress; Little Britain; and The Worst Week of My Life.

His radio roles include featuring in the third and fourth episodes of the fifth series of the BBC Radio 4 comedy series Old Harry's Game in the role of Roland Kingworthy, as Prior Robert in the 1980s BBC radio dramatisations of Cadfael, as John Barsad in the radio dramatisation of Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities and as Justice Wargrave in the BBC Radio 4 dramatisation of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None on 13 November 2010. He has starred on BBC radio in many comic roles, including Bleak Expectations, featuring as five entire families between 2007 and 2012. He appeared in two series of the BBC remake Reggie Perrin as Reggie's father-in-law, William.

Whitehead's film appearances have included The Raging Moon (1971), Kidnapped (1971), the vengeful woodsman in And Now the Screaming Starts! (1972), S.O.S. Titanic (1979) as shipbuilder Thomas Andrews, Inside the Third Reich (1982), Shooting Fish (1997) and Love/Loss (2010).

In 2011, Whitehead joined the cast of Not Going Out in its fourth series, playing Geoffrey Adams, the father of Lucy and Tim. This character had been recurring since 2007, but had previously been played by Timothy West. He played the role until 2023.

In 2013, Whitehead appeared on Comic Relief playing the vicar in a Simon Cowell wedding sketch.

He played Dr Fagan in Evelyn Waugh’s 'Decline and Fall' on Radio first broadcast in 2015.

From 2015 to 2019, Whitehead played Mr (Wilburn) Newbold in BBC One's Still Open All Hours.

Selected filmography

Television

Film

Radio

• Cabin Pressure – Mr Birling
• Old Harry's Game – Roland Kingworthy
• Ayres on the Air – Gordon
• Weak at the Top – Sir Marcus
• Rigor Mortis – Professor Donaldson
• Ed Reardon's Week – Stan
• Potting On – Gordon Grant, radio husband of comedian and poet Pam Ayres
• Bleak Expectations – the Hardthrasher, Sternbeater, Whackwallop, Grimpunch and Clampvulture families
• Cadfael – Prior Robert
• Troy – Nikanor
• The Genuine Particle – Shale
• Hair in the Gate – Brian Melvyn
• The Architects – Sir Lucien
• The Skull Beneath the Skin – Inspector Grogan
• Adaptations of Terry Pratchett's novels Eric and Mort, as Death
• The Newly Discovered Casebook of Sherlock Holmes – Professor Moriarty

Personal life

Whitehead is the uncle of broadcaster Celina Hinchcliffe. He is a Sheffield Wednesday supporter.

References

References

1. [https://web.archive.org/web/20171228024307/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2ba1ce73a7 BFI biodata] Ftvdb.bfi.org.uk. Retrieved 26 May 2019
2. (15 October 2010). "Grenoside sword dancers hold festival for centenary". BBC News.
3. Hancock, Sheila. (2005). "The Two of Us: My Life with John Thaw". Bloomsbury Publishing PLC.
4. Brookes, Christian. (21 December 2012). "Celina Hinchcliffe interview: Southern heart and northern soul for Owls fan presenter". Beats & Rhymes FC.