Philip D'Oyly "Pip" Torrens (born 2 June 1960) is an English actor. Torrens portrayed courtier Tommy Lascelles in the Netflix drama The Crown, aristocrat Lord Massen in the HBO series The Nevers, Herr Klaus Starr in Preacher, and held leading roles in Poldark and Versailles. His film appearances include The Danish Girl, The Iron Lady, War Horse and Star Wars: The Force Awakens. He has played The Curator in Supermassive Games' Dark Pictures Anthology series of horror video games since 2019.
Early life and education Philip D'Oyly Torrens is the son of the Rev. Robert Harrington Torrens, MA, and descendant of the lawyer and colonial official Henry Whitelock Torrens,The Cambridge University List of Members up to 31 July 1998, University of Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1998, p. 793The Territorial Air Force 1925-1927- Officer Recruitment and Class, appendix 2, Frances L. Wilkinson, Univ. of Wolverhampton, 2017, p. 19 Torrens was born in Bromley, Kent, and educated at Bloxham School. He studied English Literature at Trinity College, Cambridge (BA 1981, MA 1987), and subsequently studied acting at Drama Studio London.Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine:
Career Torrens's television appearances include Consenting Adults, two episodes of Jeeves and Wooster, two episodes of Doctor Who ("Human Nature"/"The Family of Blood"), The Brittas Empire, Green Wing, Silk, The Government Inspector (as John Scarlett), The Last Detective and DI Spencer for a few episodes in The Bill in 2001. He has also appeared in a 2008 series of British television advertisements for First Direct, with Matthew King. He appeared alongside Michael Gambon in a 1992 episode of Maigret.
In 2011, Torrens appeared in both episodes of an Outnumbered two-part special. In 2012, he appeared in the first episode of series 8 of Hustle, as Heinz Zimmermann and also presented new gameshow The Devil's Dinner Party. Torrens briefly appeared in an episode of Death in Paradise in 2013, as a museum guide. His film appearances include Tomorrow Never Dies, as the captain of the fictional HMS Bedford, the 2001 film To End All Wars, and voicework for Valiant.
In 2013, Torrens appeared in "The Waldo Moment", an episode of the anthology series Black Mirror. In November 2014, Torrens played the part of Richard Grenville in the BBC Radio 4 drama The Archers. Torrens also played Cary Warleggan in Poldark in 2015. In 2017, he began a starring role on American television series Preacher, on which he appeared in 33 episodes as Herr Klaus Helmut Starr.
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1984 Oxford Blues Ian 1986 Lady Jane Thomas 1987 Little Dorrit Henry Gowan 1988 A Handful of Dust Jock 1989 How to Get Ahead in Advertising Jonathan Bearskin: An Urban Fairytale Gold-cufflinks 1990 Mountains of the Moon Lt. Hesketh Eminent Domain Anton 1991 The Object of Beauty Art Evaluator 1992 Patriot Games Lord North's 1st Aide 1993 The Remains of the Day Doctor Carlisle 1997 Tomorrow Never Dies Captain (HMS Bedford) Incognito White (defense attorney) 1999 Rogue Trader Simon Jones 2001 To End All Wars Lt. Foxworth Revelation Professor Claxton The Mystic Masseur Governor All the Queen's Men British Major 2005 Pride & Prejudice Netherfield Butler Valiant Lofty (voice) 2007 The Mark of Cain Colonel Hampton Flood Army Liaison Officer Richardson 2008 Easy Virtue Lord Hurst 2009 Dorian Gray Victor St Trinian's 2: The Legend of Fritton's Gold Heathcoat Parker 2011 My Week with Marilyn Sir Kenneth Clark War Horse Major Tompkins Love's Kitchen Health & Safety Official The Iron Lady Ian Gilmour Largo Winch II Invité Plateau CNBC 2012 Anna Karenina Prince Shcherbatsky Gambit Savoy Desk Clerk Bel Ami Paul the Butler The Scapegoat George 2013 The Guest Frank Short film Drone Strike Wing Commander Ellis 2014 Gemma Bovery Rankin Effie Gray Royal Academy / Times Journalist 2015 The Danish Girl Dr Hexler Star Wars: The Force Awakens Colonel Kaplan 2016 Kids in Love Graham 2017 Darkest Hour BBC Producer 2018 Down a Dark Hall Professor Farley 2019 The Aftermath General Brook 2024 Joy Roger Short 2026 De Gaulle Bernard Montgomery Savage House Mr. Black Vindicta Adnon Svoboda Digger Schumer 2027 Post-production
Television
Year Title Role Notes 1987 The Lenny Henry Show PC Monkhouse 6 episodes1989 The Nightmare Years Major Radford 4 episodes Voice of the Heart Kim Cunningham Television film Arms and the Man Bluntschli BBC television play1991 Chimera Windeler 3 episodes Performance Nigel Childs Episode: "Absolute Hell" 1991, 2006 Agatha Christie's Poirot Major Rich/Jeremy Cloade Episodes: "The Mystery of the Spanish Chest" (1991) and "Taken at the Flood" (2006) 1992 The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles Howard Carter Episodes: "Young Indiana Jones and the Curse of the Jackal" and "Treasure of the Peacock's Eye" Van der Valk Michael de Groot Episode: "Still Waters" Medics Jonathan Witley Episode: "#2.1" 1992–1993 Jeeves and Wooster Bingo Little Episodes: "Comrade Bingo" and "Bridegroom Wanted"1993 Lovejoy Christian Shotley Episode: "Fly the Flag" To Play the King Andrew Harding 3 episodes Minder Muldier Episode: "The Great Trilby" Maigret Chief Commissioner Episode: "Maigret on the Defensive"1994 A Dark-Adapted Eye Chad 2 episodes The Brittas Empire John Rawlinson Episode: "Brussels Calling"1995 Kavanagh QC Miles Petersham Episode: "Nothing But the Truth" The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Treasure of the Peacock's Eye Howard Carter Television film Hamish Macbeth Peter Peterson Episode: "S1.E1 The Great Lochdubh Salt Robbery" 1995–2007 The Bill Various 5 episodes1996 The Ruth Rendell Mysteries Michael Quin 2 episodes Tales from the Crypt Gordon Episode: "About Face"1997 Crime Traveller Carter Episode: "A Death in the Family" Bodyguards Robert Ferguson 6 episodes Soldier Soldier Major Lawrence Brownham 2 episodes 1998 The Unknown Soldier Major Stephen Phelps Television film1999 Murder Most Horrid News Presenter Episode: "Elvis, Jesus and Zack" Big Bad World Hugh Episode: "Be Nice to Posh People" Pure Wickedness Dr. Phil Gold 3 episodes Peak Practice Harry Kenyon 2 episodes2000 Longitude Captain Lindsay TV series Lorna Doone Colonel Kirke Television film Black Cab James Episode: "Busy Body" 2001 Office Gossip Mark Spenser Episode: "Moving On"2002 Shackleton James McIlroy Television film Sunday Inquiry lawyer Television film Ted and Alice Dr. Handford 3 episodes Believe Nothing Le Fanu Episode: "Get Rich Quick" Dead Gorgeous Rex Ballard Television film The Project MoD Official Television film TLC Mr. Copperfield Episode: "Staying Awake" Darwin's Daughter Charles Darwin Television film The Many Lives of Albert Walke Sam Television film2003 At Home with the Braithwaites Mr. Brondby Episode: "#4.6" Where the Heart Is Peter Viner – Cardiologist Episode: "My Way" Trial & Retribution DCS Richard Lawson Episode: "Suspicion: Part 2" Second Nature Frank Television film Seven Wonders of the Industrial World Dr. John Snow Episode: "The Sewer King" Charles II: The Power and the Passion Charles Hart Episode #1.3 Gifted Richard Neilson Television film2004 Red Cap Major Tim Garvey Episode: "Betrayed" Casualty Tom Price Episode: "World Gone Wrong: Part 1" Messiah: The Promise DCI Warmseley 2 episodes Rosemary & Thyme Donald Westward Episode: "Up the Garden Path" When I'm 64 Headmaster Television film My Dad's the Prime Minister Publisher Episode: "Diaries" Agatha Christie's Marple Noël Coward Episode: "4:50 from Paddington"Medici: Godfathers of the RenaissanceCosimo de'MediciEpisode: "Birth of a Dynasty" 2004–2008 Wire in the Blood DI Brennan / Harrison 3 episodes2005 Rome Lucius Tillius Cimber Episode: "Kalends of February" Broken News Sam French, Bullet Points Presenter 6 episodes The Commander DCS Les Branton 2 episodes A View from a Hill Squire Richards Television film The Rotters' Club English Master Episode: "The Chick and the Hairy Guy" The Government Inspector John Scarlett Television film No Angels Dr. Templar Episode: "#2.8" The Last Detective Captain Boyden Episode: "Towpaths of Glory" Ian Fleming: Bondmaker Noël Coward Television film Class of '76 Supt Flood Television film2006 Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire Olympius Episode: "The Fall of Rome" Green Wing Neurosurgeon 2 episodes The Chatterley Affair Mervyn Griffith-Jones Television film The Path to 9/11 Paul Kessler 2 episodes Rebus Andrew Hammill Episode: "Let It Bleed" Spooks Charles Lee Episode: "5.8" Missing Derek Mailer 2 episodes Dresden Saundby Television film Pinochet in Suburbia Michael Caplan Television film2007 Waking the Dead Dennis Holland 2 episodes Doctor Who Rocastle Episode: "Human Nature/The Family of Blood" Lewis Malcolm Croft Episode: "Expiation" The Bad Mother's Handbook Doctor Gale Television film The Chase Hubert Bryce-Jones Episode: "2.10" Consenting Adults Frances Graham Harrison Television film Silent Witness Richard Tate 2 episodes Miss Austen Regrets Edward Austen Knight Television film 2008 Queen Victoria's Men Charles Greville 2009 Heartbeat James Moncrieff Episode: "Sweet Sorrow" Breaking the Mould Radio Announcer (voice) Television film U Be Dead Peter Higginson Collision Deputy Commissioner Fraser Episode 1 2010 Secret Diary of a Call Girl Edward Episode 3.1 2010, 2016 Midsomer Murders Group Captain Jeremy Ford / Fergal Jenner 2 episodes2011 The Promise Major John Arbuthnot 4 episodes Outnumbered Armitage 2 episodes2011–2014 Silk HHJ Maikin 4 episodes Law & Order: UK Philip Nevins 5 episodes2012 Hustle Heinz Zimmermann Episode: "Gold Finger" Whitechapel Travis Underwood Episode: "Case Two (Part 2)" The Hollow Crown Thomas de Mowbray Episode: "Henry IV, Part 2" The Fall of Singapore: The Great Betrayal MI5 Officer Television film One Night Mr. Lerner 3 episodes Switch Lord Piermont Episode: "Summer Solstice Showdown" Spy Crispin Episode: "Codename: Double Oh"2013 Yes, Prime Minister Jeremy Burnham Episode: "The Poisoned Chalice" Death in Paradise Guide Episode: "A Deadly Curse" Black Mirror Philip Crane Episode: "The Waldo Moment" The Lady Vanishes Reverend Kenneth Barnes Television film Father Brown Geoffrey Bennett Episode: "The Devil's Dust" Breathless Eric Smallwood Episode: "#2.1"2014 Fleming: The Man Who Would Be Bond Esmond Rothermere 4 episodes Inspector George Gently Brigadier Phillips Episode: "Gently with Honour" Salting the Battlefield Jock Calderon Television film Playhouse Presents: Marked Steve Brash Television film 2014–2016 Grantchester Sir Edward Kendall 2 episodes (2014), Christmas Special (2016) 2015 The Heavy Water War John Skinner Wilson 6 episodes Up the Women Lawrence Episodes: "Vote", "Train" and "Bowls" 2015–2017 Versailles The Duke of Cassel 17 episodes 2015–2019 Poldark Cary Warleggan 29 episodes2016 War & Peace Prince Bagration 2 episodes Hetty Feather Reverend Cranbourne Episode: "Changes" 2016–2019 The Crown Tommy Lascelles 16 episodes 2017–2019 Preacher Herr Klaus Helmut Starr 33 episodes2018 Patrick Melrose Nicholas Pratt Miniseries Death and Nightingales Maurice Fairbrother Episode #1.2 2018–2019 Deep State William Kingsley 6 episodes 2020 Des Ivan Lawrence QC 1 episode Roadkill Joe Lapidus 1 episode2021–2023 The Nevers Lord Massen Main cast Succession Peter Munion 4 episodes 2022 Sherwood Commissioner Charles Dawes 6 episodes2024 Mr Bates vs The Post Office Mr Justice Fraser 1 episode Renegade Nell Lord Blancheford Recurring role 2025 Down Cemetery Road Dr Isaac Wright Recurring role 2026 Industry Kevin Rawle 1 episode 2026 War St. John Smallwood Main cast
Video games