Nigel Pegram (born 22 November 1940) is a South African born British actor. He is best known for playing Eric in Robert's Robots (1973–1974), Group-Captain Ruark in Get Some In! (1977–1978), Sir Reginald in All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989), Mrs Willa Westinghouse in The American Way (1986), General Woundwort in Watership Down (2001) and starred as Nigel in three series in the ITV comedy drama series Outside Edge (1994–1996). As a character actor, he has played various roles on stage, TV and film.
Early life Pegram was born Cape Town, South Africa in 1940, moving to Bulawayo in Southern Rhodesia following his parents' divorce in 1942. His childhood took him to Batu Gajah in Malaya in 1947, Oxford in 1949, back to Bulawayo and then on to Tanganyika and Uganda in the 1950s, his peripatetic early life giving him the foundation for the many voices he uses in his professional work. He studied at Falcon College, Southern Rhodesia, and later gained a BA degree in law at the University of Natal in Durban. In 1962 he moved to the United Kingdom, where he studied at St Edmund Hall, Oxford. He soon joined the Oxford University Dramatic Society and in the summer of 1963 became involved the burgeoning British satire scene, performing at the Blue Angel Club, London, and in 1964 he participated in the Oxford Revue at the Edinburgh Festival alongside the likes of future Monty Python stars Michael Palin and Terry Jones.
Career After completing his studies, in 1965 Pegram moved to the United States when he joined the Oxford – Cambridge Revue for a three-month engagement with the Second City Company in Chicago. The following year he joined the cast of the musical revue Wait a Minim!, replacing Jeremy Taylor when the show moved to Broadway in early 1966, where he stayed on for a further two years at runs in various theatres across the US including the John Golden Theatre and Colonial Theatre. Shortly after marrying his fellow Wait a Minim star, ex Royal Ballet principal and actress April Olrich, in 1969 they returned to London and later that year he appeared on stage in the revue Postscripts, at the Hampstead Theatre Club, London.
From the early 1970s onwards, Pegram frequently featured in character roles within various films and TV programs including Robert's Robots (1973–1974), Larry Grayson (1975), Space: 1999 (1977), Get Some In! (1977–1978), The Professionals (1980), Fresh Fields (1985), The American Way (1986), Pulaski (1987), Drop the Dead Donkey (1990), Lovejoy (1992), Van der Valk (1992), Outside Edge (1994–1996), Proteus (1995), Melissa (1997), Written in Blood (1998) and Doctors (2003).
He has also done frequent work as a voice artist, voicing characters in animated films including All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989), An American Tail: Fievel Goes West (1991) and the TV series adaptions of Enid Blyton's Enchanted Lands (1998) and Watership Down (2001). In 1999, he was reunited with his former Oxford alumunus Michael Palin, when he voiced Ernest Hemingway in Palin's documentary series Michael Palin's Hemingway Adventure.
Pegram appeared in two series of the children's series Robert's Robots in the role of Eric, an android. In 1977 he played Cernik in an episode of the sci-fi series Space:1999; later that same year he appeared as Group Captain Ruark in an episode of the RAF sitcom Get Some In!, he returned as a regular character during the show's fifth and final series when it was relocated to an RAF hospital setting. In 1986, he appeared as transgender US presidential candidate Mrs Willa Westinghouse in the sci-fi comedy The American Way with Dennis Hopper and Michael J. Pollard, although the film was critically panned, Pegram's role was lauded by the critics. The following year Pegram appeared in four episodes as a TV Director in the drama series Pulaski, written by Roy Clarke.
Pegram is best remembered for playing the reacurring role of Nigel in three series of the ITV cricketing comedy drama series Outside Edge, based on the play by Richard Harris, in a part that was written specifically for him. The series was quite successful at the time, winning a number awards including Best TV Comedy Drama at the British Comedy Awards in 1994.
Outside his work in film and television, he has frequently appeared on stage. During the 1970s he was a member of the Reunion Theatre Company who staged shows at the Dolphin and Anchor Studio Theatre in Chichester. He appeared in roles such as a TV announcer in Beeston Craig and an Interviewee in an adaption of Before Breakfast by Eugene O'Neill. During this time, he also appeared in various pantomimes including Babes in the Wood and Red Riding Hood. He also appeared as a vicar in Curate's Egg, the Duke of Windsor in the 1980 UK tour of Crown Matrimonial, Melvin P. Thorpe in the West End production of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, and Wilson in The Case of the Dead Flamingo. More recently he appeared as Adam in Peter Hall's production of As You Like It in 2003, and the American Secretary of State Byrnes in Eden's Empire by James Graham, which was staged at the Finborough Theatre, London in 2006.
In 2010, Pegram appeared in an episode of the long-running detective series Agatha Christie's Poirot, in which he played Reverend Babbington in the episode 'Three Act Tragedy'. In 2011 he appeared as Bernard in the sitcom Outnumbered, and latterly as Alistair in an episode of Vicious, broadcast in June 2015.
Personal life In 1968, Pegram married Zanzibar-born ex Royal Ballet principal and actress April Olrich, one of his co-stars in Wait a Minim!, on top of Coit Tower in San Francisco prior to their move to London the following year. They remained married for 46 years until her death in April 2014. Upon her death. he took over sponsoring her April Olrich Award for Dynamic Performance which she founded at the Royal Ballet School in Richmond Park.
Filmography YearTitleRole Notes1970Frost on SundayPerformerTX: 4/1/1970Up Pompeii!SoldierEpisode: "Britannicus"1972The Sooty ShowGuest (self)Series 7, episode 21973Outa-SpaceVoice (n/a)7 episodes1973 – 1974Robert's RobotsEric, Parrot (voice), Mini (voice)14 episodes1974Funny Ha-HaOn-screen participantEpisode: "Don't Blame Us!" The Tomorrow PeopleGrandfather/ Traffic Warden6 episodes1975Larry GraysonVirgil, Newsreader, Various characters5 episodesThe World of TelevisionNarrator (voice)6 episodes1976Keep It Up DownstairsCount Von SchillingFilm1977Space: 1999CernikEpisode: "The Seance Spectre"The Punch ReviewVarious characters 6 episodesThe Other OnePeter WarrSeries 1, episode 71977 – 1978Get Some In!Group-Captain Ruark8 episodes1980Can We Get on Now, Please?Mr Withers Episode: "Pettigrew's Last Stand"DaisyRadio announcerTV movieLeave it to CharlieJustinEpisode: "A Star is Born"The ProfessionalsWendellEpisode: "The Gun"Watch This Spacen/aEpisode: "Skwirt"1983Princess DaisyDr. HarrisTV mini seriesTom, Dick and HarrietJ.T.Episode: "Baby Blues"1984The Front LineCentre clerkSeries 1, episode 31985Fresh FieldsMr BradleyEpisode: "A Waiting Game"1986The American WayMrs Willa WestinghouseFilmThe Singing DetectiveBuskerEpisode: "Skin"1987Hardwicke HouseMr Van der GitEpisode: "The Visit"Pulaski: The TV DetectiveTV Director4 episodes1988Stowaways on the ArkJapeth/ Old Woodworm (voice)Film1989All Dogs Go To HeavenSir Reginald (voice)FilmCapital CityRalph Goldring2 episodes1990Drop the Dead DonkeyMinisterEpisode: "Old Father Time"Screen OneWilliam Henderson Episode: "News Hounds"Never Come BackDr. CarverTV mini series1991The Winjin' PomFrazer (voice)TV seriesThe Diamond Brothers: South by South EastPolice commissionerTV mini seriesAn American Tail: Fivel Goes WestVarious voicesFilm1992LovejoyDouglas RimmerEpisode: "Friends in High Places"The Power of OneMan guest #1FilmVan der ValkDidier ClebertEpisode: "The Ties that Bind"1993We're Back! A Dinosaur's Storyn/a (voice)Film1994Under the HammerMartinEpisode: "Wonders of the Deep"1994 – 1996Outside EdgeNigel15 episodes1995ProteusDr. ShelleyFilm1997MelissaSouth African DoctorSeries 1, episode 11998Enid Blyton's Enchanted LandsVarious voices7 episodesThe Ruth Rendell MysteriesOwen Struther2 episodesWritten in BloodFather BridghleyFilm1999One More KissOpera buffFilmMichael Palin's Hemingway AdventureErnest Hemingway (voice)Episode 41999 – 2010Simsala GrimmDoc Croc (voice)522001Watership DownGeneral Woundwort (voice)13 episodes2002Island Xtreme Stuntsn/a (voice)Video game2003DoctorsStan AllenEpisode: "A Job For Life"2005Rosamunde PilcherRobert (uncredited)Episode: "Vermächtnis der Liebe"Beneath Still WatersAdditional voicesFilm2010Agatha Christie's PoirotReverend BabingtonEpisode: "Three Act Tragedy"Simsala Grimm II: The Adventures of Yoyo and Doc CrocDoc Croc (voice)26 episodes2011OutnumberedBernardEpisode: "The Funeral"2015ViciousAlistairEpisode: "Stag Do" Selected Theatre roles YearTitleRole Notes1963 – 1964Satire RevueVarious charactersThe Blue Angel Club, London1964The Oxford RevueVarious charactersEdinburgh Festival 19641965The Carrier BaggersPerformerThe Poor Millionaire, LondonThe Oxford – Cambridge RevueVarious charactersSecond City Theatre, Chicago1966 – 1968Wait a Minim!PerformerJohn Golden Theatre, Colonial Theatre1969PostscriptsVarious charactersHampstead Theatre Club, Hampstead1975Curate's EggVicarMaximus Theatre, London1976Red Riding HoodDemon SheerspiteThorndike Theatre, Leatherhead1977Beeston CraigTV AnnouncerDolphin and Anchor Studio Theatre, Chichester1978Before BreakfastThe IntervieweeDolphin and Anchor Studio Theatre, Chichester1980Crown MatrimonialThe Duke of WindsorUK Tour1981The Best Little Whorehouse in TexasMelvin P. ThorpeTheatre Royal, Drury Lane, London1992The Case of the Dead FlamingoWilsonChurchill Theatre, Bromley1996HoraceTullus, King of RomeLyric Studio, London2003As You Like ItAdamShubert Theatre, Connecticut2006Eden's EmpireAmerican Secretary of State ByrnesFinborough Theatre, London2007Alphabetical OrderGeoffreyThe Mill at Sonning, Reading
References
External links Nigel Pegram at IMDb Nigel Peagram at IMDb Nigel Pegram at IBDM Nigel Pegram at British Comedy Guide Nigel Pegram at Theatricalia Nigel Pegram at Twitter Nigel Pegram at Avelyman