George Asprey (born 1 October 1966) is a British stage, film, and television character actor. Since 2008, Asprey has played the part of Scar in the West End theatre production of the musical The Lion King.
Early life Of Asprey's origins, the Daily Mirror said that his world had been one of "indecent wealth" and he was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth but a "silver shovel". The only son of Edward Asprey, of Asprey the jewellers, he was educated at Charterhouse School and was expected to join the family business on leaving school. Asprey rebelled, wishing instead to pursue an acting career. This was not welcomed by his father, and the pair did not speak for several months.Carole Aye Maung, "Rough diamond; Asprey rebel has a golden future as an actor", Daily Mirror (London), 23 May 1996, archived at thefreelibrary.com, accessed 23 November 2021 Asprey subsequently studied business in the United States, with a view to joining the family firm, but while there was cast in a stage production of The Tempest. This led him to audition for entry to the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), and at the age of twenty he was one of nineteen new students accepted out of some 2,500 applicants.
Career Soon after leaving LAMDA, Asprey was cast as Sean Devereux in the television film The Dying of the Light (Yorkshire Television, 1992). His character was a UNICEF aid worker who was murdered, and Asprey received good reviews for the performance. He appeared as a policeman in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1994).
In 1995, Asprey was cast as Tony Paterson, a promiscuous hairdresser, in the ITV television serial An Independent Man. In 2003 he played Doc Holliday in a BBC production, in 2016 appeared as Walter Monckton in The Crown,Robert Lacey, The Crown: The official book of the hit Netflix series (Bonnier Publishing, 2017), p. 407 and in 2021 played Jonathan Rees QC in Four Lives.
Asprey's longest-running part on stage is as Scar in the West End production of The Lion King, which he began to play in 2008 and was still performing in October 2019, when in an interview he described Scar as "probably the greatest baddie that Disney has ever written".Matt Wolf, "Longtime London The Lion King Star George Asprey Reflects on the Show's 20 Years in the West End", broadway.com, 18 October 2019, accessed 23 November 2021 The production had to close in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 lockdown, but it reopened at the Lyceum Theatre in July 2021, with Asprey returning as Scar."The Lion King cast ‘ecstatic’ ahead of show’s West End reopening", itv.com, 29 July 2021, accessed 23 November 2021
Personal life In 1992, while they were both appearing in The Sound of Music, Asprey dated Amanda Holden.Jim Maloney, Amanda Holden (Kings Road Publishing, 2011), p. 22
Asprey and his wife Kirsten have three daughters.Warren Humphries, "Ticketmaster meets The Lion King’s George Asprey", ticketmaster.co.uk, 19 September 2014, accessed 23 November 2021
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1992 The Dying of the Light Sean Devereux Television film 1994 Mary Shelley's Frankenstein Policeman John Kenneth Muir, Horror Films of the 1990s (2011), p. 330 2000 Secrets & Lines Andrew H Television film 2002 AKA David, Lord Glendening Leonard Maltin, Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide: The Modern Era (2017), p. 18 2003 Out of Bounds Matthew Van Huet 2005 The Wedding Date Pat Ian Fleming: Bondmaker Officer Television film The Greatest Game Ever Played Wilfrid Reid John Willis, Barry Monush, Screen World: 2006 Film Annual (2006), p. 126 Riot at the Rite Journalist Television film 2019 The Gentlemen Lord Snowball 2021 Without Remorse Denis Stewart Without Remorse review, flickeringmyth.com, accessed 24 November 2021 2024 The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare Commander Hopkirk 2025 Heavyweight Harry
Television Year Title Role Notes 1994 Screen One 2nd Lieutenant Episode: "A Breed of Heroes" 1995 An Independent Man Tony Patterson Series regular; 7 episodes 1997 The Peter Principle Simon Episode: "The Midas Touch" 1998 Coming Home Dr Jeremy Wells Miniseries; 2 episodes Supply & Demand Terry James Episode: "Blood Ties" The Bill Anthony Howarth Episode: "Trial Run" 1998–1999 Trial & Retribution DC Jack Hutchins Recurring role; 4 episodes 1999 Nancherrow Jeremy Wells Miniseries; 2 episodes 2003 Holby City Simon Hargreaves Episode: "Love Nor Money" 2006 The Afternoon Play Boniface Episode: "Molly" The Gil Mayo Mysteries Adam Kendrick Episode: "A Species of Revenge" The Bill Andrew King Episode: "Little Black Book" 2007 Waking the Dead Young Bruno Rivelli Episode: "Mask of Sanity" The Wild West Doc Holliday Episode: "The Gunfight at the OK Corral" Shirley Ayn Linder, Doc Holliday in Film and Literature (McFarland, 2014), p. 150 2008 New Tricks Cameron Wyatt Episode: "A Face for Radio" 2009 Psychoville John George Haigh Episode: "Joy" 2010 Upstairs Downstairs Oswald Mosley Recurring role; 3 episodes 2016–2017 The Crown Walter Monckton Recurring role; 6 episodes 2021 Sex Education Jeff Groff Episode: "Series 3, Episode 6" 2022 Four Lives Jonathon Rees QC Episode: "Episode 3" 2024 Grantchester Professor Henry Waddingham Episode: "Series 9, Episode 6" A Very Royal Scandal Alastair Watson Episode: "Episode 1"
Notes
External links "George Asprey", IMDb "George Asprey", London Theatre Direct THE LION KING Education series: Episode 4 - An actor prepares, YouTube