Timothy Peter Pigott-Smith (13 May 1946 – 7 April 2017) was a British actor and author. For his leading role as Ronald Merrick in the television drama series The Jewel in the Crown, he won the British Academy Television Award for Best Actor in 1985. Other television roles included appearance in The Chief, Midsomer Murders, The Vice, The Suspicions of Mr Whicher, King Charles III and two Doctor Who stories (The Claws of Axos (1971) and The Masque of Mandragora (1976). Pigott-Smith appeared in films including Clash of the Titans (1981), Gangs of New York (2002), Johnny English (2003), Alexander (2004), V for Vendetta (2005), Quantum of Solace (2008), Red 2 (2013) and Jupiter Ascending (2015).

Early life Pigott-Smith was born in Rugby, Warwickshire, the son of Margaret Muriel (née Goodman) and Harry Thomas Pigott-Smith, who was a journalist. He was educated at Wyggeston Boys' School, Leicester, King Edward VI School, Stratford-upon-Avon, and Bristol University. He trained as an actor at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.

Career

Film and television After a long career in smaller roles, Pigott-Smith's appearance as Arthur Llewellyn Davies in the BBC's mini-series The Lost Boys led to his gaining his big break with the leading role of Ronald Merrick in the 1984 television serial The Jewel in the Crown. Other appearances include the title role in the crime drama series The Chief (1990–93), a recurring role in ITV drama The Vice as Ken Stott's nemesis Vickers, and Bloody Sunday. He appeared in two adaptations of Elizabeth Gaskell's North and South; in the 1975 version he played Frederick Hale, and in 2004 he played Frederick's father Richard. In 1995, he starred in a serial of the series Ghosts.

Pigott-Smith appeared twice in Doctor Who: in the stories The Claws of Axos (1971) and The Masque of Mandragora (1976).

Pigott-Smith was a regular narrator of documentary television series. He narrated The Team: A Season with McLaren, a six-episode BBC series about the 1993 season with McLaren Racing. He also narrated the Battlefield series, which examines pivotal battles of the Second World War from an operations point of view. Later, he narrated a series on the British Royal Family, entitled Monarchy: The Royal Family at Work. The series followed Queen Elizabeth II for more than a year, including the 2007 state visit to the United States.

From 2011 to 2014, he portrayed Commissioner Mayne in the ITV drama series The Suspicions of Mr Whicher, written by Helen Edmundson.

Pigott-Smith appeared in Lewis in 2015 as a taxidermist in the episode "One For Sorrow". He also appeared on the ITV series, Downton Abbey in the third series' (third season) fifth episode as obstetrician/gynaecologist Sir Philip Tapsell, who was present at the death of Lady Sybil Branson (Jessica Brown Findlay) from eclampsia after giving birth to her daughter.

His film career included the 2004 film Alexander, The Four Feathers, Clash of the Titans, Gangs of New York, Johnny English, The Remains of the Day and V for Vendetta. He also appeared as Major General Robert Ford in director Paul Greengrass's Bloody Sunday (2002), and as the Foreign Secretary in the James Bond film Quantum of Solace (2008). In February 2010 Pigott-Smith played Alan Keen in the television film On Expenses. He also had a cameo appearance as Sniggs in the BBC production of Evelyn Waugh's Decline and Fall in 2017. His final film role was that of Sir Henry Ponsonby, Queen Victoria's Private Secretary, in Victoria & Abdul (2017).

Stage and radio Pigott-Smith worked in the theatre in Shakespearean and Greek roles, including Posthumus in John Barton's 1974 production of Cymbeline for the Royal Shakespeare Company. In early stage roles he was credited as "Tim Smith". He produced and appeared in Saki: a celebration at the National Theatre, with Dirk Bogarde, Barbara Leigh-Hunt and Zoë Wanamaker, later issued as an audio book.Saki: a celebration - Hodder Headline Audiobooks, 1994 retrieved at WorldCat 15 August 2024.

In 2011 he took the title role in King Lear at the West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds.

Contemporary works included Enron, playing Ken Lay, for the Chichester Festival Theatre, and then London, in 2009 and Tobias in A Delicate Balance at the Almeida Theatre, London in 2011. He returned to the Almeida in 2014 as a post-accession Charles, Prince of Wales in King Charles III, for which he received a nomination for the Olivier Award for Best Actor, and his first Tony Award nomination for its production on Broadway in 2015. He also appeared as Charles in the 2017 film adaptation of the play.

Pigott-Smith was also a radio actor, appearing in many productions on BBC Radio 4.

Writing During the making of The Jewel in the Crown, Pigott-Smith wrote a diary on his impressions of India. This was published together with an anthology of poetry and prose under the title Out of India.

Pigott-Smith wrote two children's books in the series The Baker Street Mysteries, featuring the exploits of Sherlock Holmes' Baker Street Irregulars – The Dragon Tattoo (2008) and Shadow of Evil (2009). He played Holmes in a BBC Radio adaptation of The Valley of Fear.

Death Pigott-Smith died on 7 April 2017 at age 70 from a heart attack in Northampton, where he had been preparing to appear in a touring production of Death of a Salesman that was set to begin three days later. His wife Pamela Miles was also originally scheduled to appear in the play but had withdrawn after breaking a bone and needing surgery. He is buried on the east side of Highgate Cemetery.

Filmography and more

Film Year Title Role Director(s) Notes 1976 Aces High Major Stoppard Jack Gold 1977 Joseph Andrews Cornet Tony Richardson 1980 Sweet William Gerald Claude Whatham Richard's Things Peter Anthony Harvey 1981 Clash of the Titans Thallo Desmond Davis Escape to Victory Major Rose John Huston 1986 A State of Emergency Father Joe Ryan Richard C. Bennett 1993 The Remains of the Day Thomas Benn James Ivory 2000 Innocents James Wisheart Peter Kosminsky 2002 Safe Conduct Fleming Bertrand Tavernier Bloody Sunday Major General Robert Ford Paul Greengrass The Four Feathers General Faversham Shekhar Kapur Gangs of New York Calvinist Minister Martin Scorsese 2003 Johnny English Pegasus, Head of MI7 Peter Howitt Eroica Count Dietrichstein Simon Cellan Jones 2004 Alexander Omen Reader Oliver Stone 2006 V for Vendetta Peter Creedy James McTeigue L'Entente Cordiale S.I. Masterson Vincent De Brus Flyboys Mr. Lowry Tony Bill 2008 Quantum of Solace Foreign Secretary Marc Forster 2010 Alice in Wonderland Lord Ascot Tim Burton 2011 My Piece of the Pie Mr. Brown Cédric Klapisch 2013 Red 2 Director Philips Dean Parisot 2015 Jupiter Ascending Malidictes The Wachowskis 2016 Whisky Galore! Woolsey Gillies MacKinnon 2017 6 Days William Whitelaw Toa Fraser Posthumous release King Charles III Charles III Rupert Goold Victoria & Abdul Sir Henry Ponsonby Stephen Frears The Little Vampire 3D Frederick Richard Claus & Karsten Kiilerich Posthumous release, voice (final film role)

Television Year Title Role Director(s) Notes 1971 Doctor Who (The Claws of Axos) Captain Harker Michael Ferguson Parts 3 and 4 1975 North and South Frederick Hale Rodney Bennett 1 episode 1976 Doctor Who (The Masque of Mandragora) Marco 4 episodes 1979 Measure for Measure Angelo Desmond Davis BBC Shakespeare series Danger UXB Harry Winthrop Simon Langton Henry IV Pt 1 Henry 'Hotspur' Percy David Giles BBC Shakespeare series 1980 'Tis Pity She's a Whore Vasques Roland Joffé BBC 1981 Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years Brendan Bracken Ferdinand Fairfax 8 episodes 1982 I Remember Nelson Capt. Thomas Hardy 4 episodes 1984 The Jewel in the Crown Ronald Merrick Main cast 1986 Dead Man's Folly Sir George Stubbs Clive Donner Television movie 1987 Life Story Francis Crick Mick Jackson 1988 BAFTA TV Award as the Best Single Drama 1990–1993 The Chief Chief Constable John StaffordFirst two series plus two episodes of series three1993 The Team – A Season With McLaren Narrator 1 series, 6 episodes1994 Battlefield 3 series2002SpooksHampton WilderSeries 1, Episode 5: "The Rose Bed Memoirs"2003The Day Britain StoppedNarratorDramatic pseudo-documentary television film2004 North and SouthRichard HaleMain cast2006 Agatha Christie's PoirotDr. Lionel WoodwardSeries 10, Episode: "Taken at the Flood"2007 HolbyBlueDCI Harry HutchinsonSeries 12008Midsomer MurdersMatt ParkesRenny RyeEpisode: "Days of Misrule"2010Foyle's WarBrigadier Timothy WilsonStuart OrmeSeries 6, Episode 12011The HourLord ElmsCoky Giedroyc, Jamie PayneSeries 1, Episodes 1, 2 and 62012Downton AbbeySir Philip TapsellJeremy WebbSeries 3, Episode 52011–2014The Suspicions of Mr WhicherCommissioner MayneScreenplay by Helen Edmundson 2013 Wodehouse in Exile P.G. Wodehouse Tim Fywell Screenplay by Nigel Williams Silent Witness John Briggs Laura Mackie, Jessica Pope Series 16, Episode 1 ("Change Pt. 1") MirandaValerie Jackford Series 3, Episode 3 2014 37 Days Herbert Henry Asquith Justin Hardy 3-part TV miniseries 2015 Lewis Jasper Hammond Nicholas Laughland Series 9, Episode 1 ("One For Sorrow" parts 1 and 2)

Audiobook narration Year Book title Author Release date2000Blue at the MizzenPatrick O'Brian5 JulyThe Fortune of WarDesolation IslandThe Far Side of the World7 NovemberThe Ionian Mission5 JulyThe Letter of Marque4 JulyThe Mauritius Command5 July2001The Nutmeg of Consolation7 August2000The Reverse of the Medal5 JulyThe Surgeon's Mate2001The Thirteen Gun Salute5 JuneThe Truelove9 October2002The Wine-Dark Sea22 January2000Treason's Harbour10 OctoberSeven Years in TibetHeinrich Harrer5 July1995The Warlord TrilogyBernard Cornwell2000Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible VoyageAlfred Lansing23 May

Awards and honours Pigott-Smith won the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in 1985, for his role in The Jewel in the Crown. In 2014–15, he was nominated for the Laurence Olivier Award and the Tony Award for his lead role in the play King Charles III. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2017 New Year Honours for services to drama.

Awards and nominations Year Award Category Work ResultRef. 1985 BAFTA TV Awards Best Actor The Jewel in the Crown 2002 Fantasporto Award Directors' Week Award for Best Actor Bloody Sunday 2010Laurence Olivier AwardsBest Actor in a Supporting RoleEnron2015Best ActorKing Charles III 2018 BAFTA TV Awards

References

External links Tim Pigott-Smith at the British Film Institute

Tim Pigott-Smith(Aveleyman)