The post-Covid log-jam of self-tapes generating nothing but tumbleweed has been broken. Four TV roles have materialised: a dumbfounded vicar in Pennyworth for Warner Brothers, Dominic Cummings’ careless-talking dad in Sky’s This England alongside Kenneth Branagh as Boris Johnson, a car crash of an old boy for Doctors, and a Tory Twat in a Hat at the mercy of Lucy in Meet the Richardsons. (There was also a fifth role as Rachel Nickell’s dad in Channel 4’s Deceit, but given how much plot and character emphasis morphed during the shoot itself, the dad’s scenes were left on the cutting room floor.) Hard on their heels (a third job for August ’23) came a three-day shoot for a Rightmove commercial featuring (for 1.3 seconds) a concerned old bloke in a velours shell-suit watering his house-plants.
I am ever grateful to the team at Wintersons for their continued efforts and support.
At six foot five, yet only the third tallest in his family, Tim is a patrician-looking actor, grey, balding and wrinkled. He is always up for parts requiring the “life well lived” look. Recent guesses as to his age have ranged from sixty-three to seventy-five but most people suggest sixty-nine. According to a Viennese studio runner, Tim’s wrinkled physiognomy in German would be described as faltig. ‘I’m deceptively old,’ she was informed. ‘It’s just that I’ve not worn well.’
Tim attended ALRA for a very postgraduate year in 1993/4. Since then, he has always played older than himself, but long gone are the days of being obliged to whiten his own hair. From serious to high camp, his favourite roles have been Osborne in Journey’s End, Captain Hook (twice), generic old bores in Agatha Christie, country solicitors, doctors, an undertaker in Chaos & Cadavers and (of course) mad professors for Sooty and Chucklevision. Since the iconic Marks & Spencers 2016 Christmas commercial he is much in demand as a Mad Santa, with an annual booking with Let’s Enjoy the Little Things in Kent.
Since first cracking open this site in 2014, there have been two drag queens (thus making his late mother very proud), a sexual deviant, a man who frightens children, a Catholic priest, a camp theatrical agent and a mad professor. Since being represented by Wintersons, he has been the right-hand Twix manager for a Russian commercial, a butler for Richards Russian tea (twice), a moustachioed John Cleese character for Irish Life, a Grandpa for Kinder Eggs and #Posh Santa to Janet McTeer’s Mrs Claus in the spectacular 2016 Marks & Spencer’s Christmas commercial directed by Tim Hooper. For Christmas 2017, Tim played Grandpa in the Asda Imaginarium commercial. During the same week, on the centenary of the Balfour Declaration, the chilling short film 100, Balfour Road was premiered. Tim played Sir Arthur Balfour, subsequently delivering an improvised apology on behalf of the British Empire to a thousand Palestinians gathered in Milan. Christmas 2018 saw Tim as a grouchy old Scrooge for Currys PC World
Having performed in so many pantos and Christmas shows, Tim has no fear of teenagers. In the world outside, Tim has taught “Drama” (whatever that is) and coached Grade 8 LAMDA in Acting, Devising and Public Speaking for International students. He also potters about the countryside giving “interesting talks” to Probus, U3A, Women’s Institute and Rotary Club groups.
For further comedy insights into some of the jobs mentioned, have a look at the actorish blogs section.
