Bill Paterson
Born: 1945-06-03 in Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland, UK
Known For: Acting
Biography
William Tulloch Paterson (born 3 June 1945) is a Scottish actor. Throughout his career he has appeared regularly in radio drama and provided the narration for a large number of documentaries. Paterson has appeared in films and television series including Comfort and Joy (1984), Traffik (1989), Auf Wiedersehen, Pet (1986), Truly, Madly, Deeply (1990), The Witches (1990), Wives and Daughters (1999), Sea of Souls (2004–2007), Amazing Grace (2006), Miss Potter (2006), Little Dorrit (2008), Doctor Who (2010), Outlander (2014), Fleabag (2016–2019), Inside No. 9 (2018), Good Omens (2019), Brassic (2020) and House of the Dragon (2022). He is a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Scottish BAFTAs. William Tulloch Paterson was born in Glasgow on 3 June 1945. Paterson was raised in Dennistoun by his father, a plumber, and his mother, a hairdresser. He states that his interest in acting began with a school trip to the Citizens Theatre in the Gorbals in 1961. However, after school he chose to initially pursue a career based on an interest in architecture and spent three years as a quantity surveyor's apprentice before deciding to attend the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
Filmography
2026
- Ladies First as Louis
2025
- The Repair Shop on the Road as Self - Narrator
- Being Stanley Baxter as Self
- The House Was Not Hungry Then as Father
2024
- Arthur's Whisky as Henry
- Children of the Wicker Man as Self
2023
- A Bear Named Wojtek as Zoo Director (voice)
2022
- House of the Dragon as Lord Lyman Beesbury
- The Sandman as Dr. John Hathaway
- Halo as Ackerson's Dad
- The Spirit of 1926 as Family Lawyer
2021
- The Colour Room as Gordon Forsythe
- Britain’s Scenic Railways as Narrator
2020
- Between the Covers as Self
- Love Sarah as Felix
- Rebecca as Dr. Baker
- Marionette as Dr. Mandelbaum
2019
- Good Omens as Tadfield Neighbourhood Watch
- Brassic as Tony Tillerton
- Guilt as Roy Lynch
- The Day Mountbatten Died as Narrator (voice)
2018
- Happy New Year, Colin Burstead as Gordon Burstead
- Wonderdate as Kolodon
- Zanzibar as Mr Green
2017
- The Repair Shop as Narrator (voice)
- Urban Myths as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
- The Man Who Invented Christmas as Mr. Grimsby
2016
- Fleabag as Dad
- Dad's Army as Private Frazer
- The Rebel as Charles
- Churchill's Secret as Lord Moran
2015
- High-Rise as Mercer
- The Vote as Simon Featherstone
- Hitler on Trial: The Truth Behind the Story
2014
- Outlander as Ned Gowan
- Inside No. 9 as Mr. Green
- Scot Squad as Sir Neville Archibald
- 37 Days as Lord Morley
- Documenting John Grierson as Narrator
2012
- Dirk Gently as Professor Jericho
- Them From That Thing as Various
- Scotland's Finest: The Story of the Highland Games as Narrator
2011
- Fast Freddie, the Widow and Me as Judge Underwood
- The Man who Crossed Hitler as Kurt Ohnesorge
- The Phoenix: A Century of Cinema as Narrator (Voice)
2010
- The Michael Ball Show as Self
- Birds Britannia
2009
- Law & Order: UK as George Castle
- Into the Storm as Clement Attlee
- Creation as Dr. Gully
- Spanish Flu: The Forgotten Fallen as Dr James Niven
- Ghosts in the Machine as Himself
- 1929: The Great Crash as Narrator
2008
- Little Dorrit as Mr. Meagles
- Criminal Justice as Harry Box
- How to Lose Friends & Alienate People as Richard Young
- The Madness and Misadventures of Munchausen as Self - 'Henry Salt'
- The Man Who Lives with Bears as Self - Narrator (voice)
- Gone Fishing as Old Bill
2007
- The 50 Greatest Television Dramas as Self
- Sherlock Holmes and the Baker Street Irregulars as Dr Watson
- Amazing Grace as Lord Dundas
- Sherlock Holmes and the Baker Street Irregulars as Dr Watson
- Intervention as Dr. Martin
2006
- The One Show as Self - Guest
- Miss Potter as Rupert Potter
- A War on Science as Narrator (voice)
- Fascism in Colour as Narrator (voice)
2005
- Doctor Who as Edwin Bracewell
- ShakespeaRe-Told
- A Passion for Churches as Narrator
- Rag Tale as Tulloch 'Lucky' Lloyd
2004
- Agatha Christie's Marple as Bradley
- Sea of Souls as Dr. Douglas Monaghan
- Shoebox Zoo as The Storyteller (voice)
- Lie with Me as DCI Collman
2003
- Canterbury Tales as Theo
- Trust as John Tilson
- Bright Young Things as Sir James Brown
- Danielle Cable: Eyewitness as DI Nick Biddiss
2002
- Foyle's War as Patrick Jamieson
- Born and Bred as Harry Woolf
- Doctor Zhivago as Alexander Maximovich Gromeko
- Crush as Gerald
- The Entity
- Battle of the Atlantic as Himself - Narrator
- Home Road Movies as Father
2001
- Rebel Heart as James Connolly
- Swallow as Angus Tighe
- Othello as Sinclair Carver
- Behind Bars as Narrator
- The Whistle-Blower as D.I. Neil Sleightholme
2000
- The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne
- Complicity as Wallace Byatt
1999
- Wives and Daughters as Mr Gibson
- Sunshine as Minister of Justice
- The Match as Tommy
- Heart as Mr. Kreitman
- Chrono-Perambulator as Professor Teddy Knox
1998
- Hilary and Jackie as Cello Teacher
- The Animal Train as Walrus
1997
- Melissa as DCI Cameron
- Spice World as Brian
- Arthouse as Self
- Mr White Goes To Westminster as Ben White
1996
- The Crow Road as Kenneth McHoan
- The Writing on the Wall as Bull
- Chaplin's Goliath as Narrator (voice)
- Victory as Capt. Davidson
1995
- The Ghostbusters of East Finchley as Joe Small
- Richard III as Sir Richard Ratcliffe
- Oliver's Travels as Baxter
- Sharman as James Webb
- The Turnaround as James Webb
- The Pen
- The Riddle of the Sands as Narrator
1994
- Junior Masterchef
- Hard Times as Stephen Blackpool
- Funky Black Shorts as Teacher
1993
- Wall of Silence as Howard Mullen
1992
- Chaplin as Stage Manager
- God on the Rocks as Kenneth Marsh
- In Dreams as Dr Gold
- Tell Tale Hearts as Anthony Steadman
1991
- Murder Most Horrid as Chief Inspector
- The Object of Beauty as Victor Swayle
- Truly Madly Deeply as Sandy
- Shrinks as Matt Hennessey
1990
- The Witches as Mr Jenkins
- Yellowbacks as Alex McPherson
1989
- Screen One as PC Howard Mullen
- Traffik as Jack Lithgow
- The Return of the Musketeers as Charles I
- The Rachel Papers as Gordon Highway
- Bearskin: An Urban Fairytale as Jordan
1988
- The Play on One as Alex McPherson
- The Modern World: Ten Great Writers as Titorelli
- The Adventures of Baron Munchausen as Henry Salt
- Just Ask for Diamond as Chief Inspector Snape
- Franz Kafka's 'The Trial' as Titorelli
- Byrne About Byrne as Father/F.S. McDade
1987
- The Story of a Recluse as The Producer
- Friendship's Death as Sullivan
- Hidden City as Anthony
- Lily My Love as Colin
- The Interrogation of John as Det. Supt. Chase
- Coming Up Roses as Mr. Valentine
1986
- The Singing Detective as Dr Gibbon
- ScreenPlay as Colin
- Defence of the Realm as Jack Macleod
- God's Chosen Car Park as Victor Rosen
1985
- Dutch Girls as Mr Mole
- Shooting from the Heart: Chris Menges, Cameraman as Self
1984
- The Killing Fields as Dr. MacEntire
- A Private Function as Wormold
- Comfort and Joy as Alan
1983
- Auf Wiedersehen, Pet as Ally Fraser
- The Ploughman's Lunch as Lecturer
1982
- Smiley's People as Lauder Strickland
1981
- United Kingdom as Tony
- The Cherry Orchard as Lopakhin
1979
- One Fine Day as Third Man in Lift
1978
- Scottish Playbill as Cannavan
- Licking Hitler as Archie MacLean
- The Vanishing Army as Girling
- The Odd Job as Sergeant Mull
- Jackie McCafferty's Romance as Bus Conductor
1977
- BBC2 Play of the Week as Girling
- The Thin End of the Wedge as Luke
- The Garden Beyond as Jim Finlayson
1974
- The Cheviot, the Stag and the Black, Black Oil as Various
- Suilven Spring
- Clydescope as Model Boat Show Commentator (voice) (uncredited)
1973
1970
- Play for Today as Luke