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
2025
- Being Stanley Baxter as Self
- The Repair Shop on the Road as Self - Narrator
- 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
- Halo as Ackerson's Dad
- The Sandman as Dr. John Hathaway
- The Spirit of 1926 as Family Lawyer
2021
- The Colour Room as Gordon Forsythe
- Britain’s Scenic Railways as Narrator
2020
- Rebecca as Dr. Baker
- Between the Covers as Self
- Love Sarah as Felix
- 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
2017
- The Repair Shop as Self - Narrator
- 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
- Creation as Dr. Gully
- Into the Storm as Clement Attlee
- Ghosts in the Machine as Himself
- Spanish Flu: The Forgotten Fallen as Dr James Niven
- 1929: The Great Crash as Narrator
2008
- Criminal Justice as Harry Box
- Little Dorrit as Mr. Meagles
- How to Lose Friends & Alienate People as Richard Young
- The Madness and Misadventures of Munchausen as Self - 'Henry Salt'
- Gone Fishing as Old Bill
- The Man Who Lives with Bears as Self - Narrator (voice)
2007
- The 50 Greatest Television Dramas as Self
- Intervention as Dr. Martin
- Sherlock Holmes and the Baker Street Irregulars as Dr Watson
2006
- The One Show as Self - Guest
- Miss Potter as Rupert Potter
- Amazing Grace as Lord Dundas
- A War on Science as Narrator (voice)
- Fascism in Colour as Narrator (voice)
2005
- Doctor Who as Edwin Bracewell
- ShakespeaRe-Told
- Rag Tale as Tulloch 'Lucky' Lloyd
- A Passion for Churches as Narrator
2004
- Agatha Christie's Marple as Bradley
- Shoebox Zoo as The Storyteller (voice)
- Sea of Souls as Dr. Douglas Monaghan
- Lie with Me as DCI Collman
2003
- Canterbury Tales as Theo
- 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
- Battle of the Atlantic as Himself - Narrator
- Home Road Movies as Father
- The Entity
2001
- Rebel Heart as James Connolly
- Othello as Sinclair Carver
- The Whistle-Blower as D.I. Neil Sleightholme
- Behind Bars as Narrator
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
- Arthouse as Self
- Melissa as DCI Cameron
- Spice World as Brian
- Mr White Goes To Westminster as Ben White
1996
- The Crow Road as Kenneth McHoan
- Victory as Capt. Davidson
- Chaplin's Goliath as Narrator (voice)
- The Writing on the Wall as Bull
1995
- Sharman as James Webb
- Oliver's Travels as Baxter
- Richard III as Sir Richard Ratcliffe
- Ghostbusters of East Finchley as Joe Small
- The Turnaround as James Webb
- The Pen
- The Riddle of the Sands as Narrator
1994
- Junior Masterchef
- Hard Times as Stephen Blackpool
- Hard Times as Stephen Blackpool
1993
- Wall of Silence as Howard Mullen
1992
- Chaplin as Stage Manager
- In Dreams as Dr Gold
- God on the Rocks as Kenneth Marsh
- Tell Tale Hearts as Anthony Steadman
1991
- Murder Most Horrid as Chief Inspector
- Truly Madly Deeply as Sandy
- The Object of Beauty as Victor Swayle
1990
- The Witches as Mr Jenkins
- Yellowbacks as Alex McPherson
1989
- The Return of the Musketeers as Charles I
- The Rachel Papers as Gordon Highway
- Traffik as John Lithgow
- Bearskin: An Urban Fairytale as Jordan
1988
- The Modern World: Ten Great Writers as Titorelli
- The Play on One as Alex McPherson
- The Adventures of Baron Munchausen as Henry Salt
- Franz Kafka's 'The Trial' as Titorelli
- Just Ask for Diamond as Chief Inspector Snape
- Byrne About Byrne as Father/F.S. McDade
1987
- Hidden City as Anthony
- Friendship's Death as Sullivan
- The Interrogation of John as Det. Supt. Chase
- The Story of a Recluse as The Producer
- Coming Up Roses as Mr. Valentine
- Lily My Love as Colin
1986
- The Singing Detective as Dr Gibbon
- 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
- The Cherry Orchard as Lopakhin
- United Kingdom as Tony
1979
- One Fine Day as Third Man in Lift
1978
- Life of Shakespeare as King James I
- Will Shakespeare
- The Vanishing Army as Girling
- The Odd Job as Sergeant Mull
- Licking Hitler as Archie MacLean
- 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
- Clydescope as Model Boat Show Commentator (voice) (uncredited)
- The Cheviot, the Stag and the Black, Black Oil as Various
- Suilven Spring
1973
1970
- Play for Today as Luke