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
- The House Was Not Hungry Then as Father
2024
- A Bear Named Wojtek as Zoo Director (voice)
- Arthur's Whisky as Henry
- Children of the Wicker Man as Self
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
- Marionette as Dr. Mandelbaum
- Between the Covers as Self
- Love Sarah as Felix
2019
- Brassic as Tony Tillerton
- Good Omens as Tadfield Neighbourhood Watch
- 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
- Churchill's Secret as Lord Moran
- The Rebel as Charles
2015
- The Vote as Simon Featherstone
- Hitler on Trial: The Truth Behind the Story
- High-Rise as Mercer
2014
- Outlander as Ned Gowan
- Inside No. 9 as Mr. Green
- Documenting John Grierson as Narrator
- Scot Squad as Sir Neville Archibald
- 37 Days as Lord Morley
2012
- Dirk Gently as Professor Jericho
- Them From That Thing as Various
- Scotland's Finest: The Story of the Highland Games as Narrator
2011
- The Man who Crossed Hitler as Kurt Ohnesorge
- The Phoenix: A Century of Cinema as Narrator (Voice)
- Fast Freddie, the Widow and Me as Judge Underwood
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
- Gone Fishing as Old Bill
- How to Lose Friends & Alienate People as Richard Young
- Little Dorrit as Mr. Meagles
- Criminal Justice as Harry Box
- The Madness and Misadventures of Munchausen as Self - 'Henry Salt'
- The Man Who Lives with Bears as Self - Narrator (voice)
2007
- Intervention as Dr. Martin
- Sherlock Holmes and the Baker Street Irregulars as Dr Watson
- The 50 Greatest Television Dramas as Self
2006
- The One Show as Self - Guest
- Amazing Grace as Lord Dundas
- Miss Potter as Rupert Potter
- Fascism in Colour as Narrator (voice)
- A War on Science 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
- Lie with Me as DCI Collman
- Shoebox Zoo as The Storyteller (voice)
- Sea of Souls as Dr. Douglas Monaghan
2003
- Bright Young Things as Sir James Brown
- Canterbury Tales as Theo
- Danielle Cable: Eyewitness as DI Nick Biddiss
2002
- Foyle's War as Patrick Jamieson
- Crush as Gerald
- Born and Bred as Harry Woolf
- Doctor Zhivago as Alexander Gromyko
- Battle of the Atlantic as Himself - Narrator
- The Entity
- Home Road Movies as Father
2001
- Othello as Sinclair Carver
- The Whistle-Blower as D.I. Neil Sleightholme
- Rebel Heart as James Connolly
- Behind Bars as Narrator
2000
- Complicity as Wallace Byatt
- The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne
1999
- Sunshine as Minister of Justice
- Heart as Mr. Kreitman
- The Match as Tommy
- Wives and Daughters as Mr. Gibson
- Chrono-Perambulator as Professor Teddy Knox
1998
- Hilary and Jackie as Cello Teacher
- The Animal Train as Walrus
1997
- Mr White Goes To Westminster as Ben White
- Melissa as DCI Cameron
- Spice World as Brian
- Arthouse as Self
1996
- Victory as Capt. Davidson
- Chaplin's Goliath as Narrator (voice)
- The Writing on the Wall as Bull
- The Crow Road as Kenneth McHoan
1995
- Richard III as Sir Richard Ratcliffe
- The Pen
- Sharman as James Webb
- Oliver's Travels as Baxter
- Ghostbusters of East Finchley as Joe Small
- The Turnaround as James Webb
- 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
- God on the Rocks as Kenneth Marsh
- In Dreams as Dr Gold
- Tell Tale Hearts as Anthony Steadman
1991
- Truly Madly Deeply as Sandy
- Murder Most Horrid as Chief Inspector
- 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
- A Wanted Man as Det. Supt. Chase
- Bearskin: An Urban Fairytale as Jordan
1988
- The Adventures of Baron Munchausen as Henry Salt
- Just Ask for Diamond as Chief Inspector Snape
- Byrne About Byrne as Father/F.S. McDade
- The Play on One as Alex McPherson
- The Modern World: Ten Great Writers as Titorelli
- Franz Kafka's 'The Trial' as Titorelli
1987
- Hidden City as Anthony
- Coming Up Roses as Mr. Valentine
- The Interrogation of John as Det. Supt. Chase
- Friendship's Death as Sullivan
- Lily My Love as Colin
1986
- Defence of the Realm as Jack Macleod
- The Singing Detective as Dr Gibbon
- God's Chosen Car Park as Victor Rosen
1985
- Shooting from the Heart: Chris Menges, Cameraman as Self
- Dutch Girls as Mr Mole
1984
- The Killing Fields as Dr. MacEntire
- Comfort and Joy as Alan
- A Private Function as Wormold
1983
- The Ploughman's Lunch as Lecturer
- Auf Wiedersehen, Pet as Ally Fraser
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
- Life of Shakespeare as King James I
- Will Shakespeare
- The Odd Job as Sergeant Mull
- Licking Hitler as Archie MacLean
- The Vanishing Army as Girling
- 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
1970
- Play for Today as Luke