Donald Sumpter
Born: 1943-02-13 in Brixworth, Northamptonshire, England, UK
Known For: Acting
Biography
Donald Sumpter (born 13 February 1943) is an English actor. He has appeared in film and television since the mid-1960s. One of his early television appearances was the 1968 Doctor Who serial The Wheel in Space with Patrick Troughton as the Doctor. He appeared in Doctor Who again in the 1972 serial The Sea Devils with Jon Pertwee. He also appeared in the Doctor Who spin-off The Sarah Jane Adventures. His early film work included a lead role as real life British criminal Donald Neilson in the 1977 film, The Black Panther. He also appeared in many television films and serials, including adaptations of Dickens' novels: Nicholas Nickleby in 2001, Great Expectations in 1999 and Bleak House in 1985. Also in 1985, he was remembered for the part of villain Ronnie Day in Big Deal. He played the part of suspected serial killer Alexander Bonaparte Cust in the (1992) Agatha Christie's Poirot episode, The ABC Murders. He has also appeared in episodes of Midsomer Murders, The Bill, Holby City, and A Touch of Frost. He also had a recurring role as Uncle Ginger in the Children's BBC series The Queen's Nose. He played Harold Chapple in Our Friends in the North, and portrayed the physicist Max Planck in Einstein and Eddington. He has also been seen as Kemp in the horror-drama series Being Human. In 2011 he portrayed Maester Luwin in the HBO series Game of Thrones. His film appearances include The Constant Gardener (2005), K-19: The Widowmaker (2002), Enigma (2001) and Ultramarines: The Movie (2010).
Filmography
2025
- The Phoenician Scheme as Chairman
2024
- Limonov: The Ballad as Eddie's Father
2023
- Entitled as Quincy
2021
- The Cleaner as Sir James
2020
- Exposed: The Church's Darkest Secret as Bishop Peter Ball
2019
- Chernobyl as Zharkov
2018
- Les Misérables as Mabeuf
2017
- The Man Who Invented Christmas as Haddock / Ghost of Marley
2015
- 12 Monkeys as Seer
- In the Heart of the Sea as Paul Macy
- Coalition as Paddy Ashdown
- Doctor Who: Heaven Sent & Hell Bent as The President
- Jekyll and Hyde as Garson
2014
- Bypass as Grandfather
- New Worlds as Sidney
- Quirke as Josh Crawford
- One Child as Jim Arthurton
2013
- Peaky Blinders as Arthur Bigge
- Endeavour as Emil Valdemar
- Atlantis as Tiresius
- The Mill as Samuel Greg
2012
- The Secret of Crickley Hall as Gordon Pyke
2011
- Game of Thrones as Maester Luwin
- Black Mirror as Julian Hereford
- The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo as Detective Inspector Gustaf Morell
- The Murder at Road Hill House as Peter Edlin QC
- Way of the Morris as Voice of Creation
2010
- Among Us as Man on bench
- Ultramarines: A Warhammer 40,000 Movie as Pythol (voice)
- London Boulevard as Pentonville Governor
2009
- Being Human as Kemp
- Into the Storm as Lord Halifax
2008
- Merlin as The Fisher King
- Einstein and Eddington as Max Planck
- Heist as King Edward
- Tess of the D'Urbervilles as Parson Tringham
- Hello Sailor!
2007
- The Sarah Jane Adventures as Erasmus Darkening
- Eastern Promises as Yuri
- Heroes and Villains
- Fallen Angel as Simon Martlesham
2006
- Dracula as Alfred Singleton
- Anatomy of a Global Thriller: Behind the Scenes of The Constant Gardener as Self
- Eleventh Hour
2005
- Doctor Who as The President
- The Constant Gardener as Tim Donohue
2004
- New Tricks as Bobby 'Tar' Mcadam
- The Eagle: A Crime Odyssey as Indenrigsminister Nacuk
- The Long Bank Holiday as Alfie Clemens
2002
- Spooks as Stephen Kirby
- K-19: The Widowmaker as Dr. Savran
- Ultimate Force
- Rose and Maloney
2001
- The Point Men as Benni Baum
- In Deep as Keith Sullivan
- Enigma as Leveret
- The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby as Mr. Brooker
1999
- Great Expectations as Compeyson
- Great Expectations as Compeyson
1997
- Midsomer Murders as Tim Settingfield
- Tangier Cop as Ahmed Yaasin
- Bombay Blue as Supt. John Mayberry
1996
- Dalziel & Pascoe
- Our Friends in the North as Commander Harold Chapple
- Cold Lazarus as Dr. Rawl
1995
- Richard III as Brackenbury
- Queen's Nose as Uncle Ginger
1994
- Grushko as Kartashov
- Being Human as Salgado
- Crocodile Shoes
1992
- A Touch of Frost
- Between the Lines
- Bad Ronald as Michael, le père
1991
- Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead as Claudius
- Aimée as Frank
1990
- Drop the Dead Donkey
- The Chief as CS Derek Gillman
1989
- Agatha Christie's Poirot as Cust
1987
- The Ruth Rendell Mysteries as Edward Peveril
1985
- Time Trouble as Makov
- Bleak House as 'Nemo'
1984
1983
- Taggart
- Curse of the Pink Panther as Dave
1982
- The Brack Report as Paul Brack
1981
- Bergerac as Roscoe
- Antony & Cleopatra as Pompeius
1980
- The Tom Machine as Tom
1979
- Minder as Sudbury
- Shoestring
- Meetings with Remarkable Men as Pogossian
- A Light That Shines as Brother Martin Jerome
1978
- Les Misérables as Agent
1977
- Jesus of Nazareth as Aram
- BBC2 Play of the Week as Brother Martin Jerome
- Catchpenny Twist as Spalding
- Target as Heslop
- Hardcore as Mark
- The Black Panther as Donald Neilson
1975
- The Saliva Milkshake as Johnny
- Quiller as Brenman
1974
- Stardust as TV Concert Producer
- Mr. Axelford's Angel as David
1972
- Doctor Who: The Sea Devils as Commander Ridgeway
- The Breaking of Colonel Keyser as Dellow
1971
- Bleak Moments as Norman's Friend
- Justice as Villiers
- Sunday Bloody Sunday as Party Guest
1970
- Play for Today
- I Am a Groupie as Steve
- The Walking Stick as Max
- The Adventures of Don Quick as Gezool
- Mad Jack
1969
- Night After Night After Night as Pete Laver
1968
- The Lost Continent as Sparks, the Radioman
- Doctor Who: The Wheel in Space as Enrico Casali
- The Window Cleaner as David
1966
1963
- Doctor Who as Enrico Casali