Donald Sumpter

Acting

Donald Sumpter

Born
(age 83)
Birthplace
Brixworth, Northamptonshire, England, UK
Credits
130 titles

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).

Signature work

Known For

Acting credits 130

YearTitleRole
2025 The Phoenician Scheme Film Chairman
2024 Limonov: The Ballad Film Eddie's Father
2023 Entitled TV Quincy (8 ep)
2021 The Cleaner TV Sir James (1 ep)
2020 Exposed: The Church's Darkest Secret TV Bishop Peter Ball (2 ep)
2019 Chernobyl TV Zharkov (2 ep)
2018 Les Misérables TV Mabeuf (3 ep)
2017 The Man Who Invented Christmas Film Haddock / Ghost of Marley
2015 In the Heart of the Sea Film Paul Macy
2015 Jekyll and Hyde TV Garson (10 ep)
2015 Coalition Film Paddy Ashdown
2015 12 Monkeys TV Seer (2 ep)
2014 One Child TV Jim Arthurton (4 ep)
2014 Bypass Film Grandfather
2014 New Worlds TV Sidney (2 ep)
2014 Quirke TV Josh Crawford (1 ep)
2013 Atlantis TV Tiresius (1 ep)
2013 Peaky Blinders TV Arthur Bigge (2 ep)
2013 The Mill TV Samuel Greg (4 ep)
2013 Endeavour TV Emil Valdemar (1 ep)
2012 The Secret of Crickley Hall TV Gordon Pyke (2 ep)
2011 The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Film Detective Inspector Gustaf Morell
2011 Black Mirror TV Julian Hereford (1 ep)
2011 The Murder at Road Hill House Film Peter Edlin QC
2011 Game of Thrones TV Maester Luwin (14 ep)
2011 Way of the Morris Film Voice of Creation
2010 Ultramarines: A Warhammer 40,000 Movie Film Pythol (voice)
2010 London Boulevard Film Pentonville Governor
2010 Among Us Film Man on bench
2009 Into the Storm Film Lord Halifax
2009 Being Human TV Kemp (9 ep)
2008 Einstein and Eddington Film Max Planck
2008 Merlin TV The Fisher King (1 ep)
2008 Tess of the D'Urbervilles TV Parson Tringham (3 ep)
2008 Hello Sailor! Film
2008 Heist Film King Edward
2007 Heroes and Villains TV (6 ep)
2007 The Sarah Jane Adventures TV Erasmus Darkening (2 ep)
2007 Eastern Promises Film Yuri
2007 Fallen Angel TV Simon Martlesham (3 ep)
2006 Dracula Film Alfred Singleton
2006 The Chatterley Affair Film Mr. Gerald Gardiner
2006 Eleventh Hour TV (1 ep)
2006 Anatomy of a Global Thriller: Behind the Scenes of The Constant Gardener Film Self
2005 The Constant Gardener Film Tim Donohue
2005 Doctor Who TV The President (1 ep)
2004 The Eagle: A Crime Odyssey TV Indenrigsminister Nacuk (2 ep)
2004 The Long Bank Holiday Film Alfie Clemens
2004 New Tricks TV Bobby 'Tar' Mcadam (1 ep)
2003 Seven Wonders of the Industrial World TV Farrington (1 ep)
2003 The Last Detective TV (1 ep)
2003 Serious & Organised TV Jimmy Fisk (1 ep)
2002 Rose and Maloney TV Ronnie Johnson (1 ep)
2002 Ultimate Force TV (1 ep)
2002 K-19: The Widowmaker Film Dr. Savran
2002 Spooks TV Stephen Kirby (1 ep)
2001 The Point Men Film Benni Baum
2001 The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby Film Mr. Brooker
2001 The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby TV Mr. Brooker (2 ep)
2001 In Deep TV Keith Sullivan (2 ep)
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