Rupert Vansittart
Encyclopedia
Rupert Vansittart is an English
character actor
. He has appeared in a variety of roles in film, television, radio and on stage, often playing comic or serio-comic characters.
Vansittart is known to fans of the Pride and Prejudice
serial as the actor who portrayed Mr. Hurst, the brother-in-law of Charles and Caroline Bingley. He has also worked with Rowan Atkinson
, having appeared as a guest star in two episodes of Mr. Bean
and also The Thin Blue Line
. He has just completed filming "Johnny English Reborn" the sequel to "Johnny English", both starring Rowan Atkinson.
Vansittart was one of three surviving cast members from the original 1992 series of Heartbeat, having had a frequently recurring role as minor aristocrat Lord Charles Ashfordly.
In 1994, he appeared in the film Braveheart
as Lord Bottoms. He went on to star opposite Hugh Grant in ""Four Weddings and a Funeral
"" as George the Boor at the Boatman in 1995. In 2003 he appeared in the West End adaptation of Arsenic and Old Lace
, also starring Michael Richards
. In 2005 he appeared in the "Market for Murder" episode of Midsomer Murders
and, that same year, as General Asquith in the two Doctor Who
episodes, "Aliens of London
" and "World War Three
", along with Billie Piper and Christopher Eccleston. In 2006, Vansittart portrayed Thomas J. Dodd
in the BBC
three part drama documentary Nuremberg: Nazis on Trial
. He also appeared in the 2008 BBC serial Spartacus
as Consul
Lentulus
and in 2009 in Margaret as Peter Morrison
. In 2010 he appeared in Doctors as Anthony Chippington, a friend of Charlie's. He most recently played Harrison Ashton Lard, the "posh girl's father", in How Not To Live Your Life
.
He provided additional voice-over for World's Craziest Fools
.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
character actor
Character actor
A character actor is one who predominantly plays unusual or eccentric characters. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a character actor as "an actor who specializes in character parts", defining character part in turn as "an acting role displaying pronounced or unusual characteristics or...
. He has appeared in a variety of roles in film, television, radio and on stage, often playing comic or serio-comic characters.
Vansittart is known to fans of the Pride and Prejudice
Pride and Prejudice
Pride and Prejudice is a novel by Jane Austen, first published in 1813. The story follows the main character Elizabeth Bennet as she deals with issues of manners, upbringing, morality, education and marriage in the society of the landed gentry of early 19th-century England...
serial as the actor who portrayed Mr. Hurst, the brother-in-law of Charles and Caroline Bingley. He has also worked with Rowan Atkinson
Rowan Atkinson
Rowan Sebastian Atkinson is a British actor, comedian, and screenwriter. He is most famous for his work on the satirical sketch comedy show Not The Nine O'Clock News, and the sitcoms Blackadder, Mr. Bean and The Thin Blue Line...
, having appeared as a guest star in two episodes of Mr. Bean
Mr. Bean
Mr. Bean is a British comedy television programme series of 14 half-hour episodes written by and starring Rowan Atkinson as the title character. Different episodes were also written by Robin Driscoll, Richard Curtis and one by Ben Elton. The pilot episode was broadcast on ITV on 1 January 1990,...
and also The Thin Blue Line
The Thin Blue Line (TV series)
The Thin Blue Line is a British sitcom starring Rowan Atkinson set in a police station that ran for two series on the BBC from 1995 to 1996...
. He has just completed filming "Johnny English Reborn" the sequel to "Johnny English", both starring Rowan Atkinson.
Vansittart was one of three surviving cast members from the original 1992 series of Heartbeat, having had a frequently recurring role as minor aristocrat Lord Charles Ashfordly.
In 1994, he appeared in the film Braveheart
Braveheart
Braveheart is a 1995 epic historical drama war film directed by and starring Mel Gibson. The film was written for the screen and then novelized by Randall Wallace...
as Lord Bottoms. He went on to star opposite Hugh Grant in ""Four Weddings and a Funeral
Four Weddings and a Funeral
Four Weddings and a Funeral is a 1994 British comedy film directed by Mike Newell. It was the first of several films by screenwriter Richard Curtis to feature Hugh Grant...
"" as George the Boor at the Boatman in 1995. In 2003 he appeared in the West End adaptation of Arsenic and Old Lace
Arsenic and Old Lace (play)
Arsenic and Old Lace is a play by American playwright Joseph Kesselring, written in 1939. It has become best known through the film adaptation starring Cary Grant and directed by Frank Capra. The play was directed by Bretaigne Windust, and opened on January 10, 1941. On September 25, 1943, the...
, also starring Michael Richards
Michael Richards
Michael Anthony Richards is an American actor, comedian, writer and television producer, best known for his portrayal of the eccentric Cosmo Kramer on the television sitcom Seinfeld....
. In 2005 he appeared in the "Market for Murder" episode of Midsomer Murders
Midsomer Murders
Midsomer Murders is a British television detective drama that has aired on ITV since 1997. The show is based on the books by Caroline Graham, as originally adapted by Anthony Horowitz. The lead character is DCI Tom Barnaby who works for Causton CID. When Nettles left the show in 2011 he was...
and, that same year, as General Asquith in the two Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
episodes, "Aliens of London
Aliens of London
"Aliens of London" is the fourth episode of the first series of the British science fiction television show Doctor Who that was first broadcast on 16 April 2005. The Doctor takes Rose back to 21st century London, just in time to witness a spaceship crashing into the River Thames, triggering a...
" and "World War Three
World War Three (Doctor Who)
"World War Three" is the fifth episode of the first series in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who that was first broadcast on 23 April 2005. It is the second of a two-part story. The first part, "Aliens of London", was broadcast on 16 April...
", along with Billie Piper and Christopher Eccleston. In 2006, Vansittart portrayed Thomas J. Dodd
Thomas J. Dodd
Thomas Joseph Dodd was a United States Senator and Representative from Connecticut, He was the first Senator censured by the US Senate since Joseph McCarthy in 1954, and was one of only six people censured by the Senate in the 20th century. He is the father of former U.S. Senator Christopher Dodd...
in the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
three part drama documentary Nuremberg: Nazis on Trial
Nuremberg: Nazis on Trial
Nuremberg: Nazis on Trial, is a BBC documentary film series consisting of three one-hour films that re-enact the Nuremberg War Trials of Albert Speer, Hermann Göring and Rudolf Hess...
. He also appeared in the 2008 BBC serial Spartacus
Spartacus (2004 film)
Spartacus is a 2004 North American Movie directed by Robert Dornhelm and produced by Ted Kurdyla from a teleplay by Robert Schenkkan. It stars Goran Visjnic, Alan Bates, Angus Macfadyen, Rhona Mitra, Ian McNeice, Ross Kemp and Ben Cross. It is based on the novel of the same name by Howard Fast...
as Consul
Consul
Consul was the highest elected office of the Roman Republic and an appointive office under the Empire. The title was also used in other city states and also revived in modern states, notably in the First French Republic...
Lentulus
Gnaeus Cornelius Lentulus Clodianus
Gnaeus Cornelius Lentulus Clodianus was a Roman politician and general who was one of two Consuls of the Republic in 72 BC along with Lucius Gellius Publicola...
and in 2009 in Margaret as Peter Morrison
Peter Morrison
Sir Peter Hugh Morrison PC was a British Conservative politician, MP for Chester from 1974 to 1992, and Parliamentary Private Secretary to former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.-Education:...
. In 2010 he appeared in Doctors as Anthony Chippington, a friend of Charlie's. He most recently played Harrison Ashton Lard, the "posh girl's father", in How Not To Live Your Life
How Not to Live Your Life
How Not to Live Your Life is a British sitcom, written by and starring Dan Clark, about a neurotic twenty-nine year old man who is trying to navigate his way through life but is not helped by his bad instincts. On 27 May 2011 it was announced by the new BBC Three controller Zai Bennett that the...
.
He provided additional voice-over for World's Craziest Fools
World's Craziest Fools
World's Craziest Fools is a clip television show made by the BBC and presented by Mr. T. It showcases clips, sometimes viral, of people making themselves look like "Fools" , often by accident. Many clips are from CCTV footage...
.