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Ronald Pickup

Highest Rated: 91% The Day of the Jackal (1973)

Lowest Rated: 18% The Time of Their Lives (2017)

Birthday: Jun 7, 1940

Birthplace: Chester, England, UK

Endowed with an orotund delivery honed treading the boards with the likes of Olivier, British actor Ronald Pickup bowed on the British telly with a 1964 role on the venerable sci-fi series "Doctor Who." He then debuted on the big screen with a minor role in director Olivier's adaptation of Chekhov's drama "Three Sisters." Born in Chester, a city steeped in history dating back to the Roman Empire, Pickup hit his onscreen acting stride with several impressive turns playing significant historical figures. He garnered raves for his portrayals of composers Igor Stravinsky in the 1980 drama "Nijinsky" and Giuseppe Verdi in the massive 10-hour 1982 miniseries "Verdi." Trained at London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Pickup, throughout his busy film and TV career, never ventured far from the stage; among other successful theatrical productions, he co-starred on Broadway in "Amy's View," opposite Judi Dench in her Tony-winning performance. Known for supporting roles in other award-winning fare, from the historical drama "The Mission" to the thriller "A Dry White Season," Pickup also graced action-filled popcorn pictures like "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time." He won a whole new generation of fans voicing godlike lion Aslan in an animated British TV series adaptation of the "Chronicles of Narnia" fantasy books and costarring as daffy war vet Fraser on the Brit-com "The Worst Week of My Life." Ronald Pickup died on February 24, 2021 following a long illness. He was 80.

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Highest rated movies

91% 88% The Day of the Jackal
Watchlist
84% 82% Darkest Hour Watchlist
83% 75% Eleni
Watchlist
77% 78% The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Watchlist
75% 77% Mahler
Watchlist
69% 75% Lolita
Watchlist
67% 59% The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel Watchlist
63% 87% The Mission
Watchlist
50% 29% Nijinsky
Watchlist
37% 58% Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Watchlist

Filmography

Movies

Credit
No Score Yet No Score Yet End of Term Damian Self (Character) - 2021
84% 82% Darkest Hour Neville Chamberlain (Character) $56.3M 2017
18% 47% The Time of Their Lives Frank (Character) - 2017
67% 59% The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel Norman Cousins (Character) $33.0M 2015
No Score Yet No Score Yet A Little Place Off the Edgware Road Unknown (Character) - 2013
77% 78% The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel Norman Cousins (Character) $46.4M 2011
37% 58% Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time King Sharaman (Character) $90.8M 2010
No Score Yet 19% Dark Floors Tobias (Character) - 2008
No Score Yet 52% The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey William McDowell (Character) - 2007
No Score Yet 70% Greyfriars Bobby Cecil Johnson (Character) - 2005
No Score Yet 48% Evilenko Aron Richter (Character) - 2004
No Score Yet No Score Yet Feather Boy Ernest Sorrel (Character) - 2004
No Score Yet No Score Yet Secret Passage Da Monte (Character) - 2003
No Score Yet 85% The Tulse Luper Suitcases Part 2: Vaux to the Sea Unknown (Character) - 2003
No Score Yet No Score Yet Breathtaking Dr. Maclaren (Character) - 2000
No Score Yet No Score Yet Horatio Hornblower: The Duchess and the Devil Don Massaredo (Character) - 1999
No Score Yet 86% Hornblower: The Duchess and the Devil M'Man Hunter (Character) - 1999
No Score Yet No Score Yet Dalziel and Pascoe: On Beulah Heights Walter Wulfstan (Character) - 1999
No Score Yet 36% Bring Me the Head of Mavis Davis Percy Stone (Character) - 1998
69% 75% Lolita Young Humbert's Father (Character) $1.4M 1997
No Score Yet No Score Yet Silent Witness: Long Days, Short Nights Dr. Richard Owen (Character) - 1996
No Score Yet No Score Yet A Very Open Prison Unknown (Character) - 1995
No Score Yet No Score Yet King Henry IV King Henry IV (Character) - 1995
No Score Yet No Score Yet Milner Unknown (Character) - 1994
No Score Yet No Score Yet My Friend Walter Sir Walter Raleigh (Character) - 1993
No Score Yet 31% A Murder of Quality Felix D'Arcy (Character) - 1991
No Score Yet No Score Yet Shogun Mayeda Capt. Crawford (Character) - 1991
No Score Yet No Score Yet Inspector Morse: Who Killed Harry Field? Ian Matthews (Character) - 1991
No Score Yet 50% Jekyll & Hyde Jeffrey Utterson (Character) - 1990
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Silver Chair Aslan (Character) - 1990
No Score Yet No Score Yet Bethune: The Making of a Hero Alan Coleman (Character) - 1990
No Score Yet 50% The Attic: The Hiding of Anne Frank Koophuis (Character) - 1988
No Score Yet No Score Yet Fortunes of War Prince Yakimov (Character) - 1987
63% 87% The Mission Hontar (Character) $17.2M 1986
83% 75% Eleni Spiro (Character) - 1985
No Score Yet No Score Yet Pope John Paul II Jan Tyranowski (Character) - 1984
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Letter Howard Joyce (Character) - 1982
No Score Yet No Score Yet Orwell on Jura: The Crystal Spirit George Orwell (Character) - 1982
50% 29% Nijinsky Igor Stravinsky (Character) - 1980
No Score Yet 51% The 39 Steps Bayliss (Character) - 1978
75% 77% Mahler Nick (Character) - 1974
91% 88% The Day of the Jackal The Forger (Character) - 1973
No Score Yet 33% Three Sisters Baron Tusenbach (Character) - 1970

TV

Credit
88% No Score Yet Summer of Rockets Walter (Character) 2019
88% 93% Downton Abbey Sir Michael Reresby (Character) 2015
82% 96% Doc Martin John Moysey (Guest Star) 2013
No Score Yet No Score Yet Lark Rise to Candleford Unknown (Guest Star) 2010
No Score Yet No Score Yet Holby City Lord Charles Byrne (Character) 2002 2006-2007
No Score Yet No Score Yet Worst Week of My Life Unknown (Character) 2004-2006
No Score Yet 96% Foyle's War Sir Giles Messinger (Character) 2004
No Score Yet 85% Midsomer Murders Rupert Smythe-Webster (Character) 2003
No Score Yet No Score Yet Mystery! Unknown (Character) 1999
No Score Yet No Score Yet Hetty Wainthropp Investigates Lester Rose (Character) 1997
No Score Yet No Score Yet Scarlett Whitlock (Guest Star) 1994
No Score Yet No Score Yet Lovejoy Unknown (Character) 1993
No Score Yet No Score Yet Behaving Badly Mary Mayor (Character) 1989
No Score Yet No Score Yet Fortunes of War Unknown (Character) 1987
No Score Yet No Score Yet Matlock Unknown (Guest Star) 1987
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Fight Against Slavery William Pitt (Character) 1975
68% 78% Doctor Who Physician (Character) 1964