- Born
- Died
- Birth nameJohn Gibb Marshall
- Actor and comedian known for his various roles on film, TV and stage. He was born in Largs, Scotland, in 1953. He has an older brother and a twin sister. His debut film was The Sender (1982), a horror feature in which he played a patient. His next film was The Bounty (1984) with Mel Gibson and Anthony Hopkins. He has also appeared in Henry V (1989) and A Midwinter's Tale (1995), both directed by Kenneth Branagh, his friend and frequent collaborator. The two met at RADA in 1979. He continues to appear in Stella Street (1997) in which he plays a variety of middle-aged actors, alongside Phil Cornwell. One of his most memorable performances to date is the role of Dr. Prunesquallor in Gormenghast (2000), the BBC's lavish production of Mervyn Peake's novels "Titus Groan" and "Gormenghast." Onstage, he has appeared in many productions and performed numerous one-man shows. His ability to improvise landed him a spot as the first regular contestant on Whose Line Is It Anyway? (1988). It was here that he showcased his great literary knowledge. He appeared on the BBC Radio 4 show "Dead Man Talking," as various "dead" characters, including J. Robert Oppenheimer and Michelangelo.
- IMDb mini biography by: M.H.
- RelativesMaggie(Sibling)
- Studied for a Ph.D. at McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, but did not complete the doctorate.
- Became an Associate Member of RADA.
- Attended RADA in London.
- His first fame, gained at the Edinburgh Festival in the early 1980s, was as an impersonator of Dirk Bogarde. Impersonations of Bogarde also featured extensively in his later TV series, "Stella Street". However, he was by no means a wholehearted admirer of Sir Dirk's, and sometimes allowed that he thought the actor was a little crazy.
- He has appeared in two productions with Roger Allam about Margaret Thatcher: Margaret (2009) and The Iron Lady (2011).
- I'm not clever; I've just read a lot of books.
- I'm pretty much one character really. A grumpy old fool.
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