Benjamin John Whitrow (17 February 1937 – 28 September 2017) was a British actor. He was nominated for the BAFTA TV Award for Best Actor for his role as Mr Bennet in the 1995

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

version of ''

Pride and Prejudice ''Pride and Prejudice'' is the second published novel (but third to be written) by English author Jane Austen, written when she was age 20-21, and later published in 1813. A novel of manners, it follows the character development of Elizabe ...

'', and voiced the role of Fowler in the 2000 animated film ''

Chicken Run ''Chicken Run'' is a 2000 animated adventure comedy film directed by Peter Lord and Nick Park and written by Karey Kirkpatrick from an original story by Lord and Park. Produced by Pathé and Aardman Features in partnership with DreamWork ...

''. His other film appearances include ''

Quadrophenia ''Quadrophenia'' is the sixth studio album by the English rock band the Who, released as a double album on 26 October 1973 by Track Records. It is the group's third rock opera, the previous two being the "mini-opera" song "A Quick One, While ...

'' (1979), '' Personal Services'' (1987) and ''

Bomber A bomber is a military combat aircraft that utilizes air-to-ground weaponry to drop bombs, launch aerial torpedo, torpedoes, or deploy air-launched cruise missiles. There are two major classifications of bomber: strategic and tactical. Strateg ...

'' (2009). He has 5 grandchildren, 2 of them being Max Whitrow and Milo Whitrow, the sons of Tom Whitrow, the producer of ''This is MY House'' and ''Four in a Bed''.

Early life and education

Whitrow was born on 17 February 1937 in

Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...

Oxfordshire Oxfordshire ( ; abbreviated ''Oxon'') is a ceremonial county in South East England. The county is bordered by Northamptonshire and Warwickshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the east, Berkshire to the south, and Wiltshire and Glouceste ...

, the son of Mary Alexandra (Flaunders) and Philip Whitrow, a teacher at St Edward's School, Oxford. Whitrow attended two

independent school A private school or independent school is a school not administered or funded by the government, unlike a State school, public school. Private schools are schools that are not dependent upon national or local government to finance their fina ...

s: The Dragon School in

and

Tonbridge School Tonbridge School is a public school (English fee-charging boarding and day school for boys aged 13–18) in Tonbridge, Kent, England, founded in 1553 by Sir Andrew Judde (sometimes spelt Judd). It is a member of the Eton Group and has clo ...

, in the town of

Tonbridge Tonbridge ( ) (historic spelling ''Tunbridge'') is a market town in Kent, England, on the River Medway, north of Royal Tunbridge Wells, south west of Maidstone and south east of London. In the administrative borough of Tonbridge and Mall ...

Kent Kent is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Essex across the Thames Estuary to the north, the Strait of Dover to the south-east, East Sussex to the south-west, Surrey to the west, and Gr ...

, followed by the

Royal Academy of Dramatic Art The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, also known by its abbreviation RADA (), is a drama school in London, England, which provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in Bloomsbury, Central London ...

Life and career

Whitrow made his professional debut in Peter Ludwig Brent’s Chance of Heaven at the Irving Theatre in 1955. He then served in the King's Dragoon Guards during his national service from 1956 to 1958, and was partly stationed in Malaya. In 1959, after leaving the army, he resumed his acting career playing Hector Hushabye in

George Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from the 188 ...

’s

Heartbreak House ''Heartbreak House: A Fantasia in the Russian Manner on English Themes'' is a play written by Bernard Shaw during the First World War, published in 1919 and first performed in November 1920 at the Garrick Theatre, New York, followed by a West ...

at the Empire, Belfast. He then spent an eight-year apprenticeship in rep before joining the National Theatre company at

The Old Vic The Old Vic is a 1,000-seat, nonprofit producing theatre in Waterloo, London, England. It was established in 1818 as the Royal Coburg Theatre, and renamed in 1833 the Royal Victoria Theatre. In 1871 it was rebuilt and reopened as the Royal ...

under

Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier ( ; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director. He and his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud made up a trio of male actors who dominated the British stage of the m ...

, who praised him saying "Benjamin Whitrow has never given a bad performance”. He performed with the

Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and opens around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, Stratf ...

on multiple occasions. In 1981 he appeared in ''

Passion Play The Passion Play or Easter pageant is a dramatic Play (theatre), presentation depicting the Passion of Jesus: his Sanhedrin Trial of Jesus, trial, suffering and death. The viewing of and participation in Passion Plays is a traditional part of L ...

'' by Peter Nichols. In 1991 he played Falstaff in ''

The Merry Wives of Windsor ''The Merry Wives of Windsor'' or ''Sir John Falstaff and the Merry Wives of Windsor'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare first published in 1602, though believed to have been written in or before 1597. The Windsor of the play's title is a ref ...

''. He returned again in 2000, to play Sir Anthony Absolute in

Richard Brinsley Sheridan Richard Brinsley Butler Sheridan (30 October 17517 July 1816) was an Anglo-Irish playwright, writer and Whig politician who sat in the British House of Commons from 1780 to 1812, representing the constituencies of Stafford, Westminster and I ...

’s ''

The Rivals ''The Rivals'' is a comedy of manners by Richard Brinsley Sheridan in five acts which was first performed at Covent Garden Theatre on 17 January 1775. The story has been updated frequently, including a 1935 musical and a 1958 List of Maverick ...

'', and, the following year, Justice Shallow in '' Henry IV, Part II'', a role in which, according to theatre critic

Michael Coveney Michael Coveney (born 24 July 1948) is a British theatre critic. Education and career Coveney was born in London and educated at St Ignatius’ College in Stamford Hill, and Worcester College, Oxford. After graduation, he worked as a script ...

, he was "unforgettably hilarious". In 1980 he played J.R. Ackerley, writer and literary editor of '' The Listener'', in a dramatised biography ''We Think The World Of You'', titled after Ackerley's 1960 novel of the same name, for the

's flagship arts programme Omnibus. That year's series won Best Programme/Series Without Category at the 1981

British Academy Television Awards The BAFTA TV Awards, or British Academy Television Awards, are presented in an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. They have been awarded annually since 1955. Background The first-ever Awards, given in ...

. In 1982 he appeared as the businessman in the film version of '' Brimstone and Treacle'' by Dennis Potter, directed by

Richard Loncraine Richard Loncraine (born 20 October 1946) is a British film and television director. Loncraine was born in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. Loncraine received early training in the features department of the BBC, including a season directing i ...

, which was nominated for the Gold Hugo for Best Feature at that year's

Chicago International Film Festival The Chicago International Film Festival is an annual film festival held every fall. Founded in 1964 by Michael Kutza, it is the longest-running competitive film festival in North America. Its logo is a stark, black and white close up of the comp ...

, the Golden Charybdis at the Taormina International Film Festival, and which won the Grand Prix des Amériques at the

Montreal World Film Festival The Montreal World Film Festival (), commonly abbreviated MWFF in English or FFM in French, was an annual film festival in Montreal, Quebec, Canada from 1977 to 2019.A Shocking Accident'', based on the short story of the same name by

Graham Greene Henry Graham Greene (2 October 1904 – 3 April 1991) was an English writer and journalist regarded by many as one of the leading novelists of the 20th century. Combining literary acclaim with widespread popularity, Greene acquired a re ...

, which was nominated for a Gold Hugo for Best Short Film at the 1982

, for Best Short Film at the 36th British Academy Film Awards, and won the

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People and fictional and mythical characters * Oscar (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters named Oscar, Óscar or Oskar * Oscar (footballer, born 1954), Brazilian footballer ...

for Best Live Action Short at the

55th Academy Awards The 55th Academy Awards ceremony, organized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored films released in 1982 and took place on April 11, 1983, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles beginning at 6:00 p. ...

in 1983. A lifelong fan of the writings of the English author Denton Welch, he was instrumental in bringing the third, revised version of Welch's journals to print in 1984, having made the acquaintance of one of Welch's friends who had possessed the manuscript of the original editor's edition. Whitrow appeared in the hard-hitting police drama,'' The Sweeney,'' in which he played Det. Chief Supt. Braithwaite. He played Russell Bryant in the original radio version of '' After Henry'' by

Simon Brett Simon Anthony Lee Brett Order of the British Empire, OBE Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, FRSL (born 28 October 1945 in Worcester Park, Surrey, England) is a British author of detective fiction, a playwright, and a producer-writer for ...

, which ran for four series between 1985 and 1989. He starred in the ITV sitcom Ffizz alongside Richard Griffiths, about the joint-owners of a wine-business, which ran for two series between September 1987 and 29 August 1989. In 1989, Whitrow appeared in episode four of the

BBC Two BBC Two is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's second flagship channel, and it covers a wide range of subject matte ...

sketch show ''

A Bit of Fry and Laurie ''A Bit of Fry & Laurie'' is a British sketch comedy television series written by and starring former Cambridge Footlights members Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie, broadcast on both BBC1 and BBC2 between 1989 and 1995. It ran for four series with ...

'' (series one), playing an irate member of the audience who claimed that

Stephen Fry Sir Stephen John Fry (born 24 August 1957) is an English actor, broadcaster, comedian, director, narrator and writer. He came to prominence as a member of the comic act Fry and Laurie alongside Hugh Laurie, with the two starring in ''A Bit of ...

and

Hugh Laurie James Hugh Calum Laurie (; born 11 June 1959) is an English actor, comedian, singer, musician and writer. He first gained professional recognition as a member of the English comedy double act Fry and Laurie with Stephen Fry. Fry and Laurie act ...

had stolen several of their sketches from him. Between 1990 and 1992, Whitrow appeared in the sitcom ''

The New Statesman ''The New Statesman'' (known from 1931 to 1964 as the ''New Statesman and Nation'') is a British political and cultural news magazine published in London. Founded as a weekly review of politics and literature on 12 April 1913, it was at first c ...

'' as Paddy O'Rourke, a Labour shadow minister who feigned an Irish accent when in public to attract the working-class vote. Whitrow was nominated for the BAFTA TV Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Mr Bennet in the 1995 adaptation of ''

''. In the 2000 animated movie ''

'' Whitrow voiced the character of Fowler, an old rooster who claims to have fought in

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. In 2009 Whitrow starred in the comedy-drama ''

'', about an 83-year-old man returning to Germany with his wife and son for a long-planned journey of atonement, which won the Best Feature award at five different independent film festivals. His final film role was in 2017, as Sir Samuel Hoare in '' Darkest Hour'', directed by

Joe Wright Joseph Wright (born 25 August 1972) is an English film director. His motion pictures include the period drama adaptations '' Pride & Prejudice'' (2005), ''Atonement'' (2007), '' Anna Karenina'' (2012), and '' Cyrano'' (2021), the action thrill ...

, which was nominated for an

for

Best Picture The following is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various films, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Bes ...

at the

90th Academy Awards The 90th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best films of 2017, and took place at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. The ceremony was held on March 4, ...

, and for Best Film at the 71st British Academy Film Awards. Whitrow's last work was two plays for BBC Radio 4, in which he played the late Poet Laureate Sir

John Betjeman Sir John Betjeman, (; 28 August 190619 May 1984) was an English poet, writer, and broadcaster. He was Poet Laureate from 1972 until his death. He was a founding member of The Victorian Society and a passionate defender of Victorian architect ...

. ''Mr Betjeman's Class'' was his last completed work; he died during the recording of ''Mr Betjeman Regrets'', with the voice work being completed by

Robert Bathurst Robert Guy Bathurst (born 22 February 1957) is a British actor. Bathurst was born in The Gold Coast (British colony), The Gold Coast (now Ghana) in 1957, where his father was working as a management consultant. In 1959, his family moved to Ball ...

. Both plays were broadcast on BBC Radio 4 over Christmas 2017.

Personal life

Whitrow was married to Catherine Cook, with whom he had two children: Hannah Mary Whitrow (b. 1973) and Thomas George Whitrow (b. 1976). He also had a son, Angus Imrie (b. 1994) with actress

Celia Imrie Celia Diana Savile Imrie (born 15 July 1952) is a British actress and author. She is best known for her film roles, including the '' Bridget Jones'' film series, '' Calendar Girls'' (2003), '' Nanny McPhee'' (2005), '' The Best Exotic Marigold ...

. Whitrow died from a

brain hemorrhage The brain is an organ (biology), organ that serves as the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals. It consists of nervous tissue and is typically located in the head (cephalization), usually near organs for ...

Wimbledon, London Wimbledon () is a suburb of southwest London, England, southwest of Charing Cross; it is the main commercial centre of the London Borough of Merton. Wimbledon had a population of 68,189 in 2011 which includes the electoral wards of Abbey, Wimb ...

on 28 September 2017, aged 80.

Select filmography

Film

*1963: '' The Small World of Sammy Lee'' as Joan's Client (uncredited) *1963: '' West 11'' as Minor Role (uncredited) *1979: ''

'' as Mr. Fulford, Jimmy's Boss *1982: '' Brimstone and Treacle'' as Businessman *1982: '' A Shocking Accident'' as Headmaster *1986: ''

Clockwise Two-dimensional rotation can occur in two possible directions or senses of rotation. Clockwise motion (abbreviated CW) proceeds in the same direction as a clock's hands relative to the observer: from the top to the right, then down and then to ...

'' as Headmaster #1 *1987: '' Personal Services'' as Mr. Marsden *1988: ''

Hawks Hawks are bird of prey, birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. They are very widely distributed and are found on all continents, except Antarctica. The subfamily Accipitrinae includes goshawks, sparrowhawks, sharp-shinned hawks, and othe ...

'' as Mr. Granger *1988: '' On the Black Hill'' as Arkwright *1988: '' A Man for All Seasons'' as Thomas Cromwell *1992: ''

Damage Damage is any change in a thing, often a physical object, that degrades it away from its initial state. It can broadly be defined as "changes introduced into a system that adversely affect its current or future performance".Farrar, C.R., Sohn, H., ...

'' as Civil Servant *1992: ''

Chaplin Chaplin may refer to: People * Charlie Chaplin (1889–1977), English comedy film actor and director * Chaplin (name), other people named Chaplin Films * ''Unknown Chaplin'' (1983) * Chaplin (film), ''Chaplin'' (film) (1992) * Chaplin (2011 fi ...

'' as Station Master *1995: '' Restoration'' as Merivel's Father *1997: '' The Opium War'' as

Lord Palmerston Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston (20 October 1784 – 18 October 1865), known as Lord Palmerston, was a British statesman and politician who served as prime minister of the United Kingdom from 1855 to 1858 and from 1859 to 1865. A m ...

*1997: '' The Saint'' as Chairman at Oxford *1997: '' FairyTale: A True Story'' as Mr. Binley *1998: ''Jilting Joe'' as Arthur *2000: ''

'' as Fowler (voice) *2006: '' Scenes of a Sexual Nature'' as Eddie Wright *2009: ''

'' as Alistar *2017: '' Darkest Hour'' as Sir Samuel Hoare (final film role)

Television

*1973: ''

The Merchant of Venice ''The Merchant of Venice'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. A merchant in Venice named Antonio defaults on a large loan taken out on behalf of his dear friend, Bassanio, and provided by a ...

'' (TV Movie) as the Duke of Venice (opposite

as Shylock) *1973: ''The Brontes of Haworth'' as Arthur Bell Nicholls *1975-1981: ''

Play for Today ''Play for Today'' is a British television anthology drama series, produced by the BBC and transmitted on BBC1 from 1970 to 1984. During the run, more than three hundred programmes, featuring original television plays, and adaptations of stage ...

'' as James Sellars / Phillips / Tom / House Master / Josh *1978: '' The Sweeney'' as Det. Chief Supt. Braithwaite *1980: ''We Think The World Of You'' as J. R. Ackerley *1981: ''

Bognor Bognor Regis (), also known as Bognor, is a town and seaside resort in West Sussex on the south coast of England, south-west of London, west of Brighton, south-east of Chichester and east of Portsmouth. Other nearby towns include Littleham ...

'' as Eric Gringe *1981: ''

Troilus and Cressida ''The Tragedy of Troilus and Cressida'', often shortened to ''Troilus and Cressida'' ( or ), is a play by William Shakespeare, probably written in 1602. At Troy during the Trojan War, Troilus and Cressida begin a love affair. Cressida is forc ...

'' (TV Movie) as Ulysses *1982: '' Tales of the Unexpected'' as Fergus Locke *1982: '' Harry's Game'' as Davidson *1983: '' Shackleton'' as Captain Scott *1983: '' Agatha Christie's Partners in Crime'' as Sir Arthur Merivale *1984: ''

Hay Fever Allergic rhinitis, of which the seasonal type is called hay fever, is a type of rhinitis, inflammation in the nose that occurs when the immune system overreacts to allergens in the air. It is classified as a Allergy, type I hypersensitivity re ...

'' (TV Movie) as Richard Greatham *1985: '' Dempsey & Makepeace'' (TV Movie) as Lindsay *1985: '' Bergerac'' as B J Farrell *1987-1989: '' Ffizz'' as Hugo Walker *1990: ''

Chancer ''Chancer'' is a British television crime drama serial, produced by Central Independent Television for ITV, that first broadcast on 6 March 1990. Starring Clive Owen in the title role of Stephen Crane, ''Chancer'' tells the story of a likable c ...

'' as Robert Douglas *1991: ''

Rumpole of the Bailey ''Rumpole of the Bailey'' is a British television series created and written by the British writer and barrister John Mortimer. It starred Leo McKern as Horace Rumpole, a middle-aged London barrister who defended a broad variety of clients, ...

'' as The Reverend Bill Britwell *1991-1992: ''

'' as Paddy O'Rourke *1995: ''

'' as Mr Bennet *1996: ''

Inspector Morse Endeavour Morse, GM, is the namesake character of the series of "Morse" detective novels by British author Colin Dexter, a Detective Chief Inspector in the Thames Valley Police in Oxford, England. On television he was portrayed by John ...

'' as Brownlee *1997: '' The History of Tom Jones: A Foundling'' as Squire Allworthy *2001-2009: ''

Midsomer Murders ''Midsomer Murders'' is a British Mystery fiction, mystery television series, adapted by Anthony Horowitz and Douglas Watkinson from the novels in the ''Chief Inspector Barnaby'' book series created by Caroline Graham (writer), Caroline Graham. ...

'' as Sir Malcolm Frazer / Hugo Balcombe *2005: '' The Queen's Sister'' (TV Movie) as Cronin *2006: ''

Agatha Christie's Poirot ''Agatha Christie's Poirot'', or simply ''Poirot'' (), is a British mystery drama television programme that aired on ITV from 8 January 1989 to 13 November 2020. The ITV show is based on many of Agatha Christie's famous crime fiction series, wh ...

'' (Episode: " After the Funeral") Timothy Abernathy *2014: ''

New Tricks ''New Tricks'' is a British television police procedural comedy drama, created by Nigel McCrery and Roy Mitchell, produced primarily by Wall to Wall (until its final year, when it was handled by Headstrong Pictures), and broadcast on BBC On ...

'' as Edward Fraser *2015: '' Toast of London'' as Ken Suggestion *2015: '' Man Down'' as Tim *2015: ''

Wolf Hall ''Wolf Hall'' is a 2009 historical novel by English author Hilary Mantel, published by Fourth Estate, named after the Seymour family's seat of Wolfhall, or Wulfhall, in Wiltshire. Set in the period from 1500 to 1535, ''Wolf Hall'' is a sym ...

'' as Arch Bishop

Radio

*1980: ''Unman, Wittering & Zigo'' as the headmaster; by Giles Cooper; BBC R4 7/8/1980. *1984: ''Dracula in White'' by Peter Redgrove; BBC R4 7/3/1984. *1984: ''Tragedy at Law'' as the Judge; by Cyril Hare; BBC Radio 4

Saturday Night Theatre __NOTOC__ ''Saturday Night Theatre'' was a long-running radio drama strand on the BBC Home Service and its successor, BBC Radio 4. Launched in April 1943 the strand showcased feature-length, middlebrow single plays on Saturday evenings for mor ...

7/4/1984. *1985–1989: '' After Henry'' as Russell; BBC Radio 4 series by

. *1992: ''A Warden for All Saints'' as James Montague, by H.S. Bhabra; BBC R4 29 April 1992. *1995: ''In The Red'' as the bank manager murderer; by Mark Tavener; BBC Radio 4 series 5/1/1995-16/2/1995. *1997: MR James Ghost story readings – The Late Book. *1999: ''Plum's War'' by Michael Butt, BBC R4 7/7/99. *2003: ''Brideshead Revisited'' by Evelyn Waugh, dramatised by Jeremy Front, BBC R4 8/3/2003. *2003: ''The Last Bark of the Bulldog'' by Jonathan Smith; Benjamin Whitrow portrays Winston Churchill; BBC R4 21 June 2003. *2011: ''Portrait of Winston'', by Jonathan Smith; sequel to ''The Last Bark of the Bulldog''; BBC R4 13 September 2011 *2017: ''Mr Betjeman's Class'' and ''Mr Betjeman Regrets'' both by Jonathan Smith; BBC R4 25 December 2017 and 26 December 2017

References

External links

Benjamin Whitrow
at

bbc.co.uk BBC Online, formerly known as BBCi, is the BBC's online service. It is a large network of websites including such high-profile sites as BBC News and BBC Sport, Sport, the on-demand video and radio services branded BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds, t ...

Drama * {{DEFAULTSORT:Whitrow, Benjamin 1937 births 2017 deaths 20th-century English male actors 21st-century English male actors Male actors from Oxford Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art English male film actors English male stage actors English male Shakespearean actors English male radio actors English male television actors English male voice actors Male actors from Kent People educated at The Dragon School People educated at Tonbridge School 1st King's Dragoon Guards soldiers 20th-century British Army personnel Military personnel from Oxford