Gerald Grant Sim (4 June 1925 – 11 December 2014) was an English television and film actor who is perhaps best known for having played the Rector in ''

To the Manor Born ''To the Manor Born'' is a BBC television sitcom that first aired on BBC1 from 1979 to 1981. A special one-off episode was produced in 2007. Starring Penelope Keith and Peter Bowles, the first 20 episodes and the 2007 special were written ...

''.

Career

Sim was born in

Liverpool Liverpool is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the List of English districts by population, 10th largest English district by population and its E ...

, Lancashire and made over a hundred film and television appearances, beginning with an uncredited role in the film '' Fame Is the Spur'' (1947). Film and TV roles include '' The L-Shaped Room'' (1962), ''

Séance on a Wet Afternoon ''Séance on a Wet Afternoon'' is a 1964 British thriller film directed by Bryan Forbes, and starring Kim Stanley, Richard Attenborough, Nanette Newman, Mark Eden and Patrick Magee. Based on the 1961 novel by Mark McShane, the film follows a ...

'' (1964), '' King Rat'' (1965), ''

The Avengers Avenger, Avengers, The Avenger, or The Avengers may refer to: Arts and entertainment In the Marvel Comics universe * Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes ** Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes o ...

'' (1966), ''

Oh! What a Lovely War ''Oh! What a Lovely War'' is a 1969 British comedy musical war film directed by Richard Attenborough (in his directorial debut), with an ensemble cast, including Maggie Smith, Dirk Bogarde, John Gielgud, John Mills, Kenneth More, Laurence Oli ...

'' (1969), '' Ryan's Daughter'' (1970), '' Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde'' (1971), ''

Frenzy ''Frenzy'' is a 1972 British thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock. It is the penultimate feature film of his extensive career. The screenplay by Anthony Shaffer was based on the 1966 novel '' Goodbye Piccadilly, Farewell Leicester Squa ...

'' (1972), ''

Young Winston ''Young Winston'' is a 1972 British biographical adventure drama war film covering the early years of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, based in particular on his 1930 book, ''My Early Life''. The first part of the film covers Churchil ...

'' (1972), '' The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin'' (episode 7, as the Vicar - 1976), '' A Bridge Too Far'' (1977), '' The New Avengers'' (1977), '' Edward & Mrs. Simpson'' (1978), ''

Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...

'' (1982), as Dr George Bagster Phillips in ''

Jack the Ripper Jack the Ripper was an unidentified serial killer active in and around the impoverished Whitechapel district of London, England, in the autumn of 1888. In both criminal case files and the contemporaneous journalistic accounts, the killer ...

'' (1988), '' Chaplin'' (1992) and ''

Patriot Games ''Patriot Games'' is a thriller novel, written by Tom Clancy and published in July 1987. '' Without Remorse'', released six years later, is an indirect prequel, and it is chronologically the first book featuring Jack Ryan, the main character in ...

'' (1992). Coincidentally playing a vicar, he appeared in one episode of ''

Keeping Up Appearances ''Keeping Up Appearances'' is a British sitcom created and written by Roy Clarke. It originally aired on BBC1 from 1990 to 1995 with two specials airing in 1997 and 2008 on PBS. The central character is an eccentric and snobbish middle class ...

'' before

Jeremy Gittins Philip Jeremy Gittins (born 30 January 1956) is a British actor from Manchester, England, who is known for his role as Michael the 'dishy' Church of England vicar in the successful BBC One sitcom ''Keeping Up Appearances'' from 1990 to 1995. C ...

took on the role of the vicar on a more permanent basis. By then retired, he appeared in the 2007 25th Anniversary special episode of ''

''.

Personal life

Sim was the younger brother of the actress

Sheila Sim Sheila Beryl Grant Sim, Baroness Attenborough (5 June 1922 – 19 January 2016) was an English film and theatre actress. She was also the wife of the actor, director and peer Richard Attenborough. Career Sheila Beryl Grant Sim was born in L ...

and brother-in-law of the actor/director

Richard Attenborough Richard Samuel Attenborough, Baron Attenborough, (; 29 August 192324 August 2014) was an English actor, filmmaker, and entrepreneur. He was the president of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and the British Academy of Film and Televisio ...

. He was married to the British actress Deidre Benner, from 1967 until her death in 1999. In his later years, Sim lived in

Denville Hall Denville Hall is a historic building in Northwood, a town in the London Borough of Hillingdon, England, which is used as a retirement home for professional actors, actresses and members of other theatrical professions. The present building inc ...

, the same north London care home for entertainers as his sister and brother-in-law, who occupied the rooms on either side of him. Sim died on 11 December 2014.

Filmography

*'' Fame Is the Spur'' (1947) – Reporter (uncredited) *'' Josephine and Men'' (1955) – Detective Sgt. Allen *'' The Angry Silence'' (1960) – Masters *'' Cone of Silence'' (1960) – Operations Room Worker (uncredited) *'' Whistle Down the Wind'' (1961) – Detective Wilcox *''Flat Two'' (1962) *''

Only Two Can Play ''Only Two Can Play'' is a 1962 British comedy film starring Peter Sellers, based on the 1955 novel '' That Uncertain Feeling'' by Kingsley Amis. Sidney Gilliat directed the film from a screenplay by Bryan Forbes. The film is set in the ficti ...

'' (1962) – Cigarette Thief at Party (uncredited) *'' The Painted Smile'' (1962) – Plain Clothes Policeman *''

The Amorous Prawn ''The Amorous Prawn'' or ''The Amorous Mr. Prawn'' is a 1962 British comedy film directed by Anthony Kimmins and starring Ian Carmichael, Joan Greenwood and Cecil Parker. The film was based on a 1959 farcical play by Kimmins. In the United S ...

'' (1962) – 1st Telephone Operator *'' The L-Shaped Room'' (1962) – Doctor in Hospital *'' The Wrong Arm of the Law'' (1963) – Airfield Official (uncredited) *'' I Could Go On Singing'' (1963) – Assistant Mgr. at the Palladium *''

Heavens Above! ''Heavens Above!'' is a 1963 British satirical comedy film starring Peter Sellers, directed by John and Roy Boulting, who also co-wrote along with Frank Harvey, from an idea by Malcolm Muggeridge. It is in a similar vein to the earlier collabor ...

'' (1963) – Self-Service Store Manager *'' The Pumpkin Eater'' (1964) – Man at party *''

'' (1964) – Beedle *'' King Rat'' (1965) – Jones *'' The Murder Game'' (1965) – Larry Landstorm *''

The Wrong Box ''The Wrong Box'' is a 1966 British comedy film produced and directed by Bryan Forbes from a screenplay by Larry Gelbart and Burt Shevelove, based on the 1889 novel ''The Wrong Box'' by Robert Louis Stevenson and Lloyd Osbourne. It was made by ...

'' (1966) – First Undertaker *'' The Whisperers'' (1967) – Mr. Conrad *'' Our Mother's House'' (1967) – Bank Clerk *''

Nobody Runs Forever ''Nobody Runs Forever'', also called ''The High Commissioner'', is a 1968 British political neo noir spy thriller action film directed by Ralph Thomas and based on Jon Cleary's 1966 novel '' The High Commissioner''. It stars Rod Taylor as Aust ...

'' (1968) – Airport Official (uncredited) *''

'' (1969) – Chaplain *''

Strange Report ''Strange Report'' is a British television crime drama series starring Anthony Quayle as Adam Strange. It was produced by ITC Entertainment and first broadcast in 1969 on ITV In the United States, NBC broadcast ''Strange Report'' between 8 ...

'' (TV) (1969) – Chief Superintendent Cavanagh *''

The Madwoman of Chaillot ''The Madwoman of Chaillot'' (french: La Folle de Chaillot) is a play, a poetic satire, by French dramatist Jean Giraudoux, written in 1943 and first performed in 1945, after his death. The play is in two acts. The story concerns an eccentric wom ...

'' (1969) – Julius *''Mischief'' (1969) – Jim *'' The Man Who Haunted Himself'' (1970) – Morrison *''

The Last Grenade ''The Last Grenade'' is a 1970 British war film directed by Gordon Flemyng and starring Stanley Baker and Alex Cord as two soldiers of fortune, formerly comrades, who now find themselves on opposite sides. The cast also includes Richard Attenbo ...

'' (1970) – Dr. Griffiths (uncredited) *'' Doctor in Trouble'' (1970) – 1st Doctor *'' Ryan's Daughter'' (1970) – Captain *'' The Raging Moon'' (1971) – Rev. Carbett *'' Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde'' (1971) – Prof. Robertson *''

'' (1972) – Mr. Usher – Solicitor in Pub *''

Dr. Phibes Rises Again ''Dr. Phibes Rises Again'' is a 1972 British horror-dark comedy film, produced by Louis M. Heyward, directed by Robert Fuest, that stars Vincent Price and Robert Quarry. The film is a sequel to ''The Abominable Dr. Phibes'' (1971). After seeking ...

'' (1972) – Hackett *''

'' (1972) – Engineer *''Kadoyng'' (1972) – Prof. Balfour *'' No Sex Please, We're British'' (1973) – Reverend Mower *'' The Slipper and the Rose: The Story of Cinderella'' (1976) – 1st Lord of the Navy *'' A Bridge Too Far'' (1977) – Colonel Sims *''

'' (1982) – Magistrate *''

Miss Marple Miss Marple is a fictional character in Agatha Christie's crime novels and short stories. Jane Marple lives in the village of St. Mary Mead and acts as an amateur consulting detective. Often characterized as an elderly spinster, she is one of ...

'' (1985) – Coroner *''

Cry Freedom ''Cry Freedom'' is a 1987 epic apartheid drama film directed and produced by Richard Attenborough, set in late-1970s apartheid-era South Africa. The screenplay was written by John Briley based on a pair of books by journalist Donald Woods. The ...

'' (1987) – Police Doctor *''Number One Gun'' (1990) – Stockwell – MI5 Boss *''

'' (1992) – Lord Justice *'' Chaplin'' (1992) – Doctor *'' Shadowlands'' (1993) – Superintendent Registrar

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sim, Gerald 1925 births 2014 deaths Male actors from Liverpool English male film actors English male television actors Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art Attenborough family