Vernon Dobtcheff
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Vernon Alexandre Dobtcheff (born 14 August 1934) is a French-British
character actor A character actor is an actor known for playing unusual, eccentric, or interesting character (arts), characters in supporting roles, rather than leading ones.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrie ...
, who has appeared in over 300 film, television, and stage productions in a career spanning six decades.
Rupert Everett Rupert James Hector Everett (; born 29 May 1959) is an English actor. He first came to public attention in 1981 when he was cast in Julian Mitchell's play and subsequent film '' Another Country'' (1984) as a gay pupil at an English public scho ...
described him as a "patron saint of the acting profession."


Early life

Dobtcheff was born in
Nîmes Nîmes ( , ; ; Latin: ''Nemausus'') is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Gard Departments of France, department in the Occitania (administrative region), Occitanie Regions of France, region of Southern France. Located between the Med ...
, France, to Russian parents, and was raised in Sussex, England. He attended
Ascham St Vincent's School Ascham St Vincent's School was an England, English Preparatory school (UK), preparatory school for boys at Eastbourne, East Sussex. Like other preparatory schools, its purpose was to train pupils to do well enough in the examinations (usually ...
in
Eastbourne Eastbourne () is a town and seaside resort in East Sussex, on the south coast of England, east of Brighton and south of London. It is also a non-metropolitan district, local government district with Borough status in the United Kingdom, bor ...
, where he won the Acting Cup, and
Eastbourne College Eastbourne College is a co-educational Private schools in the United Kingdom, fee-charging school in the English Public school (United Kingdom), public school tradition, for boarding school, boarding and Day school, day pupils aged 13–18, in ...
.


Career

Dobtcheff made his professional stage debut with the Colchester Repertory Company in 1960. Later that year, he joined the repertory company of
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 ...
, first appearing in
Franco Zeffirelli Gian Franco Corsi Zeffirelli (; 12 February 1923 – 15 June 2019) was an Italian stage and film director, producer, production designer and politician. He was one of the most significant opera and theatre directors of the post–World War II e ...
's production of ''
Romeo and Juliet ''The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet'', often shortened to ''Romeo and Juliet'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare about the romance between two young Italians from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's ...
''. In 1965, he starred in the debut production of
John Osborne John James Osborne (12 December 1929 – 24 December 1994) was an English playwright, screenwriter, actor, and entrepreneur, who is regarded as one of the most influential figures in post-war theatre. Born in London, he briefly worked as a jo ...
's '' A Patriot for Me''. In 1967, he played the Presiding Judge in ''The Man in the Glass Booth'' at the
Royal Court Theatre The Royal Court Theatre, at different times known as the Court Theatre, the New Chelsea Theatre, and the Belgravia Theatre, is a West End theatre#London's non-commercial theatres, non-commercial theatre in Sloane Square, London, England, opene ...
. His debut film role was in '' Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines'' (1965). He has since appeared in dozens of films, usually in character parts, including ''
The Taming of the Shrew ''The Taming of the Shrew'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1592. The play begins with a framing device, often referred to as the induction, in which a mischievous nobleman tricks a drunke ...
'' (1967), ''
Fiddler on the Roof ''Fiddler on the Roof'' is a musical theatre, musical with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and musical theatre#Book musicals, book by Joseph Stein, set in the Pale of Settlement of Russian Empire, Imperial Russia in or around 19 ...
'' (1971), '' The Day of the Jackal'' (1973), ''
Murder on the Orient Express ''Murder on the Orient Express'' is a work of detective fiction by English writer Agatha Christie featuring the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. It was first published in the United Kingdom by the Collins Crime Club on 1 January 1934. In the U ...
'' (1974), '' The Spy Who Loved Me'' (1977), ''
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade ''Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade'' is a 1989 American action adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg from a screenplay by Jeffrey Boam, based on a story by George Lucas and Menno Meyjes. It is the third installment in the Indiana Jone ...
'' (1989), and '' Before Sunset'' (2004). Among his many other television roles was as the Chief Scientist in the ''
Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...
'' series ''
The War Games ''The War Games'' is the seventh and final serial of the sixth season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which originally aired in ten weekly parts from 19 April to 21 June 1969. In the serial, an unnamed alien r ...
'' in 1969, in which he portrayed the first character ever to mention the
Time Lord The Time Lords are a fictional ancient race of extraterrestrial life, extraterrestrial people in the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. Time Lords are so named for their command of time travel technology and their Nonli ...
s by name. In 1967 he was in '' The Avengers'' episode entitled ''The Living Dead''. He appeared in the ''
Blake's 7 ''Blake's 7'' is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. Four series of thirteen 50-minute episodes were broadcast on BBC1 between 1978 and 1981. It was created by Terry Nation, who also wrote the first series, prod ...
'' episode "Shadow" as the Chairman of the Terra Nostra in 1979. He has appeared in the ''
Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...
'' audio drama '' The Children of Seth'' in which he plays the role of Shamur. In his 2006 memoir, ''Red Carpets and Other Banana Skins'', British actor
Rupert Everett Rupert James Hector Everett (; born 29 May 1959) is an English actor. He first came to public attention in 1981 when he was cast in Julian Mitchell's play and subsequent film '' Another Country'' (1984) as a gay pupil at an English public scho ...
describes an encounter with Dobtcheff on the
boat train A boat train is a passenger train operating to a port for the specific purpose of making connection with a passenger ship, such as a ferry, ocean liner, or cruise ship. Through ticketing is normally available. __NOTOC__ Notable named boat train ...
to Paris, and reveals his extraordinary reputation as the "patron saint" of the acting profession, stating that Dobtcheff "was legendary not so much for his acting as for his magical ability to catch every first night in the country".


Selected film and TV roles

*'' Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines'' (1965) as French Team Member (uncredited) *'' Darling'' (1965) as Art Critic (uncredited) *'' Return from the Ashes'' (1965) as Man breaking up nightclub fight (uncredited) *'' The Idol'' (1966) as Man at Party *''
The Taming of the Shrew ''The Taming of the Shrew'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1592. The play begins with a framing device, often referred to as the induction, in which a mischievous nobleman tricks a drunke ...
'' (1967) as Pedant *''
A Dandy in Aspic ''A Dandy in Aspic'' is a 1968 British spy film directed by Anthony Mann and starring Laurence Harvey, Tom Courtenay and Mia Farrow, with costumes by Pierre Cardin. It was written by Derek Marlowe based on his 1966 novel of the same title. It w ...
'' (1968) as Stein *'' The Tyrant King'' (1968) as M.Le Coq *'' Baby Love'' (1969) as Man in Cinema *'' The Assassination Bureau'' (1969) as Baron Muntzof *'' Anne of the Thousand Days'' (1969) as Mendoza *''
Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...
'' (1969) as The Scientist (''
The War Games ''The War Games'' is the seventh and final serial of the sixth season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which originally aired in ten weekly parts from 19 April to 21 June 1969. In the serial, an unnamed alien r ...
'') *'' Darling Lili'' (1970) as Otto Kraus *'' The Beast in the Cellar'' (1970) as Sir Bernard Newsmith *'' Les mariés de l'an II'' (1971) as Le pasteur *'' The Horsemen'' (1971) as Zam Hajji *''
Fiddler on the Roof ''Fiddler on the Roof'' is a musical theatre, musical with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and musical theatre#Book musicals, book by Joseph Stein, set in the Pale of Settlement of Russian Empire, Imperial Russia in or around 19 ...
'' (1971) as Russian Official *'' Nicholas and Alexandra'' (1971) as Dr. Lazovert *''
Mary, Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was List of Scottish monarchs, Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legit ...
'' (1971) as Duc François de Guise *''
The Canterbury Tales ''The Canterbury Tales'' () is a collection of 24 stories written in Middle English by Geoffrey Chaucer between 1387 and 1400. The book presents the tales, which are mostly written in verse, as part of a fictional storytelling contest held ...
'' (1972) as The Manager *'' Up the Front'' (1972) as Muller *'' The Day of the Jackal'' (1973) as The Interrogator *'' Story of a Love Story'' (1973) *'' Revolt of the City'' (1973) *'' Soft Beds, Hard Battles'' (1974) as Padre *''
Fall of Eagles Autumn, also known as fall (especially in US & Canada), is one of the four temperate seasons on Earth. Outside the tropics, autumn marks the transition from summer to winter, in September (Northern Hemisphere) or March (Southern Hemisphere ...
'' (1974) as Count Stookau *'' The Marseille Contract'' (1974) as Lazar *''
Murder on the Orient Express ''Murder on the Orient Express'' is a work of detective fiction by English writer Agatha Christie featuring the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. It was first published in the United Kingdom by the Collins Crime Club on 1 January 1934. In the U ...
'' (1974) as Concierge *'' Scent of a Woman'' (1974) as Don Carlo (uncredited) *''
Galileo Galileo di Vincenzo Bonaiuti de' Galilei (15 February 1564 – 8 January 1642), commonly referred to as Galileo Galilei ( , , ) or mononymously as Galileo, was an Italian astronomer, physicist and engineer, sometimes described as a poly ...
'' (1975) as First Secretary *'' Playing with Fire'' (1975) as Un messager *'' India Song'' (1975) as George Crown *'' Le Chat et la souris'' (1975) as le complice de Germain *'' Il Messia'' (1975) as Samuele *''
Operation Daybreak ''Operation Daybreak'' (also known as ''The Price of Freedom'' in the U.S. and ''Seven Men at Daybreak'' during production) is a 1975 war film based on the true story of Operation Anthropoid, the assassination of SS general Reinhard Heydrich i ...
'' (1975) as Pyotr *'' Le Sauvage'' (1975) as Coleman *'' Michel Strogoff'' (1975) (TV miniseries) as Harry Blount *''
Dickens of London ''Dickens of London'' is a 1976 television miniseries from ITV Yorkshire, Yorkshire Television based on the life of English novelist Charles Dickens. Both Dickens and his father John Dickens, John were played by British actor Roy Dotrice. The s ...
'' (1976) as Legal gentleman *'' Joseph Andrews'' (1977) as Fop Two *'' The Spy Who Loved Me'' (1977) as Max Kalba *'' March or Die'' (1977) as Mean corporal *''
1990 Important events of 1990 include the Reunification of Germany and the unification of Yemen, the formal beginning of the Human Genome Project (finished in 2003), the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, the separation of Namibia from South ...
'' (1977) as Professor Cheever *'' La petite fille en velours bleu'' (1978) as Lamberti *'' CIA contro KGB'' (1978) as Le réceptionniste *'' Ike'' (1979) as Gen.
Charles de Gaulle Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (22 November 18909 November 1970) was a French general and statesman who led the Free France, Free French Forces against Nazi Germany in World War II and chaired the Provisional Government of the French Re ...
*'' Nijinsky'' (1980) as Sergei Grigoriev *'' Sredni Vashtar'' (1981) as the Doctor *''
Masada Masada ( ', 'fortress'; ) is a mountain-top fortress complex in the Judaean Desert, overlooking the western shore of the Dead Sea in southeastern Israel. The fort, built in the first century BCE, was constructed atop a natural plateau rising ov ...
'' (1981) as Roman Chief Priest *'' Condorman'' (1981) as Russian Agent *'' La nuit de Varennes'' (1982) as Le juge saisie *'' Enigma'' (1982) *'' Nutcracker'' (1982) as Markovitch *''
Marco Polo Marco Polo (; ; ; 8 January 1324) was a Republic of Venice, Venetian merchant, explorer and writer who travelled through Asia along the Silk Road between 1271 and 1295. His travels are recorded in ''The Travels of Marco Polo'' (also known a ...
'' (1982) as Pietro D'Abano *'' An Englishman Abroad'' (1983) as Guildenstern *''
Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, essayist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most o ...
'' (1983) as
Giacomo Meyerbeer Giacomo Meyerbeer (born Jakob Liebmann Meyer Beer; 5 September 1791 – 2 May 1864) was a German opera composer, "the most frequently performed opera composer during the nineteenth century, linking Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Mozart and Richard Wa ...
*' (1984) as James – le majordome *''
The Perils of Gwendoline in the Land of the Yik-Yak ''The Perils of Gwendoline in the Land of the Yik-Yak'' (original title ''Gwendoline'') is a 1984 Cinema of France, French Softcore pornography, softcore action comedy film directed by Just Jaeckin, written by Jaeckin and John Willie and starring ...
'' (1984) *'' A.D.'' (1985) as Titus Flavius Sabinus *'' Morenga'' (1985) as Lohmann *''
Mata Hari Margaretha Geertruida MacLeod (, ; 7 August 187615 October 1917), better known by the stage name Mata Hari ( , ; , ), was a Dutch Stripper, exotic dancer and courtesan who was convicted of being a spy for German Empire, Germany during World War ...
'' (1985) as Prosecutor *'' The Six Napoleons'' from '' The Return of Sherlock Holmes'' (1986) as Herr Mendelstam *''
Caravaggio Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (also Michele Angelo Merigi or Amerighi da Caravaggio; 29 September 1571 – 18 July 1610), known mononymously as Caravaggio, was an Italian painter active in Rome for most of his artistic life. During the fina ...
'' (1986) as Art Lover *''
The Name of the Rose ''The Name of the Rose'' ( ) is the 1980 debut novel by Italian author Umberto Eco. It is a historical fiction, historical murder mystery set in an Italian monastery in the year 1327, and an intellectual mystery combining semiotics in fiction, ...
'' (1986) as Hugh of Newcastle *'' Maschenka'' (1987) as Yasha *'' Natalia'' (1988) as Alfred Grabner *''
Catacombs Catacombs are man-made underground passages primarily used for religious purposes, particularly for burial. Any chamber used as a burial place is considered a catacomb, although the word is most commonly associated with the Roman Empire. Etym ...
'' (1988) as Brother Timothy *'' Pascali's Island'' (1988) as Pariente *'' Madame Sousatzka'' (1988) as Music Critic *''
Testimony Testimony is a solemn attestation as to the truth of a matter. Etymology The words "testimony" and "testify" both derive from the Latin word ''testis'', referring to the notion of a disinterested third-party witness. Law In the law, testimon ...
'' (1988) as Gargolovsky *'' Splendor'' (1989) as Don Arno *''
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade ''Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade'' is a 1989 American action adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg from a screenplay by Jeffrey Boam, based on a story by George Lucas and Menno Meyjes. It is the third installment in the Indiana Jone ...
'' (1989) as Butler *'' The Hostage of Europe'' (1989) as Hudson Lowe *'' The Plot to Kill Hitler'' (1990) as Erich Fellgiebel *'' The Krays'' (1990) as Teacher *'' The Garden'' (1990) *'' A Season of Giants'' (1990) as Jacopo Galli *'' Vincent and Me'' (1990) as Dr. Winkler *''
Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...
'' (1990) as Reynaldo *'' Let Him Have It'' (1991) as Clerk of Court *''
Prisoner of Honor ''Prisoner of Honor'' is a 1991 British television film, made-for-television drama (film and television), drama film directed by Ken Russell and starring Richard Dreyfuss, Oliver Reed and Peter Firth. It was made by Warner Bros. Television and d ...
'' (1991) as Rennes Prosecutor *'' Les Enfants du naufrageur'' (1992) *'' Toutes peines confondues'' (1992) as Thurston *'' Venice/Venice'' (1992) as Alexander *''
M. Butterfly ''M. Butterfly'' is a play by David Henry Hwang. The story, while entwined with that of the opera '' Madama Butterfly'', is based most directly on the relationship between French diplomat Bernard Boursicot and Shi Pei Pu, a Beijing opera sin ...
'' (1993) as Agent Etancelin *'' The Hour of the Pig'' (1993) as Apothecary *''
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 ...
'' (" Hercule Poirot's Christmas"; 1994) as Simeon Lee *'' Jefferson in Paris'' (1995) as King's Translator *'' England, My England'' (1995) as Spratt *'' Surviving Picasso'' (1996) as Diaghilev *'' Jude'' (1996) as Curator *'' The Ogre'' (1996) as Lawyer *''
Anna Karenina ''Anna Karenina'' ( rus, Анна Каренина, p=ˈanːə kɐˈrʲenʲɪnə) is a novel by the Russian author Leo Tolstoy, first published in book form in 1878. Tolstoy called it his first true novel. It was initially released in serial in ...
'' (1997) as Pestov *''
The Odyssey The ''Odyssey'' (; ) is one of two major epics of ancient Greek literature attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest surviving works of literature and remains popular with modern audiences. Like the ''Iliad'', the ''Odyssey'' is divi ...
'' (1997 miniseries) as Aegyptus *'' As Time Goes By'' (1997) as Dr Stoker *''
Déjà vu ''Déjà vu'' ( , ; "already seen") is the phenomenon of feeling like one has lived through the present situation in the past.Schnider, Armin. (2008). ''The Confabulating Mind: How the Brain Creates Reality''. Oxford University Press. pp. 167–1 ...
'' (1997) as Konstantine *''
Father Ted ''Father Ted'' is a sitcom created by Irish writers Graham Linehan and Arthur Mathews (writer), Arthur Mathews and produced by British production company Hat Trick Productions for British television channel Channel 4. It aired over three seri ...
'' (" Are You Right There Father Ted?"; 1998) as Old Nazi *''
Merlin The Multi-Element Radio Linked Interferometer Network (MERLIN) is an interferometer array of radio telescopes spread across England. The array is run from Jodrell Bank Observatory in Cheshire by the University of Manchester on behalf of UK Re ...
'' (1998) as 1st Physician *'' Jinnah'' (1998) as Lord Willingdon *'' Hilary and Jackie'' (1998) as Professor Bentley *'' Spanish Fly'' (1998) as Carl's Friend *'' St. Ives'' (1998) as Bonnefoy *'' Dreaming of Joseph Lees'' (1999) as Italian Doctor *'' The Body'' (2001) as Monsignor *''
Revelation Revelation, or divine revelation, is the disclosing of some form of Religious views on truth, truth or Knowledge#Religion, knowledge through communication with a deity (god) or other supernatural entity or entities in the view of religion and t ...
'' (2001) as Curé at Rennes-le-Chateau *'' Festival in Cannes'' (2001) as Millie's Escort *'' The Order'' (2001) as Oscar Cafmeyer, Rudy's father *'' The Red Siren'' (2002) as Vitali *'' Merci Docteur Rey'' (2002) as François *''
White Teeth ''White Teeth'' is British author Zadie Smith's debut novel, published in 2000. It focuses on the later lives of two wartime friends—the Bangladeshi Samad Iqbal and the Englishman Archie Jones—and their families in London. The novel centres ...
'' (2002) as 'The Devil of Dachau' *''
Brocéliande Brocéliande, earlier known as Brécheliant and Brécilien, is a legendary enchanted forest that had a reputation in the medieval European imagination as a place of magic and mystery. Brocéliande is featured in several medieval texts, mostly t ...
'' (2003) as Professeur Brennos *'' Before Sunset'' (2004) as Bookstore Manager *'' Evilenko'' (2004) as Bagdasarov *''
Iznogoud ''Iznogoud'' (; from "is no good" pronounced with a French accent) is a French comics series featuring an eponymous character, created by the comics writer René Goscinny and comics artist Jean Tabary. The comic series chronicles the life and ...
'' (2005) as Kitussé *''
Empire of the Wolves ''Empire of the Wolves'' (French: ''L'Empire des loups'') is a 2005 French action drama film directed by Chris Nahon, written by Christian Clavier, Jean-Christophe Grangé, Chris Nahon and Franck Ollivier, and starring Jean Reno, Arly Jover, ...
'' (2005) as Kudseyi *'' An American Haunting'' (2005) as Elder #1 *'' Priceless'' (2006) as Jacques *''
Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
'' – season 2 (2007) as The Rabbi *''
Asterix at the Olympic Games ''Asterix at the Olympic Games'' is the 12th comic book album in the Asterix series. Serialized in Pilote issues 434–455 in 1968 (to coincide with the Mexico City Olympics), it was translated into English in 1972 (to coincide with the Muni ...
'' (2008) as Un druide (uncredited) *'' Undisputed III: Redemption'' (2010) as Rezo *'' Zarafa'' (2012) as Le vieux sage (voice) *'' The Great Beauty'' (2013) as Arturo *'' The Invisible Boy'' (2014) as Artiglio *'' The Man with the Iron Heart'' (2017) as Emile Hacha *'' The 15:17 to Paris'' (2018) as Older Man *''L'hypothèse de la reine rouge'' (2018) as
Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a Detective fiction, fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a "Private investigator, consulting detective" in his stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with obser ...
*''The Haunting of Margam Castle'' (2020) as Enos


References


External links

*
Vernon Dobtcheff at Theatricalia

Le coin du cinéphage
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dobtcheff, Vernon 1934 births English male film actors English male television actors English people of Russian descent French emigrants to England French male film actors French male television actors French people of Russian descent Living people People from Nîmes Male actors from Occitania (administrative region) 20th-century English male actors 21st-century English male actors 20th-century French male actors 21st-century French male actors Male actors from Sussex People educated at Eastbourne College