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Oliver Cotton

Actor

Oliver Cotton

Born June 20, 1944 in London, England, UK36 films

After training at the Drama Centre London, he has worked extensively at the Royal National Theatre playing in many productions including The Royal Hunt of the Sun, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Much Ado About Nothing, As You Like It, Oedipus, In His Own Write, Hamlet, Tamburlaine, No Man's Land, The Passion, Despatches, Half Life, The World Turned Upside Down, Julius Caesar, The Madras House, The Man With the Flower in His Mouth, Tales from the Vienna Woods, The Crucible, Piano, Troilus and Cressida, Money, Summerfolk, The Villain's Opera, Life x 3.

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At the Royal Court Theatre, he has appeared in The Local Stigmatic, The Duchess of Malfi, Man is Man, The Enoch Show, Erronenous Zones, The Tutor by Brecht, Lear and Bingo by Edward Bond and Piano/Forte by Terry Johnson.

He was a founder member of Joint Stock appearing in their inaugural production The Speakers by Heathcote Williams. At The Royal Shakespeare Company he has played in The Marrying of Ann Leete, Henry VI, Edward IV, Richard III, The Plain Dealer, Some Americans Abroad by Richard Nelson, Brand by Ibsen.

His West End appearances include The Homecoming by Harold Pinter, Children of a Lesser God by Mark Medoff, Benefactors by Michael Frayn (in whose Liberty Hall he also appeared in at the Greenwich Theatre), An Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde, Life x 3 by Yasmina Reza, and Brand by Ibsen. He has also played the title role in King Lear at the Southwark Playhouse and Malvolio in Shakespeare's Globe's all-male production of Twelfth Night.

His many TV appearances have included The Borgias (Cesare Borgia), David Copperfield, The Year of the French, The Play on One, Redemption, Poirot, The Camomile Lawn, Westbeach, Zorro, Sharpe's Battle, Rhodes, All Quiet on the Preston Front, Innocents, Judge John Deed, Inspector Lynley, Waking the Dead, M.I.T.: Murder Investigation Team, Beastly Games, Sensitive Skin, Midsomer Murders, Hotel Babylon.

His films include Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush, The Day Christ Died, Firefox, Oliver Twist, The Sicilian, Eleni, Hiding Out, Christopher Columbus, Son of the Pink Panther, The Innocent Sleep, Phoenix Blue, The Opium War, Beowulf, Baby Blue, The Dancer Upstairs, Shanghai Knights, The Bone Collector, Raindogs, Colour Me Kubrick.

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The best way into Oliver Cotton's work
The Dark Knight Rises posterFirst watchThe Dark Knight Rises20127.8as 2 Star Air Force GeneralFollowing the death of District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman assumes responsibility for Dent's crimes to protect the late attorney's reputation and is subsequently hunted by the Gotham…View film

Essential films

Ranked by acclaim and reach

Filmography

36 films as actor
  1. TBARaindogsDuke
  2. 2026Tales of the UnderworldFlowers
  3. 2021The Last DuelJean de Carrouges III
  4. 2020Wonder Woman 1984Simon Stagg
  5. 2017PylonThe Chairman
  6. 2015North v SouthBrian Galloway
  7. 2013Gangs of Tooting Broadway
  8. 2012The Dark Knight Rises2 Star Air Force General
  9. 2012Henry IV, Part 2 - Live at Shakespeare's GlobeKing Henry IV
  10. 2012Henry IV, Part 1 - Live at Shakespeare's GlobeKing Henry IV
  11. 2009Pope JoanArsenius
  12. 2009MargaretMichael Heseltine
  13. 2005Colour Me KubrickPC Metcalf (uncredited)
  14. 2003Out of the AshesMoshe Perl
  15. 2003Shanghai KnightsJack the Ripper
  16. 2002The Dancer UpstairsMerino
  17. 2001Baby BlueRon Wood
  18. 1999BeowulfHrothgar
  19. 1996The Innocent SleepLusano
  20. 1995Sharpe's BattleBrigadier General Guy Loup
  21. 1995JosephArchitect
  22. 1993Son of the Pink PantherKing Haroak
  23. 1992Christopher Columbus: The DiscoveryHarana
  24. 1991RedemptionNeville Nunn
  25. 1988The PartyAndrew Ford
  26. 1987Hiding OutHit-Man
  27. 1987The SicilianCmdr. Roccofino
  28. 1985EleniKatis
  29. 1982FirefoxDmitri Priabin
  30. 1982Oliver TwistMonks
  31. 1980The Day Christ DiedJohn
  32. 1979Henry VIIIEarl of Surrey
  33. 1978When the Actors ComeIstvan
  34. 1975Caesar and ClarettaGiacomo
  35. 1970Sovereign's CompanySender
  36. 1968Here We Go Round the Mulberry BushCurtis