Brian Pettifer
Known for: Acting
Brian Pettifer (born January 1, 1953) is a South African actor who has appeared in many television shows, and also on stage and in film. He is the younger brother of folk musician Linda Thompson. He intended to become a photographer, but pursued a career as an actor. He appeared as a child in the BBC's This Man Craig and Dr Finlay's Casebook, and Madame Bovary (with his friend Alex Norton) which gave him an avid interest in acting on television. His first film role was in Lindsay Anderson's film if.... (1968). He also appeared in Anderson's O Lucky Man! (1973) and Britannia Hospital (1982) playing the same character in all three Anderson films, that of Biles. His other film credits include roles in Amadeus (1984), A Christmas Carol (1984), Gulag (1985), Heavenly Pursuits (1986), Little Dorrit (1987), The Great Escape II: The Untold Story (1988), Loch Ness (1996), The House of Mirth (2000), Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (2002), The Rocket Post (2004), Vanity Fair (2004) and Lassie (2005). Pettifer was a regular in Rab C. Nesbitt mainly propping up a bar, but was also known as aircraftman Bruce Leckie in Get Some In!, where he was constantly the butt of jokes directed at him by Corporal Marsh. He also played cousin Hughie in the long running Liverpool based 70s sitcom The Liver Birds. He also played Alfred Meyer in the BBC/HBO film Conspiracy and the part of Dr. Cameron in the Radio 4 series entitled Adventures of a Black Bag, after appearing in several episodes of Dr. Finlay's Casebook. He appeared in Hamish Macbeth, as well as guest starring in Still Game. In 2005, he also appeared in the first episode of the BBC drama Bleak House. In 2011 and 2013, he played Father Richards in The Field of Blood. He had the role of Poupart in the BBC One series The Musketeers. In 2012, Brian Pettifer appeared as Archie Milgrow in the episode Old School Ties in the series New Tricks. He has worked extensively in the theatre: writing, directing and acting. He has been in a production of The Fairy-Queen at Glyndebourne, which went to Paris and New York in 2010. In 2015, Pettifer appeared in the crime comedy The Legend of Barney Thomson along with his Hamish Macbeth co-star Robert Carlyle. In 2019, he appeared in an episode of Holby City playing patient Laurie Stocks.
Filmography
Series
Outlander
Old Charlie
2014
Series
Black Mirror
William Grange, Dentist
2011
Series
Play for Today
Boy in Grounds
1970
Series
Heartbeat
Andrew McIntyre
1992
Series
Endeavour
Jephthah Claypole
2013
Series
Grace
Hector Hegarty
2021
Series
New Tricks
Archie Milgrow
2004
Series
Hustle
Tip Jones
2004
Series
Last of the Summer Wine
The Best Man
1973
Series
Lovejoy
Willy Kinross
1986
Series
ITV Saturday Night Theatre
Adam Armour
1969
Series
Monarch of the Glen
Eric Morton
2000
Series
Return of the Saint
Bartender
1978
Film
Amadeus
Hospital Attendant
1984
Film
Darkest Hour
Lord Kingsley Wood
2017
Series
Hamish Macbeth
Rory Campbell
1995
Series
To the Ends of the Earth
Wheeler
2005
Series
Garrow's Law
Robert Boycott
2009
Film
The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc
the executioner / the torturer of the trial
1999
Series
The Vital Spark
1965
Series
City Lights
Alisdair
1986
Film
Conspiracy
Alfred Meyer
2001
Film
Damaged
Village Man
2024
Series
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
Honeyfoot
2015
Series
Get Some In!
Bruce Leckie
1975
Series
The History of Tom Jones: A Foundling
Parson Supple
1997
Series
Rockface
Brother Thomas
2002
Series
Life Support
Gordon Travers
1999
Series
Clayhanger
Stifford
1976
Film
Vanity Fair
Mr. Raggles
2004
Series
Armchair Theatre
Nigel Purvis
1956
This Man Craig
1966
Film
A Christmas Carol
Ben
1984
Film
Lassie
O'Donnell
2005
Series
The Field of Blood
Father Richards
2011
Series
Villains
Youth
1972
Series
Bedtime Stories
Alan
1974
Film
if....
Biles
1968
Is That Your Body, Boy
Spratt
1970
Film
Loch Ness
Repairman
1996
Film
In the Bleak Midwinter
Ventriloquist
1995
Film
Get Duked!
PC Dougie
2019
Film
The Last Bus
Billy (Drunk)
2021
Series
Cloud Howe
Dite Peat
1982
Film
The Great Escape II: The Untold Story
Kirby-Green
1988
Film
Whisky Galore
Angus
2016
Film
Little Dorrit
Clarence Barnacle
1987
Series
Farrington of the F.O.
Billy Murdoch
1986
Film
Britannia Hospital
Biles
1982
Film
Vigo
Fatman
1998
Film
The House of Mirth
Mr. Bry
2000
Film
The Legend of Barney Thomson
Charlie
2015
Film
The Strange Case of Sherlock Holmes & Arthur Conan Doyle
Harry How
2005
Film
The Rocket Post
Reverend Shand
2004
Snoddy
Professor Baxter
2002
Film
Heavenly Pursuits
Father Cobb
1986
Film
Hattie
Ron
2011
Film
Gulag
Vlasov
1985
Film
The James Gang
Spanner
1997
Warm Feet, Warm Heart
Nigel Purvis
1970
Film
The Flu That Killed 50 Million
Victor Vaughan
2018
Film
One Last Chance
Macgregor
2004
Film
Donkeys
Brian Colburn
2010
Film
The Key
2003
Lindsay Anderson: Lucky Man?
Self
2004
Film
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Poole
2003
Film
Eleven Men Against Eleven
Cliff Tutley
1995
Film
Is That All There Is?
Self
1992
Film
Lucky Sunil
Cyril
1988
Just Your Luck
Youth at Wedding
1972
Film
The Right Prospectus
Boy in Grounds
1970
Go Home
Mike
2021
Film
A Risk Worth Taking
Maxwell Borthwick
2008
Film
Peer Gynt
Additional cast
1972
Film
Terror! Robespierre and the French Revolution
Couthon
2009
In Dreams
Journalist/Dave
1992
Film
Let There Be Light
Pupil Teacher
1970
Film
Memories of Lindsay Anderson
Self
2019
Film
Happy the Man
Andy
1986