Bill Paterson
Known for: Acting
William Tulloch Paterson (born 3 June 1945) is a Scottish actor. Throughout his career he has appeared regularly in radio drama and provided the narration for a large number of documentaries. Paterson has appeared in films and television series including Comfort and Joy (1984), Traffik (1989), Auf Wiedersehen, Pet (1986), Truly, Madly, Deeply (1990), The Witches (1990), Wives and Daughters (1999), Sea of Souls (2004–2007), Amazing Grace (2006), Miss Potter (2006), Little Dorrit (2008), Doctor Who (2010), Outlander (2014), Fleabag (2016–2019), Inside No. 9 (2018), Good Omens (2019), Brassic (2020) and House of the Dragon (2022). He is a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Scottish BAFTAs. William Tulloch Paterson was born in Glasgow on 3 June 1945. Paterson was raised in Dennistoun by his father, a plumber, and his mother, a hairdresser. He states that his interest in acting began with a school trip to the Citizens Theatre in the Gorbals in 1961. However, after school he chose to initially pursue a career based on an interest in architecture and spent three years as a quantity surveyor's apprentice before deciding to attend the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
Filmography
Series
House of the Dragon
Lord Lyman Beesbury
2022
Series
Doctor Who
Edwin Bracewell
2005
Series
Outlander
Ned Gowan
2014
Series
Play for Today
Luke
1970
Series
Play for Today
Archie MacLean
1970
Series
Play for Today
McChuckemup / Texas Jim etc
1970
Series
Horizon
1964
Series
Agatha Christie's Marple
Bradley
2004
Series
Shetland
James Perez
2013
Series
The One Show
Self - Guest
2006
Series
Halo
Ackerson's Dad
2022
Series
Omnibus
1967
Series
Foyle's War
Patrick Jamieson
2002
Series
The Sandman
Dr. John Hathaway
2022
Series
The Repair Shop
Narrator (voice)
2017
Series
Good Omens
Tadfield Neighbourhood Watch
2019
Series
Inside No. 9
Mr. Green
2014
Series
Brassic
Tony Tillerton
2019
Series
Fleabag
Dad
2016
Series
Law & Order: UK
George Castle
2009
Series
ScreenPlay
Colin
1986
Series
ScreenPlay
Det. Supt. Chase
1986
Film
Ladies First
Louis
2026
Series
Screen One
PC Howard Mullen
1989
Series
The Play on One
Alex McPherson
1988
Series
BBC2 Play of the Week
Girling
1977
Series
Murder Most Horrid
Chief Inspector
1991
Series
Urban Myths
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
2017
Series
Little Dorrit
Mr. Meagles
2008
Series
Scot Squad
Sir Neville Archibald
2014
Film
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen
Henry Salt
1988
Series
Guilt
Roy Lynch
2019
Film
The Witches
Mr Jenkins
1990
Film
Miss Potter
Rupert Potter
2006
Series
Shoebox Zoo
The Storyteller (voice)
2004
Series
Born and Bred
Harry Woolf
2002
Series
Wives and Daughters
Mr Gibson
1999
Series
Canterbury Tales
Theo
2003
Film
The Killing Fields
Dr. MacEntire
1984
Series
Criminal Justice
Harry Box
2008
Series
Between the Covers
Self
2020
Series
Smiley's People
Lauder Strickland
1982
Film
Chaplin
Stage Manager
1992
Series
Auf Wiedersehen, Pet
Ally Fraser
1983
Series
Doctor Zhivago
Alexander Maximovich Gromeko
2002
Junior Masterchef
1994
Series
Traffik
John Lithgow
1989
Film
The Man Who Invented Christmas
Mr. Grimsby
2017
Series
The Singing Detective
Dr Gibbon
1986
Film
High-Rise
Mercer
2015
Film
How to Lose Friends & Alienate People
Richard Young
2008
Film
Spice World
Brian
1997
Film
Into the Storm
Clement Attlee
2009
Series
ShakespeaRe-Told
2005
Series
Sea of Souls
Dr. Douglas Monaghan
2004
Series
The Modern World: Ten Great Writers
Titorelli
1988
Film
Amazing Grace
Lord Dundas
2006
Film
Rebecca
Dr. Baker
2020
The Michael Ball Show
Self
2010
Film
Creation
Dr. Gully
2009
Film
Richard III
Sir Richard Ratcliffe
1995
Arthouse
Self
1997
Film
Love Sarah
Felix
2020
Series
Trust
John Tilson
2003
The Ghostbusters of East Finchley
Joe Small
1995
Film
Dad's Army
Private Frazer
2016
Series
Melissa
DCI Cameron
1997
Film
Hilary and Jackie
Cello Teacher
1998
Series
Dirk Gently
Professor Jericho
2012
Film
Sunshine
Minister of Justice
1999
Series
The Repair Shop on the Road
Self - Narrator
2025
Series
37 Days
Lord Morley
2014
Series
Rebel Heart
James Connolly
2001
Film
The Rachel Papers
Gordon Highway
1989
Film
Bright Young Things
Sir James Brown
2003
Series
Oliver's Travels
Baxter
1995
Series
Sherlock Holmes and the Baker Street Irregulars
Dr Watson
2007
Series
The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne
2000
Series
Sharman
James Webb
1995
Film
The Object of Beauty
Victor Swayle
1991
Film
The 50 Greatest Television Dramas
Self
2007
Film
The Return of the Musketeers
Charles I
1989
Series
The Crow Road
Kenneth McHoan
1996
Film
The Colour Room
Gordon Forsythe
2021
Series
The Rebel
Charles
2016
Film
Truly Madly Deeply
Sandy
1991
Film
The Cherry Orchard
Lopakhin
1981
Series
Them From That Thing
Various
2012
Series
Hard Times
Stephen Blackpool
1994
Series
Lie with Me
DCI Collman
2004
Film
A Private Function
Wormold
1984
Film
United Kingdom
Tony
1981
Series
Tomb Raider
Winston
Film
Defence of the Realm
Jack Macleod
1986
Film
Othello
Sinclair Carver
2001
Film
Dutch Girls
Mr Mole
1985
Film
Arthur's Whisky
Henry
2024
Film
Happy New Year, Colin Burstead
Gordon Burstead
2018
Film
Churchill's Secret
Lord Moran
2016
Film
Intervention
Dr. Martin
2007
Film
Comfort and Joy
Alan
1984
Series
Shrinks
Matt Hennessey
1991
Series
Battle of the Atlantic
Himself - Narrator
2002
Film
Marionette
Dr. Mandelbaum
2020
Film
The Match
Tommy
1999
Film
The Ploughman's Lunch
Lecturer
1983
Film
The Madness and Misadventures of Munchausen
Self - 'Henry Salt'
2008
Film
Victory
Capt. Davidson
1996
Film
Being Stanley Baxter
Self
2025
Film
Bearskin: An Urban Fairytale
Jordan
1989
Film
Heart
Mr. Kreitman
1999
Film
Crush
Gerald
2002
Film
One Fine Day
Third Man in Lift
1979
Film
Complicity
Wallace Byatt
2000
Series
Britain’s Scenic Railways
Narrator
2021
Film
Hard Times
Stephen Blackpool
1994
Film
Hidden City
Anthony
1987
Film
Licking Hitler
Archie MacLean
1978
A Passion for Churches
Narrator
2005
Film
Rag Tale
Tulloch 'Lucky' Lloyd
2005
Film
Lie with Me
DCI Collman
2004
Film
Children of the Wicker Man
Self
2024
Film
The Cheviot, the Stag and the Black, Black Oil
Various
1974
Film
Just Ask for Diamond
Chief Inspector Snape
1988
Film
The Vote
Simon Featherstone
2015
Film
Sherlock Holmes and the Baker Street Irregulars
Dr Watson
2007
Film
The Odd Job
Sergeant Mull
1978
Film
The List
Reg Troughton
2013
Film
The Entity
2002
Birds Britannia
2010
Film
Mr White Goes To Westminster
Ben White
1997
Film
A War on Science
Narrator (voice)
2006
Film
The Turnaround
James Webb
1995
Film
Behind Bars
Narrator
2001
Passing Places
1973
Film
The Whistle-Blower
D.I. Neil Sleightholme
2001
Film
Fast Freddie, the Widow and Me
Judge Underwood
2011
Film
Friendship's Death
Sullivan
1987
Film
Franz Kafka's 'The Trial'
Titorelli
1988
The White Room
Jackie Jordan
Film
The Interrogation of John
Det. Supt. Chase
1987
Film
The Writing on the Wall
Bull
1996
Film
Zanzibar
Mr Green
2018
Film
The Vanishing Army
Girling
1978
Film
Byrne About Byrne
Father/F.S. McDade
1988
Film
1929: The Great Crash
Narrator
2009
Film
Wonderdate
Kolodon
2018
Film
Spanish Flu: The Forgotten Fallen
Dr James Niven
2009
Film
The Day Mountbatten Died
Narrator (voice)
2019
God's Chosen Car Park
Victor Rosen
1986
Film
Danielle Cable: Eyewitness
DI Nick Biddiss
2003
Film
Coming Up Roses
Mr. Valentine
1987
Film
Lily My Love
Colin
1987
Hitler on Trial: The Truth Behind the Story
2015
Film
The Spirit of 1926
Family Lawyer
2022
Film
Chaplin's Goliath
Narrator (voice)
1996
Film
The Story of a Recluse
The Producer
1987
Film
The Man who Crossed Hitler
Kurt Ohnesorge
2011
Film
God on the Rocks
Kenneth Marsh
1992
Film
Yellowbacks
Alex McPherson
1990
Film
The Animal Train
Walrus
1998
In Dreams
Dr Gold
1992
The Phoenix: A Century of Cinema
Narrator (Voice)
2011
Suilven Spring
1974
Film
A Bear Named Wojtek
Zoo Director (voice)
2023
Film
The House Was Not Hungry Then
Father
2025
Film
Fascism in Colour
Narrator (voice)
2006
Ghosts in the Machine
Himself
2009
Film
Gone Fishing
Old Bill
2008
Film
Wall of Silence
Howard Mullen
1993
Documenting John Grierson
Narrator
2014
Film
The Man Who Lives with Bears
Self - Narrator (voice)
2008
Film
Jackie McCafferty's Romance
Bus Conductor
1978
Film
Shooting from the Heart: Chris Menges, Cameraman
Self
1985
The Pen
1995
Home Road Movies
Father
2002
Film
The Thin End of the Wedge
Luke
1977
Tell Tale Hearts
Anthony Steadman
1992
Film
Scotland's Finest: The Story of the Highland Games
Narrator
2012
Film
Clydescope
Model Boat Show Commentator (voice) (uncredited)
1974
The Garden Beyond
Jim Finlayson
1977
Chrono-Perambulator
Professor Teddy Knox
1999
Film
The Riddle of the Sands
Narrator
1995