John Shrapnel

John Shrapnel

Biography: Shrapnel was born in Birmingham, Warwickshire, the son of Mary Lillian Myfanwy (née Edwards) and journalist/author Norman Shrapnel.[1] As a stage actor, he was a member of Laurence Olivier's Royal National Theatre company and the Royal Shakespeare Company and most recently appeared as Sir Oliver Surface in The School for Scandal (directed by Deborah Warner) at the Barbican Centre in 2011. He has also appeared extensively in film and on television in roles in Elizabeth R, Z-Cars, Edward and Mrs. Simpson, 101 Dalmatians, Space: 1999, Inspector Morse, Coogan's Run, Notting Hill and Foyle's War. He presented an episode of the 1983 BBC television travel series Great Little Railways. He gave performances in three entries in the BBC Television Shakespeare plays and as Creon in the BBC's 1984 productions of the Three Theban plays of Sophocles. In America, he has starred in supporting roles as Senator Gaius in Gladiator, Nestor in Troy and Pompey in the second episode of Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire. He also played the Jail Warden in the 10th Kingdom, an epic fantasy miniseries. He has the rare achievement of appearing in two episodes of Midsomer Murders as two different characters, in Death in Chorus and Written in Blood. Shrapnel appeared in an episode of Jonathan Creek as Professor Lance Graumann in the episode The Omega Man. He appears in Chemical Wedding alongside Simon Callow, telling the tale of the resurrection of occultist Aleister Crowley. Shrapnel also has experience in the field of BBC radio drama through such characters as Colin Dexter's Inspector Morse and William Gibson's Neuromancer. He is the son-in-law of Deborah Kerr through his 1975 marriage to her younger daughter Francesca Ann Bartley. They have three sons, the actors Lex Shrapnel (b.1979), Tom Shrapnel (b.1981) and the writer Joe Shrapnel (b.1976). They live in Highbury, north London.

Place of Birth: Not available

Birthday: April 27, 1942

Deathday: February 14, 2020

Popularity:

5.489

Known For

Gladiator
Gladiator

2000-05-04

Notting Hill
Notting Hill

1999-05-21

Troy
Troy

2004-05-13

K-19: The Widowmaker
K-19: The Widowmaker

2002-07-19

Alien Autopsy
Alien Autopsy

2006-04-07

The Body
The Body

2001-04-13

Hamlet Within
Hamlet Within

2022-05-21

Alone
Alone

2002-04-11

How to Get Ahead in Advertising
How to Get Ahead in Advertising

1989-05-05

Chemical Wedding
Chemical Wedding

2008-05-04

Hornblower: The Frogs and the Lobsters
Hornblower: The Frogs and the Lobsters

1999-04-02

Claim
Claim

2002-07-16

St. Stephen's: The Living Cathedral
St. Stephen's: The Living Cathedral

1997-12-23

Wachau - Valley of Golden Magic
Wachau - Valley of Golden Magic

2005-06-08

Schönbrunn - Well of Beauty
Schönbrunn - Well of Beauty

2002-12-19

Wild Women of Viramba
Wild Women of Viramba

2003-01-15

Hitting Town
Hitting Town

1976-04-26

The Awakening
The Awakening

2011-08-17

OXI, an Act of Resistance
OXI, an Act of Resistance

2014-10-09

An Organization of Dreams
An Organization of Dreams

2009-01-02

The Ha-Ha
The Ha-Ha

1969-08-25

National Theatre Live: Macbeth
National Theatre Live: Macbeth

2013-07-19

Animals of the Ocean Desert
Animals of the Ocean Desert

2001-06-21

Partition
Partition

1987-08-19

Selling Hitler
Selling Hitler

1991-06-11

Personal Services
Personal Services

1987-02-12

Shadow of the Sword
Shadow of the Sword

2005-05-12

Britain's Nuclear Bomb - The Inside Story
Britain's Nuclear Bomb - The Inside Story

2017-05-03

The Tom Machine
The Tom Machine

1980-11-20

Professional Foul
Professional Foul

1977-09-21

The Tragedy of Flight 103: The Inside Story
The Tragedy of Flight 103: The Inside Story

1990-12-09

Hamlet
Hamlet

2015-03-23

The Return of the Flying Scotsman
The Return of the Flying Scotsman

2016-03-06

Fatherland
Fatherland

1994-11-26

Gossip from the Forest
Gossip from the Forest

1979-07-28

Seven Wonders of Ancient Egypt
Seven Wonders of Ancient Egypt

2004-02-17

Timon of Athens
Timon of Athens

1981-04-16

The Three Hostages
The Three Hostages

1977-12-27

Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Elizabeth: The Golden Age

2007-09-09

Hennessy
Hennessy

1975-12-31

England, My England
England, My England

1995-01-01

Branagh Theatre Live: The Winter's Tale
Branagh Theatre Live: The Winter's Tale

2015-11-30

Supermassive Black Holes
Supermassive Black Holes

2000-11-30

Hindenburg: Titanic of the Skies
Hindenburg: Titanic of the Skies

2007-09-17

King Charles III
King Charles III

2017-05-10

Troilus & Cressida
Troilus & Cressida

1981-11-07

Two Deaths
Two Deaths

1996-06-14

Testimony
Testimony

1988-11-01

The Duchess
The Duchess

2008-09-05

101 Dalmatians
101 Dalmatians

1996-11-27

Theban Plays: Oedipus the King
Theban Plays: Oedipus the King

1986-09-16

Theban Plays: Oedipus at Colonus
Theban Plays: Oedipus at Colonus

1986-09-17

Theban Plays: Antigone
Theban Plays: Antigone

1986-09-19

Mirrors
Mirrors

2008-08-15

Nicholas and Alexandra
Nicholas and Alexandra

1971-11-29

King Lear
King Lear

1982-09-19

Whistle
Whistle

2002-08-22

Poppyland
Poppyland

1985-01-13

Edward & Mrs. Simpson
Edward & Mrs. Simpson

1978-11-06

King Arthur: His Life and Legends
King Arthur: His Life and Legends

1995-09-18

Seven Wonders of Ancient Rome
Seven Wonders of Ancient Rome

2004-01-01

Seven Wonders of Ancient Greece
Seven Wonders of Ancient Greece

2004-06-01

Pope Joan
Pope Joan

1972-08-16

National Theatre Live: Phèdre
National Theatre Live: Phèdre

2009-06-25

Mary, Mother of Jesus
Mary, Mother of Jesus

1999-11-14

Mountain Men: The Ghosts of K2
Mountain Men: The Ghosts of K2

2001-05-31

The Race for Everest
The Race for Everest

2003-05-27

The Burston Rebellion
The Burston Rebellion

1985-02-24

The Strange Case of Delfina Potocka
The Strange Case of Delfina Potocka

1999-01-01

Building Burma's Death Railway: Moving Half the Mountain
Building Burma's Death Railway: Moving Half the Mountain

2014-01-01

SS-3: The Assassination of Reinhard Heydrich
SS-3: The Assassination of Reinhard Heydrich

1992-01-01

Flayed
Flayed

1978-02-22