---
name: "Colin Welland"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/colin-welland"
fi1m_id: "colin-welland"
imdb_id: "nm0919815"
tmdb_id: 14957
wikidata_id: "Q357735"
roles: ["Actor","Writer"]
born: "4 July 1934"
died: "2 November 2015"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 2
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 1
updated: "2026-10-07T11:19:23.482391+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Colin Welland

## Identity

Colin Welland

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/colin-welland
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** colin-welland
- **IMDb ID:** nm0919815
- **TMDB ID:** 14957
- **Wikidata ID:** Q357735
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_Welland, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q357735, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0919815/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/14957

Actor and writer. Born 4 July 1934 in Liverpool, England. Died 2 November 2015.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor, Writer
- **Born:** 4 July 1934, Liverpool, England
- **Died:** 2 November 2015
- **Active:** 1962–1981
- **Titles on Fi1m:** 2: 1 acting, 1 writing
- **Frequently works with:** [Kenith Trodd](https://film.one/person/kenith-trodd.md), [Ken Loach](https://film.one/person/ken-loach.md), [Alan Plater](https://film.one/person/alan-plater.md), [Allan Prior](https://film.one/person/allan-prior.md), [Alun Owen](https://film.one/person/alun-owen.md), [Anthony Page](https://film.one/person/anthony-page.md), [Anthony Read](https://film.one/person/anthony-read.md), [Bill Hays](https://film.one/person/bill-hays.md)
- **Academy Awards:** 1 Oscar (1 won)
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1970s 88 (1), 1980s 78 (1)
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_Welland, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q357735, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0919815/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/14957

## Streaming the US now

- **Apple TV:** [*Kes*](https://film.one/film/kes.md) (88)
- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Chariots of Fire*](https://film.one/film/chariots-of-fire.md) (78)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Colin Welland was an English actor and screenwriter. Born Colin Edward Williams on 4 July 1934 in Liverpool, he died on 2 November 2015.

He trained as an art teacher before becoming an actor. Welland appeared as PC David Graham in the BBC series *Z-Cars* (1962–1965) and played Mr Farthing in *Kes* (1969), for which he received a BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. Other acting credits include *Straw Dogs* (1971) and *Villain* (1971).

As a writer, Welland received the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for *Chariots of Fire* (1981). His other screenplays include *Yanks* (1979), *A Dry White Season* (1989) and *War of the Buttons* (1994).

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, theguardian.com, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (2)

### Performed in (1) — the average rests on these

- *Kes* (1970), Fi1m 88, as Mr. Farthing — [page](https://film.one/film/kes.md)

### Wrote (1)

- *Chariots of Fire* (1981), Fi1m 78, Writer — [page](https://film.one/film/chariots-of-fire.md)

## Complete filmography (42)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Trial & Retribution* (1997), series, as Mallory
- *The Fix* (1997), as Harry Catterick
- *Bramwell* (1995), series, as Mr. Barclay
- *War of the Buttons* (1994), Writer
- *Bambino Mio* (1994), Writer
- *Femme Fatale* (1993), as Martin Harty
- *For the Greater Good* (1991), series, as Sir David Whites
- *The Return of the Green Man* (1990), as Narrator
- *The Secret Life of Ian Fleming* (1990), as Reuters editor
- *Dancin' Thru the Dark* (1990), as Manager
- *A Dry White Season* (1989), Screenplay
- *Screen One* (1989), series, Writer
- *The Trial of Klaus Barbie* (1987), as Klarsfeld
- *Twice in a Lifetime* (1985), Writer
- *United Kingdom* (1981), as Chief Constable James McBride
- *Chariots of Fire* (1981), Writer — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/film/chariots-of-fire.md)
- *Cowboys* (1980), series, as Geyser
- *After Dark* (1979), Actor
- *Yanks* (1979), Story, Screenplay
- *Blue Remembered Hills* (1979), as Willie
- *Cottage to Let* (1977), series, as Albert Rodway
- *Sweeney!* (1977), as Frank Chadwick
- *Your Man from Six Counties* (1976), Writer
- *Machinegunner* (1976), as Bone
- *A Passage to England* (1975), as Onslow
- *The Wild West Show* (1975), series, Writer
- *The Sweeney* (1975), series, as Tober — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-sweeney.md)
- *Leeds United!* (1974), Writer
- *Jack Point* (1973), Writer
- *Kisses at Fifty* (1973), Writer
- *Bank Holiday* (1972), Writer
- *Straw Dogs* (1971), as Rev. Barney Hood
- *Villain* (1971), as Tom Binney
- *The Ten Commandments* (1971), series, Writer
- *Roll On Four O'Clock* (1970), as Lennie Brown · Writer
- *The Hallelujah Handshake* (1970), Writer
- *Say Goodnight to Your Grandma* (1970), as Tony · Writer
- *Play for Today* (1970), series, as Willie · Writer
- *Kes* (1970), as Mr. Farthing — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/film/kes.md)
- *ITV Saturday Night Theatre* (1969), series, Writer
- *Z-Cars* (1962), series, as PC David Graham
- *Armchair Theatre* (1956), series, as Tony · Writer

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 1 won

- 1982: Best Writing, Original Screenplay (won), for *Chariots of Fire*

### BAFTA Film Awards — 1 won

- 1971: Best Actor in a Supporting Role (won), for *Kes*

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/colin-welland