---
name: "Cyril Shaps"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/cyril-shaps"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "13 October 1923"
died: "1 January 2003"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 1
updated: "2026-09-16T16:47:36.513249+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."
---

# Cyril Shaps

Actor. Born 13 October 1923 in Highbury, London, England, UK. Died 1 January 2003.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 13 October 1923, Highbury, London, England, UK
- **Died:** 1 January 2003

## Biography

Cyril Shaps (13 October 1923 – 1 January 2003) was an English character actor who worked in radio, television and film for nearly five decades. Born in London to Polish-Jewish parents, the son of a tailor, he began broadcasting as a child and trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art after wartime service in the Royal Army Educational Corps. He also worked as an announcer and producer for Radio Netherlands.

Shaps appeared in numerous films, including *Lawrence of Arabia* (1962), *To Sir, with Love* (1967), *The Spy Who Loved Me* (1977), *The Madness of King George* (1994), *The End of the Affair* (1999), *The Importance of Being Earnest* (2002) and *The Pianist* (2002). On television he took roles in series such as *Doctor Who*, *Jesus of Nazareth* (1977), *Midsomer Murders* and *Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em* (1973). He was married to Anita from 1950 until her death in 2002; they had three children.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, theguardian.com, comedy.co.uk.*

## On Fi1m (1)

- *Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em* (1973), Fi1m 78, Actor — [page](https://film.one/tv/some-mothers-do-ave-em.md)

## Also known for

- *The Pianist* (2002), Mr. Grün — [page](https://film.one/film/the-pianist.md)
- *Lawrence of Arabia* (1962), Bartender in Officer's Club (uncredited) — [page](https://film.one/film/lawrence-of-arabia.md)
- *The Spy Who Loved Me* (1977), Dr. Bechmann
- *Doctor Who* (1963), John Viner, Lennox, Professor Klegg, Archimandrite — [page](https://film.one/tv/doctor-who.md)
- *Jesus of Nazareth* (1977), Obsessed Boy's Father
- *The Importance of Being Earnest* (2002), Pew Opener
- *Midsomer Murders* (1997), Sebastian Renwick
- *To Sir, with Love* (1967), Mr. Pinkus (uncredited)

---
© 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/cyril-shaps