---
name: "David Ashton"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/david-ashton"
fi1m_id: "david-ashton"
imdb_id: "nm0039200"
tmdb_id: 35017
wikidata_id: "Q5230888"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "10 November 1941"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 2
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 1
updated: "2026-10-07T12:29:02.939547+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."
---

# David Ashton

## Identity

David Ashton

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/david-ashton
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** david-ashton
- **IMDb ID:** nm0039200
- **TMDB ID:** 35017
- **Wikidata ID:** Q5230888
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Ashton_(actor), https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5230888, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0039200/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/35017

Actor. Born 10 November 1941 in Greenock, Scotland, UK.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 10 November 1941, Greenock, Scotland, UK
- **Active:** 1985–2006
- **Titles on Fi1m:** 2: 1 acting, 1 writing
- **Frequently works with:** [Jeremy Brock](https://film.one/person/jeremy-brock.md)
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1980s 70 (1), 1990s 64 (1)
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Ashton_(actor), https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5230888, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0039200/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/35017

## Streaming the US now

- **Apple TV:** [*EastEnders*](https://film.one/tv/eastenders.md) (70)

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

## Biography

David Ashton is a Scottish actor and writer. Born on 10 November 1941 in Greenock, he trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London from 1964 to 1967.

As an actor he has appeared in films including *Eye of the Needle* (1981), *Tomorrow Never Dies* (1997) and *The Last King of Scotland* (2006), in which he played Dr. Garrigan - Senior. Television roles include parts in *Doctor Who* (1985), *Waking the Dead* (2002) and *New Tricks* (2008).

As a writer he contributed early episodes to *EastEnders* (1985) and wrote for *Casualty*. He is also known for creating the long-running BBC Radio 4 series *McLevy*.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com, david-ashton.co.uk.*

## On Fi1m (2)

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

- *Tomorrow Never Dies* (1997), Fi1m 64, as First Sea Lord — [page](https://film.one/film/tomorrow-never-dies.md)

### Wrote (1)

- *EastEnders* (1985), Fi1m 70, Writer — [page](https://film.one/tv/eastenders.md)

## Complete filmography (33)

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

- *Glenrothan* (2026), as Dougie · Writer
- *The Savage Canvas* (2010), as Derrick Widdecome
- *The Last King of Scotland* (2006), as Dr. Garrigan - Senior
- *Vital Signs* (2006), series, as Professor McManus
- *Waking the Dead* (2001), series, as Father Cameron
- *The House of Mirth* (2000), as Lawyer
- *Monarch of the Glen* (2000), series, as Harold Xavier
- *Life Support* (1999), series, as Michael Calder
- *Stiff Upper Lips* (1998), as Dr. Henry
- *Tomorrow Never Dies* (1997), as First Sea Lord — Fi1m 64, [page](https://film.one/film/tomorrow-never-dies.md)
- *The Heart Surgeon* (1997), as Phil Mycroft
- *Alive and Kicking* (1996), as Paris Mourner
- *Dalziel and Pascoe* (1996), series, Writer
- *Hamish Macbeth* (1995), series, as Major Roddy Maclean
- *The Negotiator* (1994), as Deputy Chief Constable Bryden
- *Tis' the Season to be Jolly* (1993), as Prison Governor
- *Comics* (1993), series, as DI MacLaren
- *Sharpe's Eagle* (1993), as Major Lennox
- *God on the Rocks* (1992), Script
- *Freddie As F.R.O.7.* (1992), as Additional voices (voice) · Writer
- *Doctor Who: Timelash* (1985), as Kendron
- *EastEnders* (1985), series, Writer — Fi1m 70, [page](https://film.one/tv/eastenders.md)
- *Brass* (1983), series, as Dr McDuff, Inspector Hamish McDuff
- *Eye of the Needle* (1981), as Oban Radio Operator
- *House on the Hill* (1981), series, as Oliver Maitland
- *Thomas & Sarah* (1979), series, as Captain Derwent
- *The Voyage of Charles Darwin* (1978), series, as John Clements Wickham
- *All Creatures Great and Small* (1978), series, as Ewan Ross
- *The New Road* (1973), series, as Aeneas Macmaster
- *Six Days of Justice* (1972), series, as P.C. Thomson
- *Judge Dee* (1969), series, as Kuan Lai
- *Carry On Cowboy* (1965), as Rider (uncredited)
- *Doctor Who* (1963), series, as Kendron — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/tv/doctor-who.md)

---
© 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/david-ashton