--- name: "Donald Moffat" canonical: "https://film.one/person/donald-moffat" roles: ["Actor"] born: "26 December 1930" died: "20 December 2018" reviewed_on_fi1m: 3 average_fi1m_score: 82 average_as: "actor" average_over: 3 updated: "2026-09-20T04:59:08.353929+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." --- # Donald Moffat Actor. Born 26 December 1930 in Plymouth, Devon, England, UK. Died 20 December 2018. ## Details - **Work:** Actor - **Born:** 26 December 1930, Plymouth, Devon, England, UK - **Died:** 20 December 2018 - **Active:** 1968–1983 - **Also known as:** Donald Moffatt - **Average Fi1m score:** 82, as actor, over 3 titles - **Fi1m score by decade:** 1960s 73 (1), 1980s 87 (2) - **Score spread:** 2 at 80+, 1 at 60–79, 0 under 60 - **Lead roles:** 0 of 2 acting credits billed first or second - **Genres:** Drama 2, History 1, Horror 1, Mystery 1, Romance 1, Science Fiction 1 - **Screen time:** 7 hours of reviewed films - **Box office:** $44m across 3 films with figures - **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Moffat, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1240192, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0595567/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/15417 ## Streaming the US now - **Amazon Prime Video:** [*The Thing*](https://film.one/film/the-thing.md) (88) For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country. ## Fi1m on Donald Moffat > Donald Moffat spent nearly four decades on screen as the man in charge, commanders, presidents and judges, and his gift was to show what the job cost. In *The Thing* he loses a room's respect one look at a time, and we remember it longer than the effects. The station commander in *The Thing* (1982) is the kind of part that usually earns an actor a clipboard and one reaction shot. Moffat plays Garry as a man who has run the place so long he has forgotten it ever took effort, and as the men's trust in him drains away he lets us watch it drain: a question answered a beat late, a glance round to see who is still listening. Our review said he loses his authority by degrees and that Moffat lets us see each degree. We felt Garry's slide more than we expected to, because the film gives him no help at all, no speech and no scene of his own, only a man standing slightly behind the others and noticing that nobody is waiting for his decision any more. He was a stage actor first and, by his own account, always. RADA, national service and the Old Vic in London, then the United States in the mid-1950s, where he took odd jobs before going back to the theatre, first in the regions and then with the APA repertory company on Broadway. He played O'Neill, Ibsen, Shakespeare and Pirandello, and kept playing them into the 1990s; Larry Slade in *The Iceman Cometh* (1985) is the stage performance people bring up. Film came late, in his late thirties, as Niall Cameron in *Rachel, Rachel* (1968), Paul Newman's first film as director. We liked that film and did not single him out, which is roughly how the next four decades went: present, exact and seldom the reason anyone bought the ticket. From then on he was Hollywood's idea of an official. Garry in *The Thing*, Lyndon Johnson in *The Right Stuff* (1983), President Bennett in *Clear and Present Danger* (1994), Edgar Halcyon in *Tales of the City* (1993), and judges and doctors between. The one lead, Sam in *On the Nickel* (1980), was a recovering alcoholic, and it did not lead to more of them. What he brought to the men in suits was a refusal to make them stupid; his authority figures always seemed to have earned the desk, which is why it hurt when they lost it. He described the method himself: "What I always try to do is find the truth of the person. What makes them tick? Why are they doing things? I try and be very, very specific at every given moment. Then try to not let anybody see what I'm doing." The reservation, if it counts as one, is that he was a supporting player and nothing else, and a career of that shape lives or dies on other people's films. Carpenter's was good enough to carry him, and he repaid it. His last screen role came in 2005. If you want to see what he did, put on *The Thing*, ignore the creature for a while, and watch the man who is supposed to be in charge. He will do nothing to draw your eye. That was the job. ## Biography Donald Moffat (also credited as Donald Moffatt) was an English actor. Born in Plymouth, Devon, he trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and began his career with the Old Vic theatre company before moving to the United States in the mid-1950s. He worked extensively on stage in New York, receiving Tony Award nominations for revivals of *The Wild Duck* and *Right You Are If You Think You Are*, and an Obie Award for *Painting Churches*. His film roles included Garry in *The Thing* (1982), Lyndon B. Johnson in *The Right Stuff* (1983) and the President in *Clear and Present Danger* (1994). He also appeared in television series such as *Little House on the Prairie*, *Columbo*, *The West Wing* and *Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman*. Moffat died in Sleepy Hollow, New York, on 20 December 2018. *Sources: en.wikipedia.org, nytimes.com, imdb.com.* ## On Fi1m (3) - *The Right Stuff* (1983), Fi1m 86, as Lyndon B. Johnson — [page](https://film.one/film/the-right-stuff.md) - *The Thing* (1982), Fi1m 88, as Garry — [page](https://film.one/film/the-thing.md) - *Rachel, Rachel* (1968), Fi1m 73, as Niall Cameron — [page](https://film.one/film/rachel-rachel.md) ## Complete filmography (110) Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page. - *Law & Order: Trial by Jury* (2005), series, as Matthew Sherwood - *61** (2001), as Ford Frick - *Bull* (2000), series, as Robert 'The Kaiser' Roberts - *The West Wing* (1999), series, as Talmidge Cregg — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-west-wing.md) - *Cookie's Fortune* (1999), as Jack Palmer - *The Sleep Room* (1998), series, as Joe Rauh - *A Smile Like Yours* (1997), as Dr. Felber - *The Evening Star* (1996), as Hector Scott - *Trapped in Paradise* (1994), as Clifford Anderson - *Is There Life Out There?* (1994), as Grandpa Walter - *Clear and Present Danger* (1994), as President Bennett - *Love, Cheat & Steal* (1993), as Frank Harrington - *Tales of the City* (1993), series, as Edgar Halcyon - *Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman* (1993), series, as Walt Whitman - *Majority Rule* (1992), as Walter Simms - *Teamster Boss: The Jackie Presser Story* (1992), as O'Connell - *Housesitter* (1992), as George Davis - *Babe Ruth* (1991), as Jacob Ruppert - *Regarding Henry* (1991), as Charlie Cameron - *The Great Pretender* (1991), as Owen Milner - *Class Action* (1991), as Quinn - *The Bonfire of the Vanities* (1990), as Mr. McCoy - *Kaleidoscope* (1990), as Arthur Patterson - *A Son's Promise* (1990), as Paw Paw - *Kojak: Flowers For Matty* (1990), as Garrett Fitzsimons - *Music Box* (1989), as Harry Talbot - *Cross of Fire* (1989), series, as George Oberholtzer - *Far North* (1988), as Uncle Dane - *The Bourne Identity* (1988), series, as David Abbott - *China Beach* (1988), series, Actor - *The Unbearable Lightness of Being* (1988), as Chief Surgeon - *Necessary Parties* (1988), as Grampa Mills - *When the Time Comes* (1987), as Harold - *Desperado* (1987), as Malloy, Nora's Dad - *License to Kill* (1986), as Howard Webster - *Houston: The Legend of Texas* (1986), as Col. John Allen - *L.A. Law* (1986), series, as Lawrence O'Neil - *Lily* (1986), as John Farnsworth - *Monster in the Closet* (1986), as General Franklin Turnbull - *The Best of Times* (1986), as Herbert ("The Colonel") - *The Twilight Zone* (1985), series, as (segment "The Star") - *Alamo Bay* (1985), as Wally - *Murder, She Wrote* (1984), series, as Tim Carver - *Through Naked Eyes* (1983), as Patrolman - *The Right Stuff* (1983), as Lyndon B. Johnson — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/film/the-right-stuff.md) - *Who Will Love My Children?* (1983), as Dick Thomas - *The Thing* (1982), as Garry — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/film/the-thing.md) - *A House Divided: Denmark Vesey's Rebellion* (1982), as Captain Vesey - *American Playhouse* (1982), series, as Gardner Church, Edgar Halcyon - *The White Lions* (1981), as Vreeland - *Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy* (1981), as Hugh Auchincloss - *My Champion* (1981), as Dr. Myron Shapiro - *Popeye* (1980), as The Taxman - *HealtH* (1980), as Colonel Cody - *The Long Days of Summer* (1980), as Josef Kaplan - *On the Nickel* (1980), as Sam - *Promises in the Dark* (1979), as Dr. Walter McInerny - *Mrs. R's Daughter* (1979), as Frank Randell - *Ebony, Ivory and Jade* (1979), as Ian Cabot - *Strangers: The Story of a Mother and Daughter* (1979), as Wally Ball - *The Gift of Love* (1978), as William Schuyler - *The Word* (1978), series, as Henri Aubert - *Sergeant Matlovich vs. the U.S. Air Force* (1978), as Col. Benton - *Tartuffe* (1978), as Tartuffe - *Dallas* (1978), series, as Brooks Oliver - *Mary White* (1977), as Sir James Barrie - *Logan's Run* (1977), series, as Rem - *The Fitzpatricks* (1977), series, Actor - *Exo-Man* (1977), as Wallace Rogers - *Eleanor and Franklin: The White House Years* (1977), as Harry Hopkins - *Code R* (1977), series, as Jack Douglas - *The Call of the Wild* (1976), as Simpson - *Forget-Me-Not Lane* (1975), as Charles Bisley - *Earthquake* (1974), as Dr. Harvey Johnson - *The New Land* (1974), series, Actor - *Little House on the Prairie* (1974), series, as Nathaniel Mears - *The Terminal Man* (1974), as Dr. Arthur McPherson - *Rex Harrison Presents Stories of Love* (1974), as Fred - *A Touch of the Poet* (1974), as Jamie Cregan - *The Six Million Dollar Man* (1974), series, as Lester Burstyn, Dr. Martin Davis - *The Snoop Sisters* (1973), series, as Shriver Danforth - *Showdown* (1973), as Art Williams - *The Waltons* (1972), series, as Lester Morgan - *The Trial of the Catonsville Nine* (1972), as Thomas Melville - *The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid* (1972), as Manning - *The Devil and Miss Sarah* (1971), as Appleton - *Columbo* (1971), series, as Sheldon Hays — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/tv/columbo.md) - *Great Performances* (1971), series, as Charles Bisley - *Night Gallery* (1970), series, as Uncle George (segment "Pickman's Model") - *The Young Rebels* (1970), series, Actor - *R.P.M.* (1970), as Perry Howard - *The File on Devlin* (1969), as John Heywood - *Room 222* (1969), series, Actor - *Hawaii Five-O* (1969), series, as Dr. David Forbes - *Lancer* (1968), series, Actor - *Rachel, Rachel* (1968), as Niall Cameron — Fi1m 73, [page](https://film.one/film/rachel-rachel.md) - *Of Mice and Men* (1968), as Slim - *Mannix* (1967), series, as Don McGrath - *The High Chaparral* (1967), series, as Henry Simmons - *Coronet Blue* (1967), series, as The Rector - *Ironside* (1967), series, as Daniel Keyes, Hartz - *Mission: Impossible* (1966), series, as Alex Pierson — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/tv/mission-impossible-1966.md) - *Art, what is it? Why is it?* (1963), as Narrator - *The Defenders* (1961), series, as Dr. Leon Elm, Dr. Finch - *Bonanza* (1959), series, as Judge MacIntyre, Thatcher - *Naked City* (1958), series, as Brickwell - *The Battle of the River Plate* (1956), as Swanston - Lookout, HMS Ajax (uncredited) - *Gunsmoke* (1955), series, as Joseph Graham - *Hallmark Hall of Fame* (1951), series, as John Heywood - *Roger Williams: Founder Of Rhode Island*, as Roger Williams ## Awards ### Other awards — 0 won, 1 nominated - Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play 1967: Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play (nominated) *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/donald-moffat