--- name: "James Laurenson" canonical: "https://film.one/person/james-laurenson" fi1m_id: "james-laurenson" imdb_id: "nm0491190" tmdb_id: 71248 wikidata_id: "Q6137826" roles: ["Actor"] born: "17 February 1940" died: "18 April 2024" reviewed_on_fi1m: 4 average_fi1m_score: 79 average_as: "actor" average_over: 4 updated: "2026-10-04T18:06:36.455153+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." --- # James Laurenson ## Identity James Laurenson - **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/james-laurenson - **Type:** Person - **Fi1m ID:** james-laurenson - **IMDb ID:** nm0491190 - **TMDB ID:** 71248 - **Wikidata ID:** Q6137826 - **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Laurenson, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6137826, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0491190/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/71248 Actor. Born 17 February 1940 in Marton, New Zealand. Died 18 April 2024. ## Details - **Work:** Actor - **Born:** 17 February 1940, Marton, New Zealand - **Died:** 18 April 2024 - **Active:** 1982–2022 - **Also known as:** James Lawrenson, James Laurensen - **Average Fi1m score:** 79, as actor, over 4 titles - **Fi1m score by decade:** 1980s 69 (1), 2010s 84 (2), 2020s 80 (1) - **Fi1m against the critics:** 83 to 79 across 3 titles - **Score spread:** 3 at 80+, 1 at 60–79, 0 under 60 - **Lead roles:** 0 of 1 acting credits billed first or second - **Genres:** Drama 3, Comedy 1, Crime 1, Family 1, Fantasy 1, Music 1 - **Screen time:** 4 hours of reviewed films - **Box office:** $60m across 2 films with figures - **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Laurenson, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6137826, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0491190/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/71248 ## Biography James Laurenson (1940–2024) was a New Zealand-born stage and screen actor based in the United Kingdom. He studied theatre at Canterbury University College in Christchurch, where he was directed by Ngaio Marsh, and moved to Britain in the mid-1960s. Laurenson began his film career with a small role in *Women in Love* (1969) and appeared as Pink's Father in *Pink Floyd – The Wall* (1982). He performed extensively with the Royal Shakespeare Company and took leading roles in stage productions including *Edward II* (1970) and the musical *42nd Street* (1984). His television credits include series such as *Space: 1999* (1975), *Inspector Morse*, *Midsomer Murders*, *Endeavour*, *Hustle* and *The Crown* (2016), as well as films including *The Riot Club* (2014) and *Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical* (2022). *Sources: en.wikipedia.org, theguardian.com, imdb.com.* ## On Fi1m (4) - *Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical* (2022), Fi1m 80, as Ancient / Sleeping Teacher — [page](https://film.one/film/roald-dahls-matilda-the-musical.md) - *Wolf Hall* (2015), Fi1m 86, as Earl of Shrewsbury — [page](https://film.one/tv/wolf-hall.md) - *Endeavour* (2013), Fi1m 82, as Professor George Amory — [page](https://film.one/tv/endeavour.md) - *Pink Floyd: The Wall* (1982), Fi1m 69, as Pink's Father — [page](https://film.one/film/pink-floyd-the-wall.md) ## Complete filmography (102) Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page. - *Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical* (2022), as Ancient / Sleeping Teacher — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/film/roald-dahls-matilda-the-musical.md) - *The Crown* (2016), series, as Doctor Weir — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-crown.md) - *The Comedy of Errors - Live at Shakespeare's Globe* (2015), as Egeon - *Wolf Hall* (2015), series, as Earl of Shrewsbury — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/tv/wolf-hall.md) - *The Riot Club* (2014), as College President - *The Widower* (2014), series, as Brian Drumm - *Endeavour* (2013), series, as Professor George Amory — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/tv/endeavour.md) - *Father Brown* (2013), series, as Professor Hilary Ambrose - *Private Peaceful* (2012), as Major Fitzpatrick - *The Hollow Crown* (2012), series, as Westmoreland - *Holy Flying Circus* (2011), as Archbishop of York - *National Theatre Live: The Cherry Orchard* (2011), as Gaev - *One Day* (2011), as Mr. Cope - *National Theatre Live: Hamlet* (2010), as Ghost / Player King - *Margaret Thatcher: The Long Walk to Finchley* (2008), as Leslie Thomas - *Hustle* (2004), series, as Peter Williams - *Three Blind Mice* (2003), as William Storbest - *AfterLife* (2003), Actor - *Spooks* (2002), series, as Lord Young, Sholto — Fi1m 77, [page](https://film.one/tv/spooks.md) - *Born and Bred* (2002), series, as Brigadier Arbuthnot - *The Cat's Meow* (2002), as Dr. Daniel Goodman - *The Cry* (2002), series, as Richard Crossdyke - *This Is Personal: The Hunt for the Yorkshire Ripper* (2000), series, as Chief Const. Ronald Gregory - *This Is Personal: The Hunt for the Yorkshire Ripper* (2000), as Chief Constable Ronald Gregory - *Dead Bolt Dead* (1999), as The Boss - *Sharpe: The Legend* (1997), as Ross (archive footage) - *Sharpe's Revenge* (1997), as Major General Hector Ross - *The Vanishing Man* (1997), series, as Moreau - *The Vanishing Man* (1997), as Moreau - *Midsomer Murders* (1997), series, as James Tate — Fi1m 66, [page](https://film.one/tv/midsomer-murders.md) - *The Cold Light of Day* (1996), as Pavel Novak - *Sharpe's Mission* (1996), as Major General Hector Ross - *Sharpe's Siege* (1996), as Major General Hector Ross - *Sharpe's Regiment* (1996), as Major General Hector Ross - *Dalziel and Pascoe* (1996), series, as Richard Mattis - *Silent Witness* (1996), series, as Professor Peter Sachs - *Sharpe* (1993), series, as Maj. Gen. Hector Ross, Major General Hector Ross - *A House in the Hills* (1993), as Mr. Rankin - *Between the Lines* (1992), series, as Supt. Pat Salter - *Heartbeat* (1992), series, as Det. Ch. Supt. Tatton - *Prime Suspect* (1991), series, as Paul Endicott — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/tv/prime-suspect.md) - *The Care of Time* (1990), as General Newell - *Capital News* (1990), series, Actor - *Rainbow Drive* (1990), as Hans Roerhrig - *Project: Tinman* (1990), as Wheeler - *Thieves in the Night* (1989), as Gordon-Smith - *Countdown to War* (1989), as Ciano - *The Bourne Identity* (1988), series, as Gillette - *The Man Who Fell to Earth* (1987), as Felix Hawthorne - *Inspector Morse* (1987), series, as Tony Richards — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/tv/inspector-morse.md) - *Artists and Models* (1986), series, as Jacques-Louis David - *Lovejoy* (1986), series, as Greg Veitch - *Stingray* (1985), series, Actor - *Paint Me a Murder* (1984), as Luke Lorenz - *Heartbreakers* (1984), as Terry Ray - *Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense* (1984), series, as Luke Lorenz - *Taggart* (1983), series, as Maurice Bain, Tony Sabina - *Remington Steele* (1982), series, as Raymond Merleau - *Pink Floyd: The Wall* (1982), as Pink's Father — Fi1m 69, [page](https://film.one/film/pink-floyd-the-wall.md) - *Cagney & Lacey* (1982), series, Actor — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/tv/cagney-and-lacey.md) - *The Monster Club* (1981), as Raven (the Shadmock) - *A Spy at Evening* (1981), series, as Tom Hart - *Jude* (1980), as Dick - *Hammer House of Horror* (1980), series, as Mr. Rayburn - *Quiet as a Nun* (1978), as Alexander Skarbek - *Armchair Thriller* (1978), series, as Alexander Skarbek - *The Professionals* (1977), series, as Meredith - *Romance* (1977), series, as Logan Rossiter - *The Winter Warrior* (1976), as Theodric - *The Duchess of Duke Street* (1976), series, as Culliford - *The Witches of Pendle* (1976), as Abraham Law - *Old Man March Is Dead* (1976), as Bert - *Children of the Sun* (1975), as Howard - *Space: 1999* (1975), series, as Patrick Osgood - *The Girls of Slender Means* (1975), series, as Nicholas Farringdon - *Armchair Cinema* (1974), series, as Alain Poitaud - *The Prison* (1974), as Alain Poitaud - *The Turn of the Screw* (1974), as Peter Quint - *The Lady from the Sea* (1974), as The Stranger - *Centre Play* (1973), series, as Bert - *Crown Court* (1972), series, Actor - *Van der Valk* (1972), series, as Paul Kortman - *Boney* (1972), series, Actor - *The Shadow of the Tower* (1972), series, Actor - *Fathers and Sons* (1971), series, as Yevgeny Bazarov - *The Man in the Sidecar* (1971), as Gerald - *Elizabeth R* (1971), series, as Simier - *Assault* (1971), as Greg Lomax - *Hamlet* (1970), as Rosencrantz - *Play for Today* (1970), series, as Dick - *Edward II* (1970), as Piers Gaveston - *The Tragedy of King Richard II* (1970), as Sir Pierce of Exton - *The Magic Christian* (1969), as Oxford Crew - *Women in Love* (1969), as Minister - *ITV Saturday Night Theatre* (1969), series, as Rosencrantz - *Treasure Island* (1968), series, as Dick Johnson - *The Expert* (1968), series, as Norry - *ITV Playhouse* (1967), series, as Alan Black - *Thirty-Minute Theatre* (1965), series, as Michael - *Public Eye* (1965), series, as Ken - *Coronation Street* (1960), series, as Rev. Peter Hope - *Hallmark Hall of Fame* (1951), series, as Rosencrantz --- © 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/james-laurenson