---
name: "John Nettleton"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/john-nettleton"
fi1m_id: "john-nettleton"
imdb_id: "nm0626726"
tmdb_id: 1220097
wikidata_id: "Q6250290"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "5 February 1929"
died: "14 July 2023"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 3
average_fi1m_score: 79
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 3
updated: "2026-10-07T13:04:11.078178+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."
---

# John Nettleton

## Identity

John Nettleton

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/john-nettleton
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** john-nettleton
- **IMDb ID:** nm0626726
- **TMDB ID:** 1220097
- **Wikidata ID:** Q6250290
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Nettleton_(actor), https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6250290, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0626726/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1220097

Actor. Born 5 February 1929 in Lewisham, London, England, UK. Died 14 July 2023.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 5 February 1929, Lewisham, London, England, UK
- **Died:** 14 July 2023
- **Active:** 1966–1997
- **Frequently works with:** [Innes Lloyd](https://film.one/person/innes-lloyd.md)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 79, as actor, over 3 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1960s 81 (1), 1980s 89 (1), 1990s 66 (1)
- **Score spread:** 2 at 80+, 1 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 0 of 1 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Drama 2, Comedy 1, Crime 1, History 1, Mystery 1, War & Politics 1
- **Screen time:** 2 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $28m across 1 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Nettleton_(actor), https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6250290, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0626726/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1220097

## Streaming the US now

- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Yes Minister*](https://film.one/tv/yes-minister.md) (89)

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

## Biography

John Nettleton was an English character actor. He trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, graduating in 1951, and began his career on the stage with the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre company in Stratford-upon-Avon. He became a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company and later worked with the National Theatre.

Nettleton was best known for his television role as Sir Arnold Robinson, the Cabinet Secretary, in the BBC sitcom *Yes Minister* (1980–1984) and its sequel *Yes, Prime Minister* (1986–1988). He also appeared as Conservative MP Sir Stephen Baxter in *The New Statesman*. His other screen credits included roles in *The Avengers*, *Upstairs, Downstairs*, *Brideshead Revisited*, *Doctor Who* and *Foyle's War*, as well as films such as *A Man for All Seasons* (1966) and *Oliver Twist* (2005). He continued working in theatre and television into the 2000s.

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

## On Fi1m (3)

- *Midsomer Murders* (1997), Fi1m 66, as Munro Hilliard — [page](https://film.one/tv/midsomer-murders.md)
- *Yes Minister* (1980), Fi1m 89, as Sir Arnold Robinson — [page](https://film.one/tv/yes-minister.md)
- *A Man for All Seasons* (1966), Fi1m 81, as Jailer — [page](https://film.one/film/a-man-for-all-seasons.md)

## Complete filmography (95)

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

- *Fishtales* (2007), as Professor Coulter
- *Kingdom* (2007), series, as Mr. Macavoy
- *Invasion* (2005), Actor
- *Oliver Twist* (2005), as 1st Magistrate
- *Dad* (2005), as Maurice
- *Foyle's War* (2002), series, as Sam Bradshawe — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/tv/foyles-war.md)
- *Longitude* (2000), series, as Minister for the Navy
- *Jinnah* (1998), as General Gracie
- *Midsomer Murders* (1997), series, as Munro Hilliard — Fi1m 66, [page](https://film.one/tv/midsomer-murders.md)
- *Felix Dexter in Douglas* (1996), as Alan
- *American Friends* (1991), as Groves
- *Circles Of Deceit* (1990), as Ned
- *The Lorelei* (1990), as Mr Walker
- *Victoria Wood* (1989), series, as Charles
- *Doctor Who: Ghost Light* (1989), as Rev Ernest Matthews
- *Bomber Harris* (1989), as Wing Commander Harry Weldon
- *Burning Secret* (1988), as Doctor Weiss
- *Strife* (1988), as Oliver Wanklin
- *The New Statesman* (1987), series, as Sir Stephen Baxter
- *East of Ipswich* (1987), as Richard's Father
- *Worlds Beyond* (1986), series, as Vicar
- *Yes, Prime Minister* (1986), series, as Sir Arnold Robinson, Arnold Robinson
- *Screen Two* (1985), series, as Mr. Burrill, Mr. Walker
- *Fairly Secret Army* (1984), series, as Smith
- *The Bill* (1984), series, Actor
- *Martin Luther, Heretic* (1983), as Andreas Karlstadt
- *The Happy Apple* (1983), series, Actor
- *Brass* (1983), series, as Lord Mountfast
- *Anyone for Denis* (1982), as Jenkins
- *Anyone for Denis?* (1982), series, as Jenkins
- *The Flame Trees of Thika* (1981), series, as Major
- *Sheppey* (1980), as Bradley
- *The Tempest* (1980), as Gonzalo
- *Yes Minister* (1980), series, as Sir Arnold Robinson — Fi1m 89, [page](https://film.one/tv/yes-minister.md)
- *'That Crazy Woman'* (1980), as Ashby
- *Spy!* (1980), series, as Captain Bennett
- *Minder* (1979), series, as William Shanks — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/tv/minder.md)
- *Only When I Laugh* (1979), series, as Col. Walters
- *Tales of the Unexpected* (1979), series, as Hotel Manager
- *Henry VIII* (1979), as Lord Chamberlain
- *The Professionals* (1977), series, as Minister
- *The Country Wife* (1977), as Sir Jasper Fidget
- *Abide with Me* (1976), as Robert Drummond
- *Rumpole of the Bailey* (1975), series, as Dr. Hugo Swabey, Mr. Potter
- *Shadows* (1975), series, as Mr Butler
- *All Creatures Great and Small* (1975), as Head Waiter
- *Churchill's People* (1974), series, as Sir Francis Bacon
- *The Edwardians* (1972), series, as Alfred Wood
- *Dead of Night* (1972), series, as Grandman
- *The Protectors* (1972), series, as Inspector Hill
- *Six Days of Justice* (1972), series, as Chairman
- *Upstairs, Downstairs* (1971), series, as Arthur Bellamy — Fi1m 83, [page](https://film.one/tv/upstairs-downstairs.md)
- *Justice* (1971), series, as Major Hector Stannard
- *The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes* (1971), series, as Belton, Admiral Christador
- *Birds on the Wing* (1971), series, as Achmed Abdul Uskudar
- *The Uninvited* (1971), as George Pattison
- *Black Beauty* (1971), as Sir William
- *Elizabeth R* (1971), series, as Sir Francis Bacon
- *Great Performances* (1971), series, Actor
- *The Lie* (1970), as Mr Arnold
- *Play for Today* (1970), series, Actor
- *Conceptions of Murder* (1970), series, as Major Armstrong
- *And Soon the Darkness* (1970), as Gendarme
- *If It Moves, File It* (1970), series, as Froggett
- *Sovereign's Company* (1970), as Major Grace
- *Some Will, Some Won't* (1970), as Wagstaff
- *There Is Also Tomorrow* (1969), as Henry
- *Department S* (1969), series, as Carter
- *The Main Chance* (1969), series, as Joseph Shelton
- *The Last Shot You Hear* (1969), as DI Nash
- *ITV Saturday Night Theatre* (1969), series, as Lt. Corrigan, Parkin
- *Please Sir!* (1968), series, as Police Sergeant
- *The Champions* (1968), series, as Booker
- *Her Majesty's Pleasure* (1968), series, Actor
- *The Expert* (1968), series, as Inspector Gresham
- *Infidelity Took Place* (1968), as Leonard Hoskins
- *Ooh La La!* (1968), series, Actor
- *Death of a Private* (1967), as Captain
- *Not in Front of the Children* (1967), series, as The Reverend John Pettifer
- *The Education of Corporal Halliday* (1967), as Maj. Gen. McAllister
- *A Man for All Seasons* (1966), as Jailer — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/film/a-man-for-all-seasons.md)
- *The Noise Stopped* (1966), as Charles
- *BBC Play of the Month* (1965), series, as Sir Jasper Fidget
- *Thirty-Minute Theatre* (1965), series, as Charles
- *Out of the Unknown* (1965), series, as George Pattison
- *The Wednesday Play* (1964), series, as Captain, Leonard Hoskins, Major Grace
- *Theatre 625* (1964), series, as Odo, Patterson
- *Detective* (1964), series, Actor
- *Doctor Who* (1963), series, as Reverend Ernest Matthews — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/tv/doctor-who.md)
- *Z-Cars* (1962), series, as Detective Superintendent
- *A for Andromeda* (1961), series, as Harries
- *The Avengers* (1961), series, as Sir Andrew Ford, Palmer — Fi1m 83, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-avengers-1961.md)
- *Maigret* (1960), series, Actor
- *Charlesworth at Large* (1958), series, as Police Sergeant
- *Armchair Theatre* (1956), series, as Charles, Maj. Gen. McAllister

---
© 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/john-nettleton