---
name: "John Sumner"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/john-sumner"
fi1m_id: "john-sumner"
imdb_id: "nm0838605"
tmdb_id: 3495
wikidata_id: "Q3809639"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "14 October 1951"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 3
average_fi1m_score: 79
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 3
updated: "2026-10-05T03:39:40.718094+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 Sumner

## Identity

John Sumner

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/john-sumner
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** john-sumner
- **IMDb ID:** nm0838605
- **TMDB ID:** 3495
- **Wikidata ID:** Q3809639
- **Same entity:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3809639, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0838605/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/3495

Actor. Born 14 October 1951 in Blackpool, Lancashire, England, UK.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 14 October 1951, Blackpool, Lancashire, England, UK
- **Active:** 1995–2009
- **Average Fi1m score:** 79, as actor, over 3 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1990s 74 (1), 2000s 81 (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, Action 1, Action & Adventure 1, Adventure 1, Sci-Fi & Fantasy 1, Science Fiction 1
- **Screen time:** 5 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $773m across 2 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3809639, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0838605/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/3495

## Streaming the US now

- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*District 9*](https://film.one/film/district-9.md) (81)
- **Netflix:** [*King Kong*](https://film.one/film/king-kong-2005.md) (81)

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

## Biography

John Sumner is an English-born New Zealand actor. Born on 14 October 1951 in Blackpool, Lancashire, England, he lived in Cape Town, South Africa, before his family moved to New Zealand when he was nine. He began performing in Auckland nightclubs at nineteen, soon appearing in local variety television and repertory theatre, including the title role in *You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown*.

Sumner has appeared in supporting roles in films including *The Frighteners* (1996) as Deputy, *Whale Rider* (2003) as the obstetrician, *King Kong* (2005) as Herb, and *District 9* (2009) as Les Feldman - MIL Engineer. His television credits include multiple characters in *Hercules: The Legendary Journeys* and *Xena: Warrior Princess*, as well as roles in *Power Rangers* series.

*Sources: imdb.com, grokipedia.com, encyclopedia.com.*

## On Fi1m (3)

- *District 9* (2009), Fi1m 81, as Les Feldman - MIL Engineer — [page](https://film.one/film/district-9.md)
- *King Kong* (2005), Fi1m 81, as Herb — [page](https://film.one/film/king-kong-2005.md)
- *Xena: Warrior Princess* (1995), Fi1m 74, as Lord Clairon — [page](https://film.one/tv/xena-warrior-princess.md)

## Complete filmography (20)

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

- *Vegas* (2021), series, as Lester Burton
- *The Monster of Mangatiti* (2015), as Malcolm
- *The Brokenwood Mysteries* (2014), series, as Chairman
- *District 9* (2009), as Les Feldman - MIL Engineer — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/film/district-9.md)
- *King Kong* (2005), as Herb — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/film/king-kong-2005.md)
- *Maiden Voyage* (2004), as Captain Ed Tessler
- *Whale Rider* (2003), as Obstetrician
- *You Wish!* (2003), as Coach
- *Atomic Twister* (2002), as Neville
- *The Other Side of Heaven* (2001), as President Stone
- *Ready to Run* (2000), as Supervisor Pete
- *Jack of All Trades* (2000), series, Actor
- *The Frighteners* (1996), as Deputy
- *Xena: Warrior Princess* (1995), series, as Lord Clairon — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/tv/xena-warrior-princess.md)
- *Hercules: The Legendary Journeys* (1995), series, as Spencius, Sheriff, Domesticles, Broteas
- *Hercules and the Lost Kingdom* (1994), as Inn Owner
- *Power Rangers* (1993), series, as Santa, Fresno Bob, Santa Claus
- *The Tommyknockers* (1993), series, as Mr. Arberg
- *The Ray Bradbury Theater* (1985), series, Actor
- *Godplex*, as TV director extraordinaire

---
© 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-sumner