--- name: "Michael Kitchen" canonical: "https://film.one/person/michael-kitchen" fi1m_id: "michael-kitchen" imdb_id: "nm0457655" tmdb_id: 10648 wikidata_id: "Q952431" roles: ["Actor"] born: "31 October 1948" reviewed_on_fi1m: 7 average_fi1m_score: 68 average_as: "actor" average_over: 7 updated: "2026-10-07T13:42:38.390804+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." --- # Michael Kitchen ## Identity Michael Kitchen - **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/michael-kitchen - **Type:** Person - **Fi1m ID:** michael-kitchen - **IMDb ID:** nm0457655 - **TMDB ID:** 10648 - **Wikidata ID:** Q952431 - **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Kitchen, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q952431, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0457655/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/10648 Actor. Born 31 October 1948 in Leicester, Leicestershire, England, UK. ## Details - **Work:** Actor - **Born:** 31 October 1948, Leicester, Leicestershire, England, UK - **Active:** 1980–2011 - **Frequently works with:** [David Richards](https://film.one/person/david-richards.md) - **Average Fi1m score:** 68, as actor, over 7 titles - **Fi1m score by decade:** 1980s 66 (2), 1990s 67 (3), 2000s 81 (1), 2010s 62 (1) - **Fi1m against the critics:** 63 to 62 across 4 titles - **Score spread:** 1 at 80+, 4 at 60–79, 2 under 60 - **Lead roles:** 2 of 6 acting credits billed first or second - **Genres:** Drama 5, Romance 3, Action 2, Adventure 2, Thriller 2, Crime 1 - **Screen time:** 12 hours of reviewed films - **Box office:** $990m across 5 films with figures - **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Kitchen, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q952431, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0457655/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/10648 ## Streaming the US now - **Apple TV:** [*Foyle's War*](https://film.one/tv/foyles-war.md) (81) - **Amazon Prime Video:** [*My Week with Marilyn*](https://film.one/film/my-week-with-marilyn.md) (62) - **Netflix:** [*Out of Africa*](https://film.one/film/out-of-africa.md) (54) For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country. ## Fi1m on Michael Kitchen > Michael Kitchen acts with the corner of his mouth and the half-second before he answers, and for thirteen years of *Foyle's War* that was enough to hold a whole evening. In films he is the supporting man you remember after the leads have gone. Watch Michael Kitchen being told something he does not want to hear. The head goes still, the eyes drop for a moment, the mouth tightens by a fraction, and whatever the other person says next, the scene belongs to him. He has spent a career doing less than anyone else in the frame and having it count for more, and critics have been noticing the trick since long before it had a detective attached to it. He began with small film and television parts from 1970 and stayed small on screen for a long while, which suited him. Berkeley Cole in *Out of Africa* (1985) is the sort of role he made his own: a friend at the edge of the story, courteous, watchful, gone before you have finished working him out. We found the film handsome and remote over its 161 minutes, and the people at its margins rather better company than the romance at its centre. George Briggs in *Enchanted April* (1992) and Bill Tanner, M's chief of staff, in *GoldenEye* (1995) and a second Brosnan Bond followed, all men who stand a pace behind the lead and hold their own. Then, in 2002, came DCS Christopher Foyle, and with him the only lead most viewers know him for. *Foyle's War* ran nine series to 2015, written by Anthony Horowitz, with Kitchen producing as well as starring, and it built a wartime detective drama around the fact that its detective barely spoke. The pleasure is in the pauses. Foyle listens, lets a suspect talk himself into trouble, and answers with a look that would be rude if it were not so patient. It is acting that rewards attention, and over a long run it accrues, so that by the later series a raised eyebrow carried a whole scene's worth of information. The scripts did not always keep up. The later series had a habit of stopping to explain the Home Front to us, at length, as though the audience had wandered in from another programme, and we have sat through more than one lecture on rationing wishing someone would just let the man look at the suspect. That we stayed is entirely down to Kitchen, whose face did the work the dialogue kept trying to do for him. Since then he has been selective: Hugh Perceval in *My Week with Marilyn* (2011), some comedy, not much else. He has said of Foyle that "having enjoyed the 30 previous years avoiding definition, it's a privilege to be able to wait for projects that 100 percent fulfill the criteria", which is about as close to a boast as he gets. Start with a middle series of *Foyle's War* and count how many lines he has; then count how often you knew exactly what he was thinking. ## Biography Michael Kitchen is an English actor and television producer, born on 31 October 1948 in Leicester. He trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, graduating in 1969, after earlier work with the National Youth Theatre and the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry. He is best known for playing Detective Chief Superintendent Christopher Foyle in the ITV series *Foyle's War* (2002–2015), on which he also served as a producer. His film roles include Berkeley Cole in *Out of Africa* (1985), Bill Tanner in the James Bond films *GoldenEye* (1995) and *The World Is Not Enough* (1999), and Hugh Perceval in *My Week with Marilyn* (2011). He received a BAFTA nomination for his performance as the King in the 1993 television film *To Play the King*. *Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.* ## On Fi1m (7) - *My Week with Marilyn* (2011), Fi1m 62, as Hugh Perceval — [page](https://film.one/film/my-week-with-marilyn.md) - *Foyle's War* (2002), Fi1m 81, as DCS Foyle — [page](https://film.one/tv/foyles-war.md) - *The World Is Not Enough* (1999), Fi1m 58, as Tanner — [page](https://film.one/film/the-world-is-not-enough.md) - *GoldenEye* (1995), Fi1m 78, as Bill Tanner — [page](https://film.one/film/goldeneye.md) - *Enchanted April* (1991), Fi1m 65, as George Briggs — [page](https://film.one/film/enchanted-april.md) - *Out of Africa* (1985), Fi1m 54, as Berkeley Cole — [page](https://film.one/film/out-of-africa.md) - *Caught on a Train* (1980), Fi1m 79, as Peter — [page](https://film.one/film/caught-on-a-train.md) ## Complete filmography (128) Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page. - *Mrs. Weekley's Lover* (2025), as D.H. Lawrence - *The Kemps: All Gold* (2023), as John Farrow - *The Kemps: All True* (2020), as Harvey Stickles - *Brian Pern: A Life in Rock* (2014), series, as John Farrow - *White Heat* (2012), series, as Jack (present day) - *Hacks* (2012), as Stanhope Feast - *My Week with Marilyn* (2011), as Hugh Perceval — Fi1m 62, [page](https://film.one/film/my-week-with-marilyn.md) - *Mobile* (2007), series, as David West - *Falling* (2005), as Henry Kent - *Alibi* (2003), as Greg Brentwood - *Foyle's War* (2002), series, as DCS Foyle · Consulting Producer — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/tv/foyles-war.md) - *Adolf & Eva* (2002), as Narrator (voice) - *New Year's Day* (2001), as Robin - *Lorna Doone* (2001), as Judge Jeffrey - *Lorna Doone* (2000), series, as Judge Jeffreys - *Proof of Life* (2000), as Ian Havery - *A History of Britain* (2000), series, as Reader - *The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Winds of Change* (2000), as Lloyd George - *The Railway Children* (2000), as Father - *The Secret World of Michael Fry* (2000), series, as Herbie - *The Secret World of Michael Fry* (2000), as Herbie - *Second Sight* (2000), series, Actor - *The Holocaust on Trial* (2000), as Prof. Richard Evans - *Oliver Twist* (1999), series, as Mr. Brownlow - *The World Is Not Enough* (1999), as Tanner — Fi1m 58, [page](https://film.one/film/the-world-is-not-enough.md) - *Reckless: The Sequel* (1998), as Richard Crane - *The Last Contract* (1998), as John Gales alias Ray Lambert - *A Royal Scandal* (1997), as Lord Malmesbury - *Mrs. Dalloway* (1997), as Peter Walsh - *Sunnyside Farm* (1997), series, Actor - *Reckless* (1997), series, as Richard Crane - *Wilderness* (1996), series, as Luther Adams - *Dalziel and Pascoe* (1996), series, as Philip Swain - *Wilderness* (1996), as Luther Adams - *GoldenEye* (1995), as Bill Tanner — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/film/goldeneye.md) - *Kidnapped* (1995), as William Reid - *The Hanging Gale* (1995), series, as Capt. William Townsend - *The Buccaneers* (1995), series, as Sir Helmsley Thwaite - *Rik Mayall Presents: Dirty Old Town* (1995), as Jeremy Swain - *The Hanging Gale* (1995), as Captain William Townsend - *Fatherland* (1994), as SS-Untersturmführer Max Jäger - *Harry Enfield and Chums* (1994), series, as David the Director - *Dandelion Dead* (1994), series, as Major Herbert Rowse Armstrong - *Doomsday Gun* (1994), as Doctor Christopher Cowley - *The Drilling Fields* (1994), as Voice-over - *The Drilling Fields* (1994), series, as Voice-over - *Pie in the Sky* (1994), series, as Dudley Hooperman - *To Play the King* (1993), series, as The King - *The Trial* (1993), as Block - *Rik Mayall Presents* (1993), series, as Jeremy Swain - *Hamlet* (1992), as Narrator - *A Touch of Frost* (1992), series, as Jonathan Meyerbridge — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/tv/a-touch-of-frost.md) - *Shakespeare: The Animated Tales* (1992), series, as Narrator (voice), Polixenes (voice) - *Between the Lines* (1992), series, as Roger Boshier - *The Guilty* (1992), as Steven Vey - *Hostage* (1992), as Fredericks - *Enchanted April* (1991), as George Briggs — Fi1m 65, [page](https://film.one/film/enchanted-april.md) - *The Advocates* (1991), series, Actor - *The War That Never Ends* (1991), as 2nd Athenian Representative - *The Russia House* (1990), as Clive - *Fools of Fortune* (1990), as Mr Quinton - *Crossing to Freedom* (1990), as Maj. Diessen - *Chancer* (1990), series, as Roman - *Ball-Trap On The Cote Sauvage* (1989), as Smiley Face - *Stay Lucky* (1989), series, Actor - *Home Run* (1989), as Bill English - *Screen One* (1989), series, as Bill English - *The Dive* (1989), as Bricks - *The Justice Game* (1989), series, as Tim Forsythe - *Benefactors* (1989), Actor - *Customer Service From Hell* (1989), Actor - *Inspector Morse* (1987), series, as Russell Clark — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/tv/inspector-morse.md) - *Lovejoy* (1986), series, as David Herbert - *The Browning Version* (1985), as Frank Hunter - *Out of Africa* (1985), as Berkeley Cole — Fi1m 54, [page](https://film.one/film/out-of-africa.md) - *Love Song* (1985), as Young William Hatchard - *Screen Two* (1985), series, as Block - *Freud* (1984), series, as Ernst von Fleischl-Marxow - *Weekend Playhouse* (1984), series, as Ed - *The Comedy of Errors* (1983), as Antipholus of Ephesus / Antipholus of Syracuse - *King Lear* (1982), as Edmund - *A Room for the Winter* (1981), as Stephen - *The Bunker* (1981), as Rochus Misch - *Caught on a Train* (1980), as Peter — Fi1m 79, [page](https://film.one/film/caught-on-a-train.md) - *Breaking Glass* (1980), as Larner - *Bedroom Farce* (1980), as Nick - *Lady Killers* (1980), series, as Reverend Father M'Enery - *The Misanthrope* (1980), as Acaste - *Minder* (1979), series, as Maltese Tony — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/tv/minder.md) - *Tales of the Unexpected* (1979), series, as Arthur - *The Long and the Short and the Tall* (1979), as Private Bamforth - *School Play* (1979), as Rose S J - *The BBC Television Shakespeare* (1978), series, as Antipholus of Ephesus / Antipholus of Syracuse - *No Man's Land* (1978), as Foster - *The Professionals* (1977), series, as Duffy - *Romance* (1977), series, as Maurice Rossiter - *Beasts: What Big Eyes* (1976), as Bob Curry - *Beasts* (1976), series, as Bob Curry - *A Divorce* (1976), series, as Laurence - *Brimstone and Treacle* (1976), as Martin Taylor - *The Imp of the Perverse* (1975), as The Student - *Sleepwalker* (1975), as Ian - *Private Affairs* (1975), series, as D.H. Lawrence - *Churchill's People* (1974), series, as John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester - *Seven Faces of Woman* (1974), series, as Archie - *Fall of Eagles* (1974), series, as Trotsky - *Playhouse* (1974), series, as Rose S.J., Peter - *Once the Killing Starts* (1974), as George Newton - *The Monkey's Paw* (1973), as Herbert White - *The Brontës of Haworth* (1973), series, as Branwell Brontë - *Orson Welles' Great Mysteries* (1973), series, as Herbert White - *Centre Play* (1973), series, as The Student - *Thriller* (1973), series, as George Newton, Ian - *The Four Beauties* (1973), as Henry Batley - *The Reporters* (1972), as Alan - *Country Matters* (1972), series, as Henry Batley - *Dracula A.D. 1972* (1972), as Greg - *New Scotland Yard* (1972), series, as Peter Coppard - *Late Night Theatre* (1972), series, as Paul - *Unman, Wittering and Zigo* (1971), as Bungabine - *Hell's Angel* (1971), as Dick Foster - *Play for Today* (1970), series, as Dick Foster, Alan - *Is That Your Body, Boy* (1970), as Waller - *ITV Saturday Night Theatre* (1969), series, Actor - *ITV Playhouse* (1967), series, as Tommy - *BBC Play of the Month* (1965), series, as Acaste - *Thirty-Minute Theatre* (1965), series, as Waller - *Savages*, as Carlos Esquerdo --- © 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/michael-kitchen