--- name: "Nigel Terry" canonical: "https://film.one/person/nigel-terry" fi1m_id: "nigel-terry" imdb_id: "nm0856050" tmdb_id: 31431 wikidata_id: "Q730583" roles: ["Actor"] born: "15 August 1945" died: "30 April 2015" reviewed_on_fi1m: 4 average_fi1m_score: 80 average_as: "actor" average_over: 4 updated: "2026-10-07T13:50:33.426947+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." --- # Nigel Terry ## Identity Nigel Terry - **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/nigel-terry - **Type:** Person - **Fi1m ID:** nigel-terry - **IMDb ID:** nm0856050 - **TMDB ID:** 31431 - **Wikidata ID:** Q730583 - **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigel_Terry, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q730583, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0856050/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/31431 Actor. Born 15 August 1945 in Bristol, England, UK. Died 30 April 2015. ## Details - **Work:** Actor - **Born:** 15 August 1945, Bristol, England, UK - **Died:** 30 April 2015 - **Active:** 1968–2003 - **Average Fi1m score:** 80, as actor, over 4 titles - **Fi1m score by decade:** 1960s 81 (1), 1980s 79 (2), 2000s 81 (1) - **Score spread:** 2 at 80+, 2 at 60–79, 0 under 60 - **Lead roles:** 2 of 4 acting credits billed first or second - **Genres:** Drama 3, History 2, Adventure 1, Crime 1, Fantasy 1, Mystery 1 - **Screen time:** 6 hours of reviewed films - **Box office:** $57m across 2 films with figures - **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigel_Terry, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q730583, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0856050/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/31431 ## Streaming the US now - **Apple TV:** [*Foyle's War*](https://film.one/tv/foyles-war.md) (81), [*The Lion in Winter*](https://film.one/film/the-lion-in-winter.md) (81) - **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Caravaggio*](https://film.one/film/caravaggio.md) (79) For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country. ## Fi1m on Nigel Terry > Nigel Terry could make a period character feel dangerous simply by keeping quiet. We value that reserve most in his work with Derek Jarman; in *Excalibur*, his royal dignity makes Arthur harder to care about. In *Excalibur* (1981), Nigel Terry carries himself like a king while the people around him get more chances to entertain. His Arthur has the necessary dignity, and we never doubt that Terry takes the part seriously. Getting close to him is another matter. John Boorman’s film is worth an evening for its sorcery, bloodshed and Alex Thomson’s photography, but its leading man cannot always make the solemn speeches feel personal. We can see why Arthur matters to the legend without quite feeling that we know him. We were frustrated by his Arthur, because the evident commitment deserves writing with more room for ordinary human exchanges. Nicholas Clay’s Lancelot and Cherie Lunghi’s Guenevere encounter a similar difficulty, so this is hardly Terry’s failure alone. We would not ask him to compete with Nicol Williamson and Helen Mirren for the film’s more immediate pleasures. A king can be less amusing than his company and still hold our attention. What is missing is a reason to care about this particular man. He had begun in films as Prince John in *The Lion in Winter* (1968), holding his own alongside Peter O’Toole and Katharine Hepburn. A long concentration on stage work followed before his return to cinema in *Excalibur*. His subsequent association with Derek Jarman offered a more promising use for that brooding manner. They made five films together between 1986 and 1993, with Terry taking the title role in *Caravaggio* (1986). In that film, his intensity suggests danger without needing to make the man agreeable. That collaboration also included Mortimer in *Edward II* (1991), alongside Tilda Swinton. Later supporting work, such as Archeptolemus in *Troy* (2004), kept him in the period settings that recur through his screen career. He was particularly suited to men who held back their anger until they could no longer keep quiet. For a clearer sense of what he could do than *Excalibur* alone provides, start with *Caravaggio*. ## Biography Nigel Terry (1945–2015) was an English stage, film and television actor. He played King Arthur in John Boorman’s *Excalibur* (1981) and Prince John in *The Lion in Winter* (1968). Born Peter Nigel Terry in Bristol, he trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama and worked with repertory companies including the Bristol Old Vic and the Royal Shakespeare Company. He appeared in about twenty films, notably the title role in Derek Jarman’s *Caravaggio* (1986) and further Jarman productions including *The Last of England* (1987), *War Requiem* (1989), *Edward II* (1991) and *Blue* (1993). Later film roles included *Troy* (2004). On television he appeared in series such as *Highlander: The Series* (1992), *Spooks* (2002), *Foyle’s War* (2002) and *Doctor Who* (2008). *Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.* ## On Fi1m (4) - *Foyle's War* (2002), Fi1m 81, as Hugh Jackson — [page](https://film.one/tv/foyles-war.md) - *Caravaggio* (1986), Fi1m 79, as Caravaggio — [page](https://film.one/film/caravaggio.md) - *Excalibur* (1981), Fi1m 79, as King Arthur — [page](https://film.one/film/excalibur.md) - *The Lion in Winter* (1968), Fi1m 81, as John — [page](https://film.one/film/the-lion-in-winter.md) ## Complete filmography (54) Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page. - *The Time of Your Life* (2007), series, as Jack - *Sensitive Skin* (2005), series, as George - *Red Mercury* (2005), as Lindsey - *Doctor Who* (2005), series, as Cobb — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/tv/doctor-who-2005.md) - *Troy* (2004), as Archeptolemus - *The Tulse Luper Suitcases: Antwerp* (2003), Actor - *The Tulse Luper Suitcases, Part 1: The Moab Story* (2003), as Sesame Esau - *Danielle Cable: Eyewitness* (2003), as Kenneth Noye - *Foyle's War* (2002), series, as Hugh Jackson — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/tv/foyles-war.md) - *FearDotCom* (2002), as Turnball - *Spooks* (2002), series, as Professor Stephen Curtis — Fi1m 77, [page](https://film.one/tv/spooks.md) - *Cutting It* (2002), series, as Dexter Berkowicz — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/tv/cutting-it.md) - *Crime and Punishment* (2002), as Svidrigailov - *The Search for John Gissing* (2001), as Alan Jardeen - *The Emperor's New Clothes* (2001), as Montholon - *Waking the Dead* (2001), series, as Sam Jacobs - *The Vice* (1999), series, as Ted Bascombe - *Far from the Madding Crowd* (1998), series, as Mr Boldwood - *Far from the Madding Crowd* (1998), as Mr Boldwood - *The Ebb-Tide* (1998), as Ellstrom - *The Hunchback* (1997), as King Louis XI - *Silent Witness* (1996), series, Actor - *Resort to Murder* (1995), series, as Kepler - *Wycliffe* (1994), series, as Lawrence Vinter - *Pie in the Sky* (1994), series, as Byron de Goris - *Blue* (1993), as (voice) - *The Mushroom Picker* (1993), series, as Kostya - *Highlander: The Series* (1992), series, as Gabriel Piton - *Covington Cross* (1992), series, as sir Thomas Grey - *Christopher Columbus: The Discovery* (1992), as Roldan - *Edward II* (1991), as Roger Mortimer - *In Suspicious Circumstances* (1991), series, as Lt Col Frank Crozier - *The Orchid House* (1991), series, as Master - *Spender* (1991), series, as McDonna - *War Requiem* (1989), as Abraham - *South of the Border* (1988), series, as Eddie - *The Last of England* (1987), as Narrator (voice) - *The Ruth Rendell Mysteries* (1987), series, as Denys Villiers - *Up Line* (1987), as Raymond Rudran - *Casualty* (1986), series, as Denny Davidson — Fi1m 68, [page](https://film.one/tv/casualty.md) - *Caravaggio* (1986), as Caravaggio — Fi1m 79, [page](https://film.one/film/caravaggio.md) - *On Wings of Fire* (1986), as Zarathustra - *Song of Experience* (1986), as Railway Policeman - *Sylvia* (1986), as Aden - *Déjà Vu* (1985), as Michael / Greg - *The Bill* (1984), series, Actor - *The Merry Wives of Windsor* (1982), as Pistol - *Excalibur* (1981), as King Arthur — Fi1m 79, [page](https://film.one/film/excalibur.md) - *Flame* (1975), as Assistant Disc Jockey (uncredited) - *The Lion in Winter* (1968), as John — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/film/the-lion-in-winter.md) - *Boy Meets Girl* (1967), series, as Nick - *BBC Play of the Month* (1965), series, as Jacques - *Thirty-Minute Theatre* (1965), series, as Peter - *Theatre 625* (1964), series, as Generalov ## Gallery - ![Nigel Terry](https://film.one/media/person/117649/gallery-f2b515c21e55.jpg) Nigel Terry — Image via TMDB - ![Nigel Terry](https://film.one/media/person/117649/gallery-fe4a22596b04.jpg) Nigel Terry — Image via TMDB - ![Nigel Terry](https://film.one/media/person/117649/gallery-c2bf519667cc.jpg) Nigel Terry — Image via TMDB --- © 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/nigel-terry