Philip Glenister makes an unreasonable man sound worth listening to, chiefly by letting him believe every word. We value that conviction, though Gene Hunt can be so entertaining that the objections barely get a hearing.
Fi1m perspective
Gene Hunt speaks as though the discussion has already been settled. In Life on Mars (2006), Philip Glenister gives him such certainty that an unreasonable position can briefly sound like the only one worth considering. We laughed at Hunt's assurance, then felt uneasy about how readily we had enjoyed it: objections to his attitudes sometimes struggle to compete with the pleasure of watching Glenister. The performance makes the programme worth seeing, but it also leaves the writing with work to do.
Before Hunt, Clocking Off (2000–2002) and State of Play (2003) had brought him notice. In the latter he plays DCI William Bell, alongside John Simm in Paul Abbott's six-part conspiracy thriller. Our enthusiasm for that programme rests on its ensemble and its convincing newsroom, not on a single actor getting the better of everybody else. The story occasionally becomes so dense that keeping track takes precedence over caring about a character. It is still the place we would send anyone who has come to think of Glenister only as Hunt.
Life on Mars made that identification understandable, and Ashes to Ashes (2008–2010) continued the association. Simm gives that certainty someone to argue with, and their uneasy company is central to our recommendation. Even when the disagreements repeat, the performances keep them worth hearing. The ordinary police stories are a caveat, but they never cancelled our concern for Sam. The weakness comes when Hunt's certainty is allowed to settle matters that deserved a better answer.
His work also includes Lawrence in the ensemble comedy-drama Calendar Girls (2003) and Mr Carter in the period drama Cranford (2007). Those parts are worth remembering when the tough detectives and authority figures threaten to become the whole description. Hunt remains the clearest demonstration of what we value in Glenister: the ability to make us keep listening to a man whose reasoning ought to have lost us. Start with State of Play, then give Life on Mars enough time for Simm to answer back.
Biography
Philip Glenister is an English actor. He is known for playing DCI William Bell in the BBC mini-series State of Play (2003) and DCI Gene Hunt in Life on Mars (2006–2007) and its sequel Ashes to Ashes (2008–2010).
Born Philip Haywood Glenister on 10 February 1963 in Harrow, Middlesex, he grew up in Hatch End and attended Hatch End High School. He is the son of television director John Glenister and the younger brother of actor Robert Glenister. He trained at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.
Before acting, Glenister worked as a runner and later as a film publicist. His early television roles included appearances in series such as Minder, Heartbeat and Clocking Off.
