--- name: "Ralph Brown" canonical: "https://film.one/person/ralph-brown" fi1m_id: "ralph-brown" imdb_id: "nm0114460" tmdb_id: 53916 wikidata_id: "Q124357" roles: ["Actor"] born: "18 June 1957" reviewed_on_fi1m: 12 average_fi1m_score: 75 average_as: "actor" average_over: 12 updated: "2026-10-07T12:39:54.269879+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." --- # Ralph Brown ## Identity Ralph Brown - **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/ralph-brown - **Type:** Person - **Fi1m ID:** ralph-brown - **IMDb ID:** nm0114460 - **TMDB ID:** 53916 - **Wikidata ID:** Q124357 - **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_Brown, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q124357, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0114460/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/53916 Actor. Born 18 June 1957 in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, UK. ## Details - **Work:** Actor - **Born:** 18 June 1957, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, UK - **Active:** 1987–2016 - **Frequently works with:** [Paul McGann](https://film.one/person/paul-mcgann.md) - **Average Fi1m score:** 75, as actor, over 12 titles - **Fi1m score by decade:** 1980s 77 (2), 1990s 67 (5), 2000s 81 (3), 2010s 82 (2) - **Fi1m against the critics:** 73 to 68 across 7 titles - **Score spread:** 6 at 80+, 5 at 60–79, 1 under 60 - **Lead roles:** 0 of 5 acting credits billed first or second - **Genres:** Drama 8, Comedy 4, Crime 3, Mystery 3, Action 2, History 2 - **Screen time:** 14 hours of reviewed films - **Box office:** $1,337m across 7 films with figures - **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_Brown, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q124357, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0114460/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/53916 ## Streaming the US now - **HBO Max:** [*Withnail & I*](https://film.one/film/withnail-and-i.md) (88) - **Peacock:** [*Him & Her*](https://film.one/tv/him-and-her.md) (84) For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country. ## Fi1m on Ralph Brown > Ralph Brown turns up in other people's ensembles, talks more than the scene strictly needs, and leaves it feeling slightly used. One part, in 1987, has followed him about ever since; the sitcom parts are where we have liked him best. Ralph Brown's parts tend to arrive late and stay a little too long, on purpose. He is the visitor in the sitcom, the man in the ensemble with the odd voice and the most words per minute, and the other people in the scene are usually waiting for him to leave. In *Withnail & I* (1987) he is Danny, the dealer, and it is still the role people know him by. In *Him & Her* (2010) he is Niguel, who has been unpleasant for long enough to be good at it. Across more than three decades the shape barely changes: a small part, a strong flavour, an exit. He came to acting sideways, by way of a law degree and the Edinburgh Festival, and worked in theatre through the early 1980s before Bruce Robinson's film gave him Danny. What followed is the working actor's mixture: British television, supporting parts in British films and the occasional American job. *Alien³* (1992) gave him Aaron, *Wayne's World 2* (1993) gave him Del Preston, a roadie who is more or less Danny with a job, and *The Phantom Menace* (1999) put him in a pilot's seat as Ric Olié. He has said he built the CV deliberately, over five years, so that when American productions came to London they would already know his name, and that is roughly what the CV looks like. He also writes plays and screenplays, which may be why his characters so often sound as if they have prepared a speech. The sitcom parts are where we have liked him best. In *Nighty Night* (2004) he turns up as Jacques and is briefly, gloriously seedy; in a show built around Julia Davis's Jill Tyrrell, being remembered from a handful of scenes is not a small thing. In *Him & Her* he and Camille Coduri, as Niguel and Shelly, are the older generation of a family of monsters, and they are the worst of it because they have had longer to practise. We tensed every time the pair of them arrived and relaxed when they left, which is exactly what Stefan Golaszewski wants from them and more than most sitcom relatives manage. The reservation is the obvious one, and he has heard it. The reputation rests on a handful of cult parts and on one in particular; there have been few leads, and the franchise work is solid and is not what anyone remembers him for. Asked whether he minds being remembered for Danny, his answer was: "No. I’m proud of it. You have to be gracious." That seems to us the right attitude and also the right assessment. If you know him from *Withnail*, the two sitcoms are where to go next; if you know him from the sitcoms, you already know what he does, and *Withnail* is where it started. ## Biography Ralph Brown is an English actor and writer. Born on 18 June 1957 in Cambridge, he graduated from the London School of Economics with a law degree in 1979 and began acting in 1982. He is known for his role as Danny in the 1987 film *Withnail & I*. His film credits include Aaron in *Alien³* (1992), Ric Olié in *Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace* (1999), Del Preston in *Wayne's World 2* (1993), Bob in *The Boat That Rocked* (2009), and Lieutenant Gedney in *Amistad* (1997). He has also appeared in television series such as *Marvel's Agent Carter* (2015) and *Elementary* (2012). Brown won the Samuel Beckett Award for his play *Sanctuary* (1987) and awards at the Raindance and Sapporo film festivals for his screenplay for *New Year's Day* (2001). He has been married to actress Jenny Jules since 1992. *Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.* ## On Fi1m (12) - *Jackie* (2016), Fi1m 80, as Dave Powers — [page](https://film.one/film/jackie.md) - *Him & Her* (2010), Fi1m 84, as Niguel — [page](https://film.one/tv/him-and-her.md) - *Life on Mars* (2006), Fi1m 84, as Frank Morgan — [page](https://film.one/tv/life-on-mars.md) - *Nighty Night* (2004), Fi1m 82, as Jacques — [page](https://film.one/tv/nighty-night.md) - *Spooks* (2002), Fi1m 77, as Paul Seymour — [page](https://film.one/tv/spooks.md) - *Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace* (1999), Fi1m 52, as Ric Olié — [page](https://film.one/film/star-wars-episode-i-the-phantom-menace.md) - *Amistad* (1997), Fi1m 63, as Lieutenant Gedney — [page](https://film.one/film/amistad.md) - *Jonathan Creek* (1997), Fi1m 78, as Roy Pilgrim — [page](https://film.one/tv/jonathan-creek.md) - *Alien³* (1992), Fi1m 62, as Aaron — [page](https://film.one/film/alien3.md) - *The Crying Game* (1992), Fi1m 82, as Dave — [page](https://film.one/film/the-crying-game.md) - *Scandal* (1989), Fi1m 66, as Paul Mann — [page](https://film.one/film/scandal.md) - *Withnail & I* (1987), Fi1m 88, as Danny — [page](https://film.one/film/withnail-and-i.md) ## Complete filmography (100) Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page. - *American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez* (2024), series, as Tremaine - *War Game* (2024), as Lieutenant General Roger Simms - *Sexy Beast* (2024), series, as Roger Riley - *Genie* (2023), as Sorcerer - *Leverage: Redemption* (2021), series, as Ramsey - *Gemini Man* (2019), as Del Patterson - *Godfather of Harlem* (2019), series, as President Lyndon Johnson - *New Amsterdam* (2018), series, as Sid Chiltern - *Final Score* (2018), as Steed - *Genius* (2017), series, as Max Planck - *Jackie* (2016), as Dave Powers — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/film/jackie.md) - *Reg* (2016), as Bob Clay - *Hard Tide* (2015), as Gaz - *Marvel's Agent Carter* (2015), series, as Dr. Ivchenko - *Babylon* (2014), series, as Deputy Mayor Grant Delgado - *Legends* (2014), series, as Terrence Graves - *The Seventeenth Kind* (2014), as Herbert - *Walking with the Enemy* (2014), as Grudez - *The Assets* (2014), series, as Wallace Austin - *All Things To All Men* (2013), as McDeer - *The Mimic* (2013), series, as Denholm, Neil's Dad - *Stoker* (2013), as Sheriff Howard - *Jack the Giant Slayer* (2013), as General Entin - *The Poison Tree* (2012), series, as Max Capel - *Elementary* (2012), series, as Tim Sherrington - *Tower Block* (2012), as Neville - *Dark Tide* (2012), as Brady - *I, Anna* (2012), as George Stone - *Death in Paradise* (2011), series, as Charlie Blake - *Killing Bono* (2011), as Leo - *Him & Her* (2010), series, as Niguel — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/tv/him-and-her.md) - *Huge* (2010), as Neil - *SUS* (2010), as Karn - *The Kid* (2010), as Gordon Peters - *Mission London* (2010), as Detective Collway - *The Boat That Rocked* (2009), as Bob - *Caught in the Act* (2008), as Joep Schut - *Flood* (2007), as Neil - *Meadowlands* (2007), series, as Wintersgill - *The Contractor* (2007), as Jeremy Collins - *Straightheads* (2007), as Jamie - *Puritan* (2006), as Mickey Conway - *Modern Toss* (2006), series, Actor - *Rich Hall's Cattle Drive* (2006), series, Actor - *Life on Mars* (2006), series, as Frank Morgan — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/tv/life-on-mars.md) - *Stoned* (2005), as Gysin - *Dominion: Prequel to The Exorcist* (2005), as Sergeant Major - *Big Dippers* (2005), as Dave - *Lawless* (2004), series, as Phil Howell - *Exorcist: The Beginning* (2004), as Sergeant Major - *Nighty Night* (2004), series, as Jacques — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/tv/nighty-night.md) - *I'll Be There* (2003), as Digger - *The Final Curtain* (2002), as Timothy - *Lenny Blue* (2002), series, as Barry Hindes - *Spooks* (2002), series, as Paul Seymour — Fi1m 77, [page](https://film.one/tv/spooks.md) - *Mean Machine* (2001), as Burton - *New Year's Day* (2001), as Mr. Diamond · Writer - *The Agency* (2001), series, as Andrei Kachan - *Last Run* (2001), Actor - *Waking the Dead* (2001), series, as Mike Coleman - *Lock, Stock...* (2000), series, as Miami Vice - *Extremely Dangerous* (1999), series, as Joe Connor - *Cleopatra* (1999), series, as Guevarius - *Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace* (1999), as Ric Olié — Fi1m 52, [page](https://film.one/film/star-wars-episode-i-the-phantom-menace.md) - *The Last Train* (1999), series, Actor - *A Respectable Trade* (1998), series, as Dr. Hadley - *Up 'n' Under* (1998), as Phil - *Amistad* (1997), as Lieutenant Gedney — Fi1m 63, [page](https://film.one/film/amistad.md) - *Jonathan Creek* (1997), series, as Roy Pilgrim — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/tv/jonathan-creek.md) - *Lexx* (1997), series, as Duke - *The Place of the Dead* (1997), as Sgt Bob Mann - *Ivanhoe* (1997), series, as Prince John - *Karaoke* (1996), series, as Peter Beasley - *Dalziel and Pascoe* (1996), series, as Sam Connon - *Requiem Apache* (1994), as Mick - *Wayne's World 2* (1993), as Del Preston - *Undercover Blues* (1993), as Leamington - *Peak Practice* (1993), series, as Stephen Westwood - *A Touch of Frost* (1992), series, as Capt. Carlisle — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/tv/a-touch-of-frost.md) - *The Crying Game* (1992), as Dave — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/the-crying-game.md) - *Alien³* (1992), as Aaron — Fi1m 62, [page](https://film.one/film/alien3.md) - *The Pope Must Die* (1991), as Doctor - *Impromptu* (1991), as Eugene Delacroix - *Diamond Skulls* (1990), as Jack - *A Curious Suicide* (1990), as Detective Inspector Rollason - *Chillers* (1990), series, as DI Rollason - *4 Play* (1989), series, as Archie Heckle - *Rules of Engagement* (1989), series, as Mick Rendall - *Scandal* (1989), as Paul Mann — Fi1m 66, [page](https://film.one/film/scandal.md) - *Christabel* (1988), series, as Lange - *Coppers* (1988), Actor - *Buster* (1988), as Ronny Biggs - *The Black and Blue Lamp* (1988), as Insp. Drury - *Withnail & I* (1987), as Danny — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/film/withnail-and-i.md) - *London's Burning: The Movie* (1986), as Policeman - *Black Arrow* (1985), as Yardley - *The Hit* (1984), as Second Man - *The Merry Wives of Windsor* (1982), as John - *Van der Valk* (1972), series, as Inspector Rep - *Bjorn of the Dead*, as Eddie ## Gallery - ![Ralph Brown](https://film.one/media/person/59699/gallery-95f0f815f935.jpg) Ralph Brown — Photographer: Simon Dack; rights holder: Argus Weekend Magazine, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/36/Ralph_Brown_on_26_March_2009.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled) - ![Ralph Brown](https://film.one/media/person/59699/gallery-6e50958d93d0.jpg) Ralph Brown — 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/ralph-brown