--- name: "Ronald Lacey" canonical: "https://film.one/person/ronald-lacey" fi1m_id: "ronald-lacey" imdb_id: "nm0479951" tmdb_id: 653 wikidata_id: "Q1381935" roles: ["Actor"] born: "28 September 1935" died: "15 May 1991" reviewed_on_fi1m: 6 average_fi1m_score: 79 average_as: "actor" average_over: 5 updated: "2026-10-07T10:14:28.798769+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." --- # Ronald Lacey ## Identity Ronald Lacey - **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/ronald-lacey - **Type:** Person - **Fi1m ID:** ronald-lacey - **IMDb ID:** nm0479951 - **TMDB ID:** 653 - **Wikidata ID:** Q1381935 - **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronald_Lacey, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1381935, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0479951/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/653 Actor. Born 28 September 1935 in Harrow, Greater London, England, United Kingdom. Died 15 May 1991. ## Details - **Work:** Actor - **Born:** 28 September 1935, Harrow, Greater London, England, United Kingdom - **Died:** 15 May 1991 - **Active:** 1973–1983 - **Also known as:** Ronald William Lacey - **Titles on Fi1m:** 6: 5 acting, 1 other - **Average Fi1m score:** 79, as actor, over 5 titles - **Fi1m score by decade:** 1970s 86 (2), 1980s 77 (4) - **Score spread:** 4 at 80+, 0 at 60–79, 1 under 60 - **Lead roles:** 0 of 2 acting credits billed first or second - **Genres:** Action 2, Comedy 2, Action & Adventure 1, Adventure 1, Crime 1, Drama 1 - **Screen time:** 4 hours of reviewed films - **Box office:** $461m across 2 films with figures - **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronald_Lacey, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1381935, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0479951/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/653 ## Streaming the US now - **Apple TV:** [*Raiders of the Lost Ark*](https://film.one/film/raiders-of-the-lost-ark.md) (93) For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country. ## Fi1m on Ronald Lacey > Ronald Lacey had a face directors could not leave alone and a smile that turned, on cue, into something worse. He spent two decades in British television before Spielberg made him the villain everyone remembers, and he never quite got out of the uniform. Ronald Lacey smiled a great deal on screen, and it was never good news. The smile began pleasantly enough and then kept going, past the point where a smile should stop, until it was a leer or a cackle, and the small eyes above it, under brows he barely had, did not move at all. Directors looked at the upturned nose, the overbite, the mole on the left cheek, and reached for the same sort of part: the seedy one, the creepy one, the one nobody trusts. He was compared to Peter Lorre, and the comparison is fair, though Lacey always looked as if he was enjoying it more. He had been at it a long time before anyone outside Britain noticed. Television from 1959, the Royal Court in 1962 in *Chips with Everything*, then a steady run through the sixties and seventies: the Village Idiot in Roman Polanski's *The Fearless Vampire Killers* (1967), Richard Lester's *How I Won the War* the same year, and Harris in *Porridge* (1977), the oily, bungling prisoner nobody on the landing wants to sit next to. By the end of the seventies he was thinking of giving it up to run a talent agency. Then Steven Spielberg cast him as Major Arnold Toht, the Gestapo man in *Raiders of the Lost Ark* (1981), and that was that. Toht is the reason most people can picture him. Our review of *Raiders* did not single him out, and that is right; it is Harrison Ford's film and Spielberg's. But we did note that its violence is rougher than its playful tone suggests, and some of that roughness is Lacey, who gives the picture one properly frightening grown-up: a small, soft, courteous man who is plainly looking forward to what comes next. He does it without raising his voice. The villain roles followed, as they do. *Firefox* (1982) for Clint Eastwood, *Sahara* (1983), *Red Sonja* (1985), a Cardinal in Paul Verhoeven's *Flesh + Blood* (1985). We thought little of *Firefox*, but Lacey is not what is wrong with it. He and Warren Clarke play men with hours left, and we found ourselves more worried for the pair of them than for Eastwood, who has the plane and the top billing; Lacey plays Semelovsky as a man who has already done the arithmetic and does not ask to be liked for it. The comedy never went away either. He played Princess Aida in *Trenchcoat* (1983), and the Bishop of Bath and Wells in *Blackadder II* (1986) is Toht with better lines and no plot to carry. He died in 1991, at fifty-five. The face that nearly sent him into agenting is the reason he is still remembered, and it was never the whole of what he did with it. Watch the small parts. He is in them for a few minutes at a time, and he does more with his mouth than most leading men manage with the script. ## Biography Ronald William Lacey was an English actor. Born in Harrow, Middlesex, he trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art after national service. Lacey made numerous film and television appearances from the late 1950s until his death. His roles included the Village Idiot in *The Fearless Vampire Killers* (1967), Major Arnold Toht in *Raiders of the Lost Ark* (1981), Semelovsky in *Firefox* (1982), the Bishop of Bath and Wells in *Blackadder* (1986) and a Gestapo officer in *Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade* (1989). He also appeared in *Red Sonja* (1985) and *Flesh + Blood* (1985). *Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.* ## On Fi1m (6) ### Performed in (5) — the average rests on these - *Blackadder* (1983), Fi1m 84, as Bishop of Bath & Wells — [page](https://film.one/tv/blackadder.md) - *Firefox* (1982), Fi1m 47, as Semelovsky — [page](https://film.one/film/firefox.md) - *Raiders of the Lost Ark* (1981), Fi1m 93, as Major Arnold Toht — [page](https://film.one/film/raiders-of-the-lost-ark.md) - *The Sweeney* (1975), Fi1m 84, as Barry Monk — [page](https://film.one/tv/the-sweeney.md) - *Porridge* (1974), Fi1m 89, as Harris — [page](https://film.one/tv/porridge.md) ### Also credited (1) — thanks, archive footage, uncredited - *Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade* (1989), Fi1m 83, as Gestapo (uncredited) — [page](https://film.one/film/indiana-jones-and-the-last-crusade.md) ## Complete filmography (130) Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page. - *Experiments in Terror* (2003), Actor - *Landslide* (1992), as Fred Donner - *The Assassinator* (1992), as Stewart - *The Strauss Dynasty* (1991), series, as Bauer - *TECX* (1990), series, Actor - *Face to Face* (1990), as Dr. Brinkman - *Valmont* (1989), as José - *Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade* (1989), as Gestapo (uncredited) — Fi1m 83, [page](https://film.one/film/indiana-jones-and-the-last-crusade.md) - *The Great Escape II: The Untold Story* (1988), as Winston Churchill - *Jailbird Rock* (1988), as Warden Bauman (as Ron Lacey) - *Dawn of an Evil Millennium* (1988), Actor - *Manifesto* (1988), as Conductor - *Crossbow* (1987), series, Actor - *The Sign of Four* (1987), as Thaddeus und Bartholomew Sholto - *Unnatural Causes* (1986), series, as Eric - *The Lone Runner* (1986), as Misha - *Sky Bandits* (1986), as Fritz - *Aces Go Places IV: You Never Die Twice* (1986), as The Boss - *Into the Darkness* (1986), as Andrew Golding - *Flesh + Blood* (1985), as Cardinal - *Connie* (1985), series, as Crawder - *The Ray Bradbury Theater* (1985), series, as The Listener - *Red Sonja* (1985), as Ikol - *Sword of the Valiant: The Legend of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight* (1984), as Oswald - *The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension* (1984), as President Widmark - *The Bengal Lancers!* (1984), as Monsieur Yves - *Making the Grade* (1984), as Nicky - *Sherlock Holmes* (1984), series, as Thaddeus & Bartholomew Sholto - *Sahara* (1983), as Beg - *The Hound of the Baskervilles* (1983), as Inspector Lestrade - *Scarecrow and Mrs. King* (1983), series, Actor - *Dramarama* (1983), series, as Chris Dexter - *Yellowbeard* (1983), as Man with Parrot - *Blackadder* (1983), series, as Bishop of Bath & Wells — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/tv/blackadder.md) - *Trenchcoat* (1983), as Princess Aida - *Invitation to the Wedding* (1983), Actor - *Firefox* (1982), as Semelovsky — Fi1m 47, [page](https://film.one/film/firefox.md) - *Q.E.D.* (1982), series, as Medium - *Aubrey* (1982), as Leonard Smithers - *American Playhouse* (1982), series, as Frank Lloyd - *Tangiers* (1982), as Wedderburn - *Bergerac* (1981), series, as Joey Brown - *The Day of the Janitor* (1981), as Julius - *Raiders of the Lost Ark* (1981), as Major Arnold Toht — Fi1m 93, [page](https://film.one/film/raiders-of-the-lost-ark.md) - *Magnum, P.I.* (1980), series, as Archer Hayes/Picasso/Lowell Xavier Jameson - *Lady Killers* (1980), series, as Inspector Bannister - *Cribb* (1980), series, as Percy Bustard - *Nijinsky* (1980), as Leon Bakst - *Minder* (1979), series, as Harry Ridler — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/tv/minder.md) - *Hart to Hart* (1979), series, as Inspector Michelot - *Zulu Dawn* (1979), as Norris Newman - *Dylan: The Life and Death of a Poet* (1978), as Dylan - *The Mayor of Casterbridge* (1978), series, as Joshua Jopp - *Do You Remember?* (1978), series, as Mr. Leicester Paton - *All Creatures Great and Small* (1978), series, as Stewie Brannon - *Blake's 7* (1978), series, as Tynus - *Target* (1977), series, as Charlie Walker - *Charleston* (1977), as Frankie - *The New Avengers* (1976), series, as Hong Kong Harry - *The Duchess of Duke Street* (1976), series, as Arthur Shepherd - *Second Verdict* (1976), series, as Marinus Van der Lubbe - *Our Mutual Friend* (1976), series, as Mr Venus - *The Likely Lads* (1976), as Ernie - *The Prince and the Pauper* (1976), series, as Lord Rushden - *The Old Curiosity Shop* (1975), as Harris - *The Next Victim* (1975), as Bartlett - *Shades of Greene* (1975), series, as Mike - *Quiller* (1975), series, as Dr. Visto - *The Sweeney* (1975), series, as Barry Monk — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-sweeney.md) - *Churchill's People* (1974), series, as Peter of Pomfret - *Porridge* (1974), series, as Harris — Fi1m 89, [page](https://film.one/tv/porridge.md) - *Playhouse* (1974), series, as Leonard Smithers - *The Final Programme* (1973), as Shades - *Gawain and the Green Knight* (1973), as Oswald - *Thriller* (1973), series, as Bartlett - *Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?* (1973), series, as Ernie - *The Adventures Of Don Quixote* (1973), as Barber - *Last of the Summer Wine* (1973), series, as Walter - *Colditz* (1972), series, as Major Zibnek - *Crown Court* (1972), series, as Sgt. Philip Ross - *The Protectors* (1972), series, as Cribbs - *Disciple Of Death* (1972), as Parson - *Crucible of Terror* (1972), as Michael Clare - *Macbeth* (1971), as Macbeths man - killed Banquo (uncredited) - *Jason King* (1971), series, as Ryland - *Take a Girl Like You* (1970), as Graham McClintoch - *The Adventures of Don Quick* (1970), series, as Sergeant Sam Czopanser - *Play for Today* (1970), series, as Mr. Lang - *Big Brother* (1970), series, as Arthur Wicks - *The Sinners* (1970), series, as Lipseen - *Don't Touch Him, He Might Resent It* (1970), as Mr. Halliday - *Catweazle* (1970), series, as Tearful Ted - *Department S* (1969), series, as Jeremy Standish - *W. Somerset Maugham* (1969), series, as Controleur - *Target Generation* (1969), as Joe Manx - *Otley* (1969), as Curtis - *Civilisation* (1969), series, as Gravedigger - *Game, Set and Match* (1968), as The Prisoner - *Mille Miglia* (1968), as Denis Jenkinson - *The Fearless Vampire Killers* (1967), as Village Idiot - *How I Won the War* (1967), as Spool - *The Gamblers* (1967), series, as Lionel - *ITV Playhouse* (1967), series, as Mr. Halliday, Julius - *Sam and Janet* (1967), series, as Flash Harry - *Great Expectations* (1967), series, as Orlick - *Dead Silence* (1966), as Len Ferris - *Who's a Good Boy Then? I Am!* (1966), as Billy Oates - *BBC Play of the Month* (1965), series, as Barber - *Thirty-Minute Theatre* (1965), series, as Frankie Three, The Prisoner, Reinhold Hanisch - *Out of the Unknown* (1965), series, as Joe Manx - *Blackmail* (1965), series, as 'Beat' - *Catch Us If You Can* (1965), as Yeano - *Londoners* (1965), series, as Arthur - *Gideon's Way* (1965), series, as Jerry Blake - *Fable* (1965), as Len - *Thursday Theatre* (1964), series, as Private Gross - *The Wednesday Play* (1964), series, as Billy Oates, Len, George - *Of Human Bondage* (1964), as 'Matty' Mathews - *The Comedy Man* (1964), as Assistant Director - *Theatre 625* (1964), series, as SS Block Senior, Barley Oates, Jubb, Marinus van der Lubbe, Moritz Scharf, Denis Jenkinson - *Festival* (1963), series, as Little Monk - *Doctor in Distress* (1963), as Mum's Diner Customer (uncredited) - *The Boys* (1962), as William Henry "Billy" Herne - *Dr. Finlay's Casebook* (1962), series, Actor - *The Hard Knock* (1962), as Trevor Williams - *A Chance of Thunder* (1961), series, as Johnny Travers - *The Younger Generation* (1961), series, as Geoff, Bruce Day, Clock, Jonathan, Peter Suddaby, Ted, Barman - *The Avengers* (1961), series, as Strange Young Man, Humbert — Fi1m 83, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-avengers-1961.md) - *Armchair Theatre* (1956), series, as Valentine, Trevor Williams, Tom, Len Ferris, Arthur - *Hallmark Hall of Fame* (1951), series, as Dr. Brinkman ## Gallery - ![Ronald Lacey](https://film.one/media/person/102634/gallery-69287f22e357.jpg) Ronald Lacey — The Bright Thoughts Company Limited - https://www.bright-thoughts.co.uk/creative-commons-greentie.html, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cf/Ronald_Lacey.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled) - ![Ronald Lacey](https://film.one/media/person/102634/gallery-214407885b7d.jpg) Ronald Lacey — 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/ronald-lacey