---
name: "Tom Georgeson"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/tom-georgeson"
fi1m_id: "tom-georgeson"
imdb_id: "nm0313702"
tmdb_id: 8947
wikidata_id: "Q7815916"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "8 August 1937"
died: "18 March 2026"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 7
average_fi1m_score: 74
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 7
updated: "2026-10-07T15:50:51.533985+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."
---

# Tom Georgeson

## Identity

Tom Georgeson

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/tom-georgeson
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** tom-georgeson
- **IMDb ID:** nm0313702
- **TMDB ID:** 8947
- **Wikidata ID:** Q7815916
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Georgeson, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7815916, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0313702/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/8947

Actor. Born 8 August 1937 in Liverpool, England. Died 18 March 2026.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 8 August 1937, Liverpool, England
- **Died:** 18 March 2026
- **Active:** 1982–2011
- **Frequently works with:** [Alan Bleasdale](https://film.one/person/alan-bleasdale.md), [Michael Palin](https://film.one/person/michael-palin.md)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 74, as actor, over 7 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1980s 80 (2), 1990s 85 (1), 2000s 68 (3), 2010s 68 (1)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 74 to 69 across 3 titles
- **Score spread:** 2 at 80+, 5 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 0 of 3 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Drama 6, Action & Adventure 2, Crime 2, Comedy 1, Romance 1, Sci-Fi & Fantasy 1
- **Screen time:** 3 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $238m across 2 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Georgeson, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7815916, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0313702/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/8947

## Streaming the US now

- **Apple TV:** [*A Fish Called Wanda*](https://film.one/film/a-fish-called-wanda.md) (83)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on Tom Georgeson

> Tom Georgeson made a career of the man who says less than he knows. Cast again and again as hard, tired, doubtful working men, he gave them a decency the scripts did not always spell out, and Alan Bleasdale wrote for him better than anyone.

You have seen his face. You may not be able to say where. Georgeson knew this and put it better than we could: "I’ve got what I call a wallpaper face. Everybody knows it from somewhere." For half a century that face sat in the supporting roles of British television, usually on a working man with Liverpool in his voice, hard or tired or both, and usually on one you were not sure you could trust. What he did with it was let you like the man anyway.

He came to acting late and sideways. He taught in primary schools in Australia, came back to Britain in the mid-1960s for the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre, and picked up small television parts from the end of that decade. The part that fixed him was Dixie Dean in Alan Bleasdale’s *Boys from the Blackstuff* (1982), the series about unemployment, and Bleasdale kept coming back: *Scully* (1984), *No Surrender* (1985), *G.B.H.* (1991). Four times in all, and nobody else found as much in him. Around that ran the steady work: Georges Thomason, the gang leader in *A Fish Called Wanda* (1988), whose name is a joke on his own; Detective Inspector Harry Naylor in *Between the Lines* (1992–94); Ted Mawson in *Notes on a Scandal* (2006).

We scored *G.B.H.* 85, and most of that belongs to Robert Lindsay’s Michael Murray, the council leader who cannot stop performing. Georgeson’s Lou Barnes is the old comrade who sees exactly what Murray is and cannot stop him, and it is the quietest thing in a loud series. It got to us more than we expected. Georgeson does not compete with Lindsay for the screen; he watches him, with the weariness of a man who saw this coming years ago, and next to all that noise the watching is what stays.

Our review of *A Fish Called Wanda* does not mention him, and that is the shape of the career in one sentence. He plays the gang leader and the comedians run rings round him, which is the job, and he does it without once asking to be noticed. The limit was the one he named himself. Television knew what he was for and asked for it again and again: the hard man, the doubtful copper, the comrade. The stage asked for more, including the murderer in *Frozen* at the National Theatre. On screen the extra had to be smuggled in, and he smuggled it: he gave Harry Naylor a hobby, ballroom dancing, so that we could see the private man behind the detective.

If you want to know what he could do, start with *G.B.H.* and watch him while Lindsay is talking. Then go back to the other things and see how often he was already there.

## Biography

Tom Georgeson (8 August 1937 – 18 March 2026) was an English actor from Liverpool. He appeared in numerous British television dramas and films, often in supporting roles.

He was closely associated with the work of writer Alan Bleasdale, appearing as Dixie Dean in the 1982 series *Boys from the Blackstuff* and in other Bleasdale projects including *Scully* (1984) and *G.B.H.* (1991). He also played Detective Inspector Harry Naylor in the BBC series *Between the Lines* (1992–94). On film, he was cast as the gangster George Thomason in the 1988 comedy *A Fish Called Wanda* and as Ted Mawson in *Notes on a Scandal* (2006).

Georgeson worked extensively on stage and received a nomination for Best Actor at the 2002 London Evening Standard Theatre Awards for his performance in *Frozen* at the Royal National Theatre.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, thetimes.com, telegraph.co.uk, theguardian.com, rottentomatoes.com.*

## On Fi1m (7)

- *The Crimson Petal and the White* (2011), Fi1m 68, as Henry Rackham Snr — [page](https://film.one/tv/the-crimson-petal-and-the-white.md)
- *Ashes to Ashes* (2008), Fi1m 64, as Stanley Mitchell — [page](https://film.one/tv/ashes-to-ashes.md)
- *Notes on a Scandal* (2006), Fi1m 75, as Ted Mawson — [page](https://film.one/film/notes-on-a-scandal.md)
- *Bleak House* (2005), Fi1m 65, as Clamb — [page](https://film.one/tv/bleak-house.md)
- *G.B.H.* (1991), Fi1m 85, as Lou Barnes — [page](https://film.one/tv/g-b-h.md)
- *A Fish Called Wanda* (1988), Fi1m 83, as Georges Thomason — [page](https://film.one/film/a-fish-called-wanda.md)
- *Dempsey and Makepeace* (1985), Fi1m 76, as Jack Cade — [page](https://film.one/tv/dempsey-and-makepeace.md)

## Complete filmography (75)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Electricity* (2014), as Al
- *Way to Go* (2013), series, as Paddy Brennan
- *The Hollow Crown* (2012), series, as Bardolph — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-hollow-crown.md)
- *The Murder at Road Hill House* (2011), as Superintendent Foley
- *The Crimson Petal and the White* (2011), series, as Henry Rackham Snr — Fi1m 68, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-crimson-petal-and-the-white.md)
- *Hancock & Joan* (2008), as Fred
- *Ashes to Ashes* (2008), series, as Stanley Mitchell — Fi1m 64, [page](https://film.one/tv/ashes-to-ashes.md)
- *Angel* (2007), as Marvell
- *Notes on a Scandal* (2006), as Ted Mawson — Fi1m 75, [page](https://film.one/film/notes-on-a-scandal.md)
- *Irish Jam* (2006), as Father Duffy
- *The English Harem* (2005), as Eric Pringle
- *Under The Greenwood Tree* (2005), as Geoffrey Day
- *Bleak House* (2005), series, as Clamb — Fi1m 65, [page](https://film.one/tv/bleak-house.md)
- *The Reckoning* (2004), as Flint
- *Man Dancin'* (2004), as Father Gabriel Flynn
- *Shameless* (2004), series, as Jock — Fi1m 75, [page](https://film.one/tv/shameless.md)
- *New Tricks* (2004), series, as Jason Harvey
- *The Virgin of Liverpool* (2003), as Father Keane
- *The Royal* (2003), series, as Duncan Crosby
- *Foyle's War* (2002), series, as Richard Hunter — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/tv/foyles-war.md)
- *Ultimate Force* (2002), series, Actor
- *The Inspector Lynley Mysteries* (2002), series, as Michael Shand
- *Waking the Dead* (2001), series, as Major Timothy Cooper
- *Swing* (1999), as Uncle Matty
- *Wuthering Heights* (1998), as Joseph
- *Liverpool 1* (1998), series, as DI Howard Jones
- *The Land Girls* (1998), as Mr. John Lawrence
- *FairyTale: A True Story* (1997), as Reporter
- *Downtime* (1997), as Jimmy
- *Cause of Death* (1997), as Ray Peters
- *Midsomer Murders* (1997), series, as Ron Chalk — Fi1m 66, [page](https://film.one/tv/midsomer-murders.md)
- *Fierce Creatures* (1997), as Sealion Spectator
- *The Treasure Seekers* (1996), as Bates
- *Lyddie* (1996), as Mr. Marsden
- *Dalziel and Pascoe* (1996), series, as Jack Allgood
- *Silent Witness* (1996), series, Actor
- *Hetty Wainthropp Investigates* (1996), series, as Harry Carter
- *Cadfael* (1994), series, as Lord Giffard
- *Resnick: Rough Treatment* (1993), as Grice
- *Peak Practice* (1993), series, as Bill Jackson
- *A Touch of Frost* (1992), series, as Jim Scott — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/tv/a-touch-of-frost.md)
- *Between the Lines* (1992), series, as Det. Insp. Harry Naylor
- *Heartbeat* (1992), series, as Mr. Daniels
- *G.B.H.* (1991), series, as Lou Barnes — Fi1m 85, [page](https://film.one/tv/g-b-h.md)
- *Devices and Desires* (1991), series, as Ryan Blaney
- *The Man from the Pru* (1990), as Det. Supt. Moore
- *Home Run* (1989), as Goodis
- *Agatha Christie's Poirot* (1989), series, as Inspector Grange — Fi1m 83, [page](https://film.one/tv/agatha-christies-poirot.md)
- *A Fish Called Wanda* (1988), as Georges Thomason — Fi1m 83, [page](https://film.one/film/a-fish-called-wanda.md)
- *Les Girls* (1988), series, as Conrad
- *Hidden Talents* (1986), as Stanley
- *Unnatural Causes* (1986), series, as Stanley
- *Casualty* (1986), series, as Tim Talbot — Fi1m 68, [page](https://film.one/tv/casualty.md)
- *No Surrender* (1985), as Mr Ross
- *The Last Place on Earth* (1985), series, as PO Lashly
- *Dempsey and Makepeace* (1985), series, as Jack Cade — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/tv/dempsey-and-makepeace.md)
- *The Bill* (1984), series, Actor
- *Scully* (1984), series, as Isaiah
- *Boys from the Blackstuff* (1982), series, as Dixie Dean
- *Doctor Who: Logopolis* (1981), as Detective Inspector
- *The Boy with the Transistor Radio* (1980), Actor
- *Juliet Bravo* (1980), series, as John Holden
- *The Black Stuff* (1980), as Dixie Dean
- *Going Back* (1979), as Malcolm Armstrong
- *The After Dinner Joke* (1978), as Journalist
- *The Professionals* (1977), series, as Reed, Pymar
- *Doctor Who: Genesis of the Daleks* (1975), as Kavell
- *The Death of Glory* (1973), as Barman
- *Shabby Tiger* (1973), series, as Kirkbride
- *Up the Chastity Belt* (1972), as Merry Man (uncredited)
- *Play for Today* (1970), series, as Adler
- *All's Well That Ends Well* (1968), as Second Soldier
- *ITV Playhouse* (1967), series, as Stuart, Malcolm Armstrong
- *Theatre 625* (1964), series, Actor
- *Doctor Who* (1963), series, as Detective Inspector, Kavell — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/tv/doctor-who.md)

---
© 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/tom-georgeson