Oliver Cotton
Biography
After training at the Drama Centre London, he has worked extensively at the Royal National Theatre playing in many productions including The Royal Hunt of the Sun, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Much Ado About Nothing, As You Like It, Oedipus, In His Own Write, Hamlet, Tamburlaine, No Man's Land, The Passion, Despatches, Half Life, The World Turned Upside Down, Julius Caesar, The Madras House, The Man With the Flower in His Mouth, Tales from the Vienna Woods, The Crucible, Piano, Troilus and Cressida, Money, Summerfolk, The Villain's Opera, Life x 3. At the Royal Court Theatre, he has appeared in The Local Stigmatic, The Duchess of Malfi, Man is Man, The Enoch Show, Erronenous Zones, The Tutor by Brecht, Lear and Bingo by Edward Bond and Piano/Forte by Terry Johnson. He was a founder member of Joint Stock appearing in their inaugural production The Speakers by Heathcote Williams. At The Royal Shakespeare Company he has played in The Marrying of Ann Leete, Henry VI, Edward IV, Richard III, The Plain Dealer, Some Americans Abroad by Richard Nelson, Brand by Ibsen. His West End appearances include The Homecoming by Harold Pinter, Children of a Lesser God by Mark Medoff, Benefactors by Michael Frayn (in whose Liberty Hall he also appeared in at the Greenwich Theatre), An Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde, Life x 3 by Yasmina Reza, and Brand by Ibsen. He has also played the title role in King Lear at the Southwark Playhouse and Malvolio in Shakespeare's Globe's all-male production of Twelfth Night. His many TV appearances have included The Borgias (Cesare Borgia), David Copperfield, The Year of the French, The Play on One, Redemption, Poirot, The Camomile Lawn, Westbeach, Zorro, Sharpe's Battle, Rhodes, All Quiet on the Preston Front, Innocents, Judge John Deed, Inspector Lynley, Waking the Dead, M.I.T.: Murder Investigation Team, Beastly Games, Sensitive Skin, Midsomer Murders, Hotel Babylon. His films include Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush, The Day Christ Died, Firefox, Oliver Twist, The Sicilian, Eleni, Hiding Out, Christopher Columbus, Son of the Pink Panther, The Innocent Sleep, Phoenix Blue, The Opium War, Beowulf, Baby Blue, The Dancer Upstairs, Shanghai Knights, The Bone Collector, Raindogs, Colour Me Kubrick.
Known For

Midsomer Murders

New Tricks

Heartbeat

Bergerac

Killing Eve

Waking the Dead

BBC Play of the Month

Thirty-Minute Theatre
All Movies (38)
- Tales of the Underworld2026 · as Flowers
- Clancy Sigal: Hollywood Blacklist to 'A' List2023 · as Interviewee
- The Last Duel2021 · as Jean de Carrouges III
- Wonder Woman 19842020 · as Simon Stagg
- Pylon2017 · as The Chairman
- North v South2015 · as Brian Galloway
- Gangs of Tooting Broadway2013
- The Dark Knight Rises2012 · as 2 Star Air Force General
- Henry IV, Part 2 - Live at Shakespeare's Globe2012 · as King Henry IV
- Henry IV, Part 1 - Live at Shakespeare's Globe2012 · as King Henry IV
- Pope Joan2009 · as Arsenius
- Margaret2009 · as Michael Heseltine
- Attila the Hun2008 · as Actius
- Colour Me Kubrick2005 · as PC Metcalf (uncredited)
- Out of the Ashes2003 · as Moshe Perl
- Shanghai Knights2003 · as Jack the Ripper
- The Dancer Upstairs2002 · as Merino
- Baby Blue2001 · as Ron Wood
- Beowulf1999 · as Hrothgar
- The Innocent Sleep1996 · as Lusano
- Sharpe's Battle1995 · as Brigadier General Guy Loup
- Joseph1995 · as Architect
- Son of the Pink Panther1993 · as King Haroak
- Christopher Columbus: The Discovery1992 · as Harana
- Redemption1991 · as Neville Nunn
- The Party1988 · as Andrew Ford
- Hiding Out1987 · as Hit-Man
- The Sicilian1987 · as Cmdr. Roccofino
- Eleni1985 · as Katis
- Firefox1982 · as Dmitri Priabin
- Oliver Twist1982 · as Monks
- The Day Christ Died1980 · as John
- Henry VIII1979 · as Earl of Surrey
- When the Actors Come1978 · as Istvan
- Caesar and Claretta1975 · as Giacomo
- Sovereign's Company1970 · as Sender
- Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush1968 · as Curtis
- Raindogs— · as Duke
All TV Shows (33)
- Killing Eve2018 · as Maciek
- The Musketeers2014
- Ripper Street2012 · as Daniel Goldman
- Money2010 · as Lorne Guyland
- Hotel Babylon2006
- Sensitive Skin2005 · as Sam
- New Tricks2004 · as Hugh Dryden
- Murder Investigation Team2003 · as Artyom Biartoulis
- Waking the Dead2001 · as Sir Charles Stewart
- Midsomer Murders1997 · as Michael Maybury
- Space Precinct1994 · as Tylan Gershom
- (All Quiet on the) Preston Front1994 · as Declan
- Harry1993 · as Paul Collier
- Sharpe1993 · as Loup
- Heartbeat1992 · as Harry Adams
- The Camomile Lawn1992 · as Max
- The Play on One1988 · as Andrew Ford
- Hannay1988
- David Copperfield1986 · as Edward Murdstone
- Lovejoy1986 · as Frobel
- Robin of Sherwood1984 · as Lord Owen of Clun
- Bergerac1981 · as Jacques Laronde
- The Borgias1981 · as Cesare Borgia
- BBC2 Play of the Week1977 · as Istvan
- Space: 19991975 · as Spearman
- Churchill's People1974 · as Trooper John Roper
- Second City Firsts1973 · as Cyril
- The Adventures of Don Quick1970 · as Beltane
- Strange Report1969 · as Young Man
- Callan1967
- BBC Play of the Month1965 · as Turkish Captain
- Thirty-Minute Theatre1965 · as Spy
- Public Eye1965 · as Removal Man