Denis Lill

Denis Lill (born 22 April 1942) is a New Zealand-born British actor. He is best known for his roles in Survivors as Charles Vaughan, Only Fools and Horses as Alan Parry, and as Consultant General Surgeon Mr Rose in the ITV1 medical drama The Royal.

Denis Lill
Born (1942-04-22) 22 April 1942
Hamilton, New Zealand
OccupationActor
Years active1972–present
Spouse(s)Vanessa Lill
Children2

Career

Lill joined the RNZAF as a 13–course BES cadet entrant in 1959. It was in the RNZAF that he first expressed an interest in amateur dramatics and a fondness for mimicking characters of the BBC's The Goon Show. Throughout his air force career, he involved himself in operatic and theatric productions.[1] He left New Zealand for Britain in 1967.[2]

Some of his many film and television roles include Fall of Eagles (1974), Special Branch (1974 series 4,ep12),Edward the Seventh (1975), Survivors (1975–77), The Eagle Has Landed (1976), Bad Blood (1981), The Scarlet Pimpernel (1982), as William Knox D'Arcy, the Australian oil pioneer in Persia, in Reilly: Ace of Spies (1983), Rumpole of the Bailey (1983–92), Mapp and Lucia (1985–86), Only Fools and Horses (1989–92), Batman, Red Dwarf (1 episode, 1990s) (1989),[3] Bernard and the Genie (1991), Richard III (1995), Evita (1996),[4] The Opium War (1997), Rebecca (1997) Heartbeat (2002) and The Royal (2003-2011).[5]

Lill twice appeared in the BBC's science fiction series Doctor Who: as Dr Fendelman in the 1977 serial Image of the Fendahl and as Sir George Hutchinson in 1984's The Awakening. After a one-off appearance in the first series of Terry Nation's post-apocalyptic drama Survivors as Charles Vaughan, he became the leading actor for the show's second and third series. Lill portrayed Bertie, the Prince of Wales and later Edward the VII, in the 1978 period serial drama Lillie opposite Francesca Annis as Lillie Langtry. In the 1990s he starred in sitcoms Outside Edge as Dennis and Only Fools and Horses as Cassandra's father, Alan Parry.[2]

Lill appeared in the 1986 Sherlock Holmes adaptation of The Man with the Twisted Lip as Inspector Bradstreet, a character he played in two further Holmes adventures in 1988 & 1994. He also appeared as the drunken MP Sir Talbot Buxomly who died onscreen in an episode of Blackadder the Third and as the Beadle in Blackadder's Christmas Carol. He also appeared as Sir Reuben Astwell in "The Underdog" (1993) of the detective series Poirot. He appeared in Red Dwarf, playing a rogue simulant in "Gunmen of the Apocalypse", in Bertie and Elizabeth as Clement Attlee (2002) and from 2003 until 2011 Lill starred in the ITV1 drama The Royal as Consultant General Surgeon Mr. Rose. Lill has also worked in radio theatre with one of his memorable characters being the brother in Ron Blair's play The Christian Brothers. In 2014, he appeared in 24: Live Another Day.

In February 2016, Lill appeared in series 18 episode 4 " A Dying Art" of the ITV crime drama Midsomer Murders.

Lill appeared in Series 2 Episode 5 of "Shakespeare and Hathaway: Private Investigators" in March 2019.

Personal life

Lill resides in Ryme Intrinseca, Dorset, with his wife Vanessa. They have two children.[6]

Filmography
1974Fall of EaglesFrederick IIITV drama
1975-77SurvivorsCharles VaughanTV series
1976The Eagle Has LandedChurchill's aide
1977Full CircleDoctor
1981Bad BloodTed Best
1982The Scarlet PimpernelWilliam Knox D'Arcy
1985The InnocentDoctor
1988Salome's Last DanceTigellenus / Chilvers
1989BatmanBob the Cartoonist
1993Red HotThe Rector
1995Richard IIILord Mayor
1996EvitaPresident Farrell
1996Element of DoubtSimon
1997Fierce CreaturesWoman's Husband
1997Mrs DallowayDoctor Holmes
1998What Rats Won't DoMoot Master

References
  1. "From Airman to Actor". RAF News. RnR page 8 (1399). 15 July 2016. ISSN 0035-8614.CS1 maint: location (link)
  2. "Only Fools and Horses Uncovered". BBC. BBC. 24 September 2014. Retrieved 21 September 2016.
  3. Reinhart, Mark S (2012). "8: Barman 1989". The Batman Filmography (2 ed.). North Carolina: McFarland & Co. p. 99. ISBN 978-0-7864-6891-1.
  4. "Denis Lill". BFI Film Forever. Retrieved 21 September 2016.
  5. Sowden, Steve (1 June 2011). "Well-known actor at church fete at Montacute House". This is the West Country. Retrieved 21 September 2016.
  6. "In the Hot Seat Denis Lill". Somerset Live. 21 January 2012. Retrieved 21 September 2016.
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