Oliver Cotton

Oliver Charles Cotton (born 20 June 1944) is an English actor, comedian and playwright, known for his prolific work on stage, TV and film. He remains best known for his role as Cesare Borgia in the BBC's 1981 drama series The Borgias.[1]

Oliver Cotton
Born20 June 1944 (1944-06-20) (age 76)
London, England
OccupationActor, comedian, playwright

Early life

Cotton was born in London on 20 June 1944, the son of Ester and Robert Norman Cotton.[2] He trained at the Drama Centre, London.

Career

Cotton worked extensively at the National Theatre Company during the period when Sir Laurence Olivier was its artistic director. Cotton played leading roles in many productions including The Royal Hunt of the Sun, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Much Ado in About Nothing, As You Like It, Peter Brook’s Oedipus, In His Own Write and many others.

At the Royal Court in London, Cotton has played leads in many productions including The Local Stigmatic, The Duchess of Malfi, Man is Man, The Tutor by Bertholt Brecht, Lear and Bingo by Edward Bond. He was a founder member of Joint Stock appearing in the company's inaugural production The Speakers by Heathcote Williams.

For the Royal Shakespeare Company he has played leading roles in Granville Barker's The Marrying of Ann Leete, Henry VI, Edward IV, Richard III, The Plain Dealer, Some Americans Abroad by Richard Nelson, and as the Mayor in Brand by Ibsen in 2003.[3]

In the West End he has starred in The Homecoming by Harold Pinter, Children of A Lesser God by Mark Medoff, Benefactors by Michael Frayn, An Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde, Life x 3 by Yasmina Reza (RNT transfer), "Passion Play" (by Peter Nichols). He also played King Lear at the Southwark Playhouse and performed as Malvolio in a (historically correct all-male) production Twelfth Night at the reconstruction of Shakespeare's Globe. At the Old Vic, under the directorship of Kevin Spacey, he appeared as Seth Lord in The Philadelphia Story, as Northumberland in Richard II, and as Dr Finache in A Flea in Her Ear. In 2010 he played Henry IV in Shakespeare's Henry IV at the Globe Theatre. At Chichester he has appeared as Jim Casy in The Grapes Of Wrath in 2009 and as Arturo Santaniello in The Syndicate. In 2012, he played Victor Velasco in a major tour of Barefoot in the Park. In 2013 he played Jim in Passion Play by Peter Nichols at the Duke of York's Theatre – and in 2014 starred as Billy in his own play Daytona at the Theatre Royal Haymarket.

His numerous TV appearances have included The Borgias (Cesare Borgia), David Copperfield, The Year of The French, The Party, Room at the Bottom, Redemption, Poirot, The Camomile Lawn, Westbeach, Sharpes Battle, Rhodes, All Quiet on the Preston Front, Innocents, Judge John Deed, Inspector Lynley, Waking The Dead, Murder Investigation Team, Beastly Games, Margaret, Money, Ripper Street and Lovejoy.

His films include Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush, The Day Christ Died, Oliver Twist, Firefox, 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, Bone Hunter, Rain Dogs, Colour Me Kubrick, Pope Joan, The Dark Knight Rises, Tooting Broadway, A Long Time Coming.

Writing

For the stage his writing includes: The Enoch Show (Royal Court), Scrabble (National Theatre), Wet Weather Cover (King's Head & Arts Theatre), Daytona, Dessert, Sans Souci. His TV and film scripts include: A Touch of Frost, Diamond Geezer, Trace, The Intruder, Singing for Stalin, Sofa, Wet Weather Cover the Movie, Peeping Through and The English Game.

Filmography
Film
Year Title Role Notes
1968Here We Go Round the Mulberry BushCurtis
1982FirefoxDmitri Priabin
1985EleniKatis
1987The SicilianCmdr. Roccofino
Hiding OutKiller
1992Christopher Columbus: The DiscoveryHarana
1993Son of the Pink PantherKing Haroak
1996The Innocent SleepLusano
1997Queen: Made in HeavenMan
Yapian zhanzheng
1999BeowulfHrothgar
2001Baby BlueRon Wood
2002The Dancer UpstairsMerino
2003Shanghai KnightsJack the Ripper
The Bone HunterRegulus
2004RaindogsDuke
SteamboyRobert StephensonVoice
2005Colour Me KubrickPC MetcalfUncredited
2009Pope JoanArsenius
2012The Dark Knight Rises2 Star Air Force General
2013Gangs of Tooting BroadwayMarcus
2015North v SouthBrian Galloway
2017PylonThe Chairman
2020Wonder Woman 1984Simon Stagg
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1970–1973Z-CarsChick Randall / Robert Durley / John North4 episodes
1975Space: 1999Spearman1 episode
1981The BorgiasCesare Borgia10 episodes
1982Oliver TwistMonksTV movie
1983BergeracJacques Laronde1 episode
Jemima Shore InvestigatesRenard1 episode
1986LovejoyFrobel1 episode
Robin of SherwoodLord Owen of Clun1 episode
C.A.T.S. EyesStefan Johns1 episode
1989BoonRaoul Gomez1 episode
1990Agatha Christie's PoirotGregorie Rolf1 episode
1992The Camomile LawnMax3 episodes
1993West beachAlan Cromer10 episodes
1995Sharpe's BattleLoupTV movie
1997HeartbeatHarry Adams1 episode
2001The BillDI Hubbard1 episode
Judge John DeedMaurice Phillips QC1 episode
2003CasualtyDr. Chris Cassidy1 episode
2004Waking the DeadSir Charles Stewart1 episode
Dalziel and PascoeKeith Henshaw1 episode
2005Midsomer MurdersMichael Maybury1 episode
2009MargaretMichael HeseltineTV movie
2014Penny DreadfulFather Matthews1 episode
New TricksHugh Dryden1 episode

Video games

References
  1. "TV REVIEW; 'THE BORGIAS,' A NEW SERIES ON CABLE", New York Times, 2 October 1985. Accessed 15 October 2015
  2. Oliver Cotton Biography (1944–). Filmreference.com (20 June 1944). Retrieved on 2020-02-07.
  3. Philip Fisher "Brand", British Theatre Review
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