Cause of death Cancer Occupation Actor | Name Bruce Purchase Role Actor | |
Born 2 October 1938 ( 1938-10-02 ) Thames, New Zealand Died June 5, 2008, Putney, London, United Kingdom Spouse Elspeth Sandys (m. 1965–1980) Education Royal Academy of Dramatic Art Books Changing Skies: An Actor's Life Movies Macbeth, The Optimists, Freddie as FRO7, Lionheart, Playing Away Similar People Elspeth Sandys, Roman Polanski, Franklin J Schaffner, Simon Langton, Anthony Simmons | ||
Bruce Purchase (2 October 1938 – 5 June 2008) was a New Zealand-born actor known for his roles on stage and television. Born in Thames, New Zealand, he won a scholarship to study acting in England, training at RADA, and went on to become a founding actor-member of Laurence Olivier's National Theatre. He also performed regularly with the Royal Shakespeare Company.
His TV credits included Callan, The First Churchills, A Picture of Katherine Mansfield, Doomwatch, Fall of Eagles, I, Claudius, The New Avengers, Doctor Who (in the serial The Pirate Planet), Blake's 7, Quatermass and The Tripods. His films included Macbeth (1971), Mary, Queen of Scots (1971), The Optimists of Nine Elms (1973), Soft Beds, Hard Battles (1974), Meetings with Remarkable Men (1979), Pope John Paul II (1984), Wallenberg: A Hero's Story (1985), Playing Away (1987), Lionheart (1987) and Another Life (2001).
In 2007, Purchase became seriously ill while touring with a production of The Last Confession. He died of cancer on 5 June 2008 at his home in Putney, London.
Filmography
Actor
2001
Another Life as
Sir Henry Curtis-Bennett
2000
Bob Martin (TV Series) as
Frank
- Mr. and Mrs. (2000) - Frank
2000
ChuckleVision (TV Series) as
Hiram J. Cugalschriber
- Double Trouble (2000) - Hiram J. Cugalschriber
1999
The Bible Collection: Esther (TV Movie) as
Commissioner
1998
Killer Net (TV Mini Series) as
Pathologist
- Episode #1.3 (1998) - Pathologist
1998
The Sea Change as
Oldberg
1997
David (TV Mini Series) as
Jesse
- David Part 1 (1997) - Jesse
1995
Richard III as
City Gentleman
1995
Ruth Rendell Mysteries (TV Series) as
Bearded Man
- The Strawberry Tree: Part 1 (1995) - Bearded Man
1994
Law and Disorder (TV Series) as
Captain Swift
- The Cannibal (1994) - Captain Swift
1992
Freddie as F.R.O.7. as
Additional Voices (voice)
1987
The Bill (TV Series) as
Man with shot-gun
- The New Order of Things (1987) - Man with shot-gun
1987
Lionheart as
Simon Nerra
1987
Playing Away as
Fredrick
1987
Casanova (TV Movie) as
Major Grandi
1986
Casualty (TV Series) as
Spiderman
- Teeny Poppers (1986) - Spiderman
1986
Return to Treasure Island (TV Mini Series) as
Trelawney
- Treasure Island (1986) - Trelawney
- Spanish Gold (1986) - Trelawney
- In Chains (1986) - Trelawney
- The Map (1986) - Trelawney
1985
The Tripods (TV Series) as
Ali Pasha
- The Forest of Death (1985) - Ali Pasha
- Escape from the City of Gold (1985) - Ali Pasha
1985
Wallenberg: A Hero's Story (TV Movie) as
Rabbi Mandel
1985
Anna of the Five Towns (TV Mini Series) as
Tom Kelly
- Episode #1.3 (1985) - Tom Kelly
1984
Other Halves as
Irwin
1984
Freud (TV Mini Series) as
Professor Nothnagel
- In the Name of the Gods (1984) - Professor Nothnagel
1984
Pope John Paul II (TV Movie) as
Jerzy Loparicz
1979
Play for Today (TV Series) as
Goff / Jake
- Atlantis (1983) - Goff
- Even Solomon (1979) - Jake
1979
Saint Joan (TV Movie) as
Captain la Hire
1979
Henry IV Part II (TV Movie) as
Earl of Northumberland
1979
The BBC Television Shakespeare (TV Series) as
Earl of Northumberland / Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland
- The Second Part of King Henry the Fourth containing his Death: and the Coronation of King Henry the Fift (1979) - Earl of Northumberland
- The First Part of King Henry the Fourth, with the life and death of Henry surnamed Hotspur (1979) - Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland
1979
Henry IV Part I (TV Movie) as
Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland
1979
All Quiet on the Western Front (TV Movie) as
Cook (uncredited)
1979
Quatermass (TV Mini Series) as
Tommy Roach
- Lovely Lightning (1979) - Tommy Roach
- Ringstone Round (1979) - Tommy Roach
1979
The Quatermass Conclusion as
Tommy Roach
1979
Diary of a Nobody (TV Series) as
Farmerson
- Episode #1.4 (1979) - Farmerson
- Episode #1.1 (1979) - Farmerson
1979
Blake's 7 (TV Series) as
Gola
- The Keeper (1979) - Gola
1979
Meetings with Remarkable Men as
Father Maxim
1979
ITV Playhouse (TV Series) as
Wally
- The Quiz Kid (1979) - Wally
1978
Kidnapped (TV Mini Series) as
Duke of Cumberland
- Uncle Ebenezer (1978) - Duke of Cumberland
1978
A Horseman Riding By (TV Series) as
Parson Augustus Bull
- 1914: The Last Hot Summer (1978) - Parson Augustus Bull
- 1905: The Hollow Victory (1978) - Parson Augustus Bull
- 1903: An Outbreak of Romance (1978) - Parson Augustus Bull
- 1902: The Party (1978) - Parson Augustus Bull
1978
Doctor Who (TV Series) as
Captain
- The Pirate Planet: Part Four (1978) - Captain
- The Pirate Planet: Part Three (1978) - Captain
- The Pirate Planet: Part Two (1978) - Captain
- The Pirate Planet: Part One (1978) - Captain
1978
Rumpole of the Bailey (TV Series) as
Leslie Delgado
- Rumpole and the Heavy Brigade (1978) - Leslie Delgado
1978
The Devil's Crown (TV Series) as
Count of Anjou
- If All the World Were Mine (1978) - Count of Anjou
1977
BBC2 Play of the Week (TV Series) as
Ernest
- Exiles (1977) - Ernest
1977
London Belongs to Me (TV Series) as
Det. Sgt. Slater
- Episode #1.3 (1977) - Det. Sgt. Slater
1977
Supernatural (TV Mini Series) as
Herr Steekebeck
- Mr. Nightingale (1977) - Herr Steekebeck
1976
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (TV Movie) as
Provost
1976
Crown Court (TV Series) as
Piet Roux / Plet Roux
- You Won't Escape When Henrik Witboo Comes: Part 3 (1976) - Piet Roux
- You Won't Escape When Henrik Witboo Comes: Part 2 (1976) - Piet Roux
- You Won't Escape When Hendrik Witbooi Comes: Part 1 (1976) - Plet Roux
1976
I, Claudius (TV Mini Series) as
Sabinus
- Hail Who? (1976) - Sabinus
1976
The New Avengers (TV Series) as
Prof. Lopez
- Target! (1976) - Prof. Lopez
1976
Clayhanger (TV Series) as
Big James
- Death and Dreams (1976) - Big James
- The Orgreave Calamity (1976) - Big James
- A Musical Evening (1976) - Big James
- Possessions (1976) - Big James
- The Exquisite Burden (1976) - Big James
- Epidemic (1976) - Big James
- The Chain Is Broken (1976) - Big James
- The Glorious Jubilee (1976) - Big James
- Laid Aside (1976) - Big James
- Love (1976) - Big James
- Sin and Romance (1976) - Big James
- Hilda (1976) - Big James
- The Architect (1976) - Big James
- Last of a Schoolboy (1976) - Big James
1976
Shades of Greene (TV Series) as
George Wilditch
- Under the Garden (1976) - George Wilditch
1976
BBC Play of the Month (TV Series) as
Taffy
- Trilby (1976) - Taffy
1975
The Secret Agent (TV Movie) as
Mr. Michaelis
1975
Looking for Clancy (TV Series) as
Basil Rudering
- Episode #1.1 (1975) - Basil Rudering
1975
Edward the King (TV Mini Series) as
Czarevitch Alexander / Czar Alexander III
- The Royal Quadrille (1975) - Czar Alexander III
- Dearest Prince (1975) - Czarevitch Alexander
- The Invisible Queen (1975) - Czarevitch Alexander
1975
The Fight Against Slavery (TV Mini Series) as
Kelsall
- A Matter of Insurance (1975) - Kelsall
1974
Intimate Strangers (TV Series) as
Landlord
- Episode #1.11 (1974) - Landlord
1974
Fall of Eagles (TV Mini Series) as
Von Plehve
- Dearest Nicky (1974) - Von Plehve
- Absolute Beginners (1974) - Von Plehve
1974
Undercovers Hero as
Colonel Meinertzhagen (uncredited)
1973
Alice Through the Looking Glass (TV Movie) as
Walrus / Guard
1973
Vienna 1900 (TV Mini Series) as
Adele's Father
- Man of Honour (1973) - Adele's Father
1973
Six Days of Justice (TV Series) as
Mr. Rossmore
- Case for Committal (1973) - Mr. Rossmore
1973
The Optimists as
Policeman
1973
A Picture of Katherine Mansfield (TV Series) as
Stanley Burnell / Father / Mr. Sheridan
- Episode #1.6 (1973) - Stanley Burnell
- Episode #1.4 (1973) - Stanley Burnell
- Episode #1.3 (1973) - Father
- Life Is the Only Cure for Life (1973) - Mr. Sheridan
1972
A Phoenix Too Frequent (TV Movie) as
Virilius
1972
Doomwatch (TV Series) as
Norman Sylvester
- Waiting for a Knighthood (1972) - Norman Sylvester
1972
Softly Softly: Task Force (TV Series) as
Det. Sgt. Kershaw
- Resolution (1972) - Det. Sgt. Kershaw
1971
Mary, Queen of Scots as
Morton
1971
Macbeth as
Caithness
1969
The First Churchills (TV Mini Series) as
Duke of Buckingham
- Plot, Counter-Plot (1969) - Duke of Buckingham
- Bridals (1969) - Duke of Buckingham
1969
The Flaxton Boys (TV Series) as
Sergeant Bentley
- 1854: The Deserter (1969) - Sergeant Bentley
1969
ITV Saturday Night Theatre (TV Series) as
Performer
- Rogues Gallery: The Wicked Stage (1969) - Performer
1969
Rogues' Gallery (TV Series) as
Bosun
- The Wicked Stage (1969) - Bosun
1969
The Inside Man (TV Series) as
Latte
- The Spy Vanishes (1969) - Latte
1967
Callan (TV Series) as
Det. Sgt. Lynn / Blair
- Land of Light and Peace (1969) - Det. Sgt. Lynn
- Goodbye, Nobby Clarke (1967) - Blair
1967
City '68 (TV Series)
- The Shooting War (1967)
1967
Escape (TV Series) as
Spence
- A Bad Risk (1967) - Spence
1967
Emergency-Ward 10 (TV Series) as
Albert Pendleton / Charles Hargreaves, as a young man
- Song Without Words (1967) - Albert Pendleton / Charles Hargreaves, as a young man
1967
Viewpoint (TV Series) as
Farinata / Voice of Eagle / Lord Civil Law / ...
- High Dreams 2: The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri (1967) - Farinata / Voice of Eagle
- High Dreams 1: Piers the Plowman by William Langland - The First English Satirist (1967) - Lord Civil Law / A Juggler
1967
Write a Play (TV Series)
- The White Christ & The Freeze Man (1967)
1967
The Paradise Makers (TV Series) as
New Zealander
- Episode #1.1 (1967) - New Zealander
1966
The Big Spender (TV Series) as
Weston
- The Twist (1966) - Weston
1965
Othello as
Senator / Soldier / Cypriot
1965
The Newcomers (TV Series) as
John
- Episode #1.13 (1965) - John
Self
2007
Parrot Fashion (Video documentary short) as
Self / The Captain
1967
Viewpoint (TV Series) as
Self - Reader
- The Protestant Reformation 1: The Moment and the Man (1967) - Self - Reader (voice)
1967
High Dreams (TV Mini Series documentary)
Archive Footage
2005
Paris in the Springtime (Video documentary) as
Pirate Captain
1993
Doctor Who: Thirty Years in the TARDIS (TV Movie documentary) as
The Captain (uncredited)
1981
Doctor Who (TV Series) as
Pirate Captain
- Logopolis: Part Four (1981) - Pirate Captain (uncredited)
References
Bruce Purchase Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA