Brian Pettifer

Brian Pettifer

Acting
Born Jan 01, 1953
From Durban, Natal, South Africa

Brian Pettifer (born January 1, 1953) is a South African actor who has appeared in many television shows, and also on stage and in film. He is the younger brother of folk musician Linda Thompson. He intended to become a photographer, but pursued a career as an actor. He appeared as a child in the BBC's This Man Craig and Dr Finlay's Casebook, and Madame Bovary (with his friend Alex Norton) which gave him an avid interest in acting on television. His first film role was in Lindsay Anderson's film if.... (1968). He also appeared in Anderson's O Lucky Man! (1973) and Britannia Hospital (1982) playing the same character in all three Anderson films, that of Biles. His other film credits include roles in Amadeus (1984), A Christmas Carol (1984), Gulag (1985), Heavenly Pursuits (1986), Little Dorrit (1987), The Great Escape II: The Untold Story (1988), Loch Ness (1996), The House of Mirth (2000), Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (2002), The Rocket Post (2004), Vanity Fair (2004) and Lassie (2005). Pettifer was a regular in Rab C. Nesbitt mainly propping up a bar, but was also known as aircraftman Bruce Leckie in Get Some In!, where he was constantly the butt of jokes directed at him by Corporal Marsh. He also played cousin Hughie in the long running Liverpool based 70s sitcom The Liver Birds. He also played Alfred Meyer in the BBC/HBO film Conspiracy and the part of Dr. Cameron in the Radio 4 series entitled Adventures of a Black Bag, after appearing in several episodes of Dr. Finlay's Casebook. He appeared in Hamish Macbeth, as well as guest starring in Still Game. In 2005, he also appeared in the first episode of the BBC drama Bleak House. In 2011 and 2013, he played Father Richards in The Field of Blood. He had the role of Poupart in the BBC One series The Musketeers. In 2012, Brian Pettifer appeared as Archie Milgrow in the episode Old School Ties in the series New Tricks. He has worked extensively in the theatre: writing, directing and acting. He has been in a production of The Fairy-Queen at Glyndebourne, which went to Paris and New York in 2010. In 2015, Pettifer appeared in the crime comedy The Legend of Barney Thomson along with his Hamish Macbeth co-star Robert Carlyle. In 2019, he appeared in an episode of Holby City playing patient Laurie Stocks.

Known For

Filmography — Acting

The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc
6.4
1999

The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc

the executioner / the torturer of the trial

Amadeus
8.0
1984

Amadeus

Hospital Attendant

Darkest Hour
7.4
2017

Darkest Hour

Lord Kingsley Wood

Damaged
5.6
2024

Damaged

Village Man

Conspiracy
7.3
2001

Conspiracy

Alfred Meyer

The Last Bus
6.5
2021

The Last Bus

Billy (Drunk)

A Christmas Carol
7.5
1984

A Christmas Carol

Ben

if....
7.1
1968

if....

Biles

Vanity Fair
5.8
2004

Vanity Fair

Mr. Raggles

Lassie
6.4
2005

Lassie

O'Donnell

The House of Mirth
6.2
2000

The House of Mirth

Mr. Bry

Loch Ness
5.7
1996

Loch Ness

Repairman

Get Duked!
6.2
2019

Get Duked!

PC Dougie

In the Bleak Midwinter
7.1
1995

In the Bleak Midwinter

Ventriloquist

The Legend of Barney Thomson
6.1
2015

The Legend of Barney Thomson

Charlie

Hattie
5.7
2011

Hattie

Ron

Whisky Galore
5.9
2016

Whisky Galore

Angus

The Great Escape II: The Untold Story
5.2
1988

The Great Escape II: The Untold Story

Kirby-Green

Britannia Hospital
6.3
1982

Britannia Hospital

Biles

The Strange Case of Sherlock Holmes & Arthur Conan Doyle
6.1
2005

The Strange Case of Sherlock Holmes & Arthur Conan Doyle

Harry How

Little Dorrit
6.2
1987

Little Dorrit

Clarence Barnacle

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
5.4
2003

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Poole

Vigo
4.1
1998

Vigo

Fatman

Eleven Men Against Eleven
6.3
1995

Eleven Men Against Eleven

Cliff Tutley

The Rocket Post
5.1
2004

The Rocket Post

Reverend Shand

Heavenly Pursuits
7.2
1986

Heavenly Pursuits

Father Cobb

Gulag
5.4
1985

Gulag

Vlasov

The James Gang
5.0
1997

The James Gang

Spanner

The Key
2003

The Key

Donkeys
6.0
2010

Donkeys

Brian Colburn

Terror! Robespierre and the French Revolution
6.5
2009

Terror! Robespierre and the French Revolution

Couthon

Lucky Sunil
1988

Lucky Sunil

Cyril

One Last Chance
5.0
2004

One Last Chance

Macgregor

The Flu That Killed 50 Million
5.9
2018

The Flu That Killed 50 Million

Victor Vaughan

1970

Warm Feet, Warm Heart

Nigel Purvis

2021

Go Home

Mike

A Risk Worth Taking
3.5
2008

A Risk Worth Taking

Maxwell Borthwick

1972

Just Your Luck

Youth at Wedding

7.0
1992

In Dreams

Journalist/Dave

Is That All There Is?
7.0
1992

Is That All There Is?

Self

Happy the Man
1986

Happy the Man

Andy

Peer Gynt
1972

Peer Gynt

Additional cast

Memories of Lindsay Anderson
2019

Memories of Lindsay Anderson

Self

1970

Is That Your Body, Boy

Spratt

The Right Prospectus
1970

The Right Prospectus

Boy in Grounds

Let There Be Light
1970

Let There Be Light

Pupil Teacher