The son of a country chemist, the British actor Donald Sinden intended to pursue a career in architecture but was spotted in an amateur theatrical production and asked to join a company that entertained the troops during World War II (Sinden was rejected for naval service because of asthma). Following a brief training at drama school, he ...
Tony Award for Best Lead Actor in a Play, Laurence Olivier Award for Best Comedy Performance, British Academy Television Award for Best Entertainment Performance, Laurence Olivier Award for Actor of the Year in a Revival, Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play
Movies
Mogambo, The Cruel Sea, The Island at the Top of the World, Doctor in the House, Above Us the Waves, The Day of the Jackal, Doctor at Large, The Black Tent, An Alligator Named Daisy, Mad About Men, Balto, Simba, The Canterville Ghost, Eyewitness, The Captain's Table, Tiger in the Smoke, Operation Bu...
TV Shows
Two's Company, Never the Twain, Judge John Deed, Great West End Theatres, Great Productions
Star Sign
Libra
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Trademark
1
rich deep sonorous voice
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Quote
1
[on Denholm Elliott] He was one of the finest screen actors and a very special actor at that. He was one of the last stars who was a real gentleman. It is a very sad loss.
2
When I meet people they say "I thought you put that voice on for TV". But you can't put on a voice like this - you're just lumbered with it.
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Fact
1
He joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1946 despite having hated Shakespeare when he was at school.
2
Because he had negative buoyancy when he was filming The Cruel Sea and had to be in the water he lay on top of a stuntman.
3
When his cousin Frank was called up for the RAFduring WWII he was in mid rehearsal for a play and asked Donald to take over his role.
4
His father, brother and sister were keen actors and he and his mother had to watch them perform.
5
Brought up in Ditching, Sussex.
6
Played Captain Hook on stage.
7
Spitting Image (1984) created a puppet of him and he featured in several of their sketches. In one scene, he is in a restaurant and asks "Do you serve a ham salad?", to which the waiter replies "Yes, we serve salad to anyone".
8
When he first became a stage actor, his speaking voice was comparatively high-pitched so he had voice coaching to lower it and make it more imposing and sonorous. When he later started acting in films, his modified voice was too deep for the young parts that he was auditioning for, so he had further voice coaching to raise it about an octave. His present voice is pitched somewhere between these two extremes.
9
Was nominated for Broadway's 1976 Tony Award as Best Actor (Play) for "Habeas Corpus."
He was awarded the CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in the 1979 Queen's New Year Honours List and created a Knight Bachelor in the 1997 Queen's Birthday Honours List for his services to drama.
15
He has performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Actor
Title
Year
Status
Character
Run for Your Wife
2012
Man on bus
Blowing Dandelions
2012
Short
Grandfather
Labrats
2010
Video
Colonel (voice)
Agatha Christie's Marple
2010
TV Series
Sir Henry Clithering
Midsomer Murders
2008
TV Series
Colonel Henry Hammond
Judge John Deed
2001-2007
TV Series
Sir Joseph Channing
The Accidental Detective
2003
Professor Stein (as Sir Donald Sinden)
How Proust Can Change Your Life
2000
TV Movie
Alice in Wonderland
1999
TV Movie
the voice of the Gryphon (voice)
Nancherrow
1999
TV Series
Robin Jarvis
Creche Landing
1998
TV Movie voice
Richard II
1997
TV Movie
Duke of York
The Canterville Ghost
1997
TV Movie
Lord Dumbleton (as Sir Donald Sinden)
Cuts
1996
TV Movie
Sir Luke Trimmingham
The Treasure Seekers
1996
TV Movie
Old Wincott
The Canterville Ghost
1996
TV Movie
Mr. Umney
Balto
1995
Doc (voice)
Never the Twain
1981-1991
TV Series
Simon Peel
The Children
1990
Lord Wrench
Theatre Night
1988
TV Series
Sir Anthony Absolute
Present Laughter
1981
TV Movie
Garry Essendine
All's Well That Ends Well
1981
TV Movie
King of France
Two's Company
1975-1979
TV Series
Robert Hiller
The Morecambe & Wise Show
1978
TV Series
Butler of the Year Judge
That Lucky Touch
1975
British Gen. Armstrong
Against the Crowd
1975
TV Series
Mr Thomas
The Confederacy of Wives
1975
TV Movie
Gripe
The Island at the Top of the World
1974
Sir Anthony Ross
The Day of the Jackal
1973
Mallinson
Father Dear Father
1973
Philip Glover
The National Health
1973
Mr. Carr
Senior Surgeon Boyd
Rentadick
1972
Jeffrey Armitage
Father Dear Father
1969-1972
TV Series
Philip Glover
The Organization
1972
TV Series
David Pulman
The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes
1971
TV Series
Romney Pringle
Thirty-Minute Theatre
1971
TV Series
Andrew Pelham
Villain
1971
Gerald Draycott
The Ten Commandments
1971
TV Series
Major
BBC Play of the Month
1969
TV Series
Philip Carter
Decline and Fall... of a Birdwatcher
1968
The Prison Governor
Ooh La La!
1968
TV Series
Late Night Horror
1968
TV Series
William Pearl
Armchair Theatre
1968
TV Series
Faulk
The Prisoner
1967
TV Series
The Colonel
Our Man at St. Mark's
1964-1966
TV Series
Rev. Stephen Young
Ven. Stephen Young
Love Story
1965
TV Series
Henry Chime
Blackmail
1965
TV Series
Edward Leech
The Wars of the Roses
1965
TV Mini-Series
Richard Duke of York / Plantagenet / York
First Night
1964
TV Series
Stephen Russell
Festival
1964
TV Series
Solinus, Duke of Ephesus
Mix Me a Person
1962
Philip Bellamy, QC
Twice Round the Daffodils
1962
Ian Richards
Drama 61-67
1961
TV Series
Harry Frazer
The Mystery of Edwin Drood
1960
TV Mini-Series
John Jasper
The Siege of Sidney Street
1960
Mannering
Your Money or Your Wife
1960
Pelham Butterworth
Operation Bullshine
1959
Lt. Gordon Brown
ITV Television Playhouse
1959
TV Series
The Captain's Table
1959
Shawe-Wilson
Mad Little Island
1958
Hugh Mander
ITV Play of the Week
1958
TV Series
The young man
BBC Sunday-Night Theatre
1957-1958
TV Series
Richard Gordon
Doctor at Large
1957
Dr. Tony Benskin
Tiger in the Smoke
1956
Geoffrey Leavitt
Eyewitness
1956
Wade
The Black Tent
1956
Col. Sir Charles Holland
An Alligator Named Daisy
1955
Peter Weston
Josephine and Men
1955
Alan Hartley
Above Us the Waves
1955
Lt Tom Corbett
Simba
1955
Inspector Drummond
Mad About Men
1954
Jeff Saunders
The Beachcomber
1954
Ewart Gray
Doctor in the House
1954
Tony Benskin
You Know What Sailors Are
1954
Lt. Sylvester Green
A Day to Remember
1953
Jim Carver
Mogambo
1953
Donald Nordley
The Cruel Sea
1953
Lockhart
Lost Daughter
1949
Minor Role
A Bullet in the Ballet
1947
TV Movie
Inspector Adam Quill
Music Department
Title
Year
Status
Character
Two's Company
1975-1979
TV Series performer - 29 episodes
Soundtrack
Title
Year
Status
Character
Alice in Wonderland
1999
TV Movie performer: "Beautiful Soup"
Two's Company
1975
TV Series performer: "Two's Company"
Thanks
Title
Year
Status
Character
Edición Especial Coleccionista
2014
TV Series in memory of - 1 episode
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
Network First
1997
TV Series documentary
Himself
An Invitation to Remember
1989
TV Series
Himself
This Is Your Life
1985
TV Series documentary
Himself
Playing Shakespeare
1982
TV Mini-Series documentary
Himself
Looks Familiar
1982
TV Series
Himself - Guest
Parkinson
1982
TV Series
Himself
Filmharmonic '80
1980
TV Movie
Himself - Presenter
Call My Bluff
1967-1980
TV Series
Himself
Every Night Something Atrocious
1980
TV Movie documentary
Interviewee
The Evening Standard Drama Awards
1979
TV Movie
Himself
Omnibus
1969
TV Series documentary
Himself
The Lord's Taverners Ball
1957
TV Movie
Himself
This Is Show Business
1954
TV Series
Himself
Living the Life
2013
TV Series
Himself
Fifties British War Films: Days of Glory
2013
TV Movie documentary
Himself (as Sir Donald Sinden CBE)
Great West End Theatres
2012
Documentary
Himself - Presenter
Arena
2008
TV Series documentary
Herself
The Paul O'Grady Show
2006
TV Series
Himself
The Heaven and Earth Show
2006
TV Series
Himself
The 100 Greatest War Films
2005
TV Movie documentary
Himself (as Sir Donald Sinden)
Dracula's Bram Stoker
2003
TV Movie documentary
Himself - Actor
Treasure Hunt
2002
TV Series
Himself
An Evening with... Sir Donald Sinden
2002
Video documentary
Himself
Blankety Blank
1999-2001
TV Series
Himself
The Unforgettable Beryl Reid
2000
TV Movie documentary
Himself
Hey, Mr. Producer! The Musical World of Cameron Mackintosh