John Shrapnel

Acting

John Shrapnel

Born April 27, 1942 · Birmingham, England, UK

Died February 14, 2020 · aged 77

Shrapnel was born in Birmingham, Warwickshire, the son of Mary Lillian Myfanwy (née Edwards) and journalist/author Norman Shrapnel.[1] As a stage actor, he was a member of Laurence Olivier's Royal National Theatre company and the Royal Shakespeare Company and most recently appeared as Sir Oliver Surface in The School for Scandal (directed by Deborah Warner) at the Barbican Centre in 2011. He has …

Known For

GladiatorGladiator · 2000
Gladiator
8.22000
MovieActionDrama
After the death of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, his devious son takes power and demotes Maximus, one of Rome's most capable generals who Marcus preferred. Eventually, Maximus is forced to become a gladiator and battle to the death against other men for the amusement of paying audiences.
TroyTroy · 2004
Troy
7.22004
MovieWarAction
In year 1250 B.C. during the late Bronze age, two emerging nations begin to clash. Paris, the Trojan prince, convinces Helen, Queen of Sparta, to leave her husband Menelaus, and sail with him back to Troy. After Menelaus finds out that his wife was taken by the Trojans, he asks his brother Agamemnon to help him get her back. Agamemnon sees this as an opportunity for power. They set off with 1,000 ships holding 50,000 Greeks to Troy.
Notting HillNotting Hill · 1999
Notting Hill
7.31999
MovieRomanceComedy
London bookstore owner William Thacker's quiet life turns upside down when a chance encounter with famous actress Anna Scott sparks an unlikely romance challenged by their vastly different worlds.
101 Dalmatians101 Dalmatians · 1996
101 Dalmatians
5.91996
MovieFamilyComedy
An evil, high-fashion designer plots to steal Dalmatian puppies in order to make an extravagant fur coat, but instead creates an extravagant mess.
The DuchessThe Duchess · 2008
The Duchess
7.02008
MovieDramaHistory
A chronicle of the life of 18th century aristocrat Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, who was reviled for her extravagant political and personal life.
MirrorsMirrors · 2008
Mirrors
6.32008
MovieHorrorMystery
An ex-cop and his family are the target of an evil force that is using mirrors as a gateway into their home.
Elizabeth: The Golden AgeElizabeth: The Golden Age · 2007
Elizabeth: The Golden Age
6.72007
MovieDramaHistory
When Queen Elizabeth's reign is threatened by ruthless familial betrayal and Spain's invading army, she and her shrewd adviser must act to safeguard the lives of her people.
Two DeathsTwo Deaths · 1996
Two Deaths
5.61996
MovieWarDrama
While a brutal revolution rampages just outside his mansion, pleasure-seeking doctor Daniel Pavenic hosts a genteel dinner party. When asked about a photograph of a mysterious woman, Pavenic reveals the sordid details of his erotic obsession with the woman, his aging servant Ana Puscasu, and his attempts to dominate her psychologically. As the evening progresses, Pavenic's guests reveal their own dark secrets as well.

Movies

GladiatorGladiator · 2000
Gladiator
8.22000
MovieActionDrama
After the death of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, his devious son takes power and demotes Maximus, one of Rome's most capable generals who Marcus preferred. Eventually, Maximus is forced to become a gladiator and battle to the death against other men for the amusement of paying audiences.
TroyTroy · 2004
Troy
7.22004
MovieWarAction
In year 1250 B.C. during the late Bronze age, two emerging nations begin to clash. Paris, the Trojan prince, convinces Helen, Queen of Sparta, to leave her husband Menelaus, and sail with him back to Troy. After Menelaus finds out that his wife was taken by the Trojans, he asks his brother Agamemnon to help him get her back. Agamemnon sees this as an opportunity for power. They set off with 1,000 ships holding 50,000 Greeks to Troy.
Notting HillNotting Hill · 1999
Notting Hill
7.31999
MovieRomanceComedy
London bookstore owner William Thacker's quiet life turns upside down when a chance encounter with famous actress Anna Scott sparks an unlikely romance challenged by their vastly different worlds.
101 Dalmatians101 Dalmatians · 1996
101 Dalmatians
5.91996
MovieFamilyComedy
An evil, high-fashion designer plots to steal Dalmatian puppies in order to make an extravagant fur coat, but instead creates an extravagant mess.
The DuchessThe Duchess · 2008
The Duchess
7.02008
MovieDramaHistory
A chronicle of the life of 18th century aristocrat Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, who was reviled for her extravagant political and personal life.
MirrorsMirrors · 2008
Mirrors
6.32008
MovieHorrorMystery
An ex-cop and his family are the target of an evil force that is using mirrors as a gateway into their home.
Elizabeth: The Golden AgeElizabeth: The Golden Age · 2007
Elizabeth: The Golden Age
6.72007
MovieDramaHistory
When Queen Elizabeth's reign is threatened by ruthless familial betrayal and Spain's invading army, she and her shrewd adviser must act to safeguard the lives of her people.
Two DeathsTwo Deaths · 1996
Two Deaths
5.61996
MovieWarDrama
While a brutal revolution rampages just outside his mansion, pleasure-seeking doctor Daniel Pavenic hosts a genteel dinner party. When asked about a photograph of a mysterious woman, Pavenic reveals the sordid details of his erotic obsession with the woman, his aging servant Ana Puscasu, and his attempts to dominate her psychologically. As the evening progresses, Pavenic's guests reveal their own dark secrets as well.
FatherlandFatherland · 1994
Fatherland
6.21994
MovieDramaThriller
Fictional account of what might have happened if Hitler had won the war. It is now the 1960s and Germany's war crimes have so far been kept a secret. Hitler wants to talk peace with the US president. An American journalist and a German homicide cop stumble into a plot to destroy all evidence of the genocide.
K-19: The WidowmakerK-19: The Widowmaker · 2002
K-19: The Widowmaker
6.62002
MovieDramaHistory
When Russia's first nuclear submarine malfunctions on its maiden voyage, the crew must race to save the ship and prevent a nuclear disaster.
The AwakeningThe Awakening · 2011
The Awakening
6.42011
MovieHorrorThriller
In post–War England, a writer and sometime-ghost hunter investigates a reported haunting at a boys boarding school.
Nicholas and AlexandraNicholas and Alexandra · 1971
Nicholas and Alexandra
7.01971
MovieDramaWar
Tsar Nicholas II, the inept last monarch of Russia, insensitive to the needs of his people, is overthrown and exiled to Siberia with his family.
King LearKing Lear · 1975
King Lear
10.01975
MovieDrama
King Lear, old and tired, divides his kingdom among his daughters, giving great importance to their protestations of love for him. When Cordelia, youngest and most honest, refuses to idly flatter the old man in return for favor, he banishes her and turns for support to his remaining daughters. But Goneril and Regan have no love for him and instead plot to take all his power from him. In a parallel, Lear's loyal courtier Gloucester favors his illegitimate son Edmund after being told lies about his faithful son Edgar. Madness and tragedy befall both ill-starred fathers.
FlayedFlayed · 1978
Flayed
1978
Movie
'There's absolutely no escape. No chairs or tables to hold on to, no fags to light or drinks to pour: no small talk or trivial daytime chatter. Just the naked person.'
Schönbrunn - Well of BeautySchönbrunn - Well of Beauty · 2002
Schönbrunn - Well of Beauty
2002
MovieDocumentary
Schönbrunn is a world of marvels and mystery, of public glamour and curious secrets. The wealth of its building and landscape architecture, the grand views and hidden details, the wildlife, tamed nature as well as its past and present human population supply more stories and images than even the most insatiable camera can record.Schönbrunn in the protean succession of the seasons, of light and shadow, day and night is presented by Sir Peter Ustinov and was broadcasted in the “ORF-UNIVERSUM”-series for the 250th anniversary of the Schönbrunn Zoo.
Alien AutopsyAlien Autopsy · 2006
Alien Autopsy
5.72006
MovieComedyScience Fiction
Humouristic reconstruction of the 1995 scandal when two British lads were accused of having faked a documentary from the Roswell incident in 1947.
King Charles IIIKing Charles III · 2017
King Charles III
6.42017
MovieDrama
Prince Charles' accession to the throne following the Queen's death. When he refuses to sign a controversial bill into law, political chaos ensues: a constitutional crisis, rioting on the streets and a tank in front of Buckingham Palace.
HennessyHennessy · 1975
Hennessy
5.11975
MovieThrillerDrama
Former Irish Republican Army member Niall Hennessy lives in Belfast, Ireland, with his wife and daughter amid the ongoing Irish-British conflict. Though he still knows people in the IRA, including fugitive leader Tobin, Niall has given up his violent ways. One day his family is caught in a chaotic street shootout and killed by British forces. Overwhelmed with rage and hunted by a Scotland Yard inspector, Niall heads to London to exact his deadly revenge.
Run.Run. · 2013
Run.
2013
MovieActionDrama
A mysterious boy bursts into an internet café, claiming he is being chased by a murderous foe. The owner does not share his urgency, nor does he seem overly keen on helping the boy, in fact his only advice is to sit at a computer, to 'take machine number 5'. With no alternative, the boy is forced to take a seat and hope that whatever he is running from won't find him in this place with no other exit than the door he came through. But as his fear and paranoia begin to take hold and alter the environment around him, the boy must decide who to trust before it's too late.
Mary, Mother of JesusMary, Mother of Jesus · 1999
Mary, Mother of Jesus
4.11999
MovieDramaTV Movie
Mary, Mother of Jesus is a 1999 made-for-television Biblical film that retells the story of Jesus through the eyes of Mary, his mother.
The BodyThe Body · 2001
The Body
5.52001
MovieDramaMystery
An ancient skeleton has been discovered in Jerusalem in a rich man's tomb. Colouration of the wrist and leg bones indicates the cause of death was crucifiction. other signs, include a gold coin bearing the marks of Pontius Pilate and faint markings around the skull, lead authorities to suspect that these could be the bones of Jesus Christ. Politicians, clerics, religious extremists and those using terror as a means to an end, find their beliefs and identities tested while risking their lives to unearth the truth.....
Theban Plays: Oedipus at ColonusTheban Plays: Oedipus at Colonus · 1986
Theban Plays: Oedipus at Colonus
8.01986
MovieDrama
Oedipus's wanderings come to an end when he finds his final resting place, as foretold by the gods. But his brother-in-law and his son each try to take him away.
Theban Plays: Oedipus the KingTheban Plays: Oedipus the King · 1986
Theban Plays: Oedipus the King
4.51986
MovieDrama
Plagues are ravaging Thebes, and the blind fortune-teller Tieresias tells Oedipus, the King, that the gods are unhappy. The murder of the former king has gone unavenged, and Oedipus sets out to find the killer.
Personal ServicesPersonal Services · 1987
Personal Services
6.11987
MovieComedy
Fed up with working hard just to scrape by, Christine Painter comes up with a bold plan to become the madam of a brothel and earn her financial freedom: she opens a house of spanking to fabulous reviews.

TV Shows

Midsomer MurdersMidsomer Murders · 1997
Midsomer Murders
7.51997
SeriesCrimeDrama
The peacefulness of the Midsomer community is shattered by violent crimes, suspects are placed under suspicion, and it is up to a veteran DCI and his young sergeant to calmly and diligently eliminate the innocent and ruthlessly pursue the guilty.
Screen TwoScreen Two · 1985
Screen Two
7.11985
SeriesDrama
Series of single made-for-television dramas.
Natural WorldNatural World · 1983
Natural World
7.41983
SeriesDocumentary
Natural World is a nature documentary television series broadcast annually on BBC Two and regarded by the BBC as its flagship natural history brand. It is currently the longest-running series in its genre on British television, with more than 400 episodes broadcast since its inception in 1983. Natural World is produced by the BBC Natural History Unit in Bristol, but individual programmes can be in-house productions, collaborative productions with other broadcasters or films made and distributed by independent production companies and purchased by the BBC. Natural World programmes are often broadcast as PBS Nature episodes in the USA. Since 2008, most Natural World programmes have been shot and broadcast in high definition.
MerlinMerlin · 2008
Merlin
7.82008
SeriesDrama
The unlikely friendship between Merlin, a young man gifted with extraordinary magical powers, and Prince Arthur, heir to the crown of Camelot.
BBC Play of the MonthBBC Play of the Month · 1965
BBC Play of the Month
5.31965
SeriesDrama
A BBC television anthology series featuring productions of classic and contemporary stage plays usually broadcast on BBC1. Each production featured a different work, often using prominent British stage actors in the leading roles. The series was transmitted from October 1965 to September 1983.
OmnibusOmnibus · 1967
Omnibus
7.21967
SeriesDocumentary
Omnibus was an arts-based BBC television documentary series, broadcast mainly on BBC1 in the United Kingdom. The programme was the successor to the long-running arts-based series 'Monitor'. It ran from 1967 until 2003, usually being transmitted on Sunday evenings. During its 35-year history, the programme won 12 Bafta awards. Among the series' best remembered documentaries are Cracked Actor, a profile of David Bowie, and Rene Magritte, a graduate film by David Wheatley, 'Madonna: Behind the American dream', a film produced by Nadia Hagger, and a profile of the British film director Ridley Scott. For a season in 1982, the series was in a magazine format presented by Barry Norman. The series was replaced by 'Imagine' hosted by Alan Yentob.
Foyle's WarFoyle's War · 2002
Foyle's War
7.92002
SeriesMysteryDrama
As WW2 rages around the world, DCS Foyle fights his own war on the home-front as he investigates crimes on the south coast of England. Foyle's War opens in southern England in the year 1940. Later series sees the retired detective working as an MI5 agent operating in the aftermath of the war.
New TricksNew Tricks · 2004
New Tricks
7.32004
SeriesDramaComedy
New Tricks is a British comedy-drama that follows the work of the fictional Unsolved Crime and Open Case Squad of the Metropolitan Police Service. Originally led by Detective Superintendent Sandra Pullman, it is made up of retired police officers who have been recruited to reinvestigate unsolved crimes.
Waking the DeadWaking the Dead · 2001
Waking the Dead
7.22001
SeriesCrimeMystery
A detective team apply new techniques to old crimes as they solve cold cases.
Space: 1999Space: 1999 · 1975
Space: 1999
7.11975
SeriesSci-Fi & Fantasy
The crew of Moonbase Alpha must struggle to survive when a massive explosion throws the Moon from orbit into deep space.
The Inspector Lynley MysteriesThe Inspector Lynley Mysteries · 2002
The Inspector Lynley Mysteries
7.32002
SeriesCrimeDrama
DS Barbara Havers is assigned to work with the upper-crust DI Thomas Lynley to solve murders.
ITV PlayhouseITV Playhouse · 1967
ITV Playhouse
7.01967
SeriesDrama
ITV Playhouse is a British comedy-drama TV series that ran from 1967 to 1983, which featured contributions from playwrights such as Dennis Potter, Rhys Adrian and Alan Sharp. The series began in black and white, but was later shot in colour and was produced by various companies for the ITV network, a format that would inspire Dramarama. Actors appearing in the series included Leslie Anderson, Gwen Nelson, Ricky Alleyne, Pat Heywood, Michael Elphick, Ian Hendry, Edward Woodward, Margaret Lockwood, Jessie Matthews and Lloyd Peters.
Jonathan CreekJonathan Creek · 1997
Jonathan Creek
7.61997
SeriesMysteryComedy
Working from his home in a converted windmill, Jonathan Creek is a magician with a natural ability for solving puzzles. He soon puts this ability to the use of solving impossible crimes and mysterious murders.
WycliffeWycliffe · 1994
Wycliffe
6.81994
SeriesCrimeDrama
Wycliffe is a British television series, based on W. J. Burley's novels about Detective Superintendent Charles Wycliffe. It was produced by HTV and broadcast on the ITV Network, following a pilot episode on 7 August 1993, between 24 July 1994 and 5 July 1998. The series was filmed in Cornwall, with a production office in Truro. Music for the series was composed by Nigel Hess and was awarded the Royal Television Society award for the best television theme. Wycliffe is played by Jack Shepherd, assisted by DI Doug Kersey and DI Lucy Lane. Each episode deals with a murder investigation. In the early series, the stories are adapted from Burley's books and are in classic whodunit style, often with quirky characters and plot elements. In later seasons, the tone becomes more naturalistic and there is more emphasis on internal politics within the police.
BBC2 Play of the WeekBBC2 Play of the Week · 1977
BBC2 Play of the Week
7.01977
SeriesDramaComedy
An anthology of plays and novels adapted into feature length TV movies, broadcast on BBC2 from September 1977 to April 1979.
JusticeJustice · 1971
Justice
7.31971
SeriesDrama
Justice is a British drama television series which originally aired on ITV in 39 hour-long episodes between 8 August 1971 and 16 October 1974. Margaret Lockwood stars as Harriet Peterson a female barrister in the North of England. It was made by Yorkshire Television and was based loosely on Justice Is a Woman, an episode of ITV Playhouse broadcast in 1969 in which Lockwood had previously also played a barrister. The theme music was Crown Imperial by William Walton.
The ChiefThe Chief · 1990
The Chief
7.01990
SeriesDrama
The Chief is a British crime drama transmitted on ITV from 20 April 1990 to 16 June 1995. Produced by Anglia Television, it centred on the politics at the top of a typical English police force in its continual battle to solve the problems the times, in this case the fictional Eastland of East Anglia.
Armchair ThrillerArmchair Thriller · 1978
Armchair Thriller
4.21978
SeriesDrama
Armchair Thriller is a British television programme, broadcast on ITV in two series in 1978 and 1980. Owing something to some of the off-shoots of the earlier Armchair Theatre, the new series used scripts adapted from published novels and stories. Although not properly a horror series it included several supernatural elements. Armchair Thriller was produced by Thames Television, but it included serials made by Southern Television.
Kavanagh Q.C.Kavanagh Q.C. · 1995
Kavanagh Q.C.
7.31995
SeriesCrimeDrama
John Thaw dons the silks as barrister James Kavanagh Q.C., one of the most highly respected criminal advocates in London, commanding admiration from colleagues and opponents alike. However, all this has come at a price as his dedication to work has taken its toll on his private life… Going beyond traditional courtroom dramas, “Kavanagh Q.C.” uncovers the pressures of legal battles and the problems of defining the truth, providing a compelling representation of the euphoric ups and costly downs of success and failure in the legal world.
Between the LinesBetween the Lines · 1992
Between the Lines
5.51992
SeriesDrama
Detective Superintendent Tony Clark is an ambitious member of the Complaints Investigation Bureau, an internal organisation that investigates claims of corruption inside the police in England and Wales. Along the way Clark overcomes strong influence from his superiors and problems in his private life, most notably the break-up of his marriage following an affair with WPC Jenny Dean.
Shakespeare: The Animated TalesShakespeare: The Animated Tales · 1992
Shakespeare: The Animated Tales
6.41992
SeriesAnimation
An animated adaptation of twelve of Shakespeare's best-known plays. The series was produced by S4C for the BBC, but animated by some of the foremost artists of Soyuzmultfilm, the former Soviet Union's main animation studio. Each 26-minute play is directed by a different animator, in a wide variety of styles: cel animation for Macbeth, stop-motion puppets in Twelfth Night, and paint on glass for Hamlet.
The 10th KingdomThe 10th Kingdom · 2000
The 10th Kingdom
7.62000
SeriesSci-Fi & FantasyComedy
Virginia and Tony, a father and daughter living in Manhattan, find themselves in a parallel universe where Snow White, Cinderella and Little Red Riding Hood are struggling to maintain order. Their kingdoms have been fragmented by trolls, giants and goblins.
Elizabeth RElizabeth R · 1971
Elizabeth R
7.51971
SeriesDrama
This historical mini-series documents the reign of Elizabeth I with each episode focusing on one dramatic period in the lengthy reign of the Virgin Queen, including her ascension to the throne, her various marital intrigues, her problems with her cousin Mary, Queen of Scots, and the threatened invasion of the Spanish Armada.
Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of an EmpireAncient Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire · 2006
Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire
7.62006
SeriesDocumentary
Turning points in ancient Roman history and some of the Empire's greatest stories are brought to life in this drama documentary series.