Donald Sumpter (born 13 February 1943) is a British actor who has appeared in film and television since the mid-1960s. His credits include three appearances in Doctor Who (1968, 1972, 2015), The Black Panther (1977), Bleak House (1985), The Queen's Nose (1995–1998), Great Expectations (1999), Nicholas Nickleby (2001), Enigma (2001), K-19: The Widowmaker (2002), The Constant Gardener (2005), Being Human (2009–2010), Ultramarines: The Movie (2010), Black Mirror (2011), Game of Thrones (2011–2012), Endeavour (2018), (2018), Chernobyl (2019), and The Phoenician Scheme (2025).
Early life Sumpter was born on 13 February 1943, in Brixworth, Northamptonshire, England.
Career One of Sumpter's early television appearances was the 1968 Doctor Who serial The Wheel in Space with Patrick Troughton as the Doctor. Sumpter appeared in Doctor Who again, in the 1972 serial The Sea Devils with Jon Pertwee. Sumpter also appeared in the Doctor Who spin-off The Sarah Jane Adventures. In 2015, he appeared as the Time Lord President Rassilon in the Doctor Who episode "Hell Bent".
His early film work included a lead role as real life criminal Donald Neilson in the 1977 film The Black Panther. Sumpter also appeared in many television films and serials, including adaptations of Dickens' novels: Nicholas Nickleby in 2001, Great Expectations in 1999, and Bleak House in 1985.
Sumpter played the part of villain Ronnie Day in Big Deal (1985). He took the role of Alexander Bonaparte Cust in the 1992 Agatha Christie's Poirot adaptation of The ABC Murders. He has also appeared in episodes of Midsomer Murders, The Bill, Holby City, Black Mirror, and A Touch of Frost.
From 1995 to 1998, Sumpter had a recurring role as Uncle Ginger in the Children's BBC series The Queen's Nose. He played Harold Chapple in Our Friends in the North, and portrayed the physicist Max Planck in Einstein and Eddington. He has also been seen as Kemp in the horror-drama series Being Human. In seasons 1 and 2, he portrayed Maester Luwin in the HBO series Game of Thrones.
His film appearances include The Constant Gardener (2005), K-19: The Widowmaker (2002), Enigma (2001) and Ultramarines: The Movie (2010).
In 2018, he played film star Emil Valdemar in Endeavour, Series 5, Episode 2: "Cartouche. The same year, he appeared as Monsieur Mabeuf in the BBC adaption of .
Filmography
Films Year Title Role Notes 1968 David Sparks – the radioman Uncredited 1969 Night After Night After Night Pete Laver 1970 Groupie Girl Steve Max 1971 Bleak Moments Norman's friend Sunday Bloody Sunday Party Guest 1974 Stardust TV Producer 1977 Hardcore Mark Donald Neilson 1979 Meetings with Remarkable Men Pogossian 1983 Curse of the Pink Panther Dave 1990 Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead Claudius 1992 Méchant garçon Michael, le père 1993 Being Human Salgedo as Don Sumpter 1995 Richard III Brackenbury 1997 Tangier Cop Ahmed Yaasin 2001 Enigma Leveret Benni Baum 2002 K-19: The Widowmaker Gennadi Savran 2005 Tim Donohue 2007 Eastern Promises Yuri 2009 God & Lucy God Short film 2010 Among Us Man on bench Ultramarines: The Movie Pythol Voice role 2011 Detective Inspector Gustaf Morell 2014 Bypass Grandfather 2015 In the Heart of the Sea Paul Macy 2016 Ron Short film 2017 Jacob Marley 2024 Limonov: The Ballad Eddie's Father 2025 The Phoenician Scheme Chairman
Television Year Title Role Notes 1966 Soldier 1 episode: "A Hero of Our Time" 1967 Softly Softly Ted Reece 1 episode: "Ted Reece" Love Story 1 episode: "Cinéma Vérité" Z-Cars Dave Caller 2 episodes: "It's Easy Once You Know How" 1968 Doctor Who Enrico Casali 6 episodes: "The Wheel in Space" Sanctuary Lee 1 episode: "The Girl with the Blue Guitar" 1969 ITV Saturday Night Theatre Leary 1 episode: "Pig in a Poke" Lord Cutts 1 episode: "A Famous Victory" 1970 Mad Jack Wilmot Gezool 1 episode: "The Benefits of Earth" 1972 Doctor Who Commander Ridgeway 3 episodes: "The Sea Devils" Armchair Theatre Dellow 1 episode: "The Breaking of Colonel Keyser" 1973 Barlow at Large Jim Page 1 episode: "Strays" Hadleigh Tony 1975 Centre Play Johnny 1 episode: "The Saliva Milkshake" Sadie, It's Cold Outside Plumber 1 episode Quiller Hudson 1 episode: "Assault on the Ritz" Softly, Softly: Task Force George Hartley 1 episode: "Choirboy" 1977 Jesus of Nazareth Aram Seven Faces of Woman Joe Belladona 1 episode: "She: Anxious Anne" Play for Today Spalding 1 episode: "Catchpenny Twist" Ned Corbould 1978 Crown Court George Grainger 1 episode: "To Catch a Thief" Target Heslop 1 episode: "Promises" Agent 1979 John Olinsky 1 episode: "Contact" 1980 Shoestring Stanley Reeves 1 episode: "The Teddy Bears’ Nightmare" 1981 BBC Television Shakespeare Sextus Pompeius "Antony & Cleopatra" Harry 1982 Paul Brack 1983 Bergerac Roscoe 1 episode: "Fall of a Birdman" 1984 Minder Sudbury 1 episode: "Hypnotising Rita" 1985 Time Trouble Oscar Clibborn 1 episode: "Gilded Youth" Bleak House Nemo 2 episodes 1985–1986 Big Deal Ronnie Day Recurring 1986 Boon Jack Evans, Doreen's ex-husband 2 episodes: "Grand Expectations" & "For Whom the Chimes Toll" 1989 Bergerac Harry Tilson 1 episode: "Second Time Around" 1990 Ruth Rendell Mysteries Edward Peveril 3 episodes: "Some Lie and Some Die" 1991 Aimée Frank 1992 Agatha Christie's Poirot Alexander Bonaparte Cust 1 episode: "The A.B.C. Murders" Insp. Titmarsh 1993 Matthew Pyke DCI Grant 1 episode: "Nothing Ventured" 1994 Grushko Kartashov 3 part series Drop the Dead Donkey Inspector 1 episode: "The Strike" Between the Lines Milan 2 episodes: "The End User" 1995–2000 Uncle Ginger Recurring 1996 Our Friends in the North Commander Harold Chapple Recurring Cold Lazarus Dr Rawl 2 episodes 1998 Bombay Blue Supt. John Mayberry 1999 Great Expectations Compeyson 2000 Dalziel and Pascoe Gus Mullavey 1 episode: "A Sweeter Lazarus" 2001 In Deep Keith Sullivan 1 episode: "Romeo Trap" Mr Brooker 2002 Mr Love 1 episode: "Gangsters" 2003 Serious and Organised Jimmy Fisk 1 episode: "Deal with the Devil" Maynard 1 episode: "Hidden Truth" Ultimate Force General Harkin 1 episode: "Mad Dogs" Archie Foster 2 episodes Seven Wonders of the Industrial World Farrington 1 episode: "Brooklyn Bridge" Holby City Jay Miller 1 episode: "Façade" 2004 Midsomer Murders Tim Settingfield 1 episode: "Sins of Commission" Alfie Clemens 1 episode: "The Long Bank Holiday" 2005 Rose and Maloney Ronnie Johnson 1 episode 2006 Eleventh Hour Richard Adams 1 episode: "Kryptos" Gerald Gardiner Ørnen: En krimi-odyssé Aca Popov / Milan Nacuk 2 episodes: "Kodenavn: Minos"' & "Kodenavn: Ithaka – Del 24" Alfie Sutton 1 episode Dracula Alfred Singleton 2007 Fallen Angel Simon Martlesham Holby City William Chase 1 episode: "Past Imperfect" 2008 Heist King Edward Heroes and Villains Garnier 1 episode: "Richard the Lionheart" Taggart Alex Sternwood 1 episode: "Point of Light" New Tricks Bobby 'Tar' Mcadam 1 episode: "Couldn't Organise One" Tess of the d'Urbervilles Parson Tringham Einstein and Eddington Max Planck 2009 Into the Storm Lord Halifax Erasmus Darkening 2 episodes: "The Eternity Trap" 2009–2010 Being Human Kemp Recurring; 9 episodes 2010 Spooks Stephen Kirby 1 episode Series 9 Ep 3 Merlin The Fisher King 1 episode: "The Eye of the Phoenix" 2011 Peter Edlin QC Black Mirror Julian Hereford 1 episode: "The National Anthem" 2011–2012 Game of Thrones Maester Luwin Series 1–2, 14 episodes 2012 Wallander Fredrik Thorson 1 episode: "An Event in Autumn" BBC: The Secret Of Crickley Hall Gordon Pyke Episodes 2 & 3 2013 Samuel Greg Series 1 Atlantis Tiresias 1 episode: "Twist of Fate" 2014 New Worlds Sidney Episodes 3 & 4 One Child Jim Ashley 3 part series Quirke Josh Crawford Episode 1 Christine Falls 2015 Coalition Paddy Ashdown TV film Jekyll and Hyde Garson 10 part series Doctor Who The President Episode: "Hell Bent" 2017 Peaky Blinders Arthur Bigge Episodes 1 & 6 2018 Endeavour Emil Valdemar Episode 2: "Cartouche" 12 Monkeys Seer 3 Episodes: "The End" (uncredited), "Legacy" & "Demons" 2018–2019 Monsieur Mabeuf 3 episodes 2019ChernobylZharkov2 episodesTempleGeorge2 episodes2020Exposed: The Church's Darkest SecretBishop Peter BallDocu-drama, 2 episodes2021Sir James1 episode: "The Aristocrat"
References
External links