Warren Clarke (born Alan James Clarke; 26 April 1947 – 12 November 2014) was an English film, television and stage actor. He appeared in several films after a significant role as Dim in Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange (1971). His television appearances included Dalziel and Pascoe (as Detective Superintendent Andy Dalziel), The Manageress and Sleepers.
Early life Clarke was born in Oldham, Lancashire. His father worked as a stained-glass maker and his mother as a secretary. He left Barlow Hall Secondary Modern School, Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester, aged 15 and began work at the Manchester Evening News as a copy boy. He later moved on to amateur dramatics and performed at Huddersfield Rep before working as an actor full-time. During this period he also decided to change his first name to Warren, a name he chose as his girlfriend of the time had a crush on Warren Beatty. Clarke eventually worked with Beatty on the film Ishtar.
Career Clarke's first television appearance was in the long-running Granada soap opera Coronation Street, initially as Kenny Pickup in 1966 and then as Gary Bailey in 1968. His first major film appearance was in Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange (1971) where he played a "droog" named Dim opposite Malcolm McDowell. He appeared with McDowell again in the film O Lucky Man! (1973) and in the TV film Gulag (1985).
Clarke appeared in a wide range of roles in television and film productions including The Breaking of Bumbo (1970), Home (1970) opposite Sir Ralph Richardson and Sir John Gielgud, Charlton Heston's Antony and Cleopatra (1972), Jennie: Lady Randolph Churchill (1972), The Frighteners (ep.4 "The Minder) (1974), Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (1979), S.O.S. Titanic (1979), Hammer House of Horror (series 1, ep. 2) (1980), Hawk the Slayer (1980), Masada (1981), Tales of the Unexpected: Never speak ill of the dead (1981), Enigma (1982), Lassiter (1984), Top Secret! (1984), Ishtar (1987) and I.D. (1995). He played a Russian dissident in Clint Eastwood's Firefox (1982).
In Granada Television's series The Jewel in the Crown (1984) Clarke played the role of the overtly homosexual 'Sophie' Dixon, and he was Colonel Krieger in the first series of LWT's Wish Me Luck (1988). In 1989 Clarke played Captain Lee in the film Crusoe. The same year he played the role of Martin Fisher, the chairman of a football club, in The Manageress and the role of Managing Director of an engineering firm, Vic Wilcox, in the TV adaptation of the David Lodge novel Nice Work. He also starred in an episode of Lovejoy entitled "Bin Diving". In 1990 he appeared in the episode "Odi, et Amo" of the situation comedy Chelmsford 123. He played Larry Patterson in Gone to the Dogs (1991), which was followed by the series Gone to Seed (1992), in which Clarke again starred. He also appeared in Our Mutual Friend (the 1976 TV mini-series) as Bradley Headstone.
In Sleepers (1991), alongside Nigel Havers, Clarke played one of the two lead roles as two KGB sleeper agents living in Britain and leading their own lives until they are reactivated. He played Bamber in the ITV comedy-drama Moving Story (1994). His comedic talents can be seen in the one-off special Blackadder: The Cavalier Years, in which he played Oliver Cromwell and in the episode "Amy and Amiability" of the series Blackadder the Third.
Beginning in 1996, he starred for eleven series as Detective Superintendent Andy Dalziel in the TV series Dalziel and Pascoe, based on the crime novels of Reginald Hill.
In 1997 he starred in the drama The Locksmith. Between 2000 and 2003, Clarke played Brian Addis, a father who moved his family from the bustle of London to a Devon farm, in the BBC TV series Down to Earth. He appeared as Mr Boythorn in the BBC One dramatisation of Bleak House (2005) and starred alongside Anthony Head in the BBC Drama The Invisibles (2008) and in the Channel 4 trilogy Red Riding (2009).
Around the same time, Clarke appeared as Commander Peters in the ITV production of Agatha Christie's Marple Why Didn't They Ask Evans? (2009). In 2010 he guested in ITV series Lewis ("Dark Matter"), Chuggington (2010), as a former SAS soldier now college porter in the BBC series Inspector George Gently ("Peace and Love", 2010) and played Mr Bott in the BBC's Just William. He guested as Robert Trevanion, the father of Stephen Tompkinson's character Danny Trevanion, in Wild at Heart in 2011, as innkeeper Samuel Quested in Midsomer Murders ("The Night of the Stag", 2011) and as John Lacey in Call the Midwife (also 2011).
His radio credits include Johnny Hardcastle in Love on the Dole (Home Service, 1965) and Henry Weldon in Lord Peter Wimsey (BBC Radio 4, 1981).Warren Clarke search at the BBC Programme Index, accessed 10 July 2026.
In 2014 he began filming Poldark as Charles Poldark. The character's final scene in the series, in episode four, in which he lies on his deathbed before dying, was also Clarke's final scene as an actor: he was very ill at the time of filming and died a few weeks later; the first episode of the television series was then dedicated to his memory.
Personal life Clarke was a keen golfer and had been a Manchester City supporter from the age of seven.
Clarke's marriage to his first wife ended in divorce a few years after his parents died. They had a son together, Rowan. He had a daughter, Georgia, by his second wife, Michelle.
He lived in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire.
On 12 November 2014 Clarke died in his sleep after a short illness. He reportedly died almost destitute; his estate being worth just over £13,000 at his death. Amongst his financial problems, Clarke had apparently lost money investing in the 2013 action film The Numbers Station.
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1969 The Virgin Soldiers Soldier Uncredited 1970 The Breaking of Bumbo Guardsman Andrews 1971 A Clockwork Orange "Dim" 1972 Antony and Cleopatra Scarus 1973 O Lucky Man! Master of Ceremonies (Nightspot) / Warner / Male Nurse 1977 The Hunchback of Notre Dame Quasimodo TV movie 1979 S.O.S. Titanic 4th Officer Joseph G. Boxhall TV movie 1979 The Great Riviera Bank Robbery Jean 1980 Hawk the Slayer Scar 1981 From a Far Country Wladek 1982 Firefox Pavel Upenskoy 1982 Enigma Konstantin 1984 Real Life Gerry 1984 Lassiter Max Hofer 1984 Top Secret! Colonel Von Horst 1985 De flyvende djævle Arno 1985 Gulag HookerTV movie 1987 Ishtar English Gunrunner 1988 Crusoe Captain Lee 1995 I.D. Bob 2000 Greenfingers Governor Hodge 2001 Blow Dry Tony 2001 Arthur's Dyke Doug Manley 2010 The Man Who Married Himself Bishop Zatarga Short
Television +YearTitleRoleNotes1965 - 1968Coronation StreetBarry / Kenny Pickup / Gary Bailey9 episodes1965 - 1966Pardon the ExpressionTerry Field / Caterer's Man / Johnnie3 episodes1967InheritanceMatthew Mellor / George Mellor2 episodes1968The AvengersTrumpEpisode: "Invasion of the Earthmen"1969Parkin's PatchNethercotEpisode: "The Way Home"The Wednesday PlayAlecEpisode: "Sling Your Hook"1970Callan2nd PorterEpisode: "Summoned to Appear"1972 - 1983Play for TodayStevens / Alfred / The Narrator3 episodes1973Armchair TheatreBilly TurnbullEpisode: "The Death of Glory"Softly Softly: Task ForceDetective Sergeant Stirling4 episodes1974Jennie: Randolph ChurchillWinston Churchill4 episodes1975The SweeneyDanny KeeverEpisode: "Contract Breaker"1976The ExpertDetective Inspector RobbinsEpisode: "Suspicious Death"Our Mutual FriendBradley Headstone5 episodes1978The Onedin LineJosiah Beaumont8 episodesZ-CarsRobbieEpisode: "The First Offender"1979Tinker Tailor Soldier SpyAlwynEpisode: "How It All Fits Together"1979 - 1982Crown CourtDetective Sergeant Ralph McCovey / William Johnson / Joe Withycombe9 episodes1980Hammer House of HorrorBenEpisode: "The Thirteenth Reunion"1980 - 1984ShelleyPaul England4 episodes1981MasadaPlinius3 episodes (TV mini-series)Tales of the UnexpectedBobEpisode: "Never Speak Ill of the Dead"WolcottTerry Rowe4 episodes1981 - 1985BergeracPhilip Bernard / Henry Hoffmann2 episodes1982Minder AshmoleEpisode: "Another Bride, Another Groom"1983The Home FrontHallam Place / Curtis4 episodesReilly, Ace of SpiesYakushov2 episodes1984Big DealStephen ChambersEpisode: "Video Man"The Jewel in the CrownCorporal "Sophie" Dixon3 episodes1986BoonGeoff GreenawayEpisode: "Unto Us Four a Son"The Return of the AntelopeBoscoEpisode: "The Antelope Christmas"Unnatural CausesDanEpisode: "Partners"1987Blackadder the ThirdMr. HarwoodEpisode: "Amy and Amiability"1988Blackadder: The Cavalier YearsOliver CromwellShortThe Comic Strip Presents...NigelEpisode: "The YobTickets for the TitanicMitch GridgleyEpisode: "Everyone a Winner"Wish Me LuckColonel Werner Kreiger5 episodesWorlds BeyondJoe WellerEpisode: "Home"1989Nice WorkVictor "Vic" Wilcox4 episodes1989 - 1990The ManageressMartin Fisher12 episodes1990All Creatures Great and SmallMr. SutcliffeEpisode: "Promises to Keep"Chelmsford 123Iken of MoriEpisode: "Odi et Amo"Stay LuckyJack FinchEpisode: "Bring Barry Back to Me"1991All Good ThingsPhil Frame6 episodesBoonStan Keating Episode: "Bad Pennies"Gone to the DogsLarry Patterson6 episodesLovejoyBrian NunEpisode: "Bin Diving"SleepersAlbert Robinson / Vladimir Zelenski4 episodes1992Gone to SeedWinston6 episodesThe Secret AgentChief Inspector Heat3 episodes1993All in a GameKenny Dawes6 episodesConjugal RightsToby (voice)6 episodes1994The House of WindsorMax Kelvin4 episodes1994 - 1995Moving StoryBamber13 episodes1995Joseph Ednan2 episodes (TV mini-series)1996 - 2007Dalziel and PascoeDetective Superintendent Andy Dalziel61 episodes1997The LocksmithRonald Pierce6 episodes1998A Respectable TradeJosiah Cole2 episodesIn the RedGeorge Cragge3 episodes2000 - 2003Down to EarthBrian18 episodes2005Bleak HouseBoythorn5 episodes2008The InvisiblesSid Woolsey6 episodes2008 - 2013ChuggingtonSpeedy McAllister (voice)21 episodes2009MarpleCommander PetersEpisode: "Why Don't They Ask Evans?"Red RidingDCS / ACC Bill Molloy3 episode (TV mini-series)2010Inspector George GentlyCharles HextonEpisode: "Peace & Love"Just WilliamMr. Bott2 episodesLewisRoger TempleEpisode: "Dark Matter"2011Midsomer MurdersSamuel QuestedEpisode: "The Night of the Stag"Wild at HeartRobert1 episode2011 - 2012In with the Flynns Jim Flynn12 episodes2012TrolliedBarry HoundEpisode: "Christmas Special"2013Call the MidwifeJohn Lacey1 episodeWay to GoNigelEpisode: "The End of the Beginning"2015PoldarkCharles Poldark4 episodes (final role)
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