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A steadfast and understated figure in British theatre and film, Gerald Sim's career was both extensive and diverse. However, most viewers will best remember him as the cunning rector in To the Manor Born (1979). Born in Liverpool on June 4, 1925, he was the son of a Barings Bank employee and the elder brother of actress Sheila Sim. After attending school in Kent, he trained at RADA, reportedly inspired to pursue acting after hearing John Gielgud’s 1943 radio broadcast, "The Great Ship." He gained considerable repertory experience in England and Durban, South Africa (1954, with the McNeale Company). Starting with a minor role in Fame Is the Spur (1947), Sim grew into one of Britain's most dependable, yet subtly prominent, character actors, becoming well-known through several films directed by Bryan Forbes, such as Whistle Down the Wind (1961), King Rat (1965), and The Wrong Box (1966).
Sim often portrayed pompous upper-class gentlemen—roles well-suited to his clear voice and precise articulation—as well as bumbling vicars, police inspectors, barristers, and quintessentially British stiff-upper-lip military officers. He appeared in seven films directed by his brother-in-law Richard Attenborough: Oh! What a Lovely War (1969), Young Winston (1972), A Bridge Too Far (1977), Gandhi (1982), Cry Freedom (1987), Chaplin (1992), and Shadowlands (1993). Following numerous guest appearances on prime-time shows like Dixon of Dock Green (1955) and The Avengers (1961), Sim became a fixture on television and remained so. He briefly returned to the stage in 1979 and made his final TV appearance in 2007 for the 25th anniversary special of To the Manor Born.
