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Bruce Purchase

Bruce Purchase

Actor

Born October 2, 1938 in Thames, New Zealand

Died June 5, 2008

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Biography

Bearded, heavy-set New Zealand-born character actor with a booming voice, who went to England to study at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. After repertory experience, he had notable stage appearances with the National Theatre Company (of which he was a founder member) and the Mermaid Theatre, invariably in Shakespearean parts. His portrayals of Balthasar in 'Much Ado About Nothing' (1965) and Sebastian in 'The Tempest' (1970) were particularly well received. He also played Doolittle during a European tour of 'My Fair Lady'.

During the 1970's, Purchase made frequent guest appearances on such television series as I, Claudius (1976), Rumpole of the Bailey (1978), Blake's 7 (1978), and (famously larger-than-life) in the Doctor Who (1963) episode 'The Pirate Planet'. His role was that of a cybernetically-enhanced pirate captain, complete with a robotic parrot. Among other notable TV performances were his Duke of Buckingham in The First Churchills (1969) and his Earl of Northumberland in the BBC production of 'Henry IV'. He continued to alternate television with appearances on the stage. During the production of 'The Last Confession' (starring David Suchet) in May 2007, Purchase, playing a cardinal, became ill and died aged 69 in June 2008.

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Filmography

Actor

85

Type

Year

Parrot Fashion Poster

Parrot Fashion Video2007Self

Paris in the Springtime Poster

Paris in the Springtime Video2005Pirate Captain

Another Life Poster

Another Life Feature Film2001Sir Henry Curtis-Bennett

Bob Martin Poster

Bob Martin TV Series2000Frank

The Bible Collection: Esther Poster

The Bible Collection: Esther TV Movie1999Commissioner

Killer Net Poster

Killer Net Mini-Series1998Pathologist

The Sea Change Poster

The Sea Change Feature Film1998Oldberg

David Mini-Series1997Jesse

Richard III Poster

Richard III Feature Film1995City Gentleman

Law and Disorder Poster

Law and Disorder TV Series1994Captain Swift

Doctor Who: 30 Years in the Tardis Poster

Doctor Who: 30 Years in the Tardis Documentary1993The Captain

Freddie as F.R.O.7. Poster

Freddie as F.R.O.7. Feature Film1992Additional Voices

Casanova Poster

Casanova TV Movie1987Major Grandi

ChuckleVision Poster

ChuckleVision TV Series1987Hiram J. Cugalschriber

Lionheart Poster

Lionheart Feature Film1987Simon Nerra

Playing Away Poster

Playing Away Feature Film1987Fredrick

Ruth Rendell Mysteries Poster

Ruth Rendell Mysteries TV Series1987Bearded Man

Casualty Poster

Casualty TV Series1986Spiderman

Return to Treasure Island Poster

Return to Treasure Island Mini-Series1986Trelawney

Anna of the Five Towns Poster

Anna of the Five Towns Mini-Series1985Tom Kelly

Wallenberg: A Hero's Story Poster

Wallenberg: A Hero's Story TV Movie1985Rabbi Mandel

Freud Mini-Series1984Professor Nothnagel

Other Halves Poster

Other Halves Feature Film1984Irwin

Pope John Paul II Poster

Pope John Paul II TV Movie1984Jerzy Loparicz

The Bill Poster

The Bill TV Series1984Man with shot-gun

The Tripods Poster

The Tripods TV Series1984Ali Pasha

All Quiet on the Western Front Poster

All Quiet on the Western Front TV Movie1979Cook

Diary of a Nobody Poster

Diary of a Nobody TV Series1979Farmerson

Henry IV Part I Poster

Henry IV Part I TV Movie1979Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland

Henry IV Part II Poster

Henry IV Part II TV Movie1979Earl of Northumberland

Meetings with Remarkable Men Poster

Meetings with Remarkable Men Feature Film1979Father Maxim

Quatermass Poster

Quatermass Mini-Series1979Tommy Roach

Saint Joan TV Movie1979Captain La Hire

The Quatermass Conclusion Poster

The Quatermass Conclusion Feature Film1979Tommy Roach

A Horseman Riding By Poster

A Horseman Riding By TV Series1978Parson Augustus Bull

Blake's 7 Poster

Blake's 7 TV Series1978Gola

Kidnapped Poster

Kidnapped Mini-Series1978Duke of Cumberland

Rumpole of the Bailey Poster

Rumpole of the Bailey TV Series1978Leslie Delgado

The Devil's Crown Poster

The Devil's Crown TV Series1978Count of Anjou

BBC2 Play of the Week Poster

BBC2 Play of the Week TV Series1977Ernest

London Belongs to Me Poster

London Belongs to Me TV Series1977Det. Sgt. Slater

Supernatural Poster

Supernatural Mini-Series1977Herr Steekebeck

Clayhanger Poster

Clayhanger TV Series1976Big James

I, Claudius Poster

I, Claudius Mini-Series1976Sabinus

The Hunchback of Notre Dame Poster

The Hunchback of Notre Dame TV Movie1976Provost

The New Avengers Poster

The New Avengers TV Series1976Prof. Lopez

Edward the King Poster

Edward the King Mini-Series1975Czarevitch Alexander

Looking for Clancy Poster

Looking for Clancy TV Series1975Basil Rudering

Shades of Greene Poster

Shades of Greene TV Series1975George Wilditch

The Fight Against Slavery Poster

The Fight Against Slavery Mini-Series1975Kelsall

The Secret Agent Poster

The Secret Agent TV Movie1975Mr. Michaelis

Fall of Eagles Poster

Fall of Eagles Mini-Series1974Von Plehve

Intimate Strangers Poster

Intimate Strangers TV Series1974Landlord

Undercovers Hero Poster

Undercovers Hero Feature Film1974Colonel Meinertzhagen

A Picture of Katherine Mansfield Poster

A Picture of Katherine Mansfield TV Series1973Stanley Burnell

Alice Through the Looking Glass Poster

Alice Through the Looking Glass TV Movie1973Walrus

The Optimists Poster

The Optimists Feature Film1973Policeman

Vienna 1900 Poster

Vienna 1900 Mini-Series1973Adele's Father

A Phoenix Too Frequent TV Movie1972Virilius

Crown Court Poster

Crown Court TV Series1972Plet Roux

Six Days of Justice Poster

Six Days of Justice TV Series1972Mr. Rossmore

Macbeth Feature Film1971Caithness

Mary, Queen of Scots Poster

Mary, Queen of Scots Feature Film1971Morton

Doomwatch Poster

Doomwatch TV Series1970Norman Sylvester

Play for Today Poster

Play for Today TV Series1970Goff

ITV Saturday Night Theatre Poster

ITV Saturday Night Theatre TV Series1969Performer

Softly Softly: Task Force Poster

Softly Softly: Task Force TV Series1969Det. Sgt. Kershaw

The First Churchills Poster

The First Churchills Mini-Series1969Duke of Buckingham

The Flaxton Boys Poster

The Flaxton Boys TV Series1969Sergeant Bentley

The Inside Man Poster

The Inside Man TV Series1969Latte

Rogues' Gallery Poster

Rogues' Gallery TV Series1968Bosun

Callan TV Series1967Blair

City '68 Poster

City '68 TV Series19671 episode, 1967

Escape TV Series1967Spence

High Dreams Mini-Series1967

ITV Playhouse Poster

ITV Playhouse TV Series1967Wally

The Paradise Makers TV Series1967New Zealander

BBC Play of the Month Poster

BBC Play of the Month TV Series1965Taffy

Othello Feature Film1965Senator

The Big Spender TV Series1965Weston

The Newcomers Poster

The Newcomers TV Series1965John

Write a Play TV Series19651 episode, 1967

Doctor Who Poster

Doctor Who TV Series1963Captain

Viewpoint TV Series1959A Juggler

Emergency-Ward 10 Poster

Emergency-Ward 10 TV Series1957Albert Pendleton

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