
Donald Sumpter
Known for Acting · 128 credits
- Born
- 1943-02-13 (age 83)
- Place of birth
- Brixworth, Northamptonshire, England, UK
- Also known as
- 唐纳德·桑普特 · دونالد سامپتر
Biography
Donald Sumpter (born 13 February 1943) is an English actor. He has appeared in film and television since the mid-1960s. One of his early television appearances was the 1968 Doctor Who serial The Wheel in Space with Patrick Troughton as the Doctor. He appeared in Doctor Who again in the 1972 serial The Sea Devils with Jon Pertwee. He also appeared in the Doctor Who spin-off The Sarah Jane Adventures. His early film work included a lead role as real life British criminal Donald Neilson in the 1977 film, The Black Panther.
He 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. Also in 1985, he was remembered for the part of villain Ronnie Day in Big Deal. He played the part of suspected serial killer Alexander Bonaparte Cust in the (1992) Agatha Christie's Poirot episode, The ABC Murders. He has also appeared in episodes of Midsomer Murders, The Bill, Holby City, and A Touch of Frost. He also 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 2011 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).
Known For
TV Shows (70)

Game of Thrones
2011
as Maester Luwin

Midsomer Murders
1997
as Tim Settingfield

Doctor Who
2005
as The President

Peaky Blinders
2013
as Arthur Bigge

Agatha Christie's Poirot
1989
as Cust

Black Mirror
2011
as Julian Hereford

Play for Today
1970

Doctor Who
1963
as Enrico Casali / Commander Ridgeway

Spooks
2002
as Stephen Kirby

Merlin
2008
as The Fisher King

Chernobyl
2019
as Zharkov

Minder
1979
as Sudbury

Screen Two
1985
as Frank

Endeavour
2013
as Emil Valdemar

The Bill
1984

A Touch of Frost
1992
as Maynard

BBC2 Play of the Week
1977
as Brother Martin Jerome

New Tricks
2004
as Bobby 'Tar' Mcadam

12 Monkeys
2015
as Seer

Bergerac
1981
as Roscoe

The Ruth Rendell Mysteries
1987
as Edward Peveril

Taggart
1983

The Sarah Jane Adventures
2007
as Erasmus Darkening

The Chief
1990
as CS Derek Gillman

Justice
1971
as Villiers

Centre Play
1973
as Johnny

Between the Lines
1992

Being Human
2009
as Kemp

Les Misérables
2018
as Mabeuf

Jesus of Nazareth
1977
as Aram

ITV Saturday Night Theatre
1969
as Leary

The Cleaner
2021
as Sir James

Atlantis
2013
as Tiresius

Target
1977
as Heslop

The Eagle: A Crime Odyssey
2004
as Indenrigsminister Nacuk

Shoestring
1979
as Stanley Reeves

Drop the Dead Donkey
1990

Ultimate Force
2002

The Last Detective
2003

Rose and Maloney
2002
as Ronnie Johnson

Tess of the D'Urbervilles
2008
as Parson Tringham

Our Friends in the North
1996
as Commander Harold Chapple

New Worlds
2014
as Sidney

Quirke
2014
as Josh Crawford

Bleak House
1985
as 'Nemo'

Crocodile Shoes
1994

In Deep
2001
as Keith Sullivan
No Excuses
1983
as Trev

Serious & Organised
2003
as Jimmy Fisk

The Queen's Nose
1995
as Uncle Ginger

The Mill
2013
as Samuel Greg

Entitled
2023
as Quincy

Heroes and Villains
2007

Big Deal
1984
as Ronnie Day

Quiller
1975
as Brenman

Jekyll and Hyde
2015
as Garson

Seven Wonders of the Industrial World
2003
as Farrington

Eleventh Hour
2006

The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby
2001
as Mr. Brooker

Bombay Blue
1997
as Supt. John Mayberry
Movies (58)

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
2011
as Detective Inspector Gustaf Morell

In the Heart of the Sea
2015
as Paul Macy

The Phoenician Scheme
2025
as Chairman

Eastern Promises
2007
as Yuri

The Constant Gardener
2005
as Tim Donohue

The Chatterley Affair
2006
as Mr. Gerald Gardiner

K-19: The Widowmaker
2002
as Dr. Savran

The Man Who Invented Christmas
2017
as Haddock / Ghost of Marley

Enigma
2001
as Leveret

Einstein and Eddington
2008
as Max Planck

Hello Sailor!
2008

Sunday Bloody Sunday
1971
as Party Guest

Curse of the Pink Panther
1983
as Dave

London Boulevard
2010
as Pentonville Governor

Les Misérables
1978
as Agent

Among Us
2010
as Man on bench

Richard III
1995
as Brackenbury

Time Trouble
1985
as Makov
Heist
2008
as King Edward

Into the Storm
2009
as Lord Halifax

Ultramarines: A Warhammer 40,000 Movie
2010
as Pythol (voice)

Limonov: The Ballad
2024
as Eddie's Father

Bleak Moments
1971
as Norman's Friend

Being Human
1994
as Salgado

Hardcore
1977
as Mark

Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead
1991
as Claudius

The Walking Stick
1970
as Max

Great Expectations
1999
as Compeyson

Aimée
1991
as Frank

The Black Panther
1977
as Donald Neilson

The Murder at Road Hill House
2011
as Peter Edlin QC

The Saliva Milkshake
1975
as Johnny

Bad Ronald
1992
as Michael, le père

The Point Men
2001
as Benni Baum

The Lost Continent
1968
as Sparks, the Radioman

The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby
2001
as Mr. Brooker

Antony & Cleopatra
1981
as Pompeius

Meetings with Remarkable Men
1979
as Pogossian

The Long Bank Holiday
2004
as Alfie Clemens
The Tom Machine
1980
as Tom

I Am a Groupie
1970
as Steve

Bypass
2014
as Grandfather

Dracula
2006
as Alfred Singleton

A Light That Shines
1979
as Brother Martin Jerome

Night After Night After Night
1969
as Pete Laver

Catchpenny Twist
1977
as Spalding

Doctor Who: The Wheel in Space
1968
as Enrico Casali

Stardust
1974
as TV Concert Producer
The Window Cleaner
1968
as David

Doctor Who: The Sea Devils
1972
as Commander Ridgeway

Grushko
1994
as Kartashov

Way of the Morris
2011
as Voice of Creation
The Breaking of Colonel Keyser
1972
as Dellow

Mr. Axelford's Angel
1974
as David

Coalition
2015
as Paddy Ashdown

Mad Jack
1970
Tangier Cop
1997
as Ahmed Yaasin

Anatomy of a Global Thriller: Behind the Scenes of The Constant Gardener
2006
as Self
About Donald Sumpter
Donald Sumpter (born 13 February 1943) is an English actor. He has appeared in film and television since the mid-1960s. One of his early television appearances was the 1968 Doctor Who serial The Wheel in Space with Patrick Troughton as the Doctor. He appeared in Doctor Who again in the 1972 serial The Sea Devils with Jon Pertwee. He also appeared in the Doctor Who spin-off The Sarah Jane Adventures. His early film work included a lead role as real life British criminal Donald Neilson in the 1977 film, The Black Panther. He also appeared in man… With 128 credits spanning from 1963 to 2025, Donald Sumpter has appeared in 58 films and 70 TV shows.
Fans searching for Donald Sumpter movies, Donald Sumpter filmography, or the latest projects starring Donald Sumpter can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Donald Sumpter Movies
- The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011) — as Detective Inspector Gustaf Morell
- In the Heart of the Sea (2015) — as Paul Macy
- The Phoenician Scheme (2025) — as Chairman
- Eastern Promises (2007) — as Yuri
- The Constant Gardener (2005) — as Tim Donohue
Where to Watch Donald Sumpter Films
Most Donald Sumpter movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring Donald Sumpter, check our movies catalogue and browse page.