Philip Glenister
Known for Acting · 95 credits
- Born
- 1963-02-10 (age 63)
- Place of birth
- Harrow, Middlesex, England, UK
- Also known as
- Philip Haywood Glenister
Biography
Philip Haywood Glenister is an English actor, known for his role as DCI Gene Hunt in British television series Life On Mars and its sequel Ashes To Ashes. He also played DCI William Bell in State of Play (2003) and Reverend Anderson in Outcast (2016–2018).
Glenister was born on 10 February 1963 in Harrow, Middlesex, and grew up in Hatch End. He is the son of director John Glenister and Joan Fry Lewis, and the younger brother of fellow actor Robert Glenister.
He attended Hatch End High School.
In his early career, he worked as a runner for the Robert Stigwood Organisation. Following this, he worked until the age of 23 as a film publicist, but developed an interest in acting after watching his brother perform in a student play about the Sex Pistols. With the encouragement of his then-sister-in-law, Amanda Redman, he pursued acting and attended the Central School of Speech and Drama.
In the early 1990s, Glenister appeared in various TV series including Minder, The Ruth Rendell Mysteries, Heartbeat, The Chief, Dressing for Breakfast and Silent Witness. In 1997, he appeared in Sharpe's Justice as Richard Sharpe's half-brother Matt Truman. He played William Dobbin in the 1998 mini-series Vanity Fair.
Known For
TV Shows (67)
Agatha Christie's Poirot
1989
as Sir William Boyd Carrington
Top Gear
2002
as Self
Silent Witness
1996
The One Show
2006
as Self
Foundation
2021
as Commdor Argo
Minder
1979
as Greg Hunter
Heartbeat
1992
as Julian Cantley
GMTV
1993
as Self
Inside No. 9
2014
as Craig
Soccer AM
1995
as Self
The Ruth Rendell Mysteries
1987
as Brian Gregson
Richard Osman's House of Games
2017
as Self - Contestant
The Chief
1990
as Angus Shadwell
The Hollow Crown
2012
as Talbot
Legends
2006
as Self - Narrator (voice)
Remembers…
2022
as Self
Ashes to Ashes
2008
as Gene Hunt
Hornblower
1998
as Gunner Hobbs
Urban Myths
2017
as Kev Wells
Drop the Dead Donkey
1990
Outcast
2016
as Reverend Anderson
Prey
2014
as David Murdoch
Life on Mars
2006
as Gene Hunt
The Vice
1999
as Jason Grant
Cranford
2007
as Mr Carter
The Detectives
1993
as Uniformed Officer
State of Play
2003
as DCI William Bell
Duck Quacks Don't Echo
2014
Bergerac
2025
as Arthur Wakefield
Clocking Off
2000
as James 'Mack' Mackintosh
Belgravia
2020
as James Trenchard
Chris Moyles' Quiz Night
2009
as Self
After the Flood
2024
as Jack Radcliffe
Harry Hill's Alien Fun Capsule
2017
as Self
Roger Roger
1998
as Phil
In Suspicious Circumstances
1991
as Herbert Bennett
Treasure Island
2012
as Captain Smollett
Big School
2013
as Mr Gunn
The Rubbish World of Dave Spud
2019
as Betty Spud
Mad Dogs
2011
as Quinn
The Lady
2026
as DCI Jim Dickie
DNA Journey
2019
as Self
Vanity Fair
1998
as William Dobbin
New Street Law
2006
This Morning
1988
as Self
Vincent
2005
Steeltown Murders
2023
as DCI Paul Bethell
Hidden
2011
as Harry Venn
From There to Here
2014
as Daniel
The Level
2016
as Frank Le Saux
Island at War
2004
as Oberst Heinrich Baron Von Rheingarten
Demons
2009
as Rupert Galvin
Living the Dream
2017
as Mal Pemberton
Blue Heaven
1992
as Paul Twice
My Wonderful Life
1996
as Phil
For the Love of Cars
2014
as Himself
The Stepfather
2005
as Dougie Molloy
Lost Land of the Volcano
2009
as Self - Narrator
Law and Disorder
1994
What The Killer Did Next
2019
as Self - Host
Movies (28)
Kingdom of Heaven
2005
as Squire
You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger
2010
as Poker Friend
Calendar Girls
2003
as Lawrence Sertain
Bel Ami
2012
as Charles Forestier
The Other Boleyn Girl
2003
as William Strafford
Sharpe: The Legend
1997
as Truman
I.D.
1995
as Charlie
Sharpe's Justice
1997
as Matt Truman
Hornblower: Mutiny
2001
as Hobbs
Loved Up
1995
as Ray
Tales of Television Centre
2012
as Self
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Yet Again
2019
as Pierce Brosnan
Byron
2003
as William Fletcher
London Kills Me
1991
as Suited Man
Hornblower: Retribution
2001
as Gunner Hobbs
Spying on Hitler’s Army: The Secret Recordings
2013
as Narrator
A Fatal Inversion
1992
as Young Detective
The Perfect Blue
1998
as Tom
The Walk
2005
as Eddie
Tu£sday
2008
as Earp
The Making of... Ashes to Ashes
2009
as Himself
True Love
1996
as Phil
Pavlopetri: The City Beneath the Waves
2011
as Narrator
Lloyd & Hill
2003
as Daniel Lloyd
Just in Case
2021
as Mark
Sheene
2023
as Narrator (voice)
The End of 'Life on Mars'
2007
as Self
Demons
2009
as Rupert Galvin
About Philip Glenister
Philip Haywood Glenister is an English actor, known for his role as DCI Gene Hunt in British television series Life On Mars and its sequel Ashes To Ashes. He also played DCI William Bell in State of Play (2003) and Reverend Anderson in Outcast (2016–2018). Glenister was born on 10 February 1963 in Harrow, Middlesex, and grew up in Hatch End. He is the son of director John Glenister and Joan Fry Lewis, and the younger brother of fellow actor Robert Glenister. He attended Hatch End High School. In his early career, he worked as a runner for the… With 95 credits spanning from 1979 to 2026, Philip Glenister has appeared in 28 films and 67 TV shows.
Fans searching for Philip Glenister movies, Philip Glenister filmography, or the latest projects starring Philip Glenister can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Philip Glenister Movies
- Kingdom of Heaven (2005) — as Squire
- You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger (2010) — as Poker Friend
- Calendar Girls (2003) — as Lawrence Sertain
- Bel Ami (2012) — as Charles Forestier
- The Other Boleyn Girl (2003) — as William Strafford
Where to Watch Philip Glenister Films
Most Philip Glenister 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 Philip Glenister, check our movies catalogue and browse page.