Television & Film

Orestes in The Oresteia (BBC) 1979. This had the rather sensational Diana Rigg in it, too, but I don't think she wore that leather outfit, so don't get too excited.

Philip Wakem in The Mill on the Floss (BBC) 1980

Trofimov in The Cherry Orchard (BBC) 1981

Troilus and Cressida (1981) BBC Shakespeare - you'll love it. Well, I did. The video library had to send some heavyset men round to my place to get it back off me. Despite the difficulties he encountered in making it (see the accompanying text to the video, if you can; also see the account of playing Hamlet in Mary Maher's book) Lesser turns in what appears on screen as an effortless performance. Bravo. Plus, the Amazing Orlando gives a whole new meaning to the term 'camp follower'.

King Lear (1982) BBC Shakespeare - Lesser as Edgar. You'll love this one, too; it's an all -round ripper. You simply cannot have too much canvas. And for those with minimalist claims to cultural betterment, you get to see a lot of Lesser as well.

The Missionary (1982) - Ghastly Young Chap on the pissed-as-newts shooting party. Our hero is cunningly disguised behind a moustache and a bad hat, and very sensible too; I'm surprised he didn't flee the country upon this film's release. Such a good cast, and such a bad film. For hardened devotees only - in fact, it ranks (along with Sakharov and FairyTale) in the category of 'things I have sat through simply because Anton Lesser was in them'.

Cox in Good and Bad at Games (Channel 4) 1983 - ouch. Anita Olsen's site will show you why. Anton Lesser as a persecuted schoolboy who grows up to take a dastardly revenge. CAUTION: MAY CAUSE AIR GUITAR (demonstrated by careful testing under controlled conditions, 2000 LesserFest).

Sakharov (1984) (TV) - By the end of this, you'll be ready to put your head in the oven, but hey ... you get to see our hero as Valery Chalidze, Russkie journo.

Monsignor Quixote (1985) (TV) - Robber. Very cute, this.

Anna of the Five Towns (1985, BBC) - Willy Price. Well done to our newest fetishist, Marie Haws in Vancouver, who posted these screen-grabs to me. And Helen from Hemel Hempstead says, deeply moved by the whole experience: "it was awful, she married a horrid Peter Davidson and thought Anton had emigrated to Australia - but he threw himself down a disused mine. It's haunted me for years - she never knew - no-one would ever know he was there." True enough. Dead sad book, really. I think I'm off Arnold Bennett for a bit.

The Assam Garden (1985) - Mr. Sutton

London Embassy (1987) (mini) TV Series - Robert Brenhouse (boo hiss)

Stanley Spencer in Stanley Spencer (1988) - pottering about Cookham with pram, paintbrushes and Juliet Stevenson.

Murderers Among Us: the Simon Wiesenthal Story (1989) - Aimee's got this on tape, and says he turns in a couple of doozies as both a death-camp survivor and a broken-down Nazi.

Feste in Twelfth Night (1989) (stage first, then subsequently Thames TV, directed by Kenneth Branagh): This is a gorgeous and very funny production with a fantastic cast and a really dark sting in the tail. Plus you get to find out what Lesser sounds like singing (hint: Leonard Cohen on speed). And it's worth it to see Richard Briers' line in cheesy grins ... Amazon and Blackstar have it on tape, too, if you want to buy it. And now we have .wav files, too!

Traitors (BBC 1990). In 1605 Robert Catesby and a bunch of fellow conspirators (including one Guy Fawkes) plan to blow up the houses of parliament. Includes our hero, parts unknown. Well traced, Sarah Jane, and more information needed!!! Rachel tells me that Anton "played Robert Cecil (very stunning in black doublet and hose), Geoffrey Hutchings played a priest called Henry Garnet and Jonathan Phillips, Catesby. Garnet was under interrogation by Cecil about his part in the Gunpowder Plot." Thanks Rachel!

The Strauss Dynasty (1991) - Gustav Levi, Johann Strauss' impresario. Just look at the lovely screen-grabs Sina has done!

Downtown Lagos (BBC, 1992) - Anton Lesser as an unhappy lawyer - unhappy for reasons other than being called Mungo Dawson. No link too bizarre: the stuntman who has stunt-doubled for our hero, Vince Keane, has his own website.

Animated Shakespeare - Winter's Tale (S4C, 1992) - voice of Leontes. Anton's mad agayne ... Gorgeous bijou production with little dolly-figures and lots of snow. This entire series (a Brit-Russian joint effort) is actually quite fun to watch; it cuts the Gordian knot-type plots to ribbons with gay abandon, and the bad guys all look appropriately bad, so you can spot them quickly. Plus good casting; they got Antony Sher for Richard III, for example, which was quite funny because it came out looking like Ivan the Terrible part 1.

Guinevere (1994) (TV) - Envoy [aka Bound in Blood (Australia: video title)] The on-line review in the IMBD said "Bad acting, an even worse script, and enough British ethnical slurs to start a war. Though I gave it a 2/10, because this is probably the most accurate movie ever made that was based on the story." But folks, you owe it to yourselves to trawl the video libraries for it. You know you do.

The Politician's Wife (1995) (mini) TV Series - Mark Hollister. Kathy Li (US) says "Juliet Stevenson playing a Tory is bizarre enough to merit a second viewing ... Also a good chance to spot Anton Lesser."

Bugs (series 1, 'Pulse', 1995): the villainous (but thick) Patric Marcel - now available on DVD (special discount at Blackstar), complete with gun, coat and fabulous death!

Moses (1996) - Eliav (aka The Bible: Moses) The critics rave: Sina says "This one is from Moses, where he is no more than an extra (Ben Kingsley seems to have almost all the lines) with the occasional single shot, looking either totally surprised or in utter disbelief or painfully miserable."

Testament: The Bible in Animation (1996) - Joseph - TV Series (voice)

Sharman (World Productions) (1996)

The Last Years of Schumann (Drama documentary; Director: Steve Ruggi. Rhombus Media/Channel Four) - we have a screen grab!

The Moonstone (1996) - Ezra Jennings. This was screened on local US PBS on 28 July this year: Marie from AbFabBrits was delighted - "Just watched The Moonstone with Greg Wise last night. And voila! Anton Lesser.  Very good, as always." And Lesley's done .wavs ... it's too much ...

Bodyguards (1997). Made by Zenith. According to the excellent Xenon, Anton guested in the first episode of the series entitled 'A Choice of Evils', which went out on 1 May 1997 (with a pilot in '96). Anton played a character called Dusan Mesic.

Into the Blue (1997) - Dr John Ockleton. Lesley (US) is in training to become the newest contender to the Screen-Grab Princess crown. You want .wav files? We got .wav files!

FairyTale: a True Story (1997): Although the fairies (and the children) in this film made me want to reach for a can of pesticide, it's worth the rental for the Wounded Corporal. You'll find it's AKA Illumination, One Golden Afternoon.

Vanity Fair (BBC, 1998): "There are a great many improvements to be made, and I shall make them ..." This may well change your feelings about Malt forever - a must-see for the Lesser-fixated; an unforgettable portrayal of the frigidly self-important Mr Pitt Crawley.

The Echo (BBC, 1998) - Billy Blake. Amid a cast unable to act their way out of a selection of wet paper bags (OK, so it improved, but the urge to shake Joely Richardson vigorously was very hard to overcome), our hero once again acts his way through several brick walls and into the alley behind the studio, taking a couple of the garbage cans with him. What's not to like?

Invasion: Earth (1998) (mini) TV Series - Lt. Charles Terrell. You will cry until you laugh, or possibly vice versa, but it's actually quite mesmerising. The Sci-Fi Channel Archives site is a good one - the promos load with Quicktime. And Lesley has .wavs ... "They come, they conquer. They can't be stopped."

NEW: ultra-funky video clips of Moments from Invasion: Earth! Relive the tears, the joy, and the laughter ... erm ...

The Critics Rave:

"Anton Lesser imbues Charles Terrell with such depth and a tour de force

performance, it seems quite out of place amid the general mediocrity to be found

elsewhere. His backstory episode Only the Dead is quite superb as the BBC takes the plot in a cerebral direction. Cerebral is what BBC Science Fiction has always managed to do best. Unfortunately, BBC producers of the 1990s fail to understand this...As a result the best character in the show is killed off next episode in The Fall of Man. I could hardly credit it." Cult Times, July 1998. (thank you, Sarah Jane)

The (unpublished) critics rave:

Kathy Li speaks for us all when she says "I'll watch almost anything to see Anton Lesser. Besides, how often does BBC Scotland co-produce with the Skiffy guys?" Lesley (US) chips in with "I must concur regarding his portrayal in Invasion Earth, his acting is so superior to the rest of the cast--especially the female lead--ACK! It's being rerun here this week and I'm taping it solely because of him. A real class act."

And then there's this fascinatin' interchange on uk.media.tv.sf.drwho:

Peter: "Actually, the bloke "abducted" from the forties was rather good. Quite sensitively portrayed. Probably goes unnoticed because he is not trying to steal the show. *I* noticed him - only good actor (and character) in it. Which makes his supporting role, and latterly his death in part 4, bloody annoying."

Steve: "Anton Lesser - a bloody fine classically trained theatre actor. The best actor in I:E by a long way, in fact the only one to hold together a convincing performance. It's a bit of a cliched thing to say, but I was watching him the other day and thinking what a great Doctor he would make..." (thank you, Sina)

Pure Wickedness (1999) (4-part mini-series). Twenty minutes of fame: he plays the part of Dr. Andrew Ward, working in a busy practice, who eventually takes an overdose and kills himself. Grim but true.

Trial By Fire, ITV (1999). Juliet Stevenson strikes again - cheesy hair, but we love him anyway. And we hold our breath to see if Lesser's character Brian Redwood buys the farm early on in this.

Herod in The Miracle Maker (animated - voice only, aired 2000); is Anton mad agayne? And Ralph Fiennes as Jesus? Fabulous cast: Richard E Grant as John the Baptist, Ian Holm as Pontius Pilate, William Hurt as Jarius, Tim McInnerny as Barabbas (??? some casting, that - er ...???), Alfred Molina as Simon the Pharisee (a reprise of Snidely Whiplash?), the late great Bob Peck as Joseph of Arimathea, Miranda Richardson as Mary Magdalane, Antony Sher as Ben Azra, and Ken Stott as Simon Peter. My goodness.

The critics rave: John Owen of e-group fame says, seditiously: "I saw Miracle Man, or whatever that claymation absurdity was called, a couple of weeks ago. Lesser's voice, tremulous and passionate, emanating incongruously from an hulking and impassive puppet."

Esther Kahn (2000) - Sean. IMDB says "A Hasidic girl in 18th century London dreams of becoming a stage actress." But when one's character doesn't have a last name, one wonders ...

Safe As Houses (2000) - Tristan the FAROLJ spotted your friend and mine in the last third of the pilot of this series, the cast of which is led by Ricky Tomlinson. The door-to-door salesmen "at the end of the second act ... go to the house of a Mr. Dunn [guess who], who [they] believe will be an easy job. Mr. Dunn, it turns out when they get there, is carrying a shotgun, and has decided to end it all and go out in a blaze of glory by killing some door-to-door salesmen (laudable enough). So, once again Mr. Lesser swoops in and despite being something like third from the bottom of the published cast list, and only being on screen for the final third of the programme, completely steals the show. Hurrah."

The Scarlet Pimpernel (2000): Well spotted, Ellie [and Ellie's Mum]! Misunderstood scientist type Antoine Picard can make a bomb, and so can the producers of this series - er - well, you know what I mean; not exactly demanding, but you do get to see him in wild wig, waistcoat, and being noble and intense and also brave. Stop Press: DVDs of Season 2 was released in July 2003. You can buy it here.

Lorna Doone (2000) - Counsellor Doone, complete with GUNS again. Excellent!

Perfect Strangers (2001) - Stephen Symon, a.k.a. 'Archive Man'. We got Character, Development, and a very tasty shower scene. Much was the inadvertent yelping of 'phwoooar' across the land. "Watch especially closely for Anton Lesser, the possessor of one of the most beautiful voices in acting." said Alison Graham in the Radio Times preview. Well, we could have told her that. At long last this is being released on DVD in Feb 2004. You can buy it here.

Jack and the Beanstalk (2001). No, not panto, a 2-parter for the Hallmark Channel. We get to see Our Hero utter the words "Enhanced Putrification!" with perfect diction, and later he gets to wear a white radiation suit and gas mask, and carry a live goose. I kid you not.

Murder Rooms (2001): Waistcoats and whiskers! Not Ian Richardson and our hero in the same series? He bought the farm again, but twitched for England beforehand. Hooray!

Charlotte Gray (2001): Renech is eagerly anticipated but as yet unseen. (Note: Renech has now been seen but alas, is slimy and unpleasant and meets a grim death - yet again).

Swallow (2002): grim 3-parter about drug companies.

Dickens (2002): 3-part drama-documentary for BBC2 presented by Peter Ackroyd. Anton plays Charles Dickens in a very Dickensian beard and the published (and unpublished) critics love him. Once again Alison Graham in the Radio Times preview goes on about Anton having one of the loveliest voices in the profession and urges us to "just close your eyes and listen - beautiful".

Paul Hoggart of The Times raved: "Anton Lesser made an emotionally charged, almost tremulous, Dickens, especially recreating the writer's inspirational public readings." (thank you Sarah Jane)

And you can see clips from the programme with Anton and his beard doing the above-mentioned public readings via this BBC page here (thanks to Xenon for the link). The series is now also released in a fabulous 3-DVD set including Anton performing A Christmas Carol as Dickens.

Method to Madness (2002): 60-min documentary by Hop! Productions about playing Hamlet. Anton is interviewed and describes the role as 'very witty, very cheeky, very alive'. No TV airing date yet, but the documentary was screened as part of Warwick's Shakespeare Day on Saturday October 19 at 9.45am for 10am at Warwick Arts Centre. Your webmistress was privileged to see a screening of this documentary, which is very entertaining, and also has interviews with actors such as Derek Jacobi, Adrian Lester, Michael Maloney and Sam West.

Waking the Dead (2002): 2-part episode of BBC1's 'cold crime' drama entitled Special Relationship. Anton plays Professor Ray Levin, the disgruntled psychologist ex-husband of the murder victim. Hair dye in evidence, but he also gets to wear a lovely long black coat and a rumpled, world-weary expression. He's only in about 4 scenes, but as always, makes them count, especially his final scene where he reveals the nature of his relationship with his wife. And it's great to see him working opposite Trevor Eve again (see The Politicians Wife).

The Project (2002): 2-part film on BBC1 described as a 'major new political drama, spanning the last decade, which follows two young would-be politicians'. He gets to act again with Matthew Macfadyen from Perfect Strangers. Anton plays marketing man 'Stanley Hall'. Andrew Anthony in The Observer on 17 Nov 2002 writes "there are a few [parts] - among them.... Anton Lesser's Philip Gouldish marketing guru - that packed an uncanny authenticity into their limited appearance time."

Foyle's War (2002): final part of a 4-part series of crime dramas from ITV set in Hastings during the Second World War. Anton is playing 'Austin Carmichael', the curator of an art gallery in London. He is only in two scenes (and a flashback) but gets to wear bow ties and a fob chain and look very elegant. Good to see his eyes again as he wore glasses only occasionally. At the end he is arrested for stealing a priceless figurine, just for the pleasure of owning it.

Midsomer Murders: Birds of Prey (2003): one of the endless picturesque ITV whodunnits. Anton features as 'Eddie "The Eggman" Darwin', an unpleasant man who bullies and steals from little old ladies, and who meets his death in bed after having been hit by a jeep while stealing some peregrine eggs. No facial hair this time, and a good head of hair and a pair of binoculars. We even get to see his chest after he's dead (and it's covered in bruises).

Danielle Cable: Eyewitness (2003): Factual ITV drama about the experiences of Danielle Cable, who witnessed the death of her fiance Stephen Cameron in the notorious 1996 M25 'road rage' murder. Anton plays someone called 'Batten'.....

Dambusters (2003): Channel 4 2-part documentary about the 1943 Dambusters raid. Anton provides the voiceover.

Eroica (2003): BBC2 drama set on the day when Beethoven's third symphony, the Eroica, was first performed. Ian Hart is Beethoven, Anton plays the copyist Sukowaty. The production will be transmitted on Saturday 4 October 2003 at 9pm on BBC2. There is an Eroica BBC website with a nice lot of pictures.

Silent Witness (2004): two-parter called Death By Water in which Anton plays 'Marcus Gwilym'. Broadcast 12/13th September 2004 on BBC1.

Spooks (2005): Anton features in an episode A Prayer for my Daughter as a politician called Nicholas Ashworth who nearly gets hanged.

The Girl in the Cafe (2005): drama for BBC1 by Richard Curtis as part of BBC's Africa season in the summer. Ken Stott plays the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Anton Lesser is his Chief Adviser and Corin Redgrave is the Prime Minister. Read the BBC Press Release.

E=MC² (2005): drama-documentary for Channel 4 on the biography of the world's most famous equation. Anton features in a blink-and-you'll-miss-him role as Voltaire, sporting a French accent and dodgy wig.

Class of '76 (2005): creepy 2-part whodunnit for ITV starring Robert Carlyle. Anton plays Martin Gibson, a psychotic serial killer who is extraneous to the plot.

River Queen (2005): Anton plays Baine in this troubled production.

Dalziel and Pascoe: Guardian Angel (2006): 2-part drama for BBC1. Anton plays Paul Goodman in a delightfully vulnerable and twitchy manner, and with a Yorkshire accent.

Vital Signs (2006): 6-part drama series for ITV1 starring Tamsin Outhwaite. Anton plays an overbearing senior doctor, Dr Lindsay, dressed all in black, in 4 of the 6 episodes.

New Tricks (2006): Anton features in the episode 'Bank Robbery' transmitted on BBC1 on 22 May 2006. He plays Pete MacKintyre, a copper's nark. Alison Graham of The Radio Times writes: "Anton Lesser, possessor of one of the loveliest, most cultured voices in acting, [is] forced to adopt an uncomfortable cockernee accent". But he does get to wear a fake tan and a white shirt.

Miss Potter (2006): Anton has a role in this film about Beatrix Potter also starring Ewan McGregor which is due to be released in early January 2007. Anton plays editor Harold Warne. For more on the film see EmmanuelLevy.com and Variety.com.

A Touch of Frost (2006): Anton featured in an episode of David Jason's ITV detective drama A Touch of Frost transmitted on 5 November. He played a character called Dennis Prior who was involved in exotic animal smuggling. He shot a man and fed him to a crocodile!

The Outsiders (2006): Anton features briefly as art thief Maurice Heston in this spy thriller for ITV1 transmitted in October 2006. He gets to wear a cravat and live on a man-made Hebridean island with his twin sister.

As yet undated - all hints (and also screen-grabs) welcomed:

Vincenzo Rocca in Airbase (BBC)

Wilheim Fliess in Freud (BBC)

Crown Court (Granada)

Alesey in The Gambler (BBC TV Open University)

Ken in The Daughters of Albion (YTV) - this is a Willy Russell play, and involves biscuit factories ...