Christopher Benjamin (actor)
Updated: 12/20/2025, 12:00:15 PM Wikipedia source
Christopher John Benjamin (27 December 1934 – 10 January 2025) was an English actor with many stage and television credits from 1958 to 2016. He played Henry Gordon Jago in the 1977 Doctor Who story The Talons of Weng-Chiang, a role he reprised for the audio drama series Jago & Litefoot (2010–2017, 2021), and made two other appearances in the series, portraying Sir Keith Gold in Inferno (1970) and Colonel Hugh Curbishley in "The Unicorn and the Wasp" (2008). He also provided the voice of Rowf in the animated film The Plague Dogs (1982). His radio acting career included two BBC Radio adaptations of Christopher Lee's crime drama Colvil and Soames.
Infobox
Born
Christopher John Benjamin(1934-12-27)27 December 1934Trowbridge, Wiltshire, England
Died
10 January 2025(2025-01-10) (aged 90)
Alma mater
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
Occupation
Actor
Years active
1958–2016
Spouse
mw- Anna Fox (m. 1959)
Tables
· Selected filmography
1965
1966
1967
1967–1968
Role(s)
The Prisoner
Notes
Various roles
1968
1969
1970
1970, 1976
Role(s)
Softly, Softly: Task Force
Notes
Chief Immigration Officer Ingrams/Civil Servant
1970, 1977
Role(s)
Doctor Who
Notes
Sir Keith Gold/Henry Gordon Jago
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1975–1976
Role(s)
Poldark
Notes
Sir Hugh Boldrugan
1976
1977
Rooms
Role(s)
Bernard Metcalfe
1978
1979–1980
Role(s)
Dick Turpin
Notes
Sir John Glutton
1980
1980–1982
Role(s)
Holding the Fort
Notes
Col. Aubrey Sanderson
1981
A Spy at Evening
Role(s)
Stevens
Notes
4 episodes
Play For Today
Role(s)
Mr. Porter
Notes
A Brush with Mr. Porter on the Road to El Dorado
Role(s)
Air Ministry Official
Notes
Episode: "The Flying Peril"
1981–1983
Role(s)
It Takes a Worried Man
Notes
The Old Man
1982
The Life and Times of Nicholas Nickleby
Role(s)
Mr. Vincent Crummings
Notes
3 episodes
1985
Black Silk
Role(s)
Judge
Notes
Episode: "Winner Takes All"
1986
1987
1990
1991
1992
A Likely Lad
Role(s)
Harold Sowter
Notes
6 episodes
1994
1998
2003
2003–2006
Role(s)
Judge John Deed
Notes
Steve Gaydon
2006
2008
Doctor Who
Role(s)
Colonel Hugh Curbishley
Notes
Episode: "The Unicorn and the Wasp"
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1965 | The Wednesday Play | Dan Royston | Sir Jocelyn, the Minister Would Like a Word |
| Z-Cars | Dennis Ludd | Episode: "Give a Dog a Name" | |
| The Man in Room 17 | Chief Supt. Craythorpe | Episode: "The Millons of Muzafariyah" | |
| 1966 | Orlando | The Great Cardini | 5 episodes |
| The Baron | Verel | Episode: "The Seven Eyes of Night" | |
| 1966–1968 | The Avengers | Various roles | 3 episodes |
| 1967 | Danger Man | Potter | Episode: "Koroshi" |
| The Forsyte Saga | Prosper Profond | 4 episodes | |
| 1967–1968 | The Prisoner | Various roles | 3 episodes |
| 1968 | Public Eye | Barnby | Episode: "There's No Future in Monkey Business" |
| Late Night Horror | Algy Somerville | The Kiss of Blood | |
| The Saint | Fish | Episode: "The Master Plan" | |
| 1969 | Ring of Bright Water | London Fishmonger | Film |
| Fraud Squad | Lal Choudhry | Episode: "Over a Barrel" | |
| The Gold Robbers | Edward Meakin | Episode: "An Oddly Honest Man" | |
| 1970 | Ace of Wands | Falk | 2 episodes |
| Paul Temple | Roffey | Episode: "The Artknappers" | |
| The Roads to Freedom | Assistant Superintendent | 1 episode | |
| 1970, 1976 | Softly, Softly: Task Force | Chief Immigration Officer Ingrams/Civil Servant | 2 episodes |
| 1970, 1977 | Doctor Who | Sir Keith Gold/Henry Gordon Jago | 2 serials: "Inferno" and "The Talons of Weng-Chiang" |
| 1971 | Jason King | The Police Inspector | Episode: "A Red Red Rose Forever" |
| Man at the Top | Mr. Fisher | Episode: "A Bit of Spare, Nothing Else" | |
| Never Mind the Quality, Feel the Width | Dr. Shapiro | Episode: "Manny Cohen R.I.P." | |
| 1972 | Budgie | Claude | Episode: "Twenty-Four Thousand Ball Point Pens" |
| The Protectors | Banker | Episode: "The Quick Brown Fox" | |
| The Strauss Family | Domnayer | 5 episodes | |
| The Onedin Line | Said Ben Alim | Episode: "The Challenge" | |
| 1973 | Bowler | Supt. Chamberlain | 3 episodes |
| Jack the Ripper | Club Man | 2 episodes | |
| New Scotland Yard | Mr. Foster | Episode: "Rogues Gallery" | |
| Upstairs, Downstairs | Max Weinberg | Episode: "A Change of Scene" | |
| Van der Valk | Mulder | Episode: "Rich Man, Poor Man" | |
| 1974 | Brief Encounter | Porter | Film |
| Father Brown | Dukes | Episode: "The Quick One" | |
| Special Branch | Dr. Eric Blyth | Episode: "Stand and Deliver" | |
| 1975 | Churchill's People | Peter | Episode: "On the Anvil" |
| Village Hall | Bill Jolly | Old Scores | |
| 1975–1976 | Poldark | Sir Hugh Boldrugan | 9 episodes |
| 1976 | Angels | Samuels | Episode: "Challenges" |
| Hadleigh | Oberman | Episode: "Hong Kong Rock" | |
| The Squirrels | Craig | Episode: "The Cruise" | |
| Gangsters | Assistant Managing Director | 3 episodes | |
| 1977 | Rooms | Bernard Metcalfe | |
| Target | Panter | Episode: "Blow Out" | |
| When the Boat Comes In | Channing | 3 episodes | |
| Yes, Honestly | Roscoe B. Roscoe | Episode: "Educating Mr. Roscoe" | |
| 1978 | Armchair Thriller | Det. Inspector Tarrant | 5 episodes |
| Get Some In! | Sergeant Foot | 2 episodes | |
| Scorpion Tales | Arab | Episode: "Crimes of Persuasion" |
References
- Profile, behindthevoiceactors.com; accessed 23 January 2016.http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Christopher-Benjamin
- Colvil & Soames: The Complete Series 1-2https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/440810/colvil-and-soames-the-complete-series-1-2-by-christopher-lee/9781787538214
- "Christopher Benjamin - BFI"https://web.archive.org/web/20170916061153/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2ba124ca61
- The Guardianhttps://www.theguardian.com/stage/2025/jan/26/christopher-benjamin-obituary
- TV Guidehttps://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/christopher-benjamin/credits/3030538153/
- danger-man.co.ukhttp://danger-man.co.uk/familiarfaces.asp?show=Christopher+Benjamin
- BFIhttps://web.archive.org/web/20220703230022/https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b8253b231
- www.aveleyman.comhttps://www.aveleyman.com/ActorCredit.aspx?ActorID=1328
- BFIhttps://web.archive.org/web/20201025165348/https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b830de628
- www.britishdrama.org.ukhttp://www.britishdrama.org.uk/boat.html
- BBChttps://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006q2x0
- "Jago & Litefoot Series One | Doctor Who Reviews"http://doctorwhoreviews.net/jago-and-litefoot-series-one/
- www.screenonline.org.ukhttp://www.screenonline.org.uk/tv/id/465921/credits.html
- AllMoviehttps://www.allmovie.com/artist/christopher-benjamin-p5350
- collections.shakespeare.org.ukhttp://collections.shakespeare.org.uk/search/rsc-performances/search/rsc_person:benjamin-christopher-113132/page/2
- theatricalia.comhttps://theatricalia.com/person/4qz/christopher-benjamin
- "The Fairy Queen, Glyndebourne"https://www.thetimes.com/travel/destinations/uk-travel/england/kent/the-fairy-queen-glyndebourne-xjvrxkbgn3c
- bbashakespeare.warwick.ac.ukhttps://bbashakespeare.warwick.ac.uk/productions/henry-iv-part-one-2004-open-air-theatre-regents-park-london
- The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/01/theater/reviews/01merry.html
- www.keatscommunitylibrary.org.ukhttp://www.keatscommunitylibrary.org.uk/LouisMacNeice.shtml
- "Christopher Benjamin 1934–2025"https://www.doctorwhonews.net/2025/01/christopher_benjamin_1934_2025.html
- Lisa Bowerman on Xhttps://x.com/TheLisaBowerman/status/1879877331009015892
- The Guardianhttps://www.theguardian.com/stage/2025/jan/26/christopher-benjamin-obituary