Geoffrey McGivern

Person

Geoffrey McGivern

Acting 74 January 1, 1952

Battersea, London, England, UK

Geoffrey M. McGivern is a British actor in film, television, radio and stage, as well as a comedian. He is best known for originating the role of Ford Prefect in The Hitchhiker's…

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Known for

Popular titles

Outlander

Outlander

8.2 2014 TV Show
Blackadder

Blackadder

8.0 1983 TV Show
Peep Show

Peep Show

8.0 2003 TV Show
Ghosts

Ghosts

7.9 2019 TV Show
Episodes

Episodes

7.2 2011 TV Show
Heartbeat

Heartbeat

7.2 1992 TV Show
Absolutely Fabulous

Absolutely Fabulous

7.6 1992 TV Show
Grantchester

Grantchester

7.3 2014 TV Show
A Young Doctor's Notebook

A Young Doctor's Notebook

7.1 2012 TV Show
Jonathan Creek

Jonathan Creek

7.6 1997 TV Show
Birds of a Feather

Birds of a Feather

6.3 1989 TV Show
Benidorm

Benidorm

7.6 2007 TV Show

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Biography

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Geoffrey M. McGivern is a British actor in film, television, radio and stage, as well as a comedian. He is best known for originating the role of Ford Prefect in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. He played Ford Prefect in the radio series (1978–80) and subsequent LP releases of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams whom he knew from Cambridge University, and reprised the role for the four new series broadcast on BBC Radio 4 between 2004 and 2018. A more recent radio broadcast was in The Ape That Got Lucky and he has appeared in TV shows such as Noel's House Party, Press Gang, Chef!, Big Train, Blackadder the Third ("Dish and Dishonesty") as Ivor Biggun, Chelmsford 123, Jonathan Creek, 15 Storeys High, Armstrong and Miller, Toast of London and series three of Peep Show. McGivern appeared in the first series of the comedy show Big Train in 1998, and later that year for the 1998 radio SciFi drama Paradise Lost in Cyberspace (Colin Swash, BBC) McGivern teamed up with old Hitchhiker's colleague Stephen Moore and Lorelei King (member of cast in the 2005 Hitchhiker's radio show sequel). He later played the Supreme Ruler in BBC2's sci-fi comedy Hyperdrive (2006–2007). In 2007, he appeared in the BBC Radio 4 comedy Peacefully in their Sleeps and in 2008 he appeared as Professor John Mycroft in the BBC2 science sitcom Lab Rats and in the 2008 BBC series Little Dorrit where he played Mr Rugg. He also appeared in episode 5 of series 3 of the TV series A Bit of Fry and Laurie. In 2015, he guest-starred in EastEnders as Dickie Ticker, the crude comic brought in by Mick Carter for Kush Kazemi's stag night. In 2016, he appeared in four episodes of the Disney Channel musical drama The Lodge, as Patrick. McGivern played the narrator Charlie Swinburne in the BBC Radio's 2013 six part dramatisation of G. K. Chesterton's The Club of Queer Trades. In 2017, he appeared in the Channel 4 sitcom Back, written by Simon Blackwell, alongside David Mitchell and Robert Webb. Later that year, he began portraying the recurring role of Frank in the Netflix series Free Rein. Since 2019, he has appeared as recurring character Barclay Beg-Chetwynde in the BBC comedy Ghosts. In 2022, he appeared as the main character Russ, in Radio 4 comedy No-Platformed. The show's episode guide contains a humorous note about McGivern's extensive credit list, by starting a list of his credits and then adding "oh, hundreds of things". In 2024, he appeared as recurring character Lord Rookwood in the Apple TV+ series The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin.

Filmography

Movies and shows, newest first

  1. 2024
    The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin

    TV show Lord Rookwood

  2. 2022
    Sister Boniface Mysteries

    TV show Malise Bonham Crane

  3. 2021
    The Larkins

    TV show Station Master Fox

  4. 2020
    Stardust

    Movie Mr Jones

  5. 2020
    Semi-Detached

    TV show Barry

  6. 2020
    Quiz

    TV show Lieutenant Colonel Village

  7. 2019
    Ghosts

    TV show Barclay

  8. 2019
    This Time with Alan Partridge

    TV show Old Lady

  9. 2018
    Tower-D

    Movie Alexander

  10. 2017
    Back

    TV show Uncle Geoff

  11. 2017
    Quacks

    TV show The Pub Landlord

  12. 2017
    The Ghoul

    Movie Morland

  13. 2017
    Decline and Fall

    TV show Mr Wilson

  14. 2016
    Upstart Crow

    TV show Sir Thomas

  15. 2016
    Here Boy

    Movie Des

  16. 2015
    Together

    TV show Douglas the Neighbour

More credits
  1. 2015
    Roald Dahl's Esio Trot

    Movie Shop Keeper

  2. 2014
    Grantchester

    TV show Archdeacon

  3. 2014
    Outlander

    TV show Dr. Simms

  4. 2014
    Siblings

    TV show Frank

  5. 2013
    Vicious

    TV show Antonio St Alexis

  6. 2013
    Plebs

    TV show Simeon

  7. 2013
    The Mimic

    TV show Kingsley

  8. 2013
    Blandings

    TV show Sir Roderick Glossop

  9. 2012
    A Young Doctor's Notebook

    TV show Pharmacist

  10. 2012
    A Touch of Cloth

    TV show Andy Preacherman

  11. 2011
    Holy Flying Circus

    Movie Dog Walker /Petitioner /Man Whose Wife Malcolm Muggeridge Said Made a Lovely Breakfast

  12. 2011
    Episodes

    TV show Bob

  13. 2010
    This Is Jinsy

    TV show Trince

  14. 2008
    Little Dorrit

    TV show Rugg

  15. 2008
    Lab Rats

    TV show Professor John Mycroft

  16. 2008
    Margaret Thatcher: The Long Walk to Finchley

    Movie Dartford Returning Officer

  17. 2008
    Hancock & Joan

    Movie Billy Marsh

  18. 2007
    Half Broken Things

    Movie Jack

  19. 2007
    Magicians

    Movie Magic Shop Manager

  20. 2007
    Benidorm

    TV show Beverley Westwood

  21. 2006
    Hyperdrive

    TV show Supreme Ruler

  22. 2004
    The Worst Week of My Life

    TV show Santa

  23. 2004
    Doctors and Nurses

    TV show Walt

  24. 2003
    Peep Show

    TV show Gerard