Don Warrington MBE (born Don Williams, 23 May 1952) is a Trinidadian-born British actor.[1] He is best known for playing Philip Smith in the ITV sitcom Rising Damp (1974–78), and Commissioner Selwyn Patterson in the BBC detective series Death in Paradise (2011–present).

Don Warrington
Warrington in 2017
Born
Don Williams

(1952-05-23) 23 May 1952 (age 72)
EducationHarris College
Drama Centre London
OccupationActor
Years active1974–present
SpouseMary Maddocks
Children2

He was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2008 Birthday Honours.[2]

Early life

edit

Warrington was born in Trinidad, but moved to Newcastle upon Tyne[3] with his mother and brother at the age of seven,[4] while his sister stayed in Trinidad. His father, Basil Kydd, was a Trinidadian politician who died in 1958.[5]

Warrington attended Harris College (now the University of Central Lancashire) and trained as an actor at the Drama Centre London.[6] As there was already an actor called Don Williams when he joined Equity, he took the stage surname "Warrington" after Warrington Road, the street he grew up on. He started acting in repertory theatre at the age of 17.[7]

Career

edit

Television and film

edit

Warrington is best known for playing Philip Smith in Rising Damp, from 1974 to 1978, alongside Leonard Rossiter, Richard Beckinsale, and Frances de la Tour.[8] Warrington also appeared as series regular in the crime drama C.A.T.S. Eyes, as government contact Nigel Beaumont (1985–1987); as General Harris in Impact Earth (2007),[8] and as Judge Ken Winyard in New Street Law.[8]

In 1993 Warrington played television reporter Graham Gaunt in To Play the King, the second part of the BBC's House of Cards trilogy.

He has had smaller roles in many programmes including Red Dwarf, Lovejoy, Manchild, and Diamond Geezer. Warrington portrayed the founder of Time Lord society, Rassilon, in several Doctor Who audio plays, and also appeared as the President of an alternative-universe Great Britain in the Doctor Who episode "Rise of the Cybermen" (2006). Soon after, he recorded an abridged audio book of the Doctor Who novel The Art of Destruction by Stephen Cole.

He is one of the interviewees on the BBC 2 series Grumpy Old Men, and he appears in a series of Kenco coffee advertisements in the United Kingdom in which he plays an African coffee plantation owner. He regularly provides voice-overs for both BBC television and radio.

Warrington has also appeared in BBC1 sitcom The Crouches, which aired from 9 September 2003 until 2005. He played Bailey, who was Roly's boss at a London Underground station in South London. Roly was played by Robbie Gee. Warrington played the role of the Hospital Chaplain in Casualty,[8] assuming the role of Trevor. He also starred in the 2010 film It's a Wonderful Afterlife. He also appeared in Grange Hill as Mr Peters, the father of pupil Lauren Peters.

He provided voiceover links, reading out the various methods of contacting the show on the Chris Evans Breakfast Show on BBC Radio 2, which was broadcast from 11 January 2010.

Since 2011, Warrington has played Commissioner Selwyn Patterson in the BBC show Death in Paradise.[9][10]

He also appeared as jazz musician Frederick J. Louden in a BBC radio production of The Devil's Music, written by Alan Plater. In 2011, Warrington played the father of a suspected terrorist in the last series of the BBC drama Waking the Dead. In 2012, he played master of the college Marcus Harding in “Generation of Vipers”, S6:E2 of Lewis.[8]

His film roles included the movie version of Rising Damp (1980),[8] the Kenny Everett horror comedy Bloodbath at the House of Death (1983), The Lion of Africa (1987),[8] Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet (1996),[8] Peter Greenaway's 8½ Women (1999),[8] and the horror film Lighthouse (1999).[8]

Theatre

edit

Warrington is also a theatre actor and has performed with the National Theatre,[11] the Royal Shakespeare Company, Bristol Old Vic and the Royal Exchange, Manchester.

In 2012–13, he toured with Gwen Taylor in a new stage version of Driving Miss Daisy.[12]

In 2013, Warrington played the lead role of Joe Keller, in Talawa Theatre Company's all-black revival of Arthur Miller's tragedy All My Sons at the Royal Exchange, Manchester,[13] directed by Michael Buffong – a production that The Guardian reviewer called "flawless", giving it a five-star rating.[14]

Warrington performed in the lead role of King Lear in a 2016 Talawa Theatre Company and Royal Exchange, Manchester production. Mark Shenton wrote in The Stage that "Warrington seizes and owns it with magnetic, majestic power" as "one of many virtues in this outstanding production."[15] Claire Allfree in The Telegraph wrote: "Lear is the Everest of roles, and Don Warrington ... ascends the cliff face with magnificent authority. He rages around his daughters like a hulking thunder cloud in human form, not just the incarnation of absolute rule but of something more ancient and of the earth."[16]

Warrington appeared as George in David Mamet's Glengarry Glenn Ross between October 2017 and February 2018 at the Playhouse Theatre alongside Christian Slater, Robert Glenister, Kris Marshall and Daniel Ryan.[17]

He appeared as the central protagonist Willy Loman in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman at the Royal Exchange Theatre from October to November 2018.[18]

Strictly Come Dancing

edit

In 2008, Warrington competed in the sixth series of Strictly Come Dancing, partnered with the 2005 and 2006 British National Champion in Latin American dance, Lilia Kopylova.[19] After Week 4, Warrington was joint seventh out of the remaining 12 contestants with an average of 24.5 points. In Week 5, he was eliminated, having lost the dance-off against Heather Small, with the first three judges all voting for Small over Warrington.

He joined the show to step out of his comfort zone, and he appreciated the opportunity to learn to dance.[20]

Week # Dance/Song Judges' score Result
Horwood Phillips Goodman Tonioli Total
1 Cha-Cha-Cha / "Let's Groove Tonight" 3 5 6 5 19 Dance Off
3 Tango / "Whatever Lola Wants" 7 7 8 8 30 Safe
5 American Smooth / "Can't Smile Without You" 6 6 7 6 25 Eliminated

Filmography

edit

Film

edit
Year Title Role Notes
1976 Meetings, Bloody Meetings Short film
1979 The Last Giraffe Peter Mwenga Television film
1980 Rising Damp Philip Smith
1984 Bloodbath at the House of Death Stephen Wilson
1987 The Lion of Africa Henry Piggot Television film
1990 Camping Afrikansk Ambassadør
1994 Red Dwarf: Smeg Ups Commander Binks Direct-to-video
The Anatomist's Notebook Anatomist Short film
1996 Hamlet Voltimand
1997 The Trick The Magic Man Short film
1998 Babymother Luther - The Don Television film
1999 8½ Women Simon
Tube Tales Preacher Segment: "Steal Away"
Lighthouse Prison Officer Ian Goslet
Black XXX-Mas Black Santa Short film
2000 Trick of the Light Columbine Short film
2004 Monkey Trousers Various roles Television film
Fat Slags General Secretary
2006 Land of the Blind First Sergeant
The Battersea Ripper
2007 Expresso Mr. Jones (Autopilot) Short film
Impact Earth General Harris Television film
2008 God, Smell and Her
2010 It's a Wonderful Afterlife Chief Superintendent
Interval Sir Jeffries Short film
Terry Pratchett's Going Postal Priest Television film
2011 The Glass Man Anton
2013 Voodoo Magic Lucky
2014 Night Shift Well-Mannered Don Short film
2015 The Ark Paul Television film
2017 You, Me and Him Charles
2020 Spanish Pigeon DI Patrick Greene Short film
2021 Rhythm of Life Short film
2022 Still We Thrive Short film

Television

edit
Year Title Role Notes
1974 Crown Court Emmanuel Nyopa 3 episodes: "The Probationer: Parts 1, 2 & 3"
1974–1978 Rising Damp Philip Smith Series regular; 28 episodes
1975 Six Days of Justice Henry Vaughan Episode: "The Good Samaritan"
Against the Crowd Albert Sharpe II Episode: "Carbon Copy"
Second City Firsts Dave Episode: "Club Havana"
1976 The XYY Man Jomo Ibbon Recurring role; 2 episodes
1978 Crown Court Delroy Conway Episode: "Black and Blue: Part 1"
1979 Play for Today Jonathan Foot Episode: "Billy"
1981 Triangle Alan Lansing Recurring role; 8 episodes
1982 Holding the Fort Lieutenant Augustus Mrwebi Episode: "All Boys Together"
1983 Live from Pebble Mill Leroy Episode: "Night Kids"
Crown Court Charles Benjamin Episode: "A Black and White Case: Part 1"
1984 Episode: "Oddball: Part 1"
Fairly Secret Army Johnson Episode: "When the Talking Had to Stop"
1985–1986 The Mysteries Angel Gabriel Miniseries; 3 episodes
1985–1987 C.A.T.S. Eyes Nigel Beaumont Series regular; 28 episodes
1992 Red Dwarf Commander Binks Episode: "Holoship"
Bookmark Macbeth Episode: "The Poet, the President and the Travelling Players"
Trainer DI Raffe Recurring role; 2 episodes
1993 Lovejoy Felix Episode: "Dainty Dish"
To Play the King Graham Gaunt Miniseries; 3 episodes
1994 The 10%ers Fraser Episode: "Awards"
1995 Chiller John Meyburne Episode: "Number Six"
1997 Grange Hill Mr. Phillips Recurring role; 8 episodes
Backup Youden Episode: "Touched"
1999 The Seventh Scroll Colonel Nogo Miniseries; 3 episodes
CI5: The New Professionals Ndaka Episode: "Tusk Force"
2000 Arabian Nights Hari Ben Karim Miniseries; 2 episodes
Trial & Retribution Willard Pembroke Episode: "Trial and Retribution IV (Part 2)"
2001 The Armando Iannucci Shows Ivy Diner Episode: "Mortality" (uncredited role)
2002 Believe Nothing Chairman Recurring role; 4 episodes
2002–2003 Manchild Patrick Recurring role; 4 episodes
2003 Holby City Ethan Hope Recurring role; 4 episodes
2003–2005 The Crouches Bailey Series regular; 12 episodes
2006 Doctor Who The President Episode: "Rise of the Cybermen"
2006–2007 New Street Law Judge Ken Winyard Series regular; 13 episodes
2007 Diamond Geezer Hector Miniseries; 1 episode: "Old School Lies"
2009, 2014 Law & Order: UK Police Commissioner Eamonn Callaghan Recurring role; 2 episodes
2009–2010 Casualty Trevor Recurring role; 7 episodes
2011 M.I. High Bodleian / Crime Episode: "Ghosts"
Waking the Dead Gideon Barclay 2 episodes: "Conviction: Parts 1 & 2"
This is Jinsy Chief Thinker Episode: "Vel"
2011–Present Death in Paradise Commissioner Selwyn Patterson Series regular; 77 episodes
2012 Lewis Marcus Harding Episode: "Generation of Vipers"
2014 Chasing Shadows CS Harley Drayton Miniseries; 4 episodes
2015 BBC Comedy Feeds: Sunny D Lawrence Miniseries; 4 episodes
2016 The Five Ray Kenwood Miniseries; 7 episodes
2017 Henry IX Gilbert Miniseries; 3 episodes
2020–2022 The World According to Grandpa Grandpa Series regular; 29 episodes
2023 Beyond Paradise Commissioner Selwyn Patterson 1 episode

Footnotes

edit
  1. ^ "Don Warrington MBE" Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine, The British Blacklist.
  2. ^ "No. 58729". The London Gazette (Supplement). 14 June 2008. p. 24.
  3. ^ Cavendish, Dominic (15 May 2013). "Don Warrington: Rigsby's a racist – but that's not the real issue". The Telegraph.
  4. ^ Greenstreet, Rosanna (19 February 2022). "Don Warrington: 'I'm too self-possessed to have a most embarrassing moment'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  5. ^ Don Warrington biography, from Caribbean Britain: The Cultural and Biographical Directory by Marjorie H. Morgan. Historical Biographies, 1 October 2012.
  6. ^ Don Warrington biography, ATG Tickets.
  7. ^ "Don Warrington", Ultimate Strictly.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Don Warrington Credits". tvguide.com. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  9. ^ Characters, Death in Paradise, BBC One.
  10. ^ "Don Warrington", Internet Movie Database.
  11. ^ Don Warrington page Archived 4 January 2015 at the Wayback Machine, Royal National Theatre.
  12. ^ Marion McMullen, "Driving force behind Don Warrington's stage return" Archived 4 January 2015 at the Wayback Machine, Coventry Telegraph, 8 February 2013.
  13. ^ "All My Sons" Archived 4 January 2015 at the Wayback Machine, Talawa Theatre Company. Clare Brennan, "All My Sons – review", The Observer, 6 October 2013.
  14. ^ Alfred Hicking, "All My Sons – review", The Guardian, 2 October 2013.
  15. ^ Shenton, Mark (2 April 2016). "King Lear". The Stage. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  16. ^ Allfree, Claire (2016). "Don Warrington's King Lear is a heartbreaking tour de force". The Telegraph. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  17. ^ "Glengarry Glen Ross". www.glengarrywestend.com.
  18. ^ "Death of a Salesman – Royal Exchange Theatre". www.royalexchange.co.uk.
  19. ^ "Don Warrington & Lilia Kopylova", Strictly Come Dancing, BBC One.
  20. ^ Alex Fletcher, "Don Warrington ('Strictly Come Dancing')", Digital Spy, 22 October 2008.
edit