Paul Brooke

Paul Brooke is an English actor, born on 22 November 1944, who built his career across stage, film, and television. He began as a stage performer and spent several years as a member of Frank Dunlop's original Young Vic Company, appearing in numerous London productions. In 1974, he made his Broadway debut in Scapino. He is the father of actor Tom Brooke.

Brooke entered film in 1972 with the Hammer production Straight on till Morning. Subsequent film appearances include the James Bond entry For Your Eyes Only (1981), Return of the Jedi (1983), Scandal (1989), Saving Grace (2000), Bridget Jones's Diary (2001), Alfie (2004), The Phantom of the Opera (2004), and Oliver Twist (2005). In Return of the Jedi, he portrayed Malakili the Rancor Keeper, with his voice dubbed by Ernie Fosselius. In Bridget Jones's Diary, he played Mr. Fitzherbert.

His television work spans a wide range of British and international productions, including All Creatures Great and Small, The Blackadder, Bertie and Elizabeth, Blott on the Landscape, Lovejoy, Foyle's War, Rab C. Nesbitt, Kavanagh QC, Sharpe's Revenge, Midsomer Murders, Hustle, Covington Cross, Between the Lines, and Relic Hunter, among others. He appeared in the 1997 miniseries Nostromo and the 1990 Mr. Bean sketch "The Library." In 2004, he portrayed British Conservative politician Ian Gow in the BBC series The Alan Clark Diaries. Brooke is one of only three actors, alongside Linal Haft and Frank Mills, to appear in both the classic and returning series of Minder, in different roles each time.

Beyond screen work, Brooke contributed to audio drama, guest starring in the Doctor Who audio adventure Year of the Pig in 2006. He also played Gríma Wormtongue in the 1981 BBC radio adaptation of The Lord of the Rings.