Wikipedia

Anton Lesser

Anton Lesser (born 14 February 1952[1]) is a British actor. He is known for his roles as Qyburn in the HBO series Game of Thrones, Harold Macmillan in The Crown, Clement Attlee in A United Kingdom, Chief Superintendent Bright in Endeavour,[2] and Major Partagaz in Star Wars: Andor. An associate of the Royal Shakespeare Company, he has performed numerous Shakespearean roles on stage and television.

Anton Lesser
Lesser in June 2011
Born (1952-02-14) 14 February 1952 (age 72)
Birmingham, England, United Kingdom
Alma mater
OccupationActor
Years active1979–present
SpouseMadeleine Lesser
Children2

Early life and education

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Anton Lesser was born in Birmingham[3] on 14 February 1952,[4] the son of David Lesser and his wife Amelia Cohen.[citation needed] He is of Jewish background.[5]

He was educated at Moseley Grammar School[6] and at the University of Liverpool, where he earned a degree in architecture in 1973.[7]

Lesser went to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art from 1974 until 1976,[3] and on graduation in 1977[8] was awarded the Bancroft Gold Medal as the most promising actor of his year. His final performance there was as Gethin Price in Comedians by Trevor Griffiths.[3]

Career

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Lesser was spotted in Comedians and offered a contract by the casting director for the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC).[3]

As an associate artist with the RSC, Lesser played many of Shakespeare's great roles.[3] In the BBC Television Shakespeare productions he was Troilus (Troilus and Cressida), Edgar (King Lear), and Feste (Twelfth Night). On stage, he has portrayed Romeo (a titular character in his play), Prince Hamlet (the titular character of his play), Brutus (Julius Caesar), Petruchio (The Taming of the Shrew), Richard III (the titular character of his play), and others.[9]

When he moved down to London, the reviews were less flattering than he had become accustomed to at the RSC. However he continued to win roles on stage, including as Stanley in Harold Pinter’s The Birthday Party, Petruchio in The Taming of the Shrew, Rover in Wild Oats and Brutus in Deborah Warner’s Julius Caesar in 1975.[3]

Lesser is a frequent radio contributor and played the title role in the BBC Radio adaptations of the first five Marcus Didius Falco mysteries by Lindsey Davis. He has also recorded many audiobooks, including much of the work of Charles Dickens. His recording of Great Expectations won him a Talkie Award. Other books range from John Milton's Paradise Lost, Homer and Rumi[10] to contemporary novels by Robert Harris (Fatherland) and Philip Pullman. For two months in 2013, Lesser was a regular cast member playing Robin Carrow in Ambridge Extra, a BBC Radio 4 Extra spin-off from the BBC Radio 4 drama The Archers.[11]

In 2013, during the third season of the HBO Max series Game of Thrones, Lesser began playing the recurring role of Qyburn, an enigmatic mad scientist who served as part of the retinue of Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey). Qyburn, and Lesser's portrayal of him, were popular with fans, particularly as the series went on and the character appeared more frequently and had greater influence over the narrative.[12][13] The Ringer described him as "the last curious man in Westeros" and noted that the character "refuses to seem like a MacGuffin, despite totally being one."[14] The character returned across the remainder of the series run until the penultimate episode in 2019; Qyburn was one of the characters who perished in the episode, which led to many fans producing memes about his abrupt death.[15]

In 2015, Lesser was announced as a public supporter of Chapel Lane Theatre Company based in Stratford-upon-Avon, United Kingdom.[16]

Lesser portrayed Thomas More in the BBC mini-series Wolf Hall, and received a nomination for the British Academy Television Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance.[17]

In 2022, Lesser played Major Partagaz, a supporting antagonist in the Star Wars spinoff Andor. His performance of Partagaz, a ranking member of the Empire's intelligence agency, the Imperial Security Bureau, was noted by critics. Digital Spy noted that Lesser delivered dialogue on Imperial bureaucracy with "powerful coolness."[18]

Personal life

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With his wife Madeleine Adams, Lesser has two children, Harry and Lily. Lily Lesser is an actress and has acted alongside her father in Endeavour and Wolf Hall.[19]

Filmography

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Film

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Filmography—sortable
Year Title Role Notes
1982 The Missionary Young Man
1985 The Assam Garden Mr. Sutton
1997 FairyTale: A True Story Wounded Corporal
2000 Esther Kahn Sean
2001 Charlotte Gray Monsieur Renech
2003 Imagining Argentina General Guzmán
Y Mabinogi Teyrnon Voice role
2005 River Queen Major Baine
2006 Miss Potter Harold Warne
2009 Deep Sleep Short film
2011 Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides Lord John Carteret
The Lady Professor Finnis
Flutter Bruno
2012 The Scapegoat Father McReady
2014 Closer to the Moon Comrade Holban
2016 A United Kingdom Prime Minister Attlee
Allied Emmanuel Lombard
The Exception General Falkenberg
2017 On Chesil Beach Reverend Woollett
Disobedience Rav Krushka
The Other Door Interviewer 1 Short film
Catherine the Great: Lovers and Sons Peter III
2018 Seasonal Contract The Narrator Voice role, short film
2020 The Courier Bertrand
Tick Tick Tick Narrator Short film
Kindred Dr. Richards
Gatecrash Sid
2021 A Cold Supper Behind Harrods Leo
Galahad Jones Mitch Mullins Short film
Benediction Stephen Tennant (Older)

Television

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Television roles by year—sortable
Year Title Role Notes
1979 The Mill on the Floss Philip Waken Miniseries, 6 episodes
Oresteia Orestes Miniseries, 3 episodes
1981 The Cherry Orchard Trofimov Television film
Troilus & Cressida Troilus Television film
1982 Crown Court John Peat 3 episodes
King Lear Edgar Television film
1983 Good and Bad at Games Cox Television film
1984 Sakharov Valery Chalidze Television film
Freud Wilhelm Fliess Miniseries, 5 episodes
1985 Anna of the Five Towns Willie Price Miniseries, 3 episodes
1987 Great Performances Robber Episode: "Monsignor Quixote"
London Embassy Robert Bronhouse Miniseries, 1 episode: "Tomb with a View"
1988 Twelfth Night, or What You Will Feste Television film
Screen Two Stanley Spencer Episode: "Stanley"
The Play on One Vincenzo Episode: "Airbase"
A Vote for Hitler A.L. Rowse Television film
1989 Murderers Among Us: The Simon Wiesenthal Story Karl Television film
1990 ScreenPlay Robert Cecil Episode: "Traitors"
1991 The Strauss Dynasty Gustav Levi Miniseries, 8 episodes
1992 Downtown Lagos Mungo Dawson Miniseries, 3 episodes
1994 Guinevere Envoy Television film
Shakespeare: The Animated Tales Leontes Voice role, 1 episode: "The Winter's Tale"
1995 The Politician's Wife Mark Hollister Miniseries, 3 episodes
Bugs Patrick Marcel Episode: "Pulse"
Moses Eliav Miniseries, 2 episodes
1996 Sharman Galilee Episode: "Pretend We're Dead"
Testament: The Bible in Animation Joseph Voice role, 1 episode: "Joseph"
The Moonstone Ezra Jennings Television film
1997 Bodyguards Dusan Mesic Episode: "A Choice of Evils"
Into the Blue Dr. John Ockleton Television film
1998 Invasion: Earth Lt. Charles Terrell Miniseries, 4 episodes
Vanity Fair Mr. Pitt Crawley Miniseries, 5 episodes
The Echo Billy Blake Miniseries, 2 episodes
1999 Pure Wickedness Dr. Andrew Ward 1 episode
Trial by Fire Brian Redwood Television film
2000 The Miracle Maker King Herod Voice role, television film
Safe as Houses Mr. Dunn Television film
The Scarlet Pimpernel Antoine Picard Episode: "Friends & Enemies"
Lorna Doone Counsellor Doone Television film
2001 Perfect Strangers Stephen Miniseries, 3 episodes
Murder Rooms: Mysteries of the Real Sherlock Holmes Milburn Miniseries, 1 episode: "The White Knight Stratagem"
Uprising Nathan Lensky Television film
Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story Vidas Merlinis - Research Scientist Miniseries, 2 episodes
Swallow Paul Valley 3 episodes
2002 Animated Tales of the World The Flower of Fern Voice role, 1 episode: "Flower of Fern, a Tale from Poland"
Dickens Charles Dickens Miniseries, 3 episodes
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Bertilak - Green Knight Voice role, television film
Waking the Dead Professor Ray Levin Episode: "Special Relationship"
The Project Stanley Hall Miniseries, 2 episodes
Foyle's War Austin Carmichael Episode: "Eagle Day"
2003 Eroica Sukowaty Television film
Midsomer Murders Eddie Darwin Episode: "Birds of Prey"
Danielle Cable: Eyewitness Henry Batten Television film
2004 Silent Witness Marcus Gwilym Episode: "Death by Water"
Dirty Filthy Love Charles Television film
Spooks Nicholas Ashworth Episode: "A Prayer for My Daughter"
2005 Ahead of the Class Graham Ranger Television film
The Girl in the Café George Television film
Class of '76 Martin Gibson Miniseries, 2 episodes
Nova Voltaire Episode: "E=mc²: Einstein's Big Idea"
2006 Dalziel and Pascoe Paul Goodman Episode: "Guardian Angel"
Vital Signs Dr. Lindsay 4 episodes
New Tricks Pete Mackintyre Episode: "Bank Robbery"
The Outsiders Maurice Heston Television film
A Touch of Frost Dennis Prior Episode: "Endangered Species"
2008 Midsomer Murders Reverend Wallace Stone Episode: "Talking to the Dead"
The Palace Archbishop of Canterbury 2 episodes
Agatha Christie's Poirot Inspector Kelsey Episode: "Cat Among the Pigeons"
Einstein and Eddington Fritz Haber Television film
Little Dorrit Mr. Merdle 9 episodes
2009 Casualty 1909 Dr. Henry Head 4 episodes
2010 Holby City Sol Caplin Episode: "Faith No More"
Five Daughters Dr. Nat Cary Miniseries, 2 episodes
Garrow's Law John Farmer 4 episodes
Primeval: Webisodes Gideon Miniseries, 3 episodes
2011 Primeval Gideon Recurring role, 6 episodes
The Hour Clarence Fendley Main role, 5 episodes
The Man Who Crossed Hitler Rudolf Olden Television film
2012 Secret State Sir Michael Rix Miniseries, 2 episodes
2012–2016 The Hollow Crown Duke of Exeter 4 episodes
2013 Spies of Warsaw Doctor Lapp Miniseries, 4 episodes
Mad Dogs Alex 1 episode
Ripper Street Dr. Karl Crabbe 2 episodes
The Escape Artist Richard Mayfield, QC Miniseries, 3 episodes
Atlantis Kyros Episode: "Pandora's Box"
2013–2019 Game of Thrones Qyburn Recurring role, 22 episodes
2013–2023 Endeavour Chief Superintendent / ACC Reginald Bright Main role, 35 episodes
2014 Father Brown Father Ignatius Episode: "The Mysteries of the Rosary"
The Musketeers Émile De Mauvoisin Episode: "The Homecoming"
The Game C Miniseries, 1 episode
2015 Wolf Hall Thomas More Miniseries, 4 episodes
Life in Squares Dr. Hyslop Miniseries, 2 episodes
Le Donne Salvatore Miniseries, 5 episodes
2015–2016 Dickensian Fagin Main role, 15 episodes
2016 Hooten & the Lady Hercules Miniseries, 1 episode: "Moscow"
2017 Will Walsingham Episode: "The Play's the Thing"
The Crown Harold Macmillan Main role (season 2), 8 episodes
2019–2020 The Trial of Christine Keeler Michael Eddowes Miniseries, 6 episodes
2021 A Discovery of Witches Rabbi Loew 1 episode
2022 Killing Eve Robert Episode: "Making Dead Things Look Nice"
Andor Major Partagaz 7 episodes
1899 Henry Singleton 8 episodes
2023 Better Vernon Marley 4 episodes

Podcasts

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Podcasts by year—sortable
Year Title Role Notes
2020 The Sandman Dr. John Hathaway Voice role, 20 episodes

Video games

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Video game roles by year—sortable
Year Title Role Notes
2020 South of the Circle Professor Hargreaves Voice role

Theatre performances

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Awards and nominations

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Awards and nominations by year—sortable
Year Award Category Work Result Ref.
2016 BAFTA TV Awards Best Supporting Actor Wolf Hall Nominated [21]
2018 Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Game of Thrones Nominated [22][23]
The Crown Nominated

References

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  1. ^ Gullen, Zoë; Sefton, Daniel, eds. (2006). Debrett's People of Today 2006. London: Debrett's. p. 969. ISBN 9781870520324. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  2. ^ "Anton Lesser talks Qyburn, Jaime Lannister's Gold Hand, & The Mountain". flicksandthecity.com. 5 June 2014. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Smurthwaite, Nick (28 May 2019). "Actor Anton Lesser: 'I'd much rather be here than stuck halfway up a mountain'". The Stage. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
  4. ^ Gullen, Zoë; Sefton, Daniel, eds. (2006). Debrett's People of Today 2006. London: Debrett's. p. 969. ISBN 9781870520324. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  5. ^ "Jews in the News: Carl Reiner, Mel Brooks and David H. Steinberg | Tampa JCCS and Federation".
  6. ^ "Moseley's Hall Of Fame". The Moseleians Association. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
  7. ^ "Alumni Profile: Anton Lesser" (PDF). University of Liverpool Alumni. 2017. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
  8. ^ "Anton Lesser - RADA". Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
  9. ^ "Anton Lesser". IMDb. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  10. ^ Arnold, Sue (1 December 2007). "Verse yourself in Rumi's words". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  11. ^ Delaney, Zoe (20 September 2021). "Endeavour star Anton Lesser's secretly famous daughter who appears alongside him". mirror. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  12. ^ Shepherd, Jack (13 June 2016). "Game of Thrones season 6 episode 8: What rumour does Qyburn confirm for Cersei?". The Independent. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  13. ^ Han, Karen (7 May 2019). "Qyburn is playing the long game (of thrones)". Polygon. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  14. ^ Siquig, Alex (19 April 2019). "In Praise of Qyburn, Westeros's Resident Freak". The Ringer. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  15. ^ Taylor, Jordyn (13 May 2019). "How Fans Reacted to Qyburn's Death on Game of Thrones". Men's Health. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  16. ^ Harvey-Ball, Thom. "New Supporter - Anton Lesser!". Chapel Lane Theatre Company. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
  17. ^ Fabrique. "BAFTA TV awards for RADA alumni — RADA". www.rada.ac.uk. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  18. ^ Griffiths, Al (29 September 2022). "What Andor gets right that the Star Wars prequel trilogy got wrong". Digital Spy. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  19. ^ "Lily Lesser" at IMDb.
  20. ^ as spelled in The life and death of Richard II programme by the Royal Shakespeare Theatre 1990
  21. ^ "BAFTA Television Awards 2016 – winners in full". RadioTimes. 8 May 2016. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  22. ^ "Nominations Announced for the 24th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards" (PDF). Screen Actors Guild. 13 December 2017. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
  23. ^ Rubin, Rebecca (13 December 2017). "SAG Award Nominations: Complete List". Variety. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
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