

Cast & creator
Best known for Outlander, Black Mirror, Play for Today
Brian Pettifer (born January 1, 1953) is a South African actor who has appeared in many television shows, and also on stage and in film. He is the younger brother of folk musician Linda Thompson. He intended to become a photographer, but pursued a career as an actor. He appeared as a child in the BBC's This Man Craig and Dr Finlay's Casebook, and Madame Bovary (with his friend Alex Norton) which gave him an avid interest in acting on television. His first film role was in Lindsay Anderson's film if.... (1968). He also appeared in Anderson's O Lucky Man! (1973) and Britannia Hospital (1982) playing the same character in all three Anderson films, that of Biles. His other film credits include roles in Amadeus (1984), A Christmas Carol (1984), Gulag (1985), Heavenly Pursuits (1986), Little Dorrit (1987), The Great Escape II: The Untold Story (1988), Loch Ness (1996), The House of Mirth (2000), Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (2002), The Rocket Post (2004), Vanity Fair (2004) and Lassie (2005). Pettifer was a regular in Rab C. Nesbitt mainly propping up a bar, but was also known as aircraftman Bruce Leckie in Get Some In!, where he was constantly the butt of jokes directed at him by Corporal Marsh. He also played cousin Hughie in the long running Liverpool based 70s sitcom The Liver Birds. He also played Alfred Meyer in the BBC/HBO film Conspiracy and the part of Dr. Cameron in the Radio 4 series entitled Adventures of a Black Bag, after appearing in several episodes of Dr. Finlay's Casebook. He appeared in Hamish Macbeth, as well as guest starring in Still Game. In 2005, he also appeared in the first episode of the BBC drama Bleak House. In 2011 and 2013, he played Father Richards in The Field of Blood. He had the role of Poupart in the BBC One series The Musketeers. In 2012, Brian Pettifer appeared as Archie Milgrow in the episode Old School Ties in the series New Tricks. He has worked extensively in the theatre: writing, directing and acting. He has been in a production of The Fairy-Queen at Glyndebourne, which went to Paris and New York in 2010. In 2015, Pettifer appeared in the crime comedy The Legend of Barney Thomson along with his Hamish Macbeth co-star Robert Carlyle. In 2019, he appeared in an episode of Holby City playing patient Laurie Stocks.
47
film credits
35
television credits
82
1956–2024 · acting roles
6.7
average across scored titles
Signature credits
Across film & television
Showing 82 of 82 credits

Old Charlie
2014
William Grange, Dentist
2011
Boy in Grounds
1970
Andrew McIntyre
1992
The Best Man
1973
Archie Milgrow
2004
Tip Jones
2004
Jephthah Claypole
2013
Mortimer
1996
Adam Armour
1969
Rory Campbell
1995
Hector Hegarty
2021
Eric Morton
2000
Willy Kinross
1986
Lord Kingsley Wood
2017
Hospital Attendant
1984
Bartender
1978
Parson Supple
1997
Robert Boycott
2009
Youth
1972
the executioner / the torturer of the trial
1999
Brother Thomas
2002
Honeyfoot
2015
Wheeler
2005
Gordon Travers
1999
Billy (Drunk)
2021
Stifford
1976
Nigel Purvis
1956Howard Heights
1995
Mr. Raggles
2004
Village Man
2024
Billy Murdoch
1986
Alisdair
1986
Alan
1974
Alfred Meyer
2001
Bruce Leckie
1975
Ben
1984
Father Richards
2011

Kirby-Green
1988
Mr. Bry
2000
O'Donnell
2005
Biles
1982
Repairman
1996
Charlie
2015Boy
1979Professor Baxter
2002
PC Dougie
2019
Ventriloquist
1995
Biles
1968
Dite Peat
1982
Additional cast
1972
Vlasov
1985
Angus
2016
Clarence Barnacle
1987Self
2004
Harry How
2005
Poole
2003
Maxwell Borthwick
2008Spratt
1970
Reverend Shand
2004
Victor Vaughan
2018
Self
1992
Cliff Tutley
1995Nigel Purvis
1970
Spanner
1997
Fatman
1998
Pupil Teacher
1970
Father Cobb
1986
Boy in Grounds
1970
Couthon
2009
Macgregor
2004
Ron
2011

Cyril
1988Journalist/Dave
1992
Andy
1986
Brian Colburn
2010
Self
2019Youth at Wedding
1972Mike
2021