Acting
John Shrapnel
Shrapnel was born in Birmingham, Warwickshire, the son of Mary Lillian Myfanwy (née Edwards) and journalist/author Norman Shrapnel.[1] As a stage actor, he was a member of Laurence Olivier's Royal National Theatre company and the Royal Shakespeare Company and most recently appeared as Sir Oliver Surface in The School for Scandal (directed by Deborah Warner) at the Barbican Centre in 2011. He has also appeared extensively in film and on television in roles in Elizabeth R, Z-Cars, Edward and Mrs. Simpson, 101 Dalmatians, Space: 1999, Inspector Morse, Coogan's Run, Notting Hill and Foyle's War. He presented an episode of the 1983 BBC television travel series Great Little Railways. He gave performances in three entries in the BBC Television Shakespeare plays and as Creon in the BBC's 1984 productions of the Three Theban plays of Sophocles. In America, he has starred in supporting roles as Senator Gaius in Gladiator, Nestor in Troy and Pompey in the second episode of Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire. He also played the Jail Warden in the 10th Kingdom, an epic fantasy miniseries. He has the rare achievement of appearing in two episodes of Midsomer Murders as two different characters, in Death in Chorus and Written in Blood. Shrapnel appeared in an episode of Jonathan Creek as Professor Lance Graumann in the episode The Omega Man. He appears in Chemical Wedding alongside Simon Callow, telling the tale of the resurrection of occultist Aleister Crowley. Shrapnel also has experience in the field of BBC radio drama through such characters as Colin Dexter's Inspector Morse and William Gibson's Neuromancer. He is the son-in-law of Deborah Kerr through his 1975 marriage to her younger daughter Francesca Ann Bartley. They have three sons, the actors Lex Shrapnel (b.1979), Tom Shrapnel (b.1981) and the writer Joe Shrapnel (b.1976). They live in Highbury, north London.
Filmography
Hamlet Within
Film · 2022
Britain's Nuclear Bomb - The Inside Story
Film · 2017
King Charles III
Film · 2017
The Lions Rule
Series · 2017
The Return of the Flying Scotsman
Film · 2016
Hamlet
Film · 2015
Branagh Theatre Live: The Winter's Tale
Film · 2015
OXI, an Act of Resistance
Film · 2014
Building Burma's Death Railway: Moving Half the Mountain
Film · 2014
National Theatre Live: Macbeth
Film · 2013
Run.
Film · 2013
The Awakening
Film · 2011
An Organization of Dreams
Film · 2009
National Theatre Live: Phèdre
Film · 2009
Chemical Wedding
Film · 2008
The Duchess
Film · 2008
Mirrors
Film · 2008
Apparitions
Series · 2008
Merlin
Series · 2008
Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Film · 2007
Hindenburg: Titanic of the Skies
Film · 2007
Once Upon a Time on the Westway
Film · 2007
Alien Autopsy
Film · 2006
Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire
Series · 2006
Shadow of the Sword
Film · 2005
Troy
Film · 2004
Seven Wonders of Ancient Egypt
Film · 2004
Seven Wonders of Ancient Greece
Film · 2004
Seven Wonders of Ancient Rome
Film · 2004
I Am Not an Animal
Series · 2004
New Tricks
Series · 2004
Wild Women of Viramba
Film · 2003
The Race for Everest
Film · 2003
K-19: The Widowmaker
Film · 2002
Alone
Film · 2002
Claim
Film · 2002
Whistle
Film · 2002
The Inspector Lynley Mysteries
Series · 2002
Foyle's War
Series · 2002
The Body
Film · 2001
Animals of the Ocean Desert
Film · 2001
Mountain Men: The Ghosts of K2
Film · 2001
The Gentleman Thief
Film · 2001
The Misfit and the Matterhorn
Film · 2001
Waking the Dead
Series · 2001
Gladiator
Film · 2000
Horizon: Supermassive Black Holes
Film · 2000
Lost on Everest: The Search for Mallory and Irvine
Film · 2000
The 10th Kingdom
Series · 2000
Notting Hill
Film · 1999
Hornblower: The Frogs and the Lobsters
Film · 1999
Mary, Mother of Jesus
Film · 1999
The Strange Case of Delfina Potocka
Film · 1999
Lion Queen
Film · 1998
Solo Shuttle
Film · 1998
Invasion: Earth
Series · 1998
Bodyguards
Series · 1997
Predators Killing for a Living
Series · 1997
Jonathan Creek
Series · 1997
Midsomer Murders
Series · 1997
Midsomer Murders
Series · 1997
True Tilda
Series · 1997
Two Deaths
Film · 1996
101 Dalmatians
Film · 1996
Alien Empire
Series · 1996
England, My England
Film · 1995
King Arthur: His Life and Legends
Film · 1995
Kavanagh Q.C.
Series · 1995
Coogan's Run
Series · 1995
Fatherland
Film · 1994
Wycliffe
Series · 1994
Selling Hitler
Film · 1993
SS-3: The Assassination of Reinhard Heydrich
Film · 1992
Hamlet
Film · 1992
Between the Lines
Series · 1992
Between the Lines
Series · 1992
Shakespeare: The Animated Tales
Series · 1992
G.B.H.
Series · 1991
For the Greater Good
Series · 1991
Selling Hitler
Series · 1991
The Tragedy of Flight 103: The Inside Story
Film · 1990
Centrepoint
Series · 1990
The Chief
Series · 1990
How to Get Ahead in Advertising
Film · 1989
About Face
Series · 1989
Blackeyes
Series · 1989
Testimony
Film · 1988
The Modern World: Ten Great Writers
Series · 1988
Partition
Film · 1987
Personal Services
Film · 1987
Vanity Fair
Series · 1987
Theban Plays: Oedipus the King
Film · 1986
Theban Plays: Antigone
Film · 1986
Theban Plays: Oedipus at Colonus
Film · 1986
Poppyland
Film · 1985
The Burston Rebellion
Film · 1985
Screen Two
Series · 1985
Screen Two
Series · 1985
Mr. Palfrey of Westminster
Series · 1984
Sorrell and Son
Series · 1984
Natural World
Series · 1983
King Lear
Film · 1982
The Woman in White
Series · 1982
Timon of Athens
Film · 1981
Troilus & Cressida
Film · 1981
Private Schulz
Series · 1981
The Tom Machine
Film · 1980
The Victim
Film · 1980
Gossip from the Forest
Film · 1979
Screenplay
Series · 1979
Edward & Mrs. Simpson
Film · 1978
Flayed
Film · 1978
Edward and Mrs Simpson
Series · 1978
Armchair Thriller
Series · 1978
Professional Foul
Film · 1977
The Three Hostages
Film · 1977
BBC2 Play of the Week
Series · 1977
BBC2 Play of the Week
Series · 1977
Hitting Town
Film · 1976
Plays for Britain
Series · 1976
Hennessy
Film · 1975
King Lear
Film · 1975
Space: 1999
Series · 1975
Good Girl
Series · 1974
Pope Joan
Film · 1972
Nicholas and Alexandra
Film · 1971
Elizabeth R
Series · 1971
Justice
Series · 1971
The Ha-Ha
Film · 1969
It's Called the Sugar Plum
Film · 1969
Omnibus
Series · 1967
ITV Playhouse
Series · 1967
BBC Play of the Month
Series · 1965
BBC Play of the Month
Series · 1965