Pretty much anybody who has seen more than one British tv show during it's golden age, from 1970 to 1998, has seen something with Jeremy Sinden in it. With a deep, resonant voice graced by well-carved diction, mobile, googly eyes, and a ruthlessly animated charm, he dominated the many support roles he was in. Usually playing dismissive, low-end toffs, his characters were rife with the stereotypical arrogance and snobbery of the spoiled younger gentry; in spite of this, one can't help but enjoy these marginally likable fellows, due to the affable charm of Sinden himself. I think he must have been a fun guy to socialise with in so-called 'real' life; I don't believe that one can play a boorish cad so well unless one can see what makes them ridiculous. He did play serious roles, and very well indeed. He was commanding and excellent when caled upon to be thus, but the charmingly pushy snob was what he did best. Of all the glib, 'I say, wot-wot'-type character actors of the 70's, I would say that he was right up at the top.
He really had an excellent career, by Phantom Empires standards. He had a couple of blips on the international radar as one of the wingmen in the final raid on the Death Star in STAR WARS, and as the President-Gilbert & Sullivan Society in CHARIOTS OF FIRE. The rest of the notable stuff is on the telly.
He really had an excellent career, by Phantom Empires standards. He had a couple of blips on the international radar as one of the wingmen in the final raid on the Death Star in STAR WARS, and as the President-Gilbert & Sullivan Society in CHARIOTS OF FIRE. The rest of the notable stuff is on the telly.
Like many of these great actors of the British small screen, I saw Jeremy Sinden many times before I was aware of him. I came to notice him as an amusing entity first in the Emma Thompson/Kenneth Branagh miniseries FORTUNES OF WAR, as the hilariously sexist Lord Lisdoonvarna. Once the identification was made, I realised that I'd seen him nearly everywhere; his UK telly resume' is dotted with some of my favourite shows. Some personal highlight include: Boy Mulcaster in BRIDESHEAD REVISITED, Henry Seldon in the LORD PETER/HARRIET VANE MYSTERIES, Lord Roseberry in NUMBER 10 (the episode "Old Glad Eyes"), Ivor Rodgers in DANGER UXB, and as Captain Lydgate in the sweet 1994 production of MIDDLEMARCH. I recommend any of these in general, but as great examples of Jeremy Sinden's marvelous craft they're certainly required watching.
Sadly, he died in 1994 at the age of 45 (two years younger than myself...eek). I found that out in recent researches, and it stuck me as particularly tragic; so few do what he did, especially nowadays, when UK tv is a glossy, WB-styled wasteland, and nobody did it as well. He was on the list of people that I'd hoped to bump into at a pub someday...but sadly, not to be.
Sadly, he died in 1994 at the age of 45 (two years younger than myself...eek). I found that out in recent researches, and it stuck me as particularly tragic; so few do what he did, especially nowadays, when UK tv is a glossy, WB-styled wasteland, and nobody did it as well. He was on the list of people that I'd hoped to bump into at a pub someday...but sadly, not to be.
Side note: For audiobook lovers, Jeremy Sinden did a number of readings on CD and, consequently, MP3. A large number of books are available on Amazon.com.