Peter Cellier


Peter Cellier is an English actor who has appeared in film, stage and television. He is known for his role as Sir Frank Gordon in Yes Minister and then Yes, Prime Minister in the 1980s.

Early life

Cellier was born in Hendon, Middlesex into a family of actors including his father Frank, his mother Phyllis Shannaw, and his half-sister Antoinette. His grandfather was the Gilbert and Sullivan conductor François Cellier.

Career

Theatre

Cellier started his career at the Leatherhead Theatre in 1953. His theatre work has included seasons at Stratford-on-Avon, The Old Vic and the Chichester Festival Theatre, and he was a founder-member of the National Theatre. Shakespeare plays in which Cellier has appeared include Hamlet, The Merchant of Venice, Othello, Love's Labour's Lost, Measure for Measure, As You Like It, King John, Julius Caesar, Cymbeline and Henry V, as the Dauphin. Other roles include Pinchard in Georges Feydeau's An Absolute Turkey, Tommy Devon in Aunt Edwina, The Dean of Archeo in Body and Soul, Eric Shelding in The Case in Question, Danforth in The Crucible, Duke Francis in The Dark Horse, Dr. Finache in Jacques Charon's National Theatre production of Feydeau's A Flea in her Ear, Charles Blutham in Juno and the Paycock, Dr. Herdal in The Master Builder, Sir John Tremaine in Me And My Girl, The Chaplain in Mother Courage, Christopher in A Private Matter, Captain Brazen in The Recruiting Officer, Polonius in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead Higgins in Ross, Miguel Estete in The Royal Hunt of the Sun and Desmond in The Winslow Boy.

Television

On television, Cellier has appeared in a wide range of programmes since 1955, including detective series such as Softly, Softly and Bergerac, adventure series such as Doctor Who, historical dramas such as The Six Wives of Henry VIII, Upstairs, Downstairs and The Duchess of Duke Street, and is perhaps best known for his work in two John Mortimer series, Rumpole of the Bailey, Paradise Postponed. He also appeared in the sitcoms It Ain't Half Hot Mum, Yes Minister and its sequel Yes, Prime Minister and Keeping Up Appearances, as the Major, among others. In the two Minister series, he played Sir Frank Gordon, the Permanent Secretary to HM Treasury, urbanely contending with Nigel Hawthorne's Sir Humphrey Appleby for supremacy within the civil service. He played Roy Difford in the Casualty episode "The Silence of Friends". and the Judge in BBC Four's Canoe Man, which recounted the John Darwin disappearance case.

Films

Cellier's film work includes Morgan!, as Second Counsel; Young Winston, as Captain 35th Sikhs; Luther, as the Prior; Don't Just Lie There, Say Something!, as the Attorney General; Man About the House, as Morris Pluthero; Man Friday, as Carey; Barry Lyndon, as Sir Richard; Sister Dora, as Actor; Jabberwocky, as First merchant; Crossed Swords, as Mean Man; Holocaust 2000, as Sheckley; The Pumaman, as Martin; Breaking Glass, as Garage Customer; Chariots of Fire, as Head Waiter, as Savoy; And the Ship Sails On, as Sir Reginald J. Dongby; The Last Days of Pompeii, as Calenus; A Room with a View, as Sir Harry Otway, a landlord; Clockwise, as Headmaster; Out of Order, as Home Secretary; Personal Services, as Mr. Marples; Howards End, as Colonel Fussell; Bhaji on the Beach, as Ambrose Waddington; The Remains of the Day, as Sir Leonard Bax; Stanley's Dragon, as Mr. Johnson; Mrs Dalloway, as Lord Lezham; and Ladies in Lavender, as BBC Announcer.
Cellier played W. S. Gilbert in the 1983 film The Best of Gilbert and Sullivan, in which Gilbert and Sullivan reunite to watch a performance of their greatest songs at the Royal Albert Hall.

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes-
1960Sink the Bismarck!First Lieutenant on DestroyersUncredited-
1966Morgan – A Suitable Case for TreatmentSecond Counsel-
1970The Six Wives of Henry VIIISir Christopher HalesEpisode: Anne Boleyn-
1971The Rivals of Sherlock HolmesDuke of WiltshireEpisode: The Duchess of Wiltshire's Diamonds-
1972Young WinstonCaptain-
1972-1975Play for TodayVarious3 episodes-
1973Upstairs, DownstairsHenry PritchettEpisode: Word of Honour-
1974LutherPrior-
1974Don't Just Lie There, Say Something!Attorney General-
1974Man About the HouseMorris Pluthero-
1975FlameSalesman In Car ShowroomUncredited-
1975Man FridayCarey-
1975Barry LyndonSir Richard-
1976The Duchess of Duke StreetMr MatherEpisode: The Bargain-
1977Jabberwocky1st Merchant-
1977The Prince and the PauperMean Man-
1977-1982Crown CourtJudge Robinson4 episodes-
1977Holocaust 2000Sheckley-
1978Pennies from HeavenBank ManagerTV mini-series, Episode: The Sweetest Thing-
1980The PumamanMuseum Curator-
1980Breaking GlassGarage Customer-
1981Yes MinisterSir Frank GordonEpisode: The Quality of Life-
1981Chariots of FireHead Waiter-Savoy-
1982Doctor WhoAndrewsEpisode: Time-Flight -
1983And the Ship Sails OnSir Reginald J. Dongby-
1985A Room with a ViewSir Harry Otway, a landlord-
1986ClockwiseHeadmaster #4-
1986-1987Yes Prime MinisterSir Frank Gordon4 episodes-
1987Personal ServicesMr. Marples-
1987Out of OrderHome Secretary-
1988Don't Wait UpPatient Richard BalfourSeries 5 Episode 7: Golf
1990-1991Keeping Up AppearancesThe Major3 episodes-
1992Howards EndColonel Fussell-
1993Bhaji on the BeachAmbrose Waddington-
1993The Remains of the DaySir Leonard Bax-
1993Goodnight SweetheartThe SpivEpisode: Is Your Journey Really Necessary?-
1994Stanley's DragonMr. Johnson-
1997Mrs DallowayLord Lezham-
2003Midsomer MurdersPeregrine SladeEpisode: A Talent for Life-
2004Ladies in LavenderBBC Announcer-
2005-2010DoctorsDavid Padkin / Stanley Hill2 episodes-
2007CasualtyRoy DiffordEpisode: The Silence of Friends-