George Murcell
Known for Acting · 61 credits
- Born
- 1925-10-30
- Died
- 1998-12-03
- Place of birth
- Naples, Campania, Italy
Biography
Arthur George Murcell (30 October 1925 – 3 December 1998) was a British character actor.
Born in Italy, he made his film debut in Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's The Battle of the River Plate (1956), Murcell went on to develop a career playing snarling villains in both film and television. These could either be stupid, brutish henchmen, as in Hell Drivers and Campbell's Kingdom (both 1957), or sophisticated rogues, such as Needle in "You Have Just Been Murdered", an episode of The Avengers.
He specialised in playing foreign characters, including Germans, Russians and South Americans. A number of these roles were in ITC adventure TV series of the 1960s and 1970s, such as Danger Man, The Baron, The Saint, The Champions (Reply Box No.666 episode, 1967) Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased), The Persuaders! and Jason King. His film roles included Sea of Sand (1958), The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964), The Heroes of Telemark (1965), Kaleidoscope (1966), The Fixer (1968), A Dandy in Aspic (1968), The Assassination Bureau (1969), A Walk with Love and Death (1969), Penny Gold (1973), Special Branch (1974), Inside the Third Reich (1982, as Hermann Göring), Year of the Gun (1991), and Cutthroat Island (1995).
He enjoyed a long stage career, which involved working with Tyrone Guthrie and Peter Brook, and was active in the Royal Shakespeare Company.In the 1970s, he acquired a Victorian church in North London, which he converted into an Elizabethan-style theatre in collaboration with director Adrian Brown. In 1973, he opened it as "St George's Theatre", intending that it present little-seen classical plays.
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, he continued to work at St George's Theatre as both an actor and a director, often with his wife, Elvi Hale.
Known For
TV Shows (26)

The Avengers
1961
as Needle

The Saint
1962
as Vogler / Abdul Graner

The Professionals
1977
as Yashinkov

Theatre 625
1964
as Delamarche / Wensley Grafton / Grels

The Adventures of Robin Hood
1955
as Sheriff's Guard

No Hiding Place
1959

The Persuaders!
1971
as Zorakin

The Champions
1968
as Nikko / El Gaudillo

Danger Man
1960
as Bruno

Sunday Night Theatre
1950
as M. Lafarge

The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes
1971
as Inspector Vandeleur

Gideon's Way
1965
as Kautsky
Sunday-Night Play
1960
as Gannerac

Jason King
1971

The Adventures of Sir Lancelot
1956
as Jaggyd

Manhunt
1970
as Franco

The Informer
1966
as Willie Cluff

1990
1977
as Tiny

Supercar
1961

Peter the Great
1986

Inside the Third Reich
1982
as Herman Goering

Armchair Theatre
1956
as Beno

Smuggler
1981
as Silas Kemble

Armchair Cinema
1974
as Maître Rabut
Rogues' Gallery
1968
as Sir Esmond Bellasize

Presented in Supercolorisation
2022
as Professor Rudolph Popkiss / Black Morgan (voice) / Professor Rudolph Popkiss (voice) (credit only)
Movies (35)

You Only Live Twice
1967
as Russian Diplomat (uncredited)

Cutthroat Island
1995
as Mordachai Fingers

The Fall of the Roman Empire
1964
as Victorinus

The Heroes of Telemark
1965
as Sturmfuhrer

The Battle of the River Plate
1956
as Chief Officer, Newton Beach
The Merry Christmas
1955
as Mr. Fezziwig

The Year of the Sex Olympics
1968
as Grels

The Assassination Bureau
1969
as Zeppelin pilot

Sea of Sand
1958
as Cpl. Simms

Hell Drivers
1957
as Tub

In Search of the Castaways
1962
as Ayerton's Assistant

Pascali's Island
1988
as Herr Gesing

Kaleidoscope
1966
as Johnny

Year of the Gun
1991
as Pierre Bernier

The Horsemen
1971
as Mizrar

The Angry Silence
1960
as Jones

The Prison
1974
as Maître Rabut

The Naked Runner
1967

A Dandy in Aspic
1968

Don't Panic Chaps
1959
as Meister

Blood of the Vampire
1958
as First Guard

The Cherry Orchard
1962
as Yermolai Alexeyevich Lopahin

Penelope Pulls It Off
1975
as Owen

A Walk with Love and Death
1969
as The Captain

Campbell's Kingdom
1957
as Max, a worker

The Ice Princess
1996

Penny Gold
1973
as Doctor Merrick

Sea Fury
1958
as Loudon

There Was a Crooked Man
1960
as Receptionist at 'The McKillup Arms'
A Sound from the Sea
1970
as George

Mafia Junction
1973

The Pursuers
1961
as Freddy

Crossroads to Crime
1960
as Diamond

Rime of the Ancient Mariner
1975

The Possessed
1969
as Liputin
About George Murcell
Arthur George Murcell (30 October 1925 – 3 December 1998) was a British character actor. Born in Italy, he made his film debut in Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's The Battle of the River Plate (1956), Murcell went on to develop a career playing snarling villains in both film and television. These could either be stupid, brutish henchmen, as in Hell Drivers and Campbell's Kingdom (both 1957), or sophisticated rogues, such as Needle in "You Have Just Been Murdered", an episode of The Avengers. He specialised in playing foreign characters,… With 61 credits spanning from 1950 to 2022, George Murcell has appeared in 35 films and 26 TV shows.
Fans searching for George Murcell movies, George Murcell filmography, or the latest projects starring George Murcell can stream many of these titles on CineFlixo, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular George Murcell Movies
- You Only Live Twice (1967) — as Russian Diplomat (uncredited)
- Cutthroat Island (1995) — as Mordachai Fingers
- The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964) — as Victorinus
- The Heroes of Telemark (1965) — as Sturmfuhrer
- The Battle of the River Plate (1956) — as Chief Officer, Newton Beach
Where to Watch George Murcell Films
Most George Murcell movies and series are available to stream on CineFlixo in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring George Murcell, check our movies catalogue and browse page.