Pip Torrens
Torrens at the 2017 San Diego Comic-Con
Born
Philip D'Oyly Torrens[1]

(1960-06-02) 2 June 1960 (age 63)
Bromley, Kent, England
Alma materTrinity College, Cambridge
Drama Studio London
OccupationActor
Years active1984–present

Philip D'Oyly "Pip" Torrens[2] (born 2 June 1960) is an English actor.

Torrens portrayed courtier Tommy Lascelles in the Netflix drama The Crown, aristocrat Lord Massen in the HBO series The Nevers, Herr Klaus Starr in Preacher, and held leading roles in Poldark and Versailles. His film appearances include The Danish Girl, The Iron Lady, War Horse and Star Wars: The Force Awakens. He has played The Curator in Supermassive Games' Dark Pictures Anthology series of horror video games since 2019, appearing in four entries to date.

Early life and education

Son of the Rev. Robert Harrington Torrens, MA, and descendant of the lawyer and colonial official Henry Whitelock Torrens,[3][4] Torrens was born in Bromley, Kent, and educated at Bloxham School. He studied English Literature at Trinity College, Cambridge (BA 1981, MA 1987),[5] and subsequently studied acting at Drama Studio London.[6]

Career

Torrens's television appearances include Consenting Adults, two episodes of Jeeves and Wooster,[7] two episodes of Doctor Who ("Human Nature"/"The Family of Blood"),[8] The Brittas Empire,[7] Green Wing,[7] Silk,[7] The Government Inspector (as John Scarlett), The Last Detective and DI Spencer for a few episodes in The Bill in 2001. He has also appeared in a 2008 series of British television advertisements for First Direct, with Matthew King. He appeared alongside Michael Gambon in a 1992 episode of Maigret.[7]

In 2011, Torrens appeared in both episodes of an Outnumbered two-part special.[7] In 2012 he appeared in the first episode of series 8 of Hustle,[7] as Heinz Zimmermann and also presented new gameshow The Devil's Dinner Party.[7] Torrens briefly appeared in an episode of Death in Paradise in 2013,[7] as a museum guide. His film appearances include Tomorrow Never Dies,[7] as the captain of the fictional HMS Bedford, the 2001 film To End All Wars,[7] and voicework for Valiant.[7]

In 2013, Torrens appeared in "The Waldo Moment", an episode of the anthology series Black Mirror.[7] In November 2014, Torrens played the part of Richard Grenville in the BBC Radio 4 drama The Archers.[7] In 2017 he began a starring role on American television series Preacher, on which he appeared in 33 episodes as Herr Klaus Helmut Starr.[7]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1984 Oxford Blues Ian
1986 Lady Jane Thomas
1987 Little Dorrit Henry Gowan
1988 A Handful of Dust Jock
1989 How to Get Ahead in Advertising Jonathan
1989 Bearskin: An Urban Fairytale Gold-cufflinks
1990 Mountains of the Moon Lt. Hesketh
1990 Eminent Domain Anton
1991 The Object of Beauty Art Evaluator
1992 Patriot Games Lord North's 1st Aide
1993 The Remains of the Day Doctor Carlisle
1997 Tomorrow Never Dies Captain (HMS Bedford)
1997 Incognito White (defense attorney)
1999 Rogue Trader Simon Jones
2001 To End All Wars Lt. Foxworth
2001 Revelation Professor Claxton
2001 The Mystic Masseur Governor
2001 All the Queen's Men British Major
2005 Pride & Prejudice Netherfield Butler
2005 Valiant Lofty (voice)
2007 The Mark of Cain Colonel Hampton
2007 Flood Army Liaison Officer Richardson
2008 Easy Virtue Lord Hurst
2009 Dorian Gray Victor
2009 St Trinian's 2: The Legend of Fritton's Gold Heathcoat Parker
2011 My Week with Marilyn Sir Kenneth Clark
2011 War Horse Major Tompkins
2011 Love's Kitchen Health & Safety Official
2011 The Iron Lady Ian Gilmour
2011 Largo Winch II Invité Plateau CNBC
2012 Anna Karenina Prince Shcherbatsky
2012 Gambit Savoy Desk Clerk
2012 Bel Ami Paul the Butler
2012 The Scapegoat George
2013 The Guest Frank Short film
2013 Drone Strike Wing Commander Ellis
2014 Gemma Bovery Rankin
2014 Effie Gray Royal Academy / Times Journalist
2015 The Danish Girl Dr Hexler
2015 Star Wars: The Force Awakens Colonel Kaplan
2016 Kids in Love Graham
2017 Darkest Hour BBC Producer
2018 Down a Dark Hall Professor Farley
2019 The Aftermath General Brook
2024 Vindicta Adnon Svoboda

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1987 The Lenny Henry Show PC Monkhouse 6 episodes
1989 The Nightmare Years Major Radford 4 episodes
1989 Voice of the Heart Kim Cunningham Television film
1989 Arms and the Man Bluntschli BBC television play
1991 Chimera Windeler 3 episodes
1991 Performance Nigel Childs Episode: "Absolute Hell"
1991, 2006 Agatha Christie's Poirot Major Rich/Jeremy Cloade "The Mystery of the Spanish Chest" (1991), "Taken at the Flood" (2006)
1992 The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles Howard Carter Episodes: Young Indiana Jones and the Curse of the Jackal and Treasure of the Peacock's Eye
1992 Van der Valk Michael de Groot Episode: "Still Waters"
1992 Medics Jonathan Witley Episode: "#2.1"
1992–1993 Jeeves and Wooster Bingo Little Episodes: "Comrade Bingo" and "Bridegroom Wanted"
1993 Lovejoy Christian Shotley Episode: "Fly the Flag"
1993 To Play the King Andrew Harding 3 episodes
1993 Minder Muldier Episode: "The Great Trilby"
1993 Maigret Chief Commissioner Episode: "Maigret on the Defensive"
1994 A Dark-Adapted Eye Chad 2 episodes
1994 The Brittas Empire John Rawlinson Episode: "Brussels Calling"
1995 Kavanagh QC Miles Petersham Episode: "Nothing But the Truth"
1995 The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Treasure of the Peacock's Eye Howard Carter Television film
1995 Hamish Macbeth Peter Peterson Episode: "S1.E1 The Great Lochdubh Salt Robbery"
1995–2007 The Bill Various 5 episodes
1996 The Ruth Rendell Mysteries Michael Quin 2 episodes
1996 Tales from the Crypt Gordon Episode: "About Face"
1997 Crime Traveller Carter Episode: "A Death in the Family"
1997 Bodyguards Robert Ferguson 6 episodes
1997 Soldier Soldier Major Lawrence Brownham 2 episodes
1998 The Unknown Soldier Major Stephen Phelps Television film
1999 Murder Most Horrid News Presenter Episode: "Elvis, Jesus and Zack"
1999 Big Bad World Hugh Episode: "Be Nice to Posh People"
1999 Pure Wickedness Dr. Phil Gold 3 episodes
1999 Peak Practice Harry Kenyon 2 episodes
2000 Longitude Captain Lindsay TV series
2000 Lorna Doone Colonel Kirke Television film
2000 Black Cab James Episode: "Busy Body"
2001 Office Gossip Mark Spenser Episode: "Moving On"
2002 Shackleton James McIlroy Television film
2002 Sunday Inquiry lawyer Television film
2002 Ted and Alice Dr. Handford 3 episodes
2002 Believe Nothing Le Fanu Episode: "Get Rich Quick"
2002 Dead Gorgeous Rex Ballard Television film
2002 The Project MoD Official Television film
2002 TLC Mr. Copperfield Episode: "Staying Awake"
2002 Darwin's Daughter Charles Darwin Television film
2002 The Many Lives of Albert Walke Sam Television film
2003 At Home with the Braithwaites Mr. Brondby Episode: "#4.6"
2003 Where the Heart Is Peter Viner - Cardiologist Episode: "My Way"
2003 Trial & Retribution DCS Richard Lawson Episode: "Suspicion: Part 2"
2003 Second Nature Frank Television film
2003 Seven Wonders of the Industrial World Dr. John Snow Episode: "The Sewer King"
2003 Charles II: The Power and the Passion Charles Hart Episode: "Episode #1.3"
2003 Gifted Richard Neilson Television film
2004 Red Cap Major Tim Garvey Episode: "Betrayed"
2004 Casualty Tom Price Episode: "World Gone Wrong: Part 1"
2004 Messiah: The Promise DCI Warmseley 2 episodes
2004 Rosemary & Thyme Donald Westward Episode: "Up the Garden Path"
2004 When I'm 64 Headmaster Television film
2004 My Dad's the Prime Minister Publisher Episode: "Diaries"
2004 Agatha Christie's Marple Noël Coward Episode: "4:50 from Paddington"
2004–2008 Wire in the Blood DI Brennan / Harrison 3 episodes
2005 Rome Lucius Tillius Cimber Episode: "Kalends of February"
2005 Broken News Sam French, Bullet Points Presenter 6 episodes
2005 The Commander DCS Les Branton 2 episodes
2005 A View from a Hill Squire Richards Television film
2005 The Rotters' Club English Master Episode: "The Chick and the Hairy Guy"
2005 The Government Inspector John Scarlett Television film
2005 No Angels Dr. Templar Episode: "#2.8"
2005 The Last Detective Captain Boyden Episode: "Towpaths of Glory"
2005 Ian Fleming: Bondmaker Noël Coward Television film
2005 Class of '76 Supt Flood Television film
2006 Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire Olympius Episode: "The Fall of Rome"
2006 Green Wing Neurosurgeon 2 episodes
2006 The Chatterley Affair Mervyn Griffith-Jones Television film
2006 The Path to 9/11 Paul Kessler 2 episodes
2006 Rebus Andrew Hammill Episode: "Let It Bleed"
2006 Spooks Charles Lee Episode: "5.8"
2006 Missing Derek Mailer 2 episodes
2006 Dresden Saundby Television film
2006 Pinochet in Suburbia Michael Caplan Television film
2007 Waking the Dead Dennis Holland 2 episodes
2007 Doctor Who Rocastle 2 episodes
2007 Lewis Malcolm Croft Episode: "Expiation"
2007 The Bad Mother's Handbook Doctor Gale Television film
2007 The Chase Hubert Bryce-Jones Episode: "2.10"
2007 Consenting Adults Frances Graham Harrison Television film
2007 Silent Witness Richard Tate 2 episodes
2007 Miss Austen Regrets Edward Austen Knight Television film
2008 Queen Victoria's Men Charles Greville Television film
2009 Heartbeat James Moncrieff Episode: "Sweet Sorrow"
2009 Breaking the Mould Radio Announcer (voice) Television film
2009 U Be Dead Peter Higginson Television film
2009 Collision Deputy Commissioner Fraser Episode: "Episode 1"
2010 Secret Diary of a Call Girl Edward Episode: "Episode 3.1""
2010, 2016 Midsomer Murders Group Captain Jeremy Ford / Fergal Jenner "The Incident at Cooper Hill" (2016), "Blood on the Saddle" (2010)
2011 The Promise Major John Arbuthnot 4 episodes
2011 Outnumbered Armitage 2 episodes
2011–2014 Silk HHJ Maikin 4 episodes
2011–2014 Law & Order: UK Philip Nevins 5 episodes
2012 Hustle Heinz Zimmermann Episode: "Gold Finger"
2012 Whitechapel Travis Underwood Episode: "Case Two (Part 2)"
2012 The Hollow Crown Thomas de Mowbray Episode: "Henry IV, Part 2"
2012 The Fall of Singapore: The Great Betrayal MI5 Officer Television film
2012 One Night Mr. Lerner 3 episodes
2012 Switch Lord Piermont Episode: "Summer Solstice Showdown"
2012 Spy Crispin Episode: "Codename: Double Oh"
2013 Yes, Prime Minister Jeremy Burnham Episode: "The Poisoned Chalice"
2013 Death in Paradise Guide Episode: "A Deadly Curse"
2013 Black Mirror Philip Crane Episode: "The Waldo Moment"
2013 The Lady Vanishes Reverend Kenneth Barnes Television film
2013 Father Brown Geoffrey Bennett Episode: "The Devil's Dust"
2013 Breathless Eric Smallwood Episode: "#2.1"
2014 Fleming: The Man Who Would Be Bond Esmond Rothermere 4 episodes
2014 Inspector George Gently Brigadier Phillips Episode: "Gently with Honour"
2014 Salting the Battlefield Jock Calderon Television film
2014 Playhouse Presents: Marked Steve Brash Television film
2014–2016 Grantchester Sir Edward Kendall 2 episodes (2014), Christmas Special (2016)
2015 The Heavy Water War John Skinner Wilson 6 episodes
2015 Up the Women Lawrence "Vote", "Train", "Bowls"
2015–2019 Poldark Cary Warleggan 29 episodes
2015–2017 Versailles The Duke of Cassel 17 episodes
2016 War & Peace Prince Bagration 2 episodes
2016 Hetty Feather Reverend Cranbourne Episode: "Changes"
2016–2019 The Crown Tommy Lascelles 16 episodes
2017–2019 Preacher Herr Klaus Helmut Starr 33 episodes
2018 Patrick Melrose Nicholas Pratt Miniseries
2018 Death and Nightingales Maurice Fairbrother Episode: "Episode #1.2"
2018–2019 Deep State William Kingsley 6 episodes
2020 Des Ivan Lawrence QC 1 episode
2020 Roadkill Joe Lapidus 1 episode
2021-2023 The Nevers Lord Massen Main cast
2021-2023 Succession Peter Munion 4 episodes
2022 Sherwood Commissioner Charles Dawes 6 episodes
2024 Mr Bates vs The Post Office Mr Justice Fraser 1 episode

Video games

Year Title Role Notes
2019 The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan The Curator Voice and motion capture
2020 The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope
2021 The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes
2022 Elden Ring Radahn / Varré Voice
The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil in Me The Curator Voice and motion capture

References

  1. ^ The Cambridge University List of Members up to 31 July 1998, University of Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1998, p. 793
  2. ^ The Cambridge University List of Members up to 31 July 1998, University of Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1998, p. 793
  3. ^ The Cambridge University List of Members up to 31 July 1998, University of Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1998, p. 793
  4. ^ The Territorial Air Force 1925-1927- Officer Recruitment and Class, appendix 2, Frances L. Wilkinson, Univ. of Wolverhampton, 2017, p. 19
  5. ^ The Cambridge University List of Members up to 31 July 1998, University of Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1998, p. 793
  6. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "Pip Torrens - A Full and Mixed Career". YouTube.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "Pip Torrens Credits". tvguide.com. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
  8. ^ Gavin Fuller; Catherine Gee; Ben Lawrence (19 September 2015). "10 best modern-era Doctor Who episodes". The Telegraph.

External links

Authority control databases
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