Geoffrey Bateman (Colin Grimley in Special Offer)

Bateman learnt his craft at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London, enrolling in 1966. As a third year student he performed in the play The Matchmaker, staged at the Embassy Theatre, during October 1969. This production was followed with a staging of Tennessee Williams’ Orpheus Descending also at the Embassy during January and February 1970. Later in the year he took part in student productions of Paul Simon’s The Odd Couple over May 1970 and a revival of Pinero’s Trelawny of the Weeks at the Embassy during June 1970. After graduating Bateman quickly found regular employment as a member of the Nottingham Playhouse Company. Amongst the productions he appeared in as part of the company was a version of Christopher Fry’s play A Yard of Sun during August 1970. Bateman played the role of Piero Martini. This led to a version of Nicholas Nickleby over the months of December 1970 and January 1971 and a revival of Hamlet staged by the company at the Cambridge Theatre over January 1971. Bateman took the roles of Osric and Marcellus.

Bateman then left Nottingham and joined the company at the Liverpool Playhouse. Here he was a cast member of Saint Joan during October 1971 and Twelfth Night during November 1971, a notable production as it saw the dramatic acting debut of the comedian Ken Dodd. During December Bateman was a cast member of Signpost to Murder, and later in the month, the pantomime Beauty and the Beast playing the role of Arthur the Woodcutter in the production which ran until January 1972. Further productions at Liverpool Playhouse which benefitted from Bateman’s skills included Wait until Dark during February 1972 and The Lady’s Not for Burning during March. Bateman took the role of Hamlet in a production of Rosencratz and Guildenstern at the Liverpool Playhouse during May 1972. The cast also included future Beasts voice actor John Rhys Davies.

Bateman made his TV debut with a supporting role in the Public Eye episode 'The Trouble with Jenny' (14th February 1973) and this was followed with another small role, as a fireman, in the second episode (23rd July 1973) of the sitcom Spring and Autumn. Bateman’s main employment was still in the theatre and in this area he took part in a revival of Twelfth Night at the Playhouse in Harlow during September 1973 for the Cambridge Theatre Company. He was then back on pantomime duties between December 1973 and January 1974 in a version of Jack and the Beanstalk playing Miranda the Cow along with Kit Thacker. History does not note whether he played the front of back end of the cow!

February 1974 saw Bateman back on the television with the obligatory credit in Dixon of Dock Green in the role of Terry in the episode 'There’s Your Story, There’s My Story – And There’s The Truth' (16th February 1974). Bateman’s film debut came with a role in the Tony Richardson movie Dead Cert (1974), a thriller starring Judi Dench and Julian Glover. Bateman played a character called Everest. He also appeared alongside fellow Beasts actor Michael Kitching in The Bunker (1974) which also featured Anthony Hopkins playing Hitler in the last few days of his life. Bateman was on hand to play the supporting role of Riebold.

His screen roles for 1975 consisted of guest parts in popular dramas of the period; playing Wainwright in the Village Hall episode 'Friendly Encounter' (6th August 1975), taking on the role of Tommy Kelly in the Z Cars episode 'Innocent and Vulnerable' (20th January 1975) and Buchan in the Spy Trap instalment 'Look for the Ugly' (21st March 1975). In the world of theatre Bateman continued to be in demand with The Taming of the Shrew presented by the New Shakespeare Company. The production had a small tour taking in Bury St Edmunds, Bath and Swansea before transferring to the Open Air Theatre in Regent’s Park during May and June 1975 with Bateman taking the role of Hortensio. October 1975 saw him join the cast of a production of T S Eliot’s The Cocktail Party at Manchester Cathedral.

Prior to his appearance in 'Special Offer' Bateman guest starred as Philip Lightfoot in an episode of Coronation Street (5th May 1976) and played the character Simpson in the New Avengers story 'The Midas Touch'. His role in 'Special Offer' as the ill-fated store manager Colin Grimley was next. More theatre work kept him engaged throughout the year. During July 1976 he appeared in Weapons of Happiness by Howard Brenton, the first new play to be staged at the Lyttelton Theatre at the National. This was followed by They Are Dying Out for the National Theatre during September and October 1976 and a production of Jean Anouilh’s The Scenario at Billingham Forum during December 1976. Bateman played the role of Von Spitz. Bateman was absent from the television during 1977 and concentrated on stage roles though he returned the following year with the role of Claude Pettelain in the Secret Army episode 'Russian Roulette' (4th October 1978). He then moved on to the BBC period drama A Horseman Riding By playing Harold Eveleigh in the instalment '1916: The Profiteers' (26th November 1978). 

Next he played Charles James in the Crown Court storyline 'A Friend of the Family' (January 1979) and popped up in an uncredited role as the character Anson in The Professionals episode 'Backtrack' (3rd November 1979). His biggest role to date was as Gawain in the eight-part BBC production The Legend of King Arthur (7th October – 25th November 1979) and this was followed by one of his more well-known appearances playing Dymond in the Tom Baker era Doctor Who adventure 'Nightmare of Eden' (24th November – 15th December 1979). He finished the year with a small role as a disc jockey in the Shoestring episode 'I’m A Believer' (12th December 1979) and later popped up in the same role in the later episode 'Room with a View' (5th October 1980). His major role for 1980 was as Guildenstern in the BBC’s production of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Prince of Denmark (10th November 1980).  

Bognor was an offbeat detective series based on the novels by Tim Heald. David Horovitch starred as Simon Bognor an investigator for the Board of Trade in the Thames Television series which failed to find an audience in the twice weekly slot also occupied by Armchair Thriller and Sapphire and Steel. Bateman appeared in two episodes as Elliston Gravelle – 'Deadline: Part Five – Good Luck Willy' (17th March 1981) and 'Deadline: Part Six – Hard Cheese on Eric' (19th March 1981). Screen roles were patchy the following year with only the role of Arthur Perrill in The Strangers storyline 'A Swift and Evil Rozzer' (15th September 1982) of note.

Granada Television’s prestige drama production of King Lear (26th January 1983) featured Sir Laurence Olivier as Shakespeare’s aging king alongside an all-star cast that included Diana Rigg, Robert Lindsay, Leo McKern, John Hurt and Brian Cox to name but a few. Bateman ably supported in the role of Oswald. During April and May 1983 Bateman could be seen in a version of Ibsen’s The Wild Duck at Manchester Royal Exchange Theatre. Bateman was next seen on screen playing the Prince of Wales in two episodes of the BBC drama series King’s Royal (3rd July and 17th July 1983). This was his last screen role for the year.

Into 1984 and Bateman appeared in the Thames Television drama series Miracles Take Longer playing Detective Sergeant Ross in three episodes of the second season (21st February, 12th March and 19th March). He also continued to undertake the occasional film role with the latest being the character Yevgeni in Another Country (1984). Amongst cult TV fans his stand out role for the year was in an episode of the children’s anthology series Dramarama. Bateman played The Cardinal in the episode 'Mr Stabs' (2nd July 1984), which featured the eponymous character played by Russell Hunter, and was developed from a previous appearance in the children’s fantasy series Ace of Wands. Bateman also made his first appearance in the police drama The Bill playing a pathologist in the episode 'It’s Not Such A Bad Job After All' (13th November 1984).

It would be another year before Bateman graced the screen. He returned in the first season of the BBC detective series Lovejoy (10th January – 14th March 1986), starring Ian McShane as the lovable rogue who deals antiques and solves crimes, Bateman appeared as fellow antiques dealer Dandy Jack. His other guest roles for 1986 were also with the BBC with appearances in episodes of The Collectors, 'The Great Ice Cream War' (22nd March 1986), and the drama Big Deal 'Innocent, OK' (4th November 1986). He also appeared in the French language film L’etat de grace (1986).

1987 would see Bateman more in demand than ever on television. He started the year as guest starring as Jack Webb in the Bergerac episode 'Thanks For Everything' (14th February 1987) which was followed only two days later with the role of Captain Betteridge in the Rumpole of the Bailey story 'Rumpole and the Bright Seraphim' (16th February 1987). For the BBC mini-series Dead Entry (18th February – 4th March 1987), which mixed ecology and Cold War espionage drama, he played the role of Richard Avery. More guest roles followed; Scott in the C.A.T.S. Eyes instalment 'Carrier Pigeon' (2nd May 1987), a police sergeant in 'Truth and Consequences' (20th September 1987), an episode of the sitcom Two Up, Two Down, the role of Julian Winter in 'The Price of Fame' (6th October 1987), an episode of detective series Pulaski, and playing a repo man in the Boon episode 'Trudy’s Grit' (3rd November 1987).

The following year was quieter, but it was in some ways it was the calm before the storm as Bateman would become a popular guest actor in many primetime television programmes as the 1980s rolled into the 1990s. Appearances during this period included TV movie A Shadow on the Sun (1988), playing Rafferty in 'Hunting the Squirrel' (8th November 1988), an episode of Eurocops, a small appearance as a bank manager in the second episode of Twist of Fate (9th January 1989) and portraying Marcus Waverley in 'The Adventure of Johnnie Waverley' (22nd January 1989), an episode of Agatha Christie’s Poirot. La Revolution Francaise (1989) was a six hour French television production which was transmitted in two parts and boasted an international cast. Attempting to tell the story and events leading up to the French revolution the production featured Klaus Maria Brandauer as Danton, Jane Seymour as Marie Antoinette as well as Peter Ustinov, Sam Neill and Claudia Cardinale in other roles. The production was shot in both English and French. Bateman has a small role as Clery. Bateman’s other roles for 1989 included playing Fuerbach in the television movie The Man Who Lived at The Ritz and appearing as Doctor Braun in 'Part Of Me' (12th August 1989), an episode of the American television horror anthology programme The Hitchhiker.

Drama series Making News featured Bateman in the role of Rupert in the episode 'The Border Limo' (23rd January 1990). Le Congres (8th August 1990) was a French television movie which featured Bateman in the role of Jackson. Back in the UK he made his second appearance in an episode of The Bill playing Michael Speers in 'Once A Copper' (16th August 1990). He also appeared alongside fellow Beasts actor Simon MacCorkindale in an episode of the US TV series Counterstrike. Bateman played Admiral Westgate in the episode 'Knights of Arram' (9th September 1990). He then made his first guest appearance in Casualty playing the role of Henry Carpenter in the episode 'Results' (14th September 1990). Bateman finished the year with a small role as an interviewer in the second episode of House of Cards (25th November 1990).

The year of 1991 was quieter. For the second season of The Chief Bateman appeared as Commissaire Toulin in two episodes (19th and 26th April 1991).For the American TV movie The Saint: The Blue Dulac (3rd November 1991) Bateman appeared as the character Unwin. He next appeared on TV as Douglas Quadrant in the two-part storyline 'From Doon with Death' (10th and 17th November 1991) for the series The Ruth Rendell Mysteries.

Next was Les amants du Tage (21st January 1992), a French TV movie version of the novel of the same name by Joseph Kessel which had been made into the film, The Lovers of Lisbon (1955), starring Trevor Howard. Bateman took Howard’s role as Inspector Lewis who is on the trail of a widow he suspects of killing her husband. This was his only film or television credit for the year. The following year he reteamed with the director of Les amants du Tage, David Delrieux, on another French television movie, Le Don (23rd June 1993), though his character did not have an onscreen name credit. Back in the UK Bateman then made a guest appearance as Mr Thorpe in an episode of Emmerdale (19th April 1994). Director Waris Hussein cast Bateman in the British Sky Broadcasting production Fall from Grace (2nd June 1994) playing the role of Metz. Just over three weeks later he then appeared in the Channel Four drama Little Napoleons playing Scott Kendall in the episode 'Sleeping With The Enemy' (28th June 1994). On the big screen he had a small role as a SWAT chief in the cult film Leon: The Professional (1994) for the director Luc Besson. His final credit for the year was playing a bogeyman in the short film Poisoned Ink (1994).

Napoleon (1995) was an Australian family movie which featured the adventures of a Golden Retriever puppy called Napoleon and his friend, a parrot called Birdo Lucci. Bateman provided the voice of a cat for the film. He was cast as The Duke of Wales for the American mini-series Buffalo Girls (1995) which starred Angelica Huston and Melanie Griffiths. More French cinema and television work followed with the film Au petit Marguery (1995)  and the TV series Coeurs caraibes (December 1995) with Bateman as the character Jim Owsborn. Next was the French film Barrage sur L’Orenoque (The Orinoco Dream) (1996) for director Juan Luis Bunuel, the son of the legendary surrealist director Luis Bunuel. Bateman played the character O’Connor.

Back in the UK Bateman appeared in the five-part Channel Four drama series Family Money (16th March – 6th April 1997) in the role of Felix, though his highest profile role of the year was as James Hooperman in the BBC drama This Life (18th March – 6th May 1996). The programme returned for a second season the following year (17th March – 7th August 1997) and Bateman reprised his role. He also guest starred as Richard Dunbar in 'Forgive Us Our Trespasses' (5th May 1997), an episode of the American fantasy series Highlander. More French cinema work was next with a role in Le septieme ciel (Seventh Heaven) (1997), the comedy Droit dans le mur (Straight into the Wall) (1997) and the French TV movie Le derniere ete (The Last Summer) (15th December 1997). British film work during this era included My Son the Fanatic (1997) which saw Bateman play Chief Inspector Fingerhut.

During 1998 and 1999 Bateman provided voice work for several video games; Vikings (1998), Hopkins FBI (1998) and Seven Games of the Soul (1999) portraying Mephisto. During the same period he appeared in the science fiction TV movie 30 Years to Life (15th October 1998) and in the Carlton production The Unknown Soldier (1st November 1998) as Lieutenant Colonel Powell. The French comedy films Une pour toutes (One for All) (1999) featured Bateman as an American lawyer whilst La Parenthese Enchantee (Enchanted Interlude) (2000) cast him as an English lawyer. Futurecast: Newborn (30th April 2000) was a fictional documentary which depicted a growing connected world which comes face to face with an artificial intelligence and the consequences of this creation. Bateman played politician Paul Mallory.

Vatel (2000) was a film by acclaimed director Roland Joffe with Gerard Depardieu as the eponymous character in a period drama set during the reign of the French king Louis XIV. Bateman played the role of Balmour amongst an international cast which also included Uma Thurman, Tim Roth and Hywel Bennett. His work in French cinema continued with a role in Mon Pere, il m’a Sauve la Vie (My Father Saved My Life) (2001) with Bateman in a small role as an American army officer. For the film Off Key (2001) Bateman portrayed the character Ivo. On French television Bateman could be seen as the Reverend George Travers in 'Hunted' (18th November 2001), an episode of the action adventure series Largo Winch. Next was another role for French cinema with his appearance as an American in the thriller Une Employee Modele (A Model Employee) (2002). Back in the UK Bateman made his second guest appearance in an episode of the BBC flagship drama Casualty when he appeared as Alan Woods in the episode 'It’s A Boy Thing' (2nd November 2002).

After a short on screen break Bateman returned with a role in the French short film La Methode Anglaise (The English Method) (2004), a twelve minute comedy drama with Bateman in the role of Mr Morison. This was followed by the French feature film L’Americain (The American) (2004) in which Bateman featured as an advisor to the President of the United States.

His major role onscreen role for 2005 was as Bertie in the feature film Manderlay for director for Lars von Triers. He followed this with voice work on a couple of video games; Heroes of Might and Magic V (2006) playing Lord Caldwell and Dark Messiah of Might and Magic (2006) as Necrolord Arantir. He next played a bank manager in the French thriller series The Avignon Prophecy (28th August – 18th September 2007) whilst on British television he appeared as David Harper in 'Pandemic' (4th October 2007), an episode of the drama series The Whistleblowers. He also appeared in The Mandrake Root (2008) a straight to video comedy set in 16th Century Italy featured Bateman in the role of Nicia. More video game voice over work included various voices for Empire: Total War (2009). He also supplied various character voices for the French children’s cartoon series Gawayn (2009).

French romantic comedy feature film L’arnacoeur (Heartbreaker) (2010) featured Bateman as the stepfather of Vanessa Paradis’ main character Juliette. This was followed by the French TV movie Les Nuits d’Alice (The Nights of Alice) (28th June 2011) with Bateman providing the supporting role of John. French thriller film Requiem Pour Une Tueuse (Requiem for a Killer) (2011) cast Bateman as the CEO of a British oil company and for French television Bateman appeared as Greenfield in La Vie en Miettes (Life In Crumbs) (7th June 2011). French romantic comedy Un Bonheur N’arrive Jamais Seul (Happiness Never Comes Alone) (2012) cast Bateman as Bill, an administrator. More video game voice over work followed with Bound by Flame (2014), which continued his association with Franco associations as the game was made by a small French company, and Furi (2016) an independent sci-fi based action game. His most recent role has helped to revitalise him in the public eye when he played Bishop Bossuet in the BBC prestige period costume drama Versailles which accumulated two season in 2015 and 2017.