Geoffrey Palmer

Geoffrey Palmer (b. 1927) is a British actor who starred as Nigel Hardcastle, opposite Judi Dench, on the long-running BBC comedy/drama As Time Goes By, from 1992 until 2005. In 2002, Palmer played the doctor in the Jim Henson Company film Rat.

Following stints in the army and on stage, Palmer began his long career in episodic BBC television in the 1960s, on such series as The Avengers, Z Cars, and The Wednesday Play. In the 1970s, he guest starred on Doctor Who, as bureaucrat Masters in "Doctor Who and the Silurians" and the Adminstrator in "The Mutants." Other TV guest spots include Fawlty Towers, Blackadder Goes Forth, and Inspector Morse. In film, following bit parts early on, Palmer began appearing in cameos and principal supporting roles, mostly as various authority figures, in such comedies as Clockwise, A Fish Called Wanda, The Madness of King George, and Picadilly Jim. Occasional dramatic turns included Tomorrow Never Dies and Mrs. Brown, both opposite Judi Dench.