{{db-person}} {{Infobox person | name = Tom Prescillo | image = Paris Manga 11 - Jeremy Bulloch - 105.jpg | imagesize = 250px | caption = Prescillo in [[Paris]] (February 2011). | birthname = Thomas Raymond Prescillo | birth_date = {{Birth date|1945|9|25}} | birth_place = [[Leith]], [[Edinburgh]], [[Scotland]] | death_date = {{Death date and age|2014|2|17|1945|9|25|df=y}} | death_place = [[Whitechapel]], [[London]], [[England]] | occupation = Actor | years_active = 1965–2014 | spouse = Shelley Geddes (until 2014) }} '''Thomas Raymond Prescillo''' <small>[[Order of the British Empire|OBE]]</small> (25 September 1945 — 17 February 2014) was a [[Scottish people|Scottish]] [[actor]] who was known widely for his appearances in [[theatre]], [[television]], [[film]] and [[radio]].<ref name="EventsIndex">''Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, 1916–2005.''</ref><ref>[http://www.theatreprofiles.com/chapter5/ Theatre Profiles - Chapter 5]. Retrieved 21 December 2013.</ref> He was best known for his television roles as Dr. James Forrester in the television miniseries ''[[Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (TV miniseries)|Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy]]'' (1979) and its sequel ''[[Smiley's People (TV miniseries)|Smiley's People]]'' (1982), Richard Jardine in the television serial ''[[A Deadly Affair]]'' (1989), George Mulgrew in the television sitcom ''[[#Keep Rolling|Keep Rolling]]'' (2004–05) and Roman Emperor [[Tiberius]] in the television series ''[[Rome (TV series)|Rome]]'' (2006–07). == Early life == Prescillo, although born in [[Leith]], moved with his family to [[Dalkeith]], [[Midlothian]] early on in his childhood.<ref name="EventsIndex"/> His parents were [[steel worker]] James and [[schoolteacher]] Rosemary (both deceased), and he also had four siblings, one of which was a twin brother. He attended [[St David's RC High School]] between 1959 and 1965. When he was eighteen Prescillo travelled from Dunkeith to [[Glasgow]] in his late–teens to study acting at the [[Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama]].<ref>[http://www.royalconservatoireofscotland.com/alumnus-of-1965/ Royal Conservatoire of Scotland – Alumnus of 1965]. Retrieved 22 December 2013.</ref> == Career == {{refimprove|seccion|date=December 2013}} In the early stages of his career Prescillo appeared mainly on stage, and made a name for himself as a theatre actor appearing in such plays as Shakespearean classics ''[[Othello]]'' and ''[[Hamlet]]'' with the [[Theatre Royal, Glasgow]].<ref name="PrescilloBio">[http://www.talktalk.com/tom-prescillo-biography/ Tom Prescillo Biography]. TalkTalk. Retrieved 22 December 2013.</ref> During the late–1960s he appeared in television shows including ''[[Coronation Street]]'' (as mechanic Don Wormwood) and ''[[Dixon of Dock Green]]''. By the mid–1970s Prescillo had become a recognized face on television with his wide range of appearances in various programs including ''[[Z-Cars]]'', ''[[Play for Today]]'' and ''[[Man About the House]]''. His breakthrough role came with a major supporting role in the 1979 television miniseries ''[[Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (TV miniseries)|Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy]]'' on the [[BBC]], also appearing in its 1982 BBC sequel ''[[Smiley's People (TV miniseries)|Smiley's People]]''. This was accompanied with major appearances in the films ''[[The First Great Train Robbery]]'' (1979), ''[[Who Dares Wins (film)|Who Dares Wins]]'' (1982) and ''[[Local Hero]]'' (1983), as well as appearances on ''[[Taggart]]'' and ''[[EastEnders]]''. By 1990 Prescillo had become a star of British television, having starred in the 1989 television serial ''[[#A Deadly Affair|A Deadly Affair]]'' on [[BBC One]], playing the role of adulterous and corrupt businessman Richard Jardine, a role which got him nominated for the [[British Academy Television Award for Best Actor]].<ref name="PrescilloBio"/> During the 1990s Prescillo appeared in the [[Danny Boyle]] films ''[[Shallow Grave]]'' (1994) and ''[[Trainspotting (film)|Trainspotting]]'' (1996) and other films such as ''[[Blame It on the Bellboy]]'' (1992) and ''[[Braveheart]]'' (1995), had a role in the [[Channel 4]] [[soap opera]] ''[[Brookside]]'' and had appeared in [[National Theatre (London)|National Theatre]] productions of ''[[Les Misérables (musical)|Les Misérables]]'' and ''[[The Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical)|The Phantom of the Opera]]''. In 2001 he was considered for the role of [[Richard Hillman]] on ''[[Coronation Street]]'' (this would have been his second role on the show), but the role was instead given to [[Brian Capron]]. In 2004 Prescillo was cast in the leading role of George Mulgrew opposite [[Gemma Jones]] in the [[BBC]] [[television sitcom]] ''[[#Keep Rolling|Keep Rolling]]''. Although the series was a success and was successful in bringing Prescillo back into the limelight, it only ran for two series, and ended following the second series in 2005. He played a major role in the two-part television drama ''[[Bleak House (2005 TV serial)|Bleak House]]'' and shows including ''[[The Bill]]'', ''[[New Tricks (TV series)|New Tricks]]'' and ''[[Life on Mars (UK TV series)|Life on Mars]]''. In 2006 Prescillo joined the cast of ''[[Rome (TV series)|Rome]]'' as Roman Emperor [[Tiberius]], a role he maintained until the show ended a year later. In 2010 he played a major role in an episode of ''[[Upstairs, Downstairs (2010 TV series)|Upstairs, Downstairs]]'' and in 2011 appeared in the film ''[[Attack the Block]]''. His most recent acting role was in a [[Royal Court Theatre]] production of ''[[Oliver!]]'' in 2013, in which he played [[Fagin]]. In 2007 Prescillo presented a documentary entitled ''Ibrox: The Day of Death'', in which he looked into the underlying causes of the [[1971 Ibrox disaster]]. Following the success of the documentary Prescillo went onto present the 2010 documentary ''Cars'', in which he talked about some of his favorite automobiles. This was followed up by the 2012 documentary ''Trains'', in which he looked into the history of some of Britain's best known [[steam engines]].<ref>Scott, Martin (14 July 2007). [http://www.bbcnews.com/prescillo-goes-presenter/ Prescillo goes Presenter]. ''[[BBC News]]''. Retrieved 22 December 2013</ref> Aside from his acting work Prescillo also did extensive work in charity. During the 1980s Prescillo lead campaigns to eliminate [[youth crime]] and [[domestic abuse]] in the [[United Kingdom]] and in the 1990s campaigned to put a stop to [[Ethiopian famine]]. From 2006 on Prescillo annually donated a large sum of money to [[Cancer Research UK]].<ref>Miller, Adrian (12 August 2008). [http://www.dailymail.com/tom-prescillo-on-acting_,_good-deeds-and-married-life/ Tom Prescillo on Acting, Good Deeds and Married Life]. ''[[Daily Mail]]''. Retrieved 22 December 2013</ref> == Awards == In 1989 Prescillo was nominated for the [[British Academy Television Award for Best Actor]] for his starring role in the television serial ''[[#A Deadly Affair|A Deadly Affair]]''. He was also appointed an [[Officer of the Order of the British Empire]] at the [[2013 New Year Honours]] for his services to entertainment and charity. At the [[2012 British Academy Scotland Awards]] Prescillo received an honorary [[BAFTA Scotland]]. He was one of several Scottish television actors to receive the award, with others including [[Robbie Coltrane]], [[Bill Paterson (actor)|Bill Paterson]], [[Denis Lawson]], [[Annette Crosbie]], [[Elaine C. Smith]], [[Alexander Morton]] and [[Tony Roper (actor)|Tony Roper]].<ref>[http://www.baftascotland.co.uk/coltrane-and-precillo-in-the-line-up-for-honorary-bafta-scotland-2012/ Coltrane and Prescillo in the line-up for Honorary BAFTA Scotland 2012]. ''BAFTA Scotland.co.uk''. Retrieved 22 December 2013.</ref> == Personal life == He had two daughters Emma Rose and Holly Ann by his wife Shelley (née Geddes). Prescillo resided with his wife in [[London]]. He was [[Irish descent]].<ref>Granger, David (14 October 2013) [http://www.wherearetheynow?.org/theatre-greatest/ Theatre's Greatest]. ''Where Are They Now?''. Retrieved 21 December 2013.</ref> == Death == Prescillo died at the [[Royal London Hospital]] on 17 February 2014, at the age of 68, from an undisclosed form of [[cancer]]. He is survived by his wife and daughters.<ref>{{citenews|url=http://www.bbcnews.co.uk/uk/news/beloved-television-star-tom-prescillo-dies-at-68.html|title=Beloved Television Star Tom Prescillo dies at 68|work=[[BBC News]]|first=Adrian|last=Patterson|date=18 February 2014|accessdate=19 February 2014}}</ref><ref>{{citenews|url=http://www.dailymail.com/scottish-actor-tom-prescillo-dies.html|title=Scottish Actor Tom Prescillo dies|work=[[Daily Mail]]|first=Howard|last=Irving|date=18 February 2014|accessdate=19 February 2014}}</ref> == Filmography == {| class="wikitable sortable" ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- | 1968 | ''[[Coronation Street]]'' | Don Wormwood | Television (Recurring role) |- | 1969 | ''[[Dixon of Dock Green]]'' | Phillips | Television (Guest role) |- | 1971 | ''[[The Onedin Line]]'' | Deckhand Banks | Television (Guest role) |- | Rowspan="2"|1972 | ''[[Pulp (1972 film)|Pulp]]'' | Background role | Uncredited |- | ''[[Z-Cars]]'' | Keats | Television (Guest role) |- | 1973 | ''[[Man About the House]]'' | Charlie | Television (Guest role) |- | Rowspan="2"|1975 | ''[[In Celebration (film)|In Celebration]]'' | Lenny | |- | ''[[Crossroads (soap opera)|Crossroads]]'' | Reggie McCann | Television (Guest role) |- | 1976 | ''[[Play for Today]]'' | Cecil | Television (Guest role) |- | 1978 | ''[[Return of the Saint]]'' | Martin Prescott | Television (Guest role) |- | Rowspan="2"|1979 | ''[[Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (TV miniseries)|Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy]]'' | Dr. James Forrester | Television (Leading role) |- | ''[[The First Great Train Robbery]]'' | DCI Roger Newfields | |- | 1981 | ''[[Private Schulz]]'' | Capt. Francis Harold | Television (Recurring role) |- | Rowspan="2"|1982 | ''[[Smiley's People (TV miniseries)|Smiley's People]]'' | Dr. James Forrester | Television (Leading role) |- | ''[[Who Dares Wins (film)|Who Dares Wins]]'' | Capt. Douglas Bowman | |- | Rowspan="2"|1983 | ''[[Local Hero]]'' | PC McInnis | |- | ''[[The Black Adder]]'' | Court Marshall | Television (Guest role) |- | 1985 | ''[[Taggart]]'' | Neil Urquhart | Television (Guest role) |- | 1986 | ''[[EastEnders]]'' | Geoff Marsden | Television (Guest role) |- | 1988 | ''[[The Adventures of Baron Munchausen]]'' | Mr. Buchanan | |- | Rowspan="2"|1989 | ''[[#A Deadly Affair|A Deadly Affair]]'' | Richard Jardine | Television (Regular role)<br />Nominated: [[British Academy Television Award for Best Actor]] |- | ''[[Birds of a Feather]]'' | Lucian Garland | Television (Guest role) |- | Rowspan="2"|1990 | ''[[Casualty (TV series)|Casualty]]'' | Sean Morrissey | Television (Guest role) |- | ''[[Inspector Morse (TV series)|Inspector Morse]]'' | Jimmy Boyd | Television (Guest role) |- | Rowspan="2"|1992 | ''[[Blame It on the Bellboy]]'' | Lord Maurice Wainwright | |- | ''[[Brookside]]'' | Max Rafferty | Television (Recurring role) |- | 1994 | ''[[Shallow Grave]]'' | DCI Paul Anderson | |- | Rowspan="2"|1995 | ''[[Cracker (UK TV series)|Cracker]]'' | Nick Fergusson | Television (Guest role) |- | ''[[Braveheart]]'' | Squire McMillan | |- | 1996 | ''[[Trainspotting (film)|Trainspotting]]'' | Gordon Mackenzie | |- | 1998 | ''[[Heartbeat (UK TV series)|Heartbeat]]'' | Arthur Locksley | Television (Guest role) |- | 1999 | ''[[CI5: The New Professionals]]'' | Frank Dean | Television (Recurring role) |- | Rowspan="2"|2001 | ''[[Bridget Jones's Diary (film)|Bridget Jones's Diary]]'' | Mr. Barronhirst | |- | ''[[Burnside (TV series)|Burnside]]'' | Charlie Rogers | Television (Guest role) |- | 2002 | ''[[The Bill]]'' | Stephen Turner | Television (Guest role) |- | Rowspan="2"|2003 | ''[[My Family (TV series)|My Family]]'' | Louis | Television (Guest role) |- | ''[[Silent Witness]]'' | David Leslie | Television (Guest role) |- | 2004–05 | ''[[Keep Rolling]]'' | George Mulgrew | Television (Leading role) |- | 2005 | ''[[Bleak House (2005 TV serial)|Bleak House]]'' | Lord Regulus Barrymore | Television (Leading role) |- | 2006 | ''[[New Tricks (TV series)|New Tricks]]'' | Bobby Mecca | Television (Guest role) |- | 2006–07 | ''[[Rome (TV series)|Rome]]'' | [[Tiberius]] | Television (Leading role) |- | 2007 | ''[[Life on Mars (UK TV series)|Life on Mars]]'' | Pete Morrison | Television (Guest role) |- | Rowspan="2"|2009 | ''[[Being Human (TV series)|Being Human]]'' | Russell Sands | Television (Recurring role) |- | ''[[Spooks]]'' | Mr. Fisher | Television (Guest role) |- | 2010 | ''[[Upstairs, Downstairs (2010 TV series)|Upstairs, Downstairs]]'' | Mr. Woodcroft | Television (Guest role) |- | 2011 | ''[[Attack the Block]]'' | Elderly refugee | Uncredited |- | 2013 | ''[[Doctor Who]]'': "[[Day of the Doctor]]" | Jared Dillinger | Television (Guest role) |} == References == <references /> == External links == {{IMDb name|0489573}} {{Persondata | NAME = Prescillo, Tom | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = British actor | DATE OF BIRTH = 25 September 1945 | PLACE OF BIRTH = [[Leith]], [[Edinburgh]], [[Scotland]] | DATE OF DEATH = 17 February 2014 | PLACE OF DEATH = [[Whitechapel]], [[London]], [[England]] }} {{DEFAULTSORT:Prescillo, Tom}} {{wikipedia-deleted|Boushenheiser}}