Ian McNeice was born in Basingtoke in 1950.   He is one of Britains best and most profilic of character actors.   His films include “84 Charing Crfoss Road”, “The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne” with Maggie Smith and “Day of the Dead”.   In 1995 he went to Hollywood to make “Ace Ventura Pet Detective”.   Recent films have included “Oliver Twist” and “The Black Dahlia”.

TCM Overview:

Ian McNeice was born in the town of Basingstoke (in Hamsphire, England) on October 2, 1950. He studied acting at the Taunton School in Somerset and the London Academy of Music & Dramatic Arts, followed by four years with the Royal Shakespeare Company. McNeice began appearing regularly on television in the early â¿¿80s, notably on the 1982 mini-series “The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby.” In ’85, he was cast in a recurring role on the series “Edge of Darkness.” In addition to his TV work, McNeice appeared in the films “84 Charing Cross Road” (’87),” “The Raggedy Rawney” (’88), “The Russia House” (’90), “Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls” (’95), and “From Hell” (’01). Some of McNeiceâ¿¿s most memorable roles include the villainous Baron Vladimir Harkonnen on the mini-series “Frank Herbertâ¿¿s Dune” (’00) and “The Children of Dune” (’03), the bibulous sous-chef Gustave on the British sitcom “Chef!,” and the newsreader on the HBO mini-series “Rome.” He also took the role of Winston Churchill on an episode of the British sci-fi series “Doctor Who”; the part was something of an encore for McNeice, having previously played Churchill in an ’08 stage play.