| Birth name | Michael Dundonald Cochrane |
|---|---|
| Birth date | 19 May 1947 (age 79) |
| Birth place | Brighton, Sussex, England |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1973–present |
| Spouse | Belinda Carroll (m. 1979) |
Michael Dundonald Cochrane (born 19 May 1947) is an English actor. He has played Oliver Sterling in the Radio 4 soap opera The Archers since 2007.
Early life
Cochrane was born 19 May 1947, in Brighton, East Sussex.[1] He was educated at Cranleigh School.[2]
Career
Cochrane played the role of a fireman in Are You Being Served? in 1972 and Lieutenant Charles Gaylion, a Royal Flying Corps pilot in the BBC television series Wings (1977–78).[3] He has twice appeared in the BBC science fiction series Doctor Who,[4] first as Charles Cranleigh in the serial Black Orchid (1982) and later as Redvers Fenn-Cooper in Ghost Light (1989). Cochrane was later associated with Doctor Who when he appeared in the 2006 Big Finish Productions audio drama, No Man's Land. This was followed by further appearances in the 2008 Big Finish Productions audio drama Brotherhood of the Daleks, Trail of the White Worm/The Oseidon Adventure in 2012, and The Fate of Krelos/Return to Telos in 2015.
Cochrane has also appeared as different characters in the Yorkshire Television period drama Heartbeat.[4] His first appearance was as the narcissistic businessman Derek Lightfoot in the episode Fool for Love (1997). A further appearance came in 2009, when Cochrane appeared as a character named Cunningham, a confidence trickster and sneak thief, in two episodes ("Thursday's Children" and "The Middle of Somewhere"), both of which were set in Australia.
Other significant roles in which Cochrane has appeared are The Pallisers (1974),[4] Love in a Cold Climate (1980),[5] The Citadel (1983), a BBC serial adaptation of Goodbye Mr. Chips (1984), Raffles (1985–1993), No Job for a Lady, The Chief (1990–1995), and as Sir Henry Simmerson in the Sharpe series.[4] His film career has included roles in Escape to Victory (1981), The Return of the Soldier (1982), Real Life (1984), Number One Gun (1990), The Saint (1997),[4] Incognito (1998),[4] A Different Loyalty (2004), and The Iron Lady (2011).[4]
He was featured in the ITV science fiction series The Uninvited.[4] In 2008, he appeared in the soap opera Doctors as Daniel's solicitor and in 2009 in Margaret as MP Alan Clark.[4]
He appeared in the sitcom Perfect World as the sex-obsessed marketing director. He appeared in Offending Angels (2002). He was seen as the vicar in Downton Abbey with Hugh Bonneville and Maggie Smith.[4]
He had a small role in episode 5 of the BBC serial drama The Musketeers (2014).[6] He had a small role as Roger in series 1 episode 1 of the BBC sitcom Dear John. He appeared as the ship's officer in the BBC's Keeping Up Appearances episode titled "Sea Fever" (1993), and he also appeared as Mr Price in the ITV's detective drama Wycliffe episode titled "Strangers" (1997).[4]
In 2016, he played the role of Henry Marten in the Netflix series The Crown.[6]
Since 2007, Cochrane has played Oliver Sterling in the Radio 4 soap opera The Archers.[7]
In 2019 Cochrane appeared as one of the Number 2's in the 2016 Big Finish Productions audio drama adaptation of the cult 1960s British TV series The Prisoner aired by BBC Radio 4 Extra. In 2021, he appeared as Mr Kingsley the lawyer in The Outlaws.[4]
Personal life
Cochrane is married to the actress Belinda Carroll.[8]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | The Pallisers | Gerald | Miniseries |
| 1974 | Warship (1973 TV series) | Lieutenant Palfrey, RM | 2 episodes |
| 1975 | Love Thy Neighbour | Bernard | Season 6 episode 6 |
| 1976–1978 | Wings | Lt. Charles Gaylion | |
| 1980 | Love in a Cold Climate | Cedric Hampton | TV Serial |
| 1981 | The Life and Times of David Lloyd George | Charles Masterman | TV Serial |
| Escape to Victory | Farrell – The English | ||
| 1982, 1989 | Doctor Who | Lord Cranleigh/Redvers Fenn-Cooper | "Black Orchid"/"Ghost Light" |
| 1982 | The Return of the Soldier | Stephen | |
| 1983 | Ascendancy | Officer | |
| 1984 | Strangers and Brothers[9] | Sammikins | 2 episodes |
| Frankenstein | Henry Clervell | TV movie | |
| Real Life | Lipton | ||
| Hay Fever | Sandy Tyrell | TV play | |
| 1987 | Fortunes of War | Clifford | Miniseries |
| 1989–2010 | The Bill | Commander Whiteside/Nigel Boscombe/Howard Walsh | 3 episodes |
| 1990 | Howard's Way | Pierre Challon | 1 episode |
| Number One Gun | Flash Fairmaid | ||
| 1992 | The Darling Buds of May | Former Battle of Britain pilot | Episode: A Season of Heavenly Gifts |
| 1992 | A Dangerous Man: Lawrence After Arabia | Winston Churchill | TV movie |
| 1993–2008 | Sharpe | Sir Henry Simmerson | |
| 1993 | Keeping Up Appearances | The Ship's Officer | Episode: Sea Fever |
| 1994 | EastEnders | Coroner | 2 episodes |
| 1997 | The Saint | Cold Fusion Broker | |
| Wycliffe | Mr. Price | Episode: Strangers | |
| Heartbeat | Derek Lightfoot | Episode: Fool for Love | |
| 1998 | Coronation Street | Bob Fay | 1 episode |
| Incognito | Deeks | ||
| 2000 | Offending Angels | Mentor | |
| 2002 | A Touch of Frost | Babcock, HMI | 2 episodes |
| 2003 | Spooks | Ross Vaughan | 1 episode |
| Rosemary & Thyme | Franklin Danvers | 1 episode | |
| 2004 | A Different Loyalty | Dick Madsen | |
| 2004 | Monarch of the Glen | Colonel Ford | 1 episode |
| 2004 | Jonathan Creek | Owen Glendower | 1 episode |
| 2005–2019 | Doctors | Rowland Bryant/Charles Honeychurch/Tom O'Docherty/Judge David Tennyson | |
| 2006 | Wire in the Blood | Judge Hynes | 1 episode |
| 2009 | Heartbeat | Cunningham | Episode: Thursday's Children |
| 2010 | Law & Order: UK | Judge Burchville | Episode: Help |
| 2011–2012, 2015 | Downton Abbey | Reverend Travis | |
| 2011 | The Iron Lady | William | |
| 2012 | Run for Your Wife | Man on Bus | |
| Titanic: Blood and Steel | Captain Smith | Miniseries | |
| 2013 | The Escape Artist | Judge | Miniseries (Part 2) |
| 2014 | The Musketeers | Judge | Episode: Homecoming |
| 2016 | The Crown | Henry Marten | Episode: Scientia Potentia Est |
| 2016 | We're Doomed! The Dad's Army Story (TV movie) | Arnold Ridley/Pte Godfrey | |
| 2021 | The Outlaws | Mr Kingsley (lawyer) | Episodes 2&5 |
| 2022 | Living | Sir James | |
| 2023 | Call the Midwife | Sir Brigham Aylward | 1 episode |
| 2026 | Beyond Paradise | Kenneth Linder | Series 4, Episode 1 |
Radio
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985–1993 | Raffles | Bunny Manders | BBC Radio 4 |
| 1995-1997 | Thackeray (radio plays) | Private detective Jim Thackeray | BBC Radio 4 |
| 2000– | The Archers | Oliver Sterling[10] | BBC Radio 4 Soap Opera |
| 2002–2003 | King Street Junior Revisited | Mr Maxwell | BBC Radio 4 |
Video games
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Bravely Default II | Archbishop Domenic | Voice role |
References
- ^ "Michael Cochrane - Actor". amazon.co.uk. Retrieved November 3, 2023.
- ^ "The Archers – Oliver Sterling – BBC Radio 4". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 9 April 2017.
- ^ "Wings (BBC TV series Season 2) 1978". archive.org. 2017-03-28. Retrieved November 3, 2023.
- ^ "Michael Cochrane Credits". tvguide.com. Retrieved November 3, 2023.
- ^ "IMDb Love in a Cold Climate". IMDb. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
- ^ "Michael Cochrane". qvoice.co.uk. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
- ^ "Archers characters". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved November 3, 2023.
- ^ "Terminally-ill Archers actress wants her character to survive". BBC. 3 January 2017. Retrieved 9 April 2017.
- ^ "C. P. Snow's Strangers and Brothers". BBC Genome Project. 21 March 1984. Retrieved 27 March 2026.
- ^ "Oliver Sterling". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2021-01-22.
External links
- Michael Cochrane at IMDb