Donald Sumpter
Known for
Behind a familiar face there is Donald Sumpter, a British actor known from the sofa rather than from the multiplex. He has a part in 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo'. He began at 25. The career runs to 58 years so far. The part in 'Game of Thrones' ran to 14 episodes, under the name Maester Luwin.
Donald Sumpter
35 Movies
55 Series
Behind a familiar face there is Donald Sumpter, a British actor known from the sofa rather than from the multiplex. He has a part in 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo'. He began at 25. The career runs to 58 years so far. The part in 'Game of Thrones' ran to 14 episodes, under the name Maester Luwin.
Movies
Plays Detective Inspector Gustaf Morell
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
2011
Plays Chairman
The Phoenician Scheme
2025
Plays Paul Macy
In the Heart of the Sea
2015
Plays Yuri
Eastern Promises
2007
Plays Dr. Savran
K-19: The Widowmaker
2002
Plays Haddock / Ghost of Marley
The Man Who Invented Christmas
2017
Plays Tim Donohue
The Constant Gardener
2005
Plays Dave
Curse of the Pink Panther
1983
Plays Brackenbury
Richard III
1995
Plays Claudius
Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead
1991
Plays Pentonville Governor
London Boulevard
2010
Plays Leveret
Enigma
2001
Plays Salgado
Being Human
1994
Plays Eddie's Father
Limonov: The Ballad
2024
Plays Pogossian
Meetings with Remarkable Men
1979
Plays Sparks, the Radioman
The Lost Continent
1968
Plays Man on bench
Among Us
2010
Plays Mark
Hardcore
1977
Plays Benni Baum
The Point Men
2001
Plays Donald Neilson
The Black Panther
1977
Plays Compeyson
Great Expectations
1999
Plays Mr. Gerald Gardiner
The Chatterley Affair
2006
Plays Commander Ridgeway
Doctor Who: The Sea Devils
1972
Plays Grandfather
Bypass
2014
Plays Norman's Friend
Bleak Moments
1971
Plays Pythol (voice)
Ultramarines: A Warhammer 40,000 Movie
2010
Plays TV Concert Producer
Stardust
1974
Plays Pete Laver
Night After Night After Night
1969
Plays Max
The Walking Stick
1970
Plays Steve
I Am a Groupie
1970
Plays David
Mr. Axelford's Angel
1974
TV Shows
Plays Uncle Ginger
The Queen's Nose
1995
Plays Maester Luwin
Game of Thrones
2011
Plays Garson
Jekyll and Hyde
2015
Plays Kemp
Being Human
2009
Plays Quincy
Entitled
2023
Plays Enrico Casali
Doctor Who
1963
Plays Supt. John Mayberry
Bombay Blue
1997
Plays Aram
Jesus of Nazareth
1977
Plays Jim Arthurton
One Child
2014
Plays Samuel Greg
The Mill
2013
Plays Commander Harold Chapple
Our Friends in the North
1996
Plays Edward Peveril
The Ruth Rendell Mysteries
1987
Plays Simon Martlesham
Fallen Angel
2007
Plays Mabeuf
Les Misérables
2018
Plays Parson Tringham
Tess of the D'Urbervilles
2008
Plays Harry
The Rose Medallion
1981
Plays Gordon Pyke
The Secret of Crickley Hall
2012
Plays Keith Sullivan
In Deep
2001
Plays Seer
12 Monkeys
2015
Plays Zharkov
Chernobyl
2019
Plays Arthur Bigge
Peaky Blinders
2013
Plays Indenrigsminister Nacuk
The Eagle: A Crime Odyssey
2004
Plays 'Nemo'
Bleak House
1985
Plays Erasmus Darkening
The Sarah Jane Adventures
2007
Plays Compeyson
Great Expectations
1999
Plays Sidney
New Worlds
2014
Plays Mr. Brooker
The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby
2001
Plays Tim Settingfield
Midsomer Murders
1997
Plays Roscoe
Bergerac
1981
Plays Maynard
A Touch of Frost
1992
Latest Trailers
Watch Trailer
The Phoenician Scheme
Full Filmography
The Phoenician Scheme
Chairman
2025
Film
Limonov: The Ballad
Eddie's Father
2024
Film
Entitled
Quincy · 8 episodes
2023–
TV
The Cleaner
Sir James · 1 episode
2021
TV
Chernobyl
Zharkov · 2 episodes
2019–
TV
Les Misérables
Mabeuf · 3 episodes
2018–
TV
The Man Who Invented Christmas
Haddock / Ghost of Marley
2017
Film
In the Heart of the Sea
Paul Macy
2015
Film
Jekyll and Hyde
Garson · 10 episodes
2015–
TV
Photos
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Donald Sumpter and where are they from?
Donald Sumpter is 83 years old, born on February 13, 1943 in Brixworth, Northamptonshire, England, UK.
What are the most famous roles of Donald Sumpter?
Donald Sumpter is best known for roles in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, In the Heart of the Sea, Eastern Promises.
How many movies has Donald Sumpter been in?
Over a 58-year career (since 1968), Donald Sumpter has appeared in 35 movies and 55 TV shows.
What was Donald Sumpter's first movie?
The career of Donald Sumpter began with The Window Cleaner (1968).
What is Donald Sumpter's most recent movie or series?
Donald Sumpter's most recent release is The Phoenician Scheme, which premiered on May 23, 2025.
What TV shows has Donald Sumpter appeared in?
On television, Donald Sumpter has appeared in Game of Thrones, Peaky Blinders, Chernobyl, Black Mirror.
Donald Sumpter
1943-02-13 · Brixworth, Northamptonshire, England, UK
Donald Sumpter (born 13 February 1943) is an English actor. He has appeared in film and television since the mid-1960s. One of his early television appearances was the 1968 Doctor Who serial The Wheel in Space with Patrick Troughton as the Doctor. He appeared in Doctor Who again in the 1972 serial The Sea Devils with Jon Pertwee. He also appeared in the Doctor Who spin-off The Sarah Jane Adventures. His early film work included a lead role as real life British criminal Donald Neilson in the 1977 film, The Black Panther.
He also appeared in many television films and serials, including adaptations of Dickens' novels: Nicholas Nickleby in 2001, Great Expectations in 1999 and Bleak House in 1985. Also in 1985, he was remembered for the part of villain Ronnie Day in Big Deal. He played the part of suspected serial killer Alexander Bonaparte Cust in the (1992) Agatha Christie's Poirot episode, The ABC Murders. He has also appeared in episodes of Midsomer Murders, The Bill, Holby City, and A Touch of Frost. He also had a recurring role as Uncle Ginger in the Children's BBC series The Queen's Nose. He played Harold Chapple in Our Friends in the North, and portrayed the physicist Max Planck in Einstein and Eddington. He has also been seen as Kemp in the horror-drama series Being Human. In 2011 he portrayed Maester Luwin in the HBO series Game of Thrones.
His film appearances include The Constant Gardener (2005), K-19: The Widowmaker (2002), Enigma (2001) and Ultramarines: The Movie (2010).