Michael Creighton Balfour (11 February 1918 – 24 October 1997) was an English actor, working mainly in British films and TV, following his TV debut in the BBC's The Marvellous History of St Bernard, in 1938. He was a recognisable face, often in small character parts and supporting roles, in nearly t ... wo hundred films and TV shows, from the 1940s to the 1990s, often playing comical heavies or otherwise shady characters notable for their "loud" clothes, sometimes convincingly cast as an American. He worked for a roll call of film directors, including Tony Richardson, Pete Walker, Billy Wilder, Lewis Gilbert, Roman Polanski, Leslie Norman, Tim Burton, John Frankenheimer, François Truffaut, John Gilling, Stanley Donen, Ken Annakin, Cavalcanti, Lance Comfort, Terence Young, Gerald Thomas, Pasolini, John Paddy Carstairs, Terence Fisher, Val Guest, Frank Launder, John Huston, Basil Dearden and Howard Hawks. Balfour had parts in many popular TV shows of the era including Educated Evans, Mess Mates, Danger Man, The Avengers, Hancock's Half Hour, Dixon of Dock Green, Rogue's Gallery, Z-Cars, The Onedin Line, and the detective drama The Vise, playing Saber's assistant Barney O'Keefe. Balfour was also known as the passenger in a Jaguar XK120 car driven by actor Bonar Colleano when it crashed, killing Colleano. Balfour's injuries required him to have 98 stitches, but he was released from hospital in time to attend Colleano's funeral. As his screen career began to slow down in the late 1970s, Michael Balfour went on tour with European circuses, as a clown. He founded Circus Hazzard, and created his own clown character. His son later became a circus manager. As well as performing, Balfour was a dedicated painter and sculptor, and in later years turned increasingly to sculpture and the arts, even running his own gallery for a while. For his subjects, he frequently drew on his own family career as a circus clown
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| Organization | Category | Movie |
|---|
Sailor of Fortune
as Alphonso Italian Ship's Engineer
Episodes: 22
First Aired: May 26, 1957
Rogues' Gallery
as Tom Meatyard
Episodes: 6
First Aired: Jan 01, 1968
Reluctant Bandit
as Luigi
Episodes: 2
First Aired: Feb 15, 1965
Interpol Calling
as Russ
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 13, 1959
Interpol Calling
as Inspector Hill
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 13, 1959
Dixon of Dock Green
as Joe Ward
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Jul 09, 1955
Dixon of Dock Green
as Pip Rutley
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Jul 09, 1955
The Larkins
as Sharkey
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 19, 1958
The Prisoner
as Will
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 29, 1967
The Persuaders!
as Donkey Cart Driver
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 17, 1971
The Mind of Mr. J.G. Reeder
as Albert
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Apr 23, 1969
Department S
as Eccles
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 09, 1969
Danger Man
as Gaston
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 11, 1960
The Cheaters
as Harry
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Dec 10, 1960
The Cheaters
as Freddy
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Dec 10, 1960
Armchair Theatre
as Ward
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Jul 08, 1956
Armchair Theatre
as Mr. Bollanger
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Jul 08, 1956
Dixon of Dock Green
as Bill Nelson
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Jul 09, 1955
Dixon of Dock Green
as Nicky Medwin
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Jul 09, 1955
Dixon of Dock Green
as Hobbs
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Jul 09, 1955
Dempsey and Makepeace
as Jim Kelly
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Jan 11, 1985
The Avengers
as Tom
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Jan 07, 1961
Hancock's Half Hour
Episodes: 2
First Aired: Jul 06, 1956
Kelly Monteith
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Nov 15, 1979
Armchair Theatre
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Jul 08, 1956
Popularity History
| Year | Month | Avg | Max | Min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 2 |
| 2024 | 7 | 10 | 22 | 3 |
| 2024 | 8 | 6 | 18 | 2 |
| 2024 | 9 | 4 | 10 | 1 |
| 2024 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 2024 | 11 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| 2024 | 12 | 3 | 5 | 1 |
| 2025 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 1 |
| 2025 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 2025 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 2025 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 8 | 4 | 12 | 0 |