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Geoffrey McGivern

Geoffrey McGivern

Known For Acting
Birthday Jan 01, 1952 (73)
Birthplace Battersea, London, England, UK
Popularity 1 (history)
Updated Aug 10, 2025
Entry Date Apr 13, 2024
Links TMDb IMDb
Biography

Geoffrey M. McGivern is a British actor in film, television, radio and stage, as well as a comedian. He is best known for originating the role of Ford Prefect in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. He played Ford Prefect in the radio series (1978–80) and subsequent LP releases of The Hitchhiker's ... Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams whom he knew from Cambridge University, and reprised the role for the four new series broadcast on BBC Radio 4 between 2004 and 2018. A more recent radio broadcast was in The Ape That Got Lucky and he has appeared in TV shows such as Noel's House Party, Press Gang, Chef!, Big Train, Blackadder the Third ("Dish and Dishonesty") as Ivor Biggun, Chelmsford 123, Jonathan Creek, 15 Storeys High, Armstrong and Miller, Toast of London and series three of Peep Show. McGivern appeared in the first series of the comedy show Big Train in 1998, and later that year for the 1998 radio SciFi drama Paradise Lost in Cyberspace (Colin Swash, BBC) McGivern teamed up with old Hitchhiker's colleague Stephen Moore and Lorelei King (member of cast in the 2005 Hitchhiker's radio show sequel). He later played the Supreme Ruler in BBC2's sci-fi comedy Hyperdrive (2006–2007). In 2007, he appeared in the BBC Radio 4 comedy Peacefully in their Sleeps and in 2008 he appeared as Professor John Mycroft in the BBC2 science sitcom Lab Rats and in the 2008 BBC series Little Dorrit where he played Mr Rugg. He also appeared in episode 5 of series 3 of the TV series A Bit of Fry and Laurie. In 2015, he guest-starred in EastEnders as Dickie Ticker, the crude comic brought in by Mick Carter for Kush Kazemi's stag night. In 2016, he appeared in four episodes of the Disney Channel musical drama The Lodge, as Patrick. McGivern played the narrator Charlie Swinburne in the BBC Radio's 2013 six part dramatisation of G. K. Chesterton's The Club of Queer Trades. In 2017, he appeared in the Channel 4 sitcom Back, written by Simon Blackwell, alongside David Mitchell and Robert Webb. Later that year, he began portraying the recurring role of Frank in the Netflix series Free Rein. Since 2019, he has appeared as recurring character Barclay Beg-Chetwynde in the BBC comedy Ghosts. In 2022, he appeared as the main character Russ, in Radio 4 comedy No-Platformed. The show's episode guide contains a humorous note about McGivern's extensive credit list, by starting a list of his credits and then adding "oh, hundreds of things". In 2024, he appeared as recurring character Lord Rookwood in the Apple TV+ series The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin.

Known For

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Profile
Filmography

Tower-D

Tower-D

2018

as Alexander

The Ghoul

The Ghoul

2017

as Morland

Here Boy

Here Boy

2016

as Des

Roald Dahl's Esio Trot

Roald Dahl's Esio Trot

2015

as Shop Keeper

Hancock & Joan

Hancock & Joan

2008

as Billy Marsh

Magicians

Magicians

2007

as Magic Shop Manager

Blackball

Blackball

2003

as Brian Cronk

Onegin

Onegin

1999

as Andrey Petrovitch

Gobble

Gobble

1997

as Geoffrey Lester

The Young Americans

The Young Americans

1993

as Brian Carver

In Dreams

In Dreams

1992

as Journalist/Emperor

Wilt

Wilt

1989

as Mr. Yeo

Mr. Pye

Mr. Pye

1986

as Harry Portiner

No data available

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Organization Category Movie
Television Credits

This Is Jinsy

as Trince

Episodes: 16

First Aired: Mar 01, 2010

Annie's Bar

as Stiggy Bedford-Bounds

Episodes: 10

First Aired: Feb 01, 1996

Chef

as Bank Manager

Episodes: 7

First Aired: Jan 28, 1993

Semi-Detached

as Barry

Episodes: 6

First Aired: Aug 06, 2020

Quacks

as The Pub Landlord

Episodes: 6

First Aired: Aug 15, 2017

Back

as Uncle Geoff

Episodes: 6

First Aired: Sep 06, 2017

Ghosts

as Barclay Beg-Chetwynde

Episodes: 5

First Aired: Apr 15, 2019

Jonathan Creek

as Barry Opper

Episodes: 4

First Aired: May 09, 1997

The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin

as Lord Rookwood

Episodes: 3

First Aired: Mar 01, 2024

A Touch of Cloth

as Andy Preacherman

Episodes: 2

First Aired: Aug 26, 2012

Hyperdrive

as Supreme Ruler

Episodes: 2

First Aired: Jan 11, 2006

Benidorm

as Beverley Westwood

Episodes: 2

First Aired: Feb 01, 2007

Quiz

as Lieutenant Colonel Village

Episodes: 2

First Aired: Apr 13, 2020

This Time with Alan Partridge

as Old Lady

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Feb 25, 2019

Big Train

as Policeman

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Nov 09, 1998

Sister Boniface Mysteries

as Malise Bonham Crane

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Mar 11, 2022

Murder Most Horrid

as Mason

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Nov 14, 1991

Outlander

as Dr. Simms

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Aug 09, 2014

Plebs

as Simeon

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Mar 25, 2013

Blackadder

as Ivor Biggun

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jun 15, 1983

The Larkins

as Station Master Fox

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 10, 2021

Decline and Fall

as Mr. Wilson

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Mar 31, 2017

Sister Boniface Mysteries

as Malise Bonham-Crane

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Mar 11, 2022

Eye of the Storm

as Customs Officers

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jan 08, 1993

Heartbeat

as Denzil Arcourt

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Apr 10, 1992

Episodes

as Bob

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jan 09, 2011

Heartbeat

as Harry

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Apr 10, 1992

Ghosts

as Barclay

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Apr 15, 2019

Blandings

as Sir Roderick Glossop

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jan 13, 2013

Upstart Crow

as Sir Thomas

Episodes: 1

First Aired: May 09, 2016

Peep Show

as Gerard

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 19, 2003

A Young Doctor's Notebook

as Pharmacist

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Dec 06, 2012

Birds of a Feather

as Mr Blair

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 16, 1989

15 Storeys High

as Neville

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Nov 07, 2002

15 Storeys High

as Sergeant Hamilton

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Nov 07, 2002

Drop the Dead Donkey

as Geoff

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Aug 09, 1990

Drop the Dead Donkey

as TV Announcer

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Aug 09, 1990

Drop the Dead Donkey

as Voice Over (voice)

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Aug 09, 1990

Drop the Dead Donkey

as Repeat introductions (voice) (uncredited)

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Aug 09, 1990

Stressed Eric

Episodes: 13

First Aired: Apr 20, 1998

Ben Elton: The Man from Auntie

Episodes: 12

First Aired: Feb 15, 1990

Rita Rudner

Episodes: 6

First Aired: Sep 18, 1990

Noel's Christmas Presents

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Dec 25, 1986

Popularity Metrics

Popularity History


Year Month Avg Max Min
2024 6 8 14 5
2024 7 14 35 3
2024 8 8 19 3
2024 9 6 14 1
2024 10 3 6 1
2024 11 3 5 1
2024 12 3 6 1
2025 1 6 23 1
2025 2 2 4 1
2025 3 2 3 1
2025 5 1 1 1
2025 6 1 1 1
2025 7 0 0 0
2025 8 2 8 0
2025 9 0 1 0
2025 10 1 1 1

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