Geoffrey Keen
Geoffrey Keen was an English actor who appeared in supporting roles in many films. He is well known for playing British Defence Minister List of [James Bond allies#Sir Frederick Gray|Sir Frederick Gray] in the James Bond films.
Biography
Early life
Keen was born in Wallingford, Berkshire, England, the son of stage actor Malcolm Keen. He was educated at Bristol Grammar School. He then joined the Little Repertory Theatre in Bristol for whom he made his stage debut in 1932. After a year in repertory he stayed for a year in Cannes before being accepted for a place at the London School of Economics. In a last-minute change of mind, he entered the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, where he won the Bancroft Gold Medal after only one year. In 1939, he'd just joined the company at Stratford's Shakespeare Memorial Theatre when the war started. Keen enlisted in the Royal Army Medical Corps, though also managed to appear in an Army instructional film for Carol Reed.
Career
Keen made his full film debut in 1946 in Riders of the New Forest but soon appeared in better known films for Reed such as Odd Man Out, The Fallen Idol ''The Third Man and Walt Disney's Treasure Island. He quickly became one of the busiest character actors, typically doing five films a year. He also continued to perform on stage, for instance as Iachimo in Peter Hall's 1957 production of Cymbeline, and a sadistic Turkish General in Terence Rattigan's controversial play Ross.
Keen was cast mainly as establishment figures, including government ministers, senior police officers and military figures, though he also appeared in working class roles in Chance of a Lifetime and Millions Like Us. He often portrayed balding, cold-hearted, and sarcastic executives or lawyers. On television, he was one of the leads in BBC TV's long-running drama about the oil industry, The Troubleshooters, between 1965 and 1972.
On the big screen, he played the role of Minister of Defence Sir Frederick Gray in six James Bond films between 1977 and 1987:The [Spy Who Loved Me (film)|The Spy Who Loved Me]MoonrakerFor Your Eyes OnlyOctopussyA View to a KillThe Living Daylights
He also appeared in The Spanish Gardener, Doctor Zhivago, Born Free and Cromwell, as well as in numerous TV programmes. He even appeared in a leading role in the Hammer horror film Taste the Blood of Dracula'' that starred Christopher Lee. In all, Keen had appeared in 100 films before he retired in 1991.
Filmography
Film
The New Lot as Corporal Odd Man Out as Soldier Riders of the New Forest as Mr. Rivers The Fallen Idol as Detective DavisIt's Hard to Be Good as Sergeant ToddThe Small Back Room as PinkerThe Third Man as British Military Policeman Chance of a Lifetime as BolgerTreasure Island as Israel HandsSeven Days to Noon as AlfThe Clouded Yellow as Police Inspector Cheer the Brave as WilsonGreen Grow the Rushes as Spencer PrudhoeHigh Treason as Morgan WilliamsCry, the Beloved Country as Father Vincent His Excellency as MorellosHunted as Detective Inspector DeakinAngels One Five as Station Personnel: Company Sergeant MajorLady in the Fog as Christopher HampdenThe Long Memory as CraigGenevieve as PolicemanTurn the Key Softly as Mr. GregoryMalta Story as British Soldier Rob Roy: The Highland Rogue as KilleranMeet Mr. Lucifer as Mr. Lucifer Face the Music as Maurie GreenThe Maggie as CampbellDoctor in the House as DeanThe Divided Heart as MarksCarrington V.C. as PresidentThe Awakening as The SupervisorThe Glass Cage as Harry StantonPassage Home as Ike the bosunDoctor at Sea as HornbeanStorm Over the Nile as Dr. SuttonPortrait of Alison as Inspector ColbyA Town Like Alice as Noel StrachanThe Man Who Never Was as Gen. Archibald NyeThe Long Arm as Chief Superintendent MalcolmYield to the Night as Prison ChaplainLoser Takes All as Reception ClerkSailor Beware! as Rev. Mr. PurefoyHouse of Secrets as Col. Burleigh, CIAZarak as Carruthers The Spanish Gardener as Dr. HarveyTown on Trial as Charles DixonThe Secret Place as Mr. HaywoodFortune Is a Woman as Michael Abercrombie aka Young AbercrombieDoctor at Large as Second ExaminerThe Scamp as HeadmasterThe Birthday Present as Col. WilsonNowhere to Go as Inspector ScottWeb of Evidence as Prison GovernorHorrors of the Black Museum as Supt. GrahamDeadly Record as Supt. AmbroseThe Boy and the Bridge as Bridge MasterThe Scapegoat as GastonDevil's Bait as Joe FrisbyThe Dover Road Mystery as Superintendent GrahamThe Malpas Mystery as TorringtonSink the Bismarck! as Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff The Angry Silence as DavisThe Silent Weapon Scotland Yard (film series) as Superintendent CarterNo Love for Johnnie as The Prime Minister – Reginald StevensSpare the Rod as Arthur GregoryRaising the Wind as Sir JohnA Matter of WHO as FosterThe Inspector as Commissioner BartelsThe Spiral Road as Willem WattereusLive Now, Pay Later as Reggie CorbyReturn to Sender as Robert LindleyThe Mind Benders as CalderTorpedo Bay as HodgesThe Cracksman as MagistrateDoctor Syn#The [Scarecrow of Romney Marsh (1963)|Dr. Syn, Alias the Scarecrow] as General PughThe Heroes of Telemark as General BoltDoctor Zhivago as Prof. Boris KurtBorn Free as KendallBerserk! as Commissioner DalbyThunderbird 6 as James Glenn Taste the Blood of Dracula as William HargoodCromwell as John PymSacco e Vanzetti as Judge Webster Thayer Doomwatch as Sir Henry LeytonLiving Free as KendallQB VII as Magistrate GriffinThe Spy Who Loved Me as Sir Frederick GrayNo. 1 of the Secret Service as RockwellHolocaust 2000 as GynecologistMoonraker as Sir Frederick GrayLicensed to Love and Kill as StockwellFor Your Eyes Only as Sir Frederick GrayRise and Fall of Idi Amin as British AmbassadorOctopussy as Sir Frederick GrayA View to a Kill as Sir Frederick GrayThe Living Daylights as Sir Frederick Gray
Television
The [Adventures of Robin Hood (TV series)|The Adventures of Robin Hood] – episode – The Wager – Blind BeggarThe Men from Room 13 - epidodes -The Man Who Sold Romance Part 1 –The Man Who Sold Romance Part 2 as Fred Anderson Hancock (1963 TV series) as Colonel BeresfordDeath in Ecstasy in 1964 as Inspector Roderick Alleyn, based on the Ngaio Marsh novelThe Saint – episode – The Saint Steps In – Hobart QuennelThe Man Who sold Romance Part 1The Persuaders! – season 1, episode 12 as Thaddeus KraneThe Troubleshooters - main cast - 1965-72 - Brian SteadThe Venturers - main cast - – Gerald LangReturn of the Saint – episode – The Debt Collectors – Sir Charles