
Philip Glenister
Philip Haywood Glenister is an English actor, known for his role as DCI Gene Hunt in British television series Life On Mars and its sequel Ashes To Ashes. He also played DCI William Bell in State of Play (2003) and Reverend Anderson in Outcast (2016–2018). Glenister was born on 10 February 1963 in Harrow, Middlesex, and grew up in Hatch End. He is the son of director John Glenister and Joan Fry Lewis, and the younger brother of fellow actor Robert Glenister. He attended Hatch End High School. In his early career, he worked as a runner for the Robert Stigwood Organisation. Following this, he worked until the age of 23 as a film publicist, but developed an interest in acting after watching his brother perform in a student play about the Sex Pistols. With the encouragement of his then-sister-in-law, Amanda Redman, he pursued acting and attended the Central School of Speech and Drama. In the early 1990s, Glenister appeared in various TV series including Minder, The Ruth Rendell Mysteries, Heartbeat, The Chief, Dressing for Breakfast and Silent Witness. In 1997, he appeared in Sharpe's Justice as Richard Sharpe's half-brother Matt Truman. He played William Dobbin in the 1998 mini-series Vanity Fair. From 1998 to 1999, Glenister co-starred as a mini-cab driver who aspires to be a rock star in the series Roger Roger. He also played factory boss Mack Mackintosh in the first three series of Clocking Off from 2000 to 2002. In 2001, he appeared in two of the Hornblower TV films as Horatio's antagonist Gunner Hobbs. Glenister played the photographer who took nude photos for a Women's Institute fundraising calendar in the 2003 feature film Calendar Girls. Also in 2003, he appeared in the mini-series State of Play. Glenister played the German commandant, Baron Heinrich von Rheingarten, in the 2004 mini-series Island at War about the Occupation of the Channel Islands during World War II. In April 2006, Glenister read the Bedtime Story for the BBC's children's channel, CBeebies. He returned to the slot in February/March 2007. Glenister played social reformer and estate manager Mr Carter in the 2007 BBC costume drama Cranford, as part of a cast including Judi Dench and Francesca Annis. Glenister is probably best known for his role as DCI Gene Hunt in Life on Mars (2006–07), co-starring with John Simm as Sam Tyler, and its sequel Ashes to Ashes (2008–10), with Keeley Hawes as Alex Drake. Glenister also worked with Simm on State of Play and Clocking Off and the 2008 crime film Tuesday. Upon announcement of the film, Glenister joked that he and Simm were contractually obliged to work with each other once a year. Glenister starred as demon hunter Rupert Galvin in the 2009 ITV drama Demons. He used an American accent for the role, which received some criticism from reviewers. After the series was cancelled, he said he had problems with the role and felt that he may have been miscast. In 2010, Glenister had a small role (credited as 'Poker Friend') in Woody Allen's You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger, and he played Charles Forestier in a 2011 feature film of Guy de Maupassant's Bel Ami. He starred in the 2011 conspiracy thriller Hidden on BBC One.
Known For
Credits
- 2025 · Bergerac as Arthur Wakefield
- 2024 · After the Flood as Jack Radcliffe
- 2023 · Steeltown Murders as DCI Paul Bethell
- 2023 · Sheene as Narrator (voice)
- 2022 · Carthago as Lord James Davidson
- 2021 · Foundation as Commdor Argo
- 2021 · Just in Case as Mark
- 2020 · Belgravia as James Trenchard
- 2019 · DNA Journey as Self
- 2019 · The Rubbish World of Dave Spud as Betty Spud
- 2019 · Mamma Mia! Here We Go Yet Again as Pierce Brosnan
- 2019 · What The Killer Did Next as Self - Host
- 2017 · Living the Dream as Mal Pemberton
- 2017 · Richard Osman's House of Games as Self - Contestant
- 2017 · Harry Hill's Alien Fun Capsule as Self
- 2017 · Urban Myths as Kev Wells
- 2016 · The Level as Frank Le Saux
- 2016 · Outcast as Reverend Anderson
- 2014 · From There to Here as Daniel
- 2014 · Prey as David Murdoch
- 2014 · For the Love of Cars as Himself
- 2014 · Duck Quacks Don't Echo as
- 2014 · Inside No. 9 as Craig
- 2013 · Big School as Mr Gunn
- 2013 · Spying on Hitler’s Army: The Secret Recordings as Narrator
- 2012 · The Hollow Crown as Talbot
- 2012 · Tales of Television Centre as Self
- 2012 · Bel Ami as Charles Forestier
- 2012 · Treasure Island as Captain Smollett
- 2011 · Pavlopetri: The City Beneath the Waves as Narrator
- 2011 · Hidden as Harry Venn
- 2011 · Mad Dogs as Quinn
- 2010 · The Secret Life of the National Grid as Narrator (Voice)
- 2010 · You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger as Poker Friend
- 2010 · Eyewitness as
- 2009 · Lost Land of the Volcano as Self - Narrator
- 2009 · The Secret Life of the Airport as Narrator
- 2009 · The Making of... Ashes to Ashes as Himself
- 2009 · Chris Moyles' Quiz Night as Self
- 2009 · Demons as Rupert Galvin
- 2008 · Tu£sday as Earp
- 2008 · Ashes to Ashes as Gene Hunt
- 2007 · Cranford as Mr Carter
- 2007 · The Secret Life of the motorway as Narrator (Voice)
- 2007 · The End of 'Life on Mars' as Self
- 2006 · Legends as Self - Narrator (voice)
- 2006 · The One Show as Self - Guest
- 2006 · The One Show as Self
- 2006 · New Street Law as
- 2006 · Life on Mars as Gene Hunt
- 2005 · Vincent as
- 2005 · Kingdom of Heaven as Squire
- 2005 · The Walk as Eddie
- 2005 · The Stepfather as Dougie Molloy
- 2004 · Island at War as Oberst Heinrich Baron Von Rheingarten
- 2003 · Byron as William Fletcher
- 2003 · Calendar Girls as Lawrence Sertain
- 2003 · Lloyd & Hill as Daniel Lloyd
- 2003 · State of Play as DCI William Bell
- 2003 · The Other Boleyn Girl as William Strafford
- 2002 · Top Gear as Self
- 2001 · Hornblower: Retribution as Gunner Hobbs
- 2001 · Hornblower: Mutiny as Hobbs
- 2000 · Clocking Off as James 'Mack' Mackintosh
- 1999 · The Vice as
- 1998 · The Perfect Blue as Tom
- 1998 · Vanity Fair as William Dobbin
- 1998 · Hornblower as Gunner Hobbs
- 1998 · Roger Roger as Phil
- 1997 · Sharpe: The Legend as Truman
- 1997 · Sharpe's Justice as Matt Truman
- 1996 · My Wonderful Life as
- 1996 · True Love as Phil
- 1996 · Silent Witness as
- 1995 · Loved Up as Ray
- 1995 · Soccer AM as Self
- 1995 · I.D. as Charlie
- 1994 · Law and Disorder as
- 1993 · The Detectives as Uniformed Officer
- 1993 · GMTV as Self
- 1992 · Blue Heaven as Paul Twice
- 1992 · A Fatal Inversion as Young Detective
- 1992 · Heartbeat as Julian Cantley
- 1991 · London Kills Me as Suited Man
- 1990 · Drop the Dead Donkey as
- 1989 · Agatha Christie's Poirot as Sir William Boyd Carrington
- 1988 · This Morning as Self
- 1987 · The Ruth Rendell Mysteries as Brian Gregson
- 1981 · Bergerac as Philip
- 1979 · Minder as Greg Hunter