Biography
Geoffrey Palmer was an English actor. Born Geoffrey Dyson Palmer on 4 June 1927 in North Finchley, Middlesex, he died on 5 November 2020. He was known for his roles in British television sitcoms, including Jimmy Anderson in The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin (1976–79), Ben Parkinson in Butterflies (1978–83) and Lionel Hardcastle in As Time Goes By (1992–2005).
His film appearances included the judge in A Fish Called Wanda (1988), Warren in The Madness of King George (1994), Sir Henry Ponsonby in Mrs Brown (1997), Admiral Roebuck in Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) and the voice of the Head Geographer in Paddington (2014). He also appeared in guest roles in series such as Doctor Who, Fawlty Towers and Blackadder.
Palmer was appointed OBE for services to drama in 2004. He trained briefly as a stage manager after national service in the Royal Marines and worked in repertory theatre before establishing himself on television and stage.
