Ronald Pickup

Ronald Alfred Pickup (born 7 June 1940) is an English actor who has been active in television and film since 1964. 2Early life and training Pickup was born in Chester, the son of Daisy (née Williams) and Eric Pickup, who was a lecturer. Pickup was educated at the King's School, Chester, trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London, and became an Associate Member of RADA. 2Acting roles 3Television His television work began with an episode during the first series of Doctor Who (as a physician in part 4 of The Reign of Terror) in 1964, for which he was paid £30. In 1973, he starred in the BBC drama series ''The Dragon's Opponent'', playing Charles Howard, 20th Earl of Suffolk, a World War II bomb disposal expert. In 1982 Pickup had the starring role as composer Giuseppe Verdi in the acclaimed The Life of Verdi, written and directed by Renato Castellani. In 1983 he appeared opposite Penelope Keith in Moving and as Friedrich Nietzsche in Wagner; existing in several versions, Wagner has also been released as a film. In 1984 Pickup portrayed Jan Tyranowski in the TV movie Pope John Paul II, Albert Einstein in the TV mini series Einstein and Prince Yakimov, a hapless, down-at-heel Russo-British aristocrat, opposite Emma Thompson and Kenneth Branagh in the BBC serial Fortunes of War (1987) based on a novel cycle by Olivia Manning. He was the voice of Aslan in the BBC adaptation of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1988) and subsequent Chronicles of Narnia serials derived from the books by C.S. Lewis. Pickup starred in the short lived sit-com Not with a Bang which was broadcast in 1990, and appeared opposite Michael Caine in Jekyll & Hyde the same year. In 1992 he appeared alongside Dervla Kirwan in the television adaptation of Melvyn Bragg's book "A Time To Dance." Other roles have included parts in Hornblower, The Riff Raff Element, Hustle, Foyle's War, Midsomer Murders, Waking the Dead, The Bill, Silent Witness, Sherlock Holmes, Doc Martin, Inspector Morse, Rectors Wife, the 1991 television adaptation of John le Carré's A Murder of Quality and the BBC's 2004 drama for children, Feather Bo