John Bird

Biography

John Bird was an English actor and satirist who also wrote and directed for stage and screen. Born in Bulwell, Nottingham, he acted in school productions before reading English at King's College, Cambridge, where he met John Fortune. In the 1960s television satire boom he appeared in That Was the Week That Was, which he named. He then took straight and comic roles in films, including A Dandy in Aspic (1968), The Alf Garnett Saga (1972), The Seven-Per-Cent Solution (1976) and Jabberwocky (1977). His television work included Marmalade Atkins, A Very Peculiar Practice, Joint Account, El C.I.D. and Chambers, and he starred with Stephen Fry in Absolute Power on radio and television. On stage he directed The Naming of Murderers' Rock in 1960 and appeared in Habeas Corpus. With John Fortune and Rory Bremner he appeared in the Channel 4 sketch show Bremner, Bird and Fortune, which received BAFTA TV Award nominations.

86years old at death

Born November 22, 1936Bulwell
Died December 24, 2022Midhurst
Star sign: SagittariusFirst day of the sign, on the Scorpio cusp

Movie Career

Films: 6
Career span: 17 years1968 to 1985

Genres

Comedy83%, 5 films
Adventure33%, 2 films
Thriller33%, 2 films
Crime17%, 1 film
Drama17%, 1 film

First and latest

Did you know?!

A role that slipped away
Ned Sherrin wanted Bird to play the role that went to David Frost in That Was the Week That Was, but Bird was committed elsewhere.
Behind the camera
Bird took on work as a stage director, writer and actor, and in 1960 he directed The Naming of Murderers' Rock at the Royal Court Theatre in London.

John Bird movies on Netflix

Going Undercover1985IMDb rating 4.1as Professor Borg
Jabberwocky1977IMDb rating 6.1as 1st Herald
The Seven-Per-Cent Solution1976IMDb rating 6.6as Berger
The Alf Garnett Saga1972IMDb rating 5.2as Willis
The Best House in London1969IMDb rating 4.4as Home Secretary
A Dandy in Aspic1968IMDb rating 6.2

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

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Jabberwocky1977 Adventure, Comedy, Fantasyas 1st Herald
IMDb rating 6.117K votes
The Seven-Per-Cent Solution1976 Adventure, Comedy, Crimeas Berger
IMDb rating 6.65.7K votes
The Best House in London1969as Home Secretary
IMDb rating 4.4458 votes
A Dandy in Aspic1968
IMDb rating 6.21.6K votes
The Alf Garnett Saga1972as Willis
IMDb rating 5.2194 votes
Going Undercover1985as Professor Borg
IMDb rating 4.1226 votes

Worked with

John Bird shares three films with Warren Mitchell, and one with each of the others. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

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Warren Mitchell

John Le Mesurier

Robert Duvall

Vanessa Redgrave

Alan Arkin

John Cleese

Terry GilliamDirector, 1 film Herbert RossDirector, 1 film Anthony MannDirector, 1 film

Films together

Warren Mitchell3 films together, 1969 to 1977
Warren Mitchell's page
- Jabberwocky1977IMDb rating 6.1Bird as 1st HeraldMitchell as Mr. Fishfinger
- The Alf Garnett Saga1972IMDb rating 5.2Bird as WillisMitchell as Alf Garnett
- The Best House in London1969IMDb rating 4.4Bird as Home SecretaryMitchell as Count Pandolfo
John Le Mesurier2 films together, 1972 to 1977
John Le Mesurier's page
- Jabberwocky1977IMDb rating 6.1Bird as 1st HeraldMesurier as The Chamberlain
- The Alf Garnett Saga1972IMDb rating 5.2Bird as WillisMesurier as Mr. Ronald Frewin
Robert Duvall1 film together, 1976
Robert Duvall's page
- The Seven-Per-Cent Solution1976IMDb rating 6.6Bird as BergerDuvall as Dr. John H. Watson
Vanessa Redgrave1 film together, 1976
Vanessa Redgrave's page
- The Seven-Per-Cent Solution1976IMDb rating 6.6Bird as BergerRedgrave as Lola Deveraux
Alan Arkin1 film together, 1976
Alan Arkin's page
- The Seven-Per-Cent Solution1976IMDb rating 6.6Bird as BergerArkin as Dr. Sigmund Freud
John Cleese1 film together, 1969
John Cleese's page
- The Best House in London1969IMDb rating 4.4Bird as Home SecretaryCleese as Jones
Terry GilliamDirector, 1 film, 1977
All films by Terry Gilliam
- Jabberwocky1977IMDb rating 6.1Bird as 1st Herald
Herbert RossDirector, 1 film, 1976
All films by Herbert Ross
- The Seven-Per-Cent Solution1976IMDb rating 6.6Bird as Berger
Anthony MannDirector, 1 film, 1968
All films by Anthony Mann
- A Dandy in Aspic1968IMDb rating 6.2

Online

Official profiles and reference pages.

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