Philip Glenister
Biography
Philip Haywood Glenister is an English actor born on February 10, 1963, in Harrow, Middlesex, England. He is the son of director John Glenister and Joan Fry Lewis, and the younger brother of actor Robert Glenister. He grew up in Hatch End and attended Hatch End High School. Early in his career, he worked as a runner for the Robert Stigwood Organisation and as a film publicist until the age of 23 before developing an interest in acting. Glenister is well known for his television roles, including DCI Gene Hunt in the series Life on Mars and its sequel Ashes to Ashes. He also portrayed DCI William Bell in State of Play and Reverend Anderson in Outcast.
Career overview
Philip Haywood Glenister is an English actor born on February 10, 1963, in Harrow, Middlesex. He is the son of director John Glenister and Joan Fry Lewis, and the younger brother of actor Robert Glenister. He grew up in Hatch End and attended Hatch End High School. In his early career, he worked as a runner for the Robert Stigwood Organisation and subsequently worked as a film publicist until the age of twenty-three, eventually developing an interest in acting.
Glenister is widely known for playing DCI Gene Hunt in the British television series Life on Mars and its sequel Ashes to Ashes. His television credits also include playing DCI William Bell in State of Play in 2003 and Reverend Anderson in Outcast from 2016 to 2018.
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Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full Filmography
97 titles- The Lady (2026) as DCI Jim Dickie
- Bergerac (2025) as Arthur Wakefield
- After the Flood (2024) as Jack Radcliffe
- Steeltown Murders (2023) as DCI Paul Bethell
- Sheene (2023) as Narrator (voice)
- Remembers… (2022) as Self
- Carthago (2022) as Lord James Davidson
- Foundation (2021) as Commdor Argo
- Just in Case (2021) as Mark
- Belgravia (2020) as James Trenchard
- The Rubbish World of Dave Spud (2019) as Betty Spud
- DNA Journey (2019) as Self
- What The Killer Did Next (2019) as Self - Host
- Mamma Mia! Here We Go Yet Again (2019) as Pierce Brosnan
- Richard Osman's House of Games (2017) as Self - Contestant
- Urban Myths (2017) as Kev Wells
- Harry Hill's Alien Fun Capsule (2017) as Self
- Living the Dream (2017) as Mal Pemberton
- Outcast (2016) as Reverend Anderson
- The Level (2016) as Frank Le Saux
- Inside No. 9 (2014) as Craig
- Duck Quacks Don't Echo (2014)
- Prey (2014) as David Murdoch
- From There to Here (2014) as Daniel
- For the Love of Cars (2014) as Self - Presenter
- For the Love of Cars (2014) Presenter
- Big School (2013) as Mr Gunn
- Spying on Hitler’s Army: The Secret Recordings (2013) as Narrator
- The Hollow Crown (2012) as Talbot
- Bel Ami (2012) as Charles Forestier
- Treasure Island (2012) as Captain Smollett
- Tales of Television Centre (2012) as Self
- Mad Dogs (2011) as Quinn
- Hidden (2011) as Harry Venn
- Pavlopetri: The City Beneath the Waves (2011) as Narrator
- Pavlopetri: The City Beneath the Waves (2011) Executive Producer
- You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger (2010) as Poker Friend
- The Secret Life of the National Grid (2010) as Narrator (Voice)
- Eyewitness (2010)
- Chris Moyles' Quiz Night (2009) as Self
- Demons (2009) as Rupert Galvin
- Demons (2009) as Rupert Galvin
- Lost Land of the Volcano (2009) as Self - Narrator
- The Secret Life of the Airport (2009) as Narrator
- The Making of... Ashes to Ashes (2009) as Himself
- Ashes to Ashes (2008) as Gene Hunt
- Tu£sday (2008) as Earp
- Cranford (2007) as Mr Carter
- The End of 'Life on Mars' (2007) as Self
- The Secret Life of the motorway (2007) as Narrator (Voice)
- The One Show (2006) as Self
- Life on Mars (2006) as Gene Hunt
- Legends (2006) as Self - Narrator (voice)
- Kingdom of Heaven (2005) as Squire
- The Walk (2005) as Eddie
- Last Rights (2005) as John Speers
- Vincent (2005)
- The Stepfather (2005) as Dougie Molloy
- Island at War (2004) as Oberst Heinrich Baron Von Rheingarten
- State of Play (2003) as DCI William Bell
- Calendar Girls (2003) as Lawrence Sertain
- The Other Boleyn Girl (2003) as William Strafford
- Byron (2003) as William Fletcher
- Lloyd & Hill (2003) as Daniel Lloyd
- Top Gear (2002) as Self
- The Hunt (2001) as Rob Campbell
- Hornblower: Retribution (2001) as Gunner Hobbs
- Hornblower: Mutiny (2001) as Hobbs
- Clocking Off (2000) as James 'Mack' Mackintosh
- The Vice (1999) as Jason Grant
- Hornblower (1998) as Gunner Hobbs
- Vanity Fair (1998) as William Dobbin
- Roger Roger (1998) as Phil
- The Perfect Blue (1998) as Tom
- Sharpe: The Legend (1997) as Truman
- Sharpe's Justice (1997) as Matt Truman
- Silent Witness (1996)
- Frontiers (1996) as DS Danny Curtis
- My Wonderful Life (1996) as Phil
- True Love (1996) as Phil
- Soccer AM (1995) as Self
- I.D. (1995) as Charlie
- Loved Up (1995) as Ray
- Law and Disorder (1994)
- GMTV (1993) as Self
- The Detectives (1993) as Uniformed Officer
- Heartbeat (1992) as Julian Cantley
- Blue Heaven (1992) as Paul Twice
- A Fatal Inversion (1992) as Young Detective
- In Suspicious Circumstances (1991) as Herbert Bennett
- London Kills Me (1991) as Suited Man
- The Chief (1990) as Angus Shadwell
- Drop the Dead Donkey (1990)
- Agatha Christie's Poirot (1989) as Sir William Boyd Carrington
- This Morning (1988) as Self
- The Ruth Rendell Mysteries (1987) as Brian Gregson
- Minder (1979) as Greg Hunter
Frequently Asked Questions
What movies or TV shows is Philip Glenister best known for?
Philip Glenister is widely recognized for notable roles and projects including The Lady (2026), Remembers… (2022), Foundation (2021), Richard Osman's House of Games (2017).
When and where was Philip Glenister born?
Philip Glenister was born on February 10, 1963 in Harrow, Middlesex, England, UK.
How many credits does Philip Glenister have?
Philip Glenister has accumulated over 97 film and television credits across a career spanning from 1979 to 2026.
What is Philip Glenister's background in cinema and television?
Philip Haywood Glenister is an English actor born on February 10, 1963, in Harrow, Middlesex, England. He is the son of director John Glenister and Joan Fry Lewis, and the younger brother of actor Robert Glenister. He grew up in Hatch End and attended Hatch End High School. Early in his career, he worked as a runner fo...
Philip Glenister by the numbers
Age in their best-rated roles
- Agatha Christie's Poirot (1989) as Sir William Boyd Carrington — aged about 26
- Inside No. 9 (2014) as Craig — aged about 51
- Cranford (2007) as Mr Carter — aged about 44
- Life on Mars (2006) as Gene Hunt — aged about 43
- Hornblower (1998) as Gunner Hobbs — aged about 35
- Foundation (2021) as Commdor Argo — aged about 58
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