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James Bree (actor)

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James Bree
Born
James Rutherfoord Worsfold Thomson

(1923-07-20)20 July 1923
Died1 December 2008(2008-12-01) (aged 85)
London, England
Alma materRoyal Central School of Speech and Drama
OccupationActor
PartnerAlbert Yates

James Rutherfoord Worsfold Thomson (20 July 1923 – 1 December 2008[1]), known professionally as James Bree, was a British actor who appeared on stage, and played many supporting roles in both film and television.[2][3]

Bree was educated at Radley College near Abingdon, Oxfordshire and during the Second World War served in the RAF. He later trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama. He changed his surname to Thomson-Bree after inheriting land from his great-uncle, Archdeacon William Bree.[4][5]

On stage, Bree was in the original productions of Thornton Wilder's The Matchmaker in London's West End in 1954; and in John Arden's Sergeant Musgrave's Dance at the Royal Court in 1959.[6] He was also one of the founder members of Peter Hall's Royal Shakespeare Company at Stratford in 1960.[7]

On screen, he was cast as Blofeld's attorney Gumbold in the 1969 James Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service, and for his role as Uncle Arthur in The Jewel in the Crown.[7][8]

Bree performed three roles in the original series of Doctor Who. He played the Security Chief in the 1969 Patrick Troughton story The War Games, Nefred in the 1980 Tom Baker story Full Circle and Keeper of the Matrix in the 1986 Colin Baker story The Ultimate Foe.[9]

He died in December 2008, aged 85, after a long illness.[7]

Filmography

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Film

Television

References

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  1. ^ "News and Pictures From The 2002 James Bond Celebrity Golf Classic".
  2. ^ "James Bree". Archived from the original on 12 March 2017.
  3. ^ "James Bree". www.aveleyman.com.
  4. ^ Anthony Hayward Obituary: James Bree, The Independent, 6 March 2009
  5. ^ Parish Magazine
  6. ^ "James Bree - Theatricalia". theatricalia.com. Archived from the original on 8 May 2018. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
  7. ^ a b c "James Bree - Obituaries - The Stage". 17 February 2009.
  8. ^ "James Bree". www.bafta.org. 11 May 2012.
  9. ^ "The War Games, Season 6, Doctor Who - The Fourth Dimension - BBC One".
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