Michael Dundonald Cochrane (born 19 May 1947) is an English actor. He has played Oliver Sterling in the Radio 4 soap opera The Archers since 2007.
Early life
Cochrane was born 19 May 1947, in Brighton, East Sussex. He was educated at Cranleigh School.
Career
Cochrane played the role of a fireman in Are You Being Served? in 1972 and Lieutenant Charles Gaylion, a Royal Flying Corps pilot in the BBC television series Wings (1977–78). He has twice appeared in the BBC science fiction series Doctor Who, first as Charles Cranleigh in the serial Black Orchid (1982) and later as Redvers Fenn-Cooper in Ghost Light (1989). Cochrane was later associated with Doctor Who when he appeared in the 2006 Big Finish Productions audio drama, No Man's Land. This was followed by further appearances in the 2008 Big Finish Productions audio drama Brotherhood of the Daleks, Trail of the White Worm/The Oseidon Adventure in 2012, and The Fate of Krelos/Return to Telos in 2015.
Cochrane has also appeared as different characters in the Yorkshire Television period drama Heartbeat. The Citadel (1983), a BBC serial adaptation of Goodbye Mr. Chips (1984), Raffles (1985–1993), No Job for a Lady, The Chief (1990–1995), and as Sir Henry Simmerson in the Sharpe series. He had a small role as Roger in series 1 episode 1 of the BBC sitcom Dear John. He appeared as the ship's officer in the BBC's Keeping Up Appearances episode titled "Sea Fever" (1993), and he also appeared as Mr Price in the ITV's detective drama Wycliffe episode titled "Strangers" (1997).
In 2019 Cochrane appeared as one of the Number 2's in the 2016 Big Finish Productions audio drama adaptation of the cult 1960s British TV series The Prisoner aired by BBC Radio 4 Extra. In 2021, he appeared as Mr Kingsley the lawyer in The Outlaws.
Filmography
{|class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
| 1974
| The Pallisers
| Gerald
| Miniseries
|-
| 1974
| Warship (1973 TV series)
| Lieutenant Palfrey, RM
| 2 episodes
|-
| 1975
| Love Thy Neighbour
| Bernard
| Season 6 episode 6
|-
| 1976–1978
| Wings
| Lt. Charles Gaylion
|
|-
| 1980
| Love in a Cold Climate
| Cedric Hampton
| TV Serial
|-
| rowspan=2|1981
| The Life and Times of David Lloyd George
| Charles Masterman
| TV Serial
|-
| Escape to Victory
| Farrell – The English
|
|-
| 1982, 1989
| Doctor Who
| Lord Cranleigh/Redvers Fenn-Cooper
| "Black Orchid"/"Ghost Light"
|-
| 1982
| The Return of the Soldier
| Stephen
|
|-
| 1983
| Ascendancy
| Officer
|
|-
| rowspan=4|1984
| Strangers and Brothers
| Sammikins
| 2 episodes
|-
| Frankenstein
| Henry Clervell
| TV movie
|-
| Real Life
| Lipton
|
|-
|Hay Fever
|Sandy Tyrell
|TV play
|-
| 1987
| Fortunes of War
| Clifford
| Miniseries
|-
| 1989–2010
| The Bill
| Commander Whiteside/Nigel Boscombe/Howard Walsh
| 3 episodes
|-
| rowspan=2|1990
| Howard's Way
| Pierre Challon
| 1 episode
|-
| Number One Gun
| Flash Fairmaid
|
|-
|1992
|The Darling Buds of May
|Former Battle of Britain pilot
|Episode: A Season of Heavenly Gifts
|-
| 1992
| A Dangerous Man: Lawrence After Arabia
| Winston Churchill
| TV movie
|-
| 1993–2008
| Sharpe
| Sir Henry Simmerson
|
|-
| 1993
| Keeping Up Appearances
| The Ship's Officer
| Episode: Sea Fever
|-
| 1994
| EastEnders
| Coroner
| 2 episodes
|-
| rowspan="3" |1997
| The Saint
| Cold Fusion Broker
|
|-
| Wycliffe
| Mr. Price
| Episode: Strangers
|-
|Heartbeat
|Derek Lightfoot
|Episode: Fool for Love
|-
| rowspan=2|1998
| Coronation Street
| Bob Fay
| 1 episode
|-
| Incognito
| Deeks
|
|-
| 2000
| Offending Angels
| Mentor
|
|-
| 2002
| A Touch of Frost
| Babcock, HMI
| 2 episodes
|-
| rowspan=2|2003
| Spooks
| Ross Vaughan
| 1 episode
|-
| Rosemary & Thyme
| Franklin Danvers
| 1 episode
|-
| 2004
| A Different Loyalty
| Dick Madsen
|
|-
| 2004
| Monarch of the Glen
| Colonel Ford
| 1 episode
|-
| 2004
| Jonathan Creek
| Owen Glendower
| 1 episode
|-
| 2005–2019
| Doctors
| Rowland Bryant/Charles Honeychurch/Tom O'Docherty/Judge David Tennyson
|-
| 2006
| Wire in the Blood
| Judge Hynes
| 1 episode
|-
| 2009
| Heartbeat
| Cunningham
| Episode: Thursday's Children
|-
| 2010
| Law & Order: UK
| Judge Burchville
| Episode: Help
|-
| 2011–2012, 2015
| Downton Abbey
| Reverend Travis
|
|-
| 2011
| The Iron Lady
| William
|
|-
| rowspan=2|2012
| Run for Your Wife
| Man on Bus
|
|-
| Titanic: Blood and Steel
| Captain Smith
| Miniseries
|-
| 2013
| The Escape Artist
| Judge
| Miniseries (Part 2)
|-
| 2014
| The Musketeers
| Judge
| Episode: Homecoming
|-
| 2016
| The Crown
| Henry Marten
| Episode: Scientia Potentia Est
|-
| 2016
| We're Doomed! The Dad's Army Story (TV movie)
| Arnold Ridley/Pte Godfrey
|
|-
|2021
|The Outlaws
| Mr Kingsley (lawyer)
|Episodes 2&5
|-
| 2022
| Living
| Sir James
|
|-
| 2023
| Call the Midwife
| Sir Brigham Aylward
| 1 episode
|-
|2026
|Beyond Paradise
|Kenneth Linder
|Series 4, Episode 1
|}
Radio
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Year
!Title
!Role
!Notes
|-
|1985–1993
|Raffles
|Bunny Manders
|BBC Radio 4
|-
|1995-1997
|Thackeray (radio plays)
|Private detective Jim Thackeray
|BBC Radio 4
|-
|2000–
|The Archers
|Oliver Sterling
|BBC Radio 4 Soap Opera
|-
|2002–2003
|King Street Junior Revisited
|Mr Maxwell
|BBC Radio 4
|}
Video games
{|class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
| 2021
| Bravely Default II
| Archbishop Domenic
| Voice role
|}