Nigel Allan Havers (born 6 November 1951) is an English actor and presenter. In 1981 he earned a BAFTA nomination for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, for portraying Lord Andrew Lindsay in the British sports film Chariots of Fire (1981).

Other credits include A Passage to India (1984), Empire of the Sun (1987), Farewell to the King (1989), Don't Wait Up (1983–1990), Sleepers (1991) Coronation Street, (2009–2019), Brothers & Sisters (2009), Doctor Who spin-off The Sarah Jane Adventures, Downton Abbey (2011), The Life of Rock with Brian Pern (2014), Benidorm (2017), Finding Alice (2021), The Gentlemen (2024), and A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story (2025).

Early life and family

Havers was born born 6 November 1951,

His paternal aunt, Lady Butler-Sloss, his grandfather Sir Cecil Havers and elder brother Philip Havers KC also had prominent legal careers. His paternal uncle, David Havers, was a Manchester-based businessman.

Havers took part in the BBC TV series Who Do You Think You Are?, broadcast in the UK in July 2013. As part of the show he explored his ancestry from an Essex businessman, on his father's side, and a Cornish miller on his mother's side.

Professional life and career

Havers is most known for "playing the quintessential, old school Englishman with his dashing good looks, cut-glass accent and thoroughly charming manner".

In 1975, Havers's career began with an appearance in Upstairs, Downstairs,

His first film appearance was in Pope Joan (1972), He later wrote an autobiography, titled Playing with Fire, which was published in October 2006 by Headline Publishing Group.

In 2009, Havers appeared in the U.S. television drama Brothers & Sisters,

As a guest star in the 2011 Christmas Special episode of television show Downton Abbey,

In July 2012, Havers presented a programme on ITV called The Real Chariots of Fire, a documentary about the runners who inspired the film Chariots of Fire. In 2014, he played Tony Pebble in The Life of Rock with Brian Pern, a BBC Four comedy which parodied the life and career of former Genesis singer, Peter Gabriel. On 25 January 2015, Havers took part in celebrity talent show Get Your Act Together. returning as the same character for the tenth series in 2018. He also joined fellow celebrities Simon Callow, Lorraine Chase, and Debbie McGee on the Channel 5 (UK) show, Celebrity Carry On Barging, later that year.

In 2020, he starred as Roger alongside Keeley Hawes and Joanna Lumley in the comedy drama series Finding Alice.

Personal life

In the mid-1980s, Havers began a relationship with Polly Williams, the daughter of actor Hugh Williams and the sister of his friend, the actor Simon Williams.

In 1990, Havers was banned from driving for one year, and fined £500 for drink driving.

On 8 June 2007, Havers married Essex native Georgiana "George" Bronfman. (née Rita Webb), in New York City. Bronfman is the former spouse of Canadian-American businessman Edgar Bronfman.

Havers is the godfather of comedian Jack Whitehall.

Selected filmography

Film

{| class="wikitable sortable"

|-

! Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes

|-

| 1972

| Pope Joan

| Young Monk

|

|-

| 1977

| The Haunting of Julia

| Estate Agent

|

|-

| 1978

| Too Many Chefs

| Counterman

|

|-

| 1979

| Birth of the Beatles

| George Martin

|

|-

| 1981

| Chariots of Fire

| Lord Andrew Lindsay

| Nominated – BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role

|-

| 1984

| A Passage to India

| Ronny

|

|-

| 1985

| Burke & Wills

| William John Wills

|

|-

| 1986

| The Whistle Blower

| Bob Jones

|

|-

| 1987

| Empire of the Sun

| Dr. Rawlins

|

|-

| 1989

| Farewell to the King

| Capt. Fairbourne

|

|-

| 1990

| Quiet Days in Clichy

| Alfred Perlès

|

|-

| 1996

| Element of Doubt

| Richard

|

|-

| 2004

| The Life and Death of Peter Sellers

| David Niven

|

|-

| 2006

| Penelope

| Mr. Vanderman

|

|}

Television

{| class="wikitable sortable"

|-

! Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes

|-

|1973 || Shabby Tiger || Toby Scriven || Episode: "A Wife in Water Colours"

|-

|1973 || Crown Court || Bernard Crittenden || Episode: "Wise Child"

|-

|1974

|The Black Arrow

|Roger

|4 episodes

|-

| rowspan="4" |1975

|Upstairs, Downstairs

|Peter Dimont

|Episode: "Joke Over"

|-

|Edward the Seventh

|Frederick Crichton

|2 episodes

|-

|Crown Court

|Patrick Mills

|Episode: "Never on Sundays"

|-

| Thriller || Ludovic Bates || Episode: "The Next Voice You See"

|-

| rowspan="2" |1976 || The Glittering Prizes || Denis Porson || 3 episodes

|-

|The Cedar Tree

|Rex Burton-Smith

|2 episodes

|-

|1977 || Nicholas Nickleby || Nicholas Nickleby || Lead role; all 6 episodes

|-

|rowspan=3|1978 || |Pennies from Heaven || Conrad Baker || Episode: "Down Sunnyside Lane"

|-

|An Englishman's Castle || Mark Ingram || 3 episodes

|-

|A Horseman Riding By || Paul Craddock || 12 episodes

|-

|rowspan=2|1979 || Birth of the Beatles || George Martin || Television film

|-

| Rumpole of the Bailey || Ronald Ransom || Episode: "Rumpole and the Course of True Love"

|-

|rowspan=2| 1981 || Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years || Randolph Churchill || All 8 episodes

|-

| Tales of the Unexpected || Miller || Episode: "Would You Believe It?"

|-

| 1982 || Nancy Astor || Bobby Shaw || 4 episodes

|-

|1983–1990 || Don't Wait Up || Dr. Tom Latimer || All 39 episodes

|-

|1984 || Strangers and Brothers || Roy Calvert || 4 episodes

|-

|rowspan=2|1985 || Star Quality: Bon Voyage || Roddy Buchanan ||

|-

|A Different Kind of Love || Clement ||

|-

|1986 || Lord Elgin and Some Stones of No Value || Lord Elgin / Tim ||

|-

|rowspan=4|1987 || A Little Princess || Carrisford || 4 episodes

|-

|The Death of the Heart || Thomas Quayne ||

|-

|Hold the Dream || Jim Fairley || Episode #1.1

|-

|The Charmer || Ralph Ernest Gorse || All 6 episodes

|-

|1989 || Naked Under Capricorn || Davy Marriner ||

|-

|1990 || A Bit of Fry and Laurie || Himself || Episode #2.6

|-

|rowspan=4|1991 || The Private War of Lucinda Smith || Edward ||

|-

|A Slight Hitch || Simon ||

|-

|Sleepers || Jeremy Coward/<br>Sergei Rublev || 4 episodes

|-

|A Perfect Hero || Hugh Fleming || All 6 episodes

|-

|1992–1993 || The Good Guys || Guy McFadyean || All 16 episodes

|-

|rowspan=3|1994 || Red Eagle || Peter Husak ||

|-

|The Burning Season: The Chico Mendes Story || Steven Kaye ||

|-

|Woof! || Appleby || Episode: "Mr. Wonderful"

|-

|rowspan=3|1995 || The Glass Virgin || Edmund Lagrange || 2 episodes

|-

|Chiller || Oliver Halkin || Episode: "Prophecy"

|-

|Liz: The Elizabeth Taylor Story || Michael Wilding ||

|-

|rowspan=2|1996 || Murder Most Horrid || Harvey Stafford || Episode: "Girl Friday"

|-

|Strangers || Philip || Episode: "Touch"

|-

|rowspan=2|1997 || Bridge of Time || Halek ||

|-

|The Heart Surgeon || Dr. Alex Marsden ||

|-

|1995–1999 || Dangerfield || Dr. Jonathan Paige || 26 episodes

|-

|rowspan=2|2001 || The Gentleman Thief || A J Raffles ||

|-

|The Armando Iannucci Shows || Ivy Waiter || Episode: "Mortality"

|-

|2002–2003 || Manchild || Terry || 15 episodes

|-

|2002 || Murder in Mind || Nicholas Chadwick QC || Episode: "Flashback"

|-

|2004–2005 || Little Britain || Leader of the Opposition || 2 episodes

|-

|2005 || Born and Bred || Henry Williamson || 3 episodes

|-

|2006 || Open Wide || Peter Hillman ||

|-

|2009–2010 || Brothers & Sisters || Roger Grant || 6 episodes

|-

|2009–2011 || Lunch Monkeys || Mike || 12 episodes

|-

|2009 || The Sarah Jane Adventures || Peter Dalton || 2 episodes

|-

|2009–2010, 2012–2013, 2018–2019 || Coronation Street || Lewis Archer || Series regular, 182 episodes

|-

|2011 || Downton Abbey || Lord Hepworth || Episode: "Christmas at Downton Abbey"

|-

|2010

|I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! (British series 10)

|Himself

|Withdrew on Day 9

|-

|2014–2017 || The Life of Rock with Brian Pern || Tony Pebblé || 9 episodes

|-

|2016 || Comedy Playhouse || David || Episode: "Stop/Start"

|-

|2017–2018 || Benidorm || Stanley Keen || 3 episodes

|-

|rowspan=6|2017 || Tracey Ullman's Show || Sir Richard Appleworth || Episode #2.4

|-

|Brian Pern: A Tribute || Tony Pebblé ||

|-

|Celebrity Carry on Barging || Himself||

|-

|Timewasters || Dr. Eugene Braithwaite || Episode: "Good Kids, M.D.A City"

|-

|Better Things || Lester || Episode: "White Rock"

|-

|Murder on the Blackpool Express || Doc ||

|-

|rowspan=3|2019 || The Cockfields || Larry || TV Mini-Series, 2 episodes

|-

|Midsomer Murders || Andrew Wilder || S21E1: "The Point of Balance"

|-

|Posh Hotels || Himself || 4 episodes

|-

| rowspan="1" |2020 ||All Creatures Great and Small || General Ransom || Episode: "Andante"

|-

|rowspan="1" |2020-2025 ||The Bidding Room

|Himself as host

|BBC TV Series 1-7 (25-30 Episodes each)

|-

| rowspan="1" | 2021 || Finding Alice || Roger ||TV series, 6 episodes

|-

| rowspan="2" |2025 ||A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story || Judge Cecil Havers ||

|-

| Play for Today || Frank || Episode: "Never Too Late"

|}

Theatre (pantomime)

  • Sleeping Beauty – London Palladium (2025), as Keeper of the Privy
  • Robin Hood – London Palladium (2024)
  • Peter Pan – London Palladium (2023)
  • Jack and the Beanstalk - London Palladium (2022)

Theatre (other)

  • Ricochet (1993) as producer and lead actor

|-

| align="center"| 1988

| TV Times Awards

| Best Actor

|

| align="center" |

|-

| align="center"| 1990

| British Style Awards

| Best Style

|

| align="center" |

|-

| rowspan = "2" align = "center"| 2013

| rowspan = "2"| British Soap Awards

| Best Exit

|

| rowspan= "2" align="center" |

|-

| Villain of the Year

|

|-

| align="center"| 2018

| British Pantomime Awards

| Best Supporting Male

|

| align="center" |

|-

| align="center"| 2019

| Inside Soap Awards

| Best Exit

|

| align="center" |

|}

References

  • The Nigel Havers Alliance – A mock political party
  • Profile on the Red Cross site