Biography

Denis Lill was born in Hamilton in the Waikato region on the northern island of New Zealand. At the age of seventeen, he enlisted as a cadet in his country's air force. During this time, he discovered an aptitude for amateur dramatics (he had a fondness for imitating the voices of characters in the BBC's Goon Show on radio) and began acting in stage and operatic productions. In 1967, Denis moved to Britain and made his professional theatrical London debut at the Old Vic as an extra in William Congreve's play The Way of the World. From 1970, he became an increasingly familiar presence on British television. Usually sporting his trademark moustache, Denis projected authority and was therefore often cast as military men, police officers or aristocrats.

His notable roles have included Bertie, the Prince of Wales (and later Edward VIII) in the miniseries Lillie (1978), the short-lived German Kaiser Frederick III in the excellent La chute des aigles (1974), King George VI in The Gathering Storm (1974) and legendary King Pellinore in the lackluster TV movie L'épée du sorcier (1985). Denis has played numerous coppers in shows like Angoisse (1973), Z Cars (1962) and Le retour de Sherlock Holmes (1986) (a competent, less obtuse interpretation of Inspector Bradstreet), but achieved his greatest popularity as the Cockney businessman and perennial tippler Alan Parry in Only Fools and Horses (1981) and the lecherous Dennis Broadley in ITV's sitcom Outside Edge (1994). In cult TV series, he twice appeared on Docteur Who (1963): as the obsessed scientist Dr. Fendelman in Image of the Fendahl (Series 15, 1977) and as magistrate Sir George Hutchinson in The Awakening (Series 21, 1984). The actor's personal favorite role has been that of the rogue simulant, leader of the 'Gunmen of the Apocalpypse' (Death) in the Emmy Award-winning so-titled third episode of Red Dwarf (1988), Season Six. He said in a later interview: "Villains are the best parts, anyway. There's so much more charisma to be got out of a villain than there is out of a goodie." Denis also popped up in a small but very funny scene as the sozzled MP for the village of Dunny-on-the-World, Sir Talbot Buxomly (complete with red nose prosthetic), in a classic episode of La vipère noire III (1987).

In addition to remaining a busy screen actor right up until 2019, Denis has also continued working on stage, notably touring Britain with Bill Kenwright's Agatha Christie Company in plays like And Then There Were None (Detective William Henry Blore), Witness for the Prosecution (as Sir Wilfred Robarts QC) and Murder on the Nile (Canon Ambrose Pennefather).

- IMDb mini biography by: I.S.Mowis