Timothy Peter Pigott-Smith was born in in Rugby, Warwickshire, England in 1946. Privately educated he attended acting school after graduating from Bristol university, serving his apprenticeship at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. For the early part of his career Pigott-Smith had a series of minor roles. His fortunes changes when he landed leading role of Ronald Merrick in the 1984 television serial The Jewel in the Crown. In 1972 Pigott-Smith married actress Pamela Miles and the pair had one child, Tom, a violinist.
The Jewel in the Crown (1984) was a British television serial about the final days of the British Raj in India during World War II, based upon the Raj Quartet novels (1965–75) by British author Paul Scott. The series later became popular in the U.S. With its international broadcast, Jeff Jarvis of People magazine said the series was “first-rate; the settings are stunning. It does a masterly job of making you care about its characters and what happens to them. That is what a mini-series is supposed to do, and Jewel does a spectacular job of it. It is this year’s best fictional mini.”
The actor had other major parts in television dramas, including the crime drama series The Chief (1990–1993); the episodic serial The Vice; plus shows like Vickers, and Bloody Sunday. In addition, Pigott-Smith appeared twice in Doctor Who: in the stories The Claws of Axos (1971) and The Masque of Mandragora (1976). His movie roles included Alexander, The Four Feathers, Gangs of New York, Johnny English, The Remains of the Day, V for Vendetta, and the James Bond film Quantum of Solace.
Pigott-Smith received many awards, including a BAFTA, Olivier and Tony Awards. In 2017 he received an OBE from Queen Elizabeth II. The actor’s death was announced by his agent John Grant on April 7. 2017: “It is with deep regret that I have to announce the sad news that Tim Pigott-Smith died this morning. Much-loved and admired by his peers, he will be remembered by many as a gentleman and a true friend. He will be much missed.”
