# Alistair Petrie

Alistair Petrie (born 30 September 1970) is a British actor. He has starred in The Bank Job (2008), Cloud Atlas (2012), Rush (2013) and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016). Petrie has also starred in the Channel 4 television series Utopia, the BBC One television series The Night Manager, Sherlock, and Undercover, and as Mr. Groff in the Netflix original comedy-drama series Sex Education.

## Early life

Petrie was born 30 September 1970 in Catterick, North Yorkshire. He was brought up in the Middle East, mainland Europe and East Africa. His father was an RAF fighter pilot.
He trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.

## Career
### Theatre

Petrie spent his early career in theatre around the country before joining the RSC where productions included Shakespeare's Troilus and Cressida and Henrik Ibsen's Brand opposite Ralph Fiennes. In 2005, he joined the National Theatre, where he stayed for 28 months performing in His Dark Materials, Shakespeare's Henry IV alongside Sir Michael Gambon and David Edgar's Playing With Fire. Other theatre work includes The Earl of Wessex in the 2015 West End Production of Shakespeare in Love. In 2008, Petrie played the lead role of Man in Mine, Shared Experience at the West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds.

### Screen

In 1996, Petrie appeared as Robert Martin in Emma. He featured in the BBC production of The Forsyte Saga as George Forsyte in 2002-2003, and he played a brief role in the music video for "Bellissimo" by Ilya directed by the Guard Brothers in 2004. In 2007 he appeared in Marc Munden's The Mark of Cain, The Whistleblowers and Cranford.
In 2009 he played Heaton in the film The Duchess, and in 2010 played Billing in the horror film Devil's Playground. Petrie appeared as Philip Lisle in The Bank Job, as Felix Finch in the 2012 film Cloud Atlas, as Stirling Moss in Rush, and as General Davits Draven in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
Also in television, Petrie has portrayed Geoff in Channel 4's Utopia, Alexander "Sandy" Langbourne in The Night Manager, and Robert Greenlaw in BBC1's Undercover. He played the role of Major James Sholto in the second episode of Season 3 of the BBC TV series Sherlock, which aired on 5 January 2014. In 2018, he played Dr. Stephen Stanley in The Terror (based on the novel of the same name), a supernatural horror series about Franklin's lost expedition. In 2019, Petrie began playing Mr. Groff in the Netflix original comedy-drama series Sex Education.

## Personal life

Petrie is married to actress Lucy Scott, with whom he has three sons.
Petrie is an Ambassador for Borne, a medical research charity looking to identify the causes of premature birth. In 2007, he and his wife swam the English Channel to fundraise for the charity, becoming the first married couple to complete the crossing.
Petrie is close friends with actor Connor Swindells, his former costar and on-screen son. He officiated Swindells' marriage to actress Amber Anderson.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1997 | Mrs Dalloway | Herbert | |
| 2005 | Man to Man | Beckinsale | |
| 2007 | The Mark of Cain | Major Rod Gilchrist | |
| 2008 | The Bank Job | Philip Lisle | |
| 2008 | The Duchess | Heaton | |
| 2008 | A Bunch of Amateurs | Rupert Twist | |
| 2010 | Devil's Playground | Andy Billing | |
| 2012 | Metamorphosis | The Supervisor | |
| 2012 | Cloud Atlas | Haskell Moore's Dinner Guest 1 Musician Felix Finch Lascivious Businessman | |
| 2012 | Ashes | Dr. Burrows | |
| 2013 | Rush | Stirling Moss | |
| 2013 | Vendetta | DCI Spencer Holland | |
| 2014 | The Face of an Angel | Steve | |
| 2014 | A Little Chaos | De Ville | |
| 2015 | Kicking Off | Anthony Greaves | |
| 2015 | Victor Frankenstein | Chief Inspector | |
| 2015 | Silent Hours | Lieutenant Charles Carter | |
| 2016 | God's Kingdom | Alexander | Short film |
| 2016 | Rogue One | General Draven | |
| 2017 | Hampstead | Steve Crowley | |
| 2019 | Hellboy | Lord Adam Glaren | |
| 2019 | A Battle in Waterloo | Kildare | Short film |
| 2020 | Sulphur and White | Jeff | |
| 2021 | The Cursed / Eight for Silver | Seamus Laurent | |
| 2024 | Magpie | Richard | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1993 | Demob | Hodges | Episodes: "Episode 1", "Episode 5" |
| 1993 | Scarlet and Black | Hussar | Miniseries Episode #1.3 |
| 1994 | All Quiet on the Preston Front | Big Matt | Episode: "Diesel's Garage" |
| 1996 | Emma | Robert Martin | TV movie |
| 1998 | Game On | Charles | Episode: "Wedding Day" |
| 1998 | Jonathan Creek | Duncan Proctor | Episodes: "The Problem at Gallows Gate: Part 1", "The Problem at Gallows Gate: Part 2" |
| 1999 | My Wonderful Life | Ollie | Episode: "Chinese Walls" |
| 1999 | Dalziel and Pascoe | Young James Westropp | Episode: "Recalled to Life" |
| 2000 | The Stretch | Jonathon Nichols | Miniseries |
| 2000 | Second Sight | Neil | Episode: "Parasomnia" |
| 2002, 2011 | Holby City | Mark Noble Colonel John Appleton | Episodes: "Second Chances", "No Credit, No Blame" |
| 2002–2003 | The Forsyte Saga | George Forsyte | Miniseries |
| 2002 | Celeb | Photographer | Episode: "The Guest" |
| 2003 | State of Mind | Nick Grainger | Miniseries |
| 2006 | Perfect Disaster | Doug | Series documentary, Episode: "Mega Flood" |
| 2007 | The Whistleblowers | Christopher Rowe | Episode: "No Child Left Behind" |
| 2007 | Cranford | Major Gordon | Episodes: "August 1842", "May 1843" |
| 2008 | Mutual Friends | Carl Cato | 4 episodes |
| 2009 | Gracie! | Basil Dean | TV movie |
| 2010 | The Taking of Prince Harry | Jack Pastor | TV movie |
| 2011 | Midsomer Murders | Clifford Bunting | Episode: "Not in My Back Yard" |
| 2011 | Strike Back | Kenneth Bratton | Episodes: "Project Dawn #3", "Project Dawn #4" |
| 2011 | Death in Paradise | Gordon Foster | Episode #1.5 |
| 2012 | Whitechapel | Dr. Simon Mortlake | 2 episodes |
| 2013 | The Suspicions of Mr Whicher: The Murder In Angel Lane | Dr. Casement | TV movie |
| 2013 | The Escape Artist | Julian Fowkes | Miniseries Episode: "Part 1" |
| 2013 | Lucan | Jimmy Goldsmith | TV movie |
| 2013–2014 | Utopia | Geoff | Recurring role, 11 episodes |
| 2014 | Sherlock | Major James Sholto | Episode: "The Sign of Three" |
| 2014 | Vera | Stuart Bayliss | Episode: "On Harbour Street" |
| 2014 | The Game | Andrew | Miniseries Episode: "Episode 4" |
| 2016 | The Night Manager | Lord Sandy Langbourne | Miniseries |
| 2016 | Undercover | Robert Greenlaw | Miniseries |
| 2016 | New Blood | Charles Matherson | 2 episodes |
| 2016 | Harley and the Davidsons | Edsel Ford | Episode: "Legacy" |
| 2017 | Year of the Rabbit | Mr. Larkham | Miniseries |
| 2017 | Genius | Heinrich Weber | Recurring role |
| 2018 | The Terror | Dr. Stephen Samuel Stanley | Recurring role; 6 episodes |
| 2018–2019 | Deep State | George White | Main role |
| 2019–2023 | Sex Education | Mr. Groff | Series regular |
| 2020 | Agatha and the Midnight Murders | Sir Malcolm Campbell | TV movie |
| 2022 | Why Didn't They Ask Evans? | Rev Richard Jones | Series regular |
| 2023 | Funny Woman | Ted Sargent | |
| 2023 | The Following Events Are Based on a Pack of Lies | Dr Robert Chance | Series lead |
| 2025 | Andor | General Draven | Post-production |
| TBA | Death by Lightning | John Sherman | Upcoming miniseries |

### Video games

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2022 | A Plague Tale: Requiem | Count Victor de Arles | Voice |