# Paul Freeman (actor)

Paul Freeman (born 18 January 1943) is an English actor who has appeared in theatre, television and film. Internationally, he is known for playing the rival archaeologist René Belloq in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), evil wine baron Gustav Riebmann on season 4 of the soap opera Falcon Crest (1984–85), and supervillain Ivan Ooze in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie (1995). His other credits include Morlang (2001), When I'm 64 (2004), Hot Fuzz (2007) and Hard Boiled Sweets (2012). In the UK, he had a leading role in the television series Yesterday's Dreams (1987) as Martin Daniels.
Referring to Freeman's extensive theatre work, in 1995 the Los Angeles Times described him as "one of Britain's best-regarded actors, classically trained, with stints at the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre".

## Early life

Freeman was born in Barnet, Hertfordshire, on 18 January 1943.

## Career

Freeman began his career in advertising and teaching, and gained small roles in the theatre, appearing in productions of A Midsummer Night's Dream and Hamlet. He had roles at the National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Freeman made his television debut in 1978 in the serial Will Shakespeare (1978). He also acted in the docudrama Death of a Princess, a film about the execution of Misha'al bint Fahd al Saud of Saudi Arabia. Freeman began his feature film career in 1980 when he appeared in The Long Good Friday and The Dogs of War. In 1981, he played Ralph Wigram in the television series Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years.
In the same year, Steven Spielberg and George Lucas chose Freeman to play archaeologist René Belloq, the archrival to Indiana Jones, in the adventure film Raiders of the Lost Ark, opposite Harrison Ford. The film led to Freeman becoming typecast in villainous roles, especially Nazis. He played the conniving wine baron Gustav Riebmann in the fourth season of Falcon Crest, airing in 1984–1985.
Freeman starred as Martin Daniels in the series Yesterday's Dreams in 1987.
In 1988, Freeman played Professor Moriarty in comedy film Without a Clue, which starred Michael Caine as a mini-brained Sherlock Holmes and Ben Kingsley as Watson, who is secretly the real crime-solving genius. In 1995, Freeman was cast as the villain Ivan Ooze in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie.
Freeman guest-starred in television shows such as Monarch of the Glen, ER, Falcon Crest, and The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles. He also played in several mini-series, including Murderers Among Us: The Simon Wiesenthal Story (1989), and The Final Cut (1995). In 2004, Freeman played Angus, Bobby Jones' caddie, in Bobby Jones: A Stroke of Genius. During 2006 and 2007, he played Laurence Scammel QC in the drama New Street Law. Also in 2007, he played Rev. Philip Shooter of Sandford in the action comedy film Hot Fuzz.
Among his television work, Freeman has appeared in an episode of Midsomer Murders, titled "Down Among the Dead Men". He also appeared in Waking the Dead in the episode "Straw Dog", and played Adam Kingsley in the BBC adaptation of Minette Walters' The Dark Room. He appeared in Agatha Christie's Poirot in the episode "Appointment with Death", playing Colonel Carbury.
Freeman appeared as George Aaranow in the 2008 London revival of David Mamet's Glengarry Glen Ross.
In 2012, Freeman played Thomas Erpingham in the BBC adaptation of William Shakespeare's Henry V from The Hollow Crown series.

## Personal life

Freeman is married to Maggie Scott, who was his co-star in the 1980 film The Dogs of War. They have one daughter. Freeman was previously married to actress Judy Matheson.
Freeman and Scott are both co-founders of the charity UK Friends of Healing Focus (UKHF), which works in partnership with Uganda NGO, Healing Focus Orphanage Centre. Freeman is a regular visitor to the orphanage.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1975 | Feelings | Paul Martin | |
| 1980 | The Long Good Friday | Colin | |
| 1980 | The Dogs of War | Derek Godwin | |
| 1981 | Raiders of the Lost Ark | René Emile Belloq | Nominated – Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor |
| 1982 | An Unsuitable Job for a Woman | James Calendar | |
| 1982 | Who Dares Wins | Sir Richard | |
| 1982 | The Sender | Dr. Joseph Denman | |
| 1983 | Si elle dit oui... je ne dis pas non | Nick | |
| 1984 | Flight to Berlin | Nicholas | |
| 1984 | Sakharov | Pavel Leontiev | |
| 1986 | Shanghai Surprise | Walter Faraday | |
| 1988 | Prisoner of Rio | Ronald Biggs | |
| 1988 | A World Apart | Kruger | |
| 1988 | Without a Clue | Professor Moriarty | |
| 1990 | The Last Island | Sean | |
| 1990 | Eminent Domain | Ben | |
| 1992 | Just Like a Woman | Miles Millichamp | |
| 1992 | Aces: Iron Eagle III | Gustav Kleiss | |
| 1993 | Piccolo Grande Amore | Otto Von Dix | |
| 1995 | The Horseman on the Roof | Laurent de Theus | |
| 1995 | Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie | Ivan Ooze | |
| 1996 | Squillo | Marco | |
| 1997 | Double Team | Alex Goldsmythe | |
| 2000 | The 3 Kings | Melchior | |
| 2001 | Morlang | Julius Morlang | Cairo International Film Festival Award for Best Actor |
| 2002 | Mrs Caldicot's Cabbage War | Jenkins | |
| 2002 | And Now... Ladies and Gentlemen | English customer | |
| 2002 | The elephant and the snail | Narrator | Animated short film |
| 2002 | Haker | President of MIT | |
| 2003 | George and the Dragon | Sir Robert | |
| 2004 | Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius | Angus | |
| 2005 | The Feast of the Goat | Agustin | |
| 2007 | Hot Fuzz | Rev. Philip Shooter | |
| 2007 | A Girl and a Gun | Eddie | Video short |
| 2010 | Centurion | Governor Agricola | |
| 2011 | Viral | Salvo | Short film |
| 2012 | Hard Boiled Sweets | Shrewd Eddie | |
| 2012 | A Fantastic Fear of Everything | Dr. Friedkin | |
| 2012 | After Death | The inventor | |
| 2013 | Getaway | The Man | |
| 2013 | Trimming Pablo | Pablo Picasso | Short film |
| 2013 | Bad Day at the Office | Narrator | Short film |
| 2014 | Promakhos | Callum | |
| 2015 | A Private Man | Old man | Short film |
| 2016 | High Strung | Kramrovsky | |
| 2016 | The Gatehouse | Evelyn Eldritch | |
| 2018 | Viking Destiny | Tarburn | |
| 2022 | The Man from Rome | Father Ferro | |
| 2023 | Paris Christmas Waltz | Henry Fontaine | |
| 2025 | Whispers of Freedom | Erich Honecker | Post-production |
| TBA | The Thursday Murder Club | TBA | Post-production |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1967 | Champion House | Elwyn | Episode: "The Saddest Words" |
| 1972 | The Last of the Baskets | Bernard Rage | Episode: "Since Then I Have Used No Other" |
| 1972 | Jason King | Revolutionary | Episode: "Zenia" |
| 1972 | The Protectors | Mechanic | Episode: "A Kind of Wild Justice" |
| 1973 | Coronation Street | Terry Slade | Episode: "Terry Slade" |
| 1974 | Crown Court | Leonard Tyler | Episode: "Good and Faithful Friends: Pt. 1" |
| 1976 | Couples | Douglas Broom | 3 episodes |
| 1976 | The XYY Man | Ray Lynch | 3 episodes |
| 1978 | Scorpion Tales | Oliver Benthall | Episode: "The Great Albert" |
| 1978 | Crown Court | John Bernard | Episode: "The Song Not the Singer: Pt.1" |
| 1978 | Will Shakespeare | Dick Burbage | 6 episodes |
| 1980 | Death of a Princess | Christopher Ryder | Television film |
| 1980 | Play for Today | Alexander Kutsov | Episode: "A Walk in the Forest" |
| 1981 | Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years | Ralph Wigram | 3 episodes |
| 1981 | Play for Today | Doctor | Episode: "No Visible Scar" |
| 1982 | BBC2 Playhouse | Max | Episode: "The Workshop" |
| 1982 | Play for Today | Willie | Episode: "Willie's Last Stand" |
| 1982 | Crown Court | Defence Counsel | Episode: "Face Value: Pt. 1" |
| 1982 | Gavilan | Mr. Snow | Episode: "Sarah and the Buzz" |
| 1983 | Enemies of the State | Julius Tomin | Television film |
| 1984 | Cagney & Lacey | Yves Benoit | Episode: "Victimless Crime" |
| 1984 | Mitch | Harry Warren | Episode: "Postman's Knock" |
| 1984–1985 | Falcon Crest | Gustav Riebmann | 19 episodes |
| 1985 | A.D. | Cornelius the Centurion | TV miniseries |
| 1987 | Yesterday's Dreams | Martin Daniels | 7 episodes |
| 1989 | Twist of Fate | SS-Oberfuhrer Mittendorf | 2 episodes |
| 1989 | Magic Moments | Brian Swann | Television film |
| 1990 | May Wine | Tom | Television film; AKA Les belles Américaines |
| 1992–1993 | The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles | Frederick Selous | 2 episodes |
| 1992 | Double Edge | Ferese | Television film |
| 1994 | Viper | Dr. Samuels | Episode: "Once a Thief" |
| 1994 | Grushko | Bosenko | 2 episodes |
| 1994 | Lie Down with Lions | Dubois | Television film |
| 1995 | The Final Cut | Tom Makepeace | 4 episodes |
| 1996 | Tales from the Crypt | Alistair Touchstone | Episode: "Smoke Wrings" |
| 1996 | Samson and Delilah | Manoah | Miniseries |
| 1997 | The Ruth Rendell Mysteries | Julius Sorensen | 2 episodes |
| 1998 | Only Love | Dallesandro | Television film |
| 1998–2002 | ER | Dr. Charles Corday | 3 episodes |
| 1999 | The Dark Room | Adam Kingsley | Television film |
| 1999 | The Devil's Arithmetic | Rabbi | Television film |
| 2000 | Rough Treatment | Mr. Masters | Television film |
| 2000 | Inspector Morse | Frank Harrison | Episode: "The Remorseful Day" |
| 2002 | Monarch of the Glen | Andrew Booth | 11 episodes |
| 2002 | Fields of Gold | Sir James Ferneyhough | Television film |
| 2004 | When I'm 64 | Ray | Television film |
| 2005 | Waking the Dead | Dr. Hoyle | 2 episodes |
| 2006 | Midsomer Murders | Sir John Waverly | Episode: "Down Among The Dead Men" |
| 2006–2007 | New Street Law | Laurence Scammel QC | 14 episodes |
| 2006 | Number 13 | Mr Harrington, Cathedral Archivist | Television film; adaptation of M. R. James short story "Number 13" |
| 2007 | Diamond Geezer | Sergey | Episode: "Old Gold" |
| 2007 | The Whistleblowers | Joseph Cole | 2 episodes |
| 2007 | Hotel Babylon | Sir Christopher Price | Episode #3.1 |
| 2008 | Agatha Christie's Poirot | Col. Carbury | Episode: "Appointment With Death" |
| 2009 | The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler | Monsignor Godlewski | Television film |
| 2009 | Spanish Flu: The Forgotten Fallen | Sir Arthur Newsholme | Television film |
| 2009 | Lark Rise to Candleford | Old Edmund | Episode #2.8 |
| 2010 | Spooks | Levi Cohen | Episode #9.5 |
| 2012 | Strike Back | Peter Evans | 2 episodes |
| 2012 | Henry V | Thomas Erpingham | Television film |
| 2013 | The Bible | Samuel | 2 episodes |
| 2013 | Lucan | John Pearson | Episode #1.1 |
| 2015 | Da Vinci's Demons | The Architect | 4 episodes |
| 2016 | Tokyo Trial | William Donald Patrick, Lord Patrick | 4 episodes |
| 2017–2020 | Absentia | Warren Byrne | 30 episodes |
| 2018 | A Very English Scandal | Sir Joseph Cantley | Episode #1.3 |
| 2022 | The Man Who Fell to Earth | Gregory Papel | Episode: "Unwashed and Somewhat Slightly Dazed" |