Michael Cochrane

The seasoned British actor Michael Dundonald Cochrane was born on 19 May 1947 in the coastal town of Brighton, East Sussex, England, where he later attended the prestigious Cranleigh School before embarking on a prolific career in stage, screen, and radio. From his early days, Cochrane first entered the television landscape in the early 1970s, gaining recognition for his portrayal of Lieutenant Charles Gaylion in the BBC series Wings (1977–78), a role that showcased his ability to blend authority with nuance. He later cemented his reputation within the science‑fiction realm by appearing twice on the iconic series Doctor Who, first as the charismatic Charles Cranleigh in the 1982 serial Black Orchid and later as the enigmatic Redvers Fenn‑Cooper in the 1989 story Ghost Light, performances that have earned him lasting admiration among genre fans. Beyond television, Cochrane has demonstrated remarkable versatility through a diverse filmography, lending his talents to historical dramas such as The Pallisers (1974) and Love in a Cold Climate (1980), as well as to mainstream cinema with supporting roles in Escape to Victory (1981), The Iron Lady (2011), and the biographical political drama The Crown (2016) where he portrayed Henry Marten. On the small screen he has inhabited a wide array of characters, from the nefarious Derek Lightfoot in Heartbeat (1997) to the cunning MP Alan Clark in the ITV drama Margaret (2009), and he even made a humorous cameo as a sex‑obsessed marketing director in the sitcom Perfect World. His voice work has been equally extensive; since 2007 he has been the distinctive voice of Oliver Sterling on BBC Radio 4’s long‑running soap The Archers, while also contributing to numerous Big Finish audio dramas such as No Man's Land (2006) and The Prisoner (2019). In addition to his on‑screen and radio achievements, Cochrane has appeared in beloved period pieces like Downton Abbey and The Musketeers, further underscoring his adaptability across genres and decades. Married to fellow actress Belinda Carroll since 1979, the couple share one child, and together they have maintained a private yet supportive family life that mirrors the steadiness of Cochrane’s enduring presence in British entertainment. With a career spanning over five decades, Michael Cochrane remains a respected figure whose extensive body of work reflects both his classical training and his willingness to explore an eclectic range of roles.