Reginald Tate

Reginald Tate (13 December 1896 – 23 August 1955) was a distinguished English actor whose career spanned over three decades across stage, film, and the emerging medium of television. Born in Garforth, West Riding of Yorkshire, England, Tate attended school in York before serving in the First World War with the Northamptonshire Regiment and later the Royal Flying Corps. After the war he studied drama at Leeds College of Music and Drama, making his professional debut at Leeds Art Theatre in 1922. By 1926 he had moved to London, taking notable roles such as Stanhope in R. C. Sherriff's Journey's End and a leading part in a 1929 Australian‑New Zealand tour. His early film work began with Whispering Tongues (1934) and he quickly became a familiar face in British cinema, appearing in titles like The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943) and The Way Ahead (1944).

During the Second World War Tate re‑enlisted, this time with the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, rising to squadron leader while continuing to act. Post‑war, he embraced television, earning critical acclaim when he reprised Stanhope in the BBC’s 1937 broadcast of Journey's End. In 1953 he achieved lasting fame as Professor Bernard Quatermax in the groundbreaking BBC serial The Quatermass Experiment, a role that Nigel Kneale later praised as his favourite portrayal. Tate also pursued production, completing the TV play Night Was Our Friend in August 1955, just weeks before a sudden heart attack claimed his life at age 58. His legacy endures as a pioneer of early British television drama and as a deeply respected teacher at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.