Nigel Pegram
Nigel Pegram in 2023
Born	Nigel Harry Pegram (1940-11-22)22 November 1940 (age 84) Cape Town,South Africa
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1963–2015
Spouse	April Olrich ​ ​ (m. 1968; died 2014)​

Nigel Pegram (born 22 November 1940) is a South African born British actor. He is best known for playing Eric inRobert's Robots (1973–1974), Group-Captain Ruark inGet Some In! (1977–1978), Sir Reginald inAll Dogs Go to Heaven (1989), Mrs Willa Westinghouse inThe American Way (1986), General Woundwort inWatership Down (2001) and starred as Nigel in three series in the ITV comedy drama seriesOutside Edge (1994–1996).^[1] As a character actor, has played various roles on stage, TV and film.

Pegram was bornCape Town,South Africa in 1940, moving to Bulawayo in Southern Rhodesia following his parents' divorce in 1942. His childhood took him to Batu Gajah in Malaya in 1947, Oxford in 1949, back to Bulawayo and then on to Tanganyika and Uganda in the 1950s, his peripatetic early life giving him the foundation for the many voices he uses in his professional work. He studied atFalcon College,Southern Rhodesia, and later gained aBA degree in Law at theUniversity of Natal inDurban.^[2] In 1962 he moved to the United Kingdom, where he studied atSt Edmund Hall,Oxford. He soon joined theOxford University Dramatic Society and in the summer of 1963 became involved the burgeoning Britishsatire scene, performing at the Blue Angel Club,London,^[3] and in 1964 he participated in theOxford Revue at theEdinburgh Festival alongside the likes of futureMonty Python starsMichael Palin andTerry Jones.^[4]

After completing his studies, in 1965 Pegram moved to the United States when he joined the Oxford – Cambridge Revue for a three month engagement with theSecond City Company inChicago.^[5] The following year he joined the cast of the musical revueWait a Minim!, replacingJeremy Taylor when the show moved toBroadway in early 1966,^[6] where he stayed on for a further two years at runs in various theatres across the US including theJohn Golden Theatre andColonial Theatre.^[7] Shortly after marrying his fellow Wait a Minim star, ex Royal Ballet principal and actressApril Olrich, in 1969 they returned to London and later that year he appeared on stage in the revuePostscripts, at theHampstead Theatre Club, London.^[8]

From the early 1970s onwards, Pegram frequently featured in character roles within various films and TV programs includingRobert's Robots (1973–1974),Larry Grayson (1975),Space: 1999 (1977),Get Some In! (1977–1978),The Professionals (1980),Fresh Fields (1985),The American Way (1986),Pulaski (1987),Drop the Dead Donkey (1990),Lovejoy (1992),Van der Valk (1992),Outside Edge (1994–1996),Proteus (1995),Melissa (1997),Written in Blood (1998) andDoctors (2003).

He has also done frequent work as a voice artist, voicing characters in animated films includingAll Dogs Go to Heaven (1989),An American Tail: Fivel Goes West (1991) and the TV series adaptions ofEnid Blyton's Enchanted Lands (1998) andWatership Down (2001). In 1999, he was reunited with his former Oxford alumunus Michael Palin, when he voicedErnest Hemmingway in Palin's documentary seriesMichael Palin's Hemmingway Adventure.

Pegram appeared in two series of the children's seriesRobert's Robots in the role of Eric, anandroid. In 1977 he played Cernik in an episode of the sci-fi seriesSpace:1999; later that same year he appeared as Group Captain Ruark in an episode of the RAF sitcomGet Some In!, he returned as a regular character during the show's fifth and final series when it was relocated to an RAF hospital setting. In 1986, he appeared as transgender US presidential candidate Mrs Willa Westinghouse in the sci-fi comedyThe American Way withDennis Hopper andMichael J. Pollard, although the film was critically panned, Pegram's role was lauded by the critics.^[9] The following year Pegram appeared in four episodes as a TV Director in the drama seriesPulaski, written byRoy Clarke.

Pegram is best remembered for playing the reacurring role of Nigel in three series of the ITV cricketing comedy drama seriesOutside Edge, based on the play byRichard Harris, in a part that was written specifically for him. The series was quite successful at the time, winning a number awards including Best TV Comedy Drama at theBritish Comedy Awards in 1994.^[10]

Outside his work in film and television, he has frequently appeared on stage. During the 1970s he was a member of the Reunion Theatre Company who staged shows at the Dolphin and Anchor Studio Theatre inChichester. He appeared in roles such as a TV announcer inBeeston Craig^[11] and an Interviewee in an adaption ofBefore Breakfast byEugene O'Neill.^[12] During this time, he also appeared in variouspantomimes includingBabes in the Wood andRed Riding Hood.^[13] He also appeared as a vicar inCurate's Egg,^[14] the Duke of Windsor in the 1980 UK tour ofCrown Matrimonial,^[15] Melvin P. Thorpe in the West End production ofThe Best Little Whorehouse in Texas,^[16] and Wilson inThe Case of the Dead Flamingo.^[17] More recently he appeared as Adam inPeter Hall's production ofAs You Like It^[18] in 2003, and the American Secretary of State Byrnes inEden's Empire byJames Graham,^[19] which was staged at theFinborough Theatre, London in 2006.

In 2010, Pegram appeared in an episode of the long-running detective seriesAgatha Christie's Poirot, in which he played Reverend Babbington in the episode 'Three Act Tragedy'. In 2011 he appeared as Bernard in the sitcomOutnumbered, and latterly as Alistair in an episode ofVicious, broadcast in June 2015.

In 1968, Pegram married Zanzibar-born ex Royal Ballet principal and actressApril Olrich, one of his co-stars in Wait a Minim!, on top of Coit Tower inSan Francisco prior to their move to London the following year. They remained married for 46 years until her death in April 2014.^[20] Upon her death. he took over sponsoring herApril Olrich Award for Dynamic Performance which she founded at the Royal Ballet School in Richmond Park.

• Nigel Pegram atIMDb
• Nigel Peagram atIMDb
• Nigel Pegram atIBDM
• Nigel Pegram atBritish Comedy Guide
• Nigel Pegram atTheatricalia
• Nigel Pegram atTwitter
• Nigel Pegram atAvelyman

• 1940 births
• Living people
• Alumni of Falcon College
• Male actors from Cape Town
• South African emigrants to the United Kingdom
• South African male film actors
• South African male stage actors
• South African male television actors
• South African male voice actors
• South African musical theatre actors

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