View for person of id: 55689
Philip Glenister
Born: 10th Feb 1963 Harrow, Middlesex, England, UK
Dept: Acting
Philip Haywood Glenister is an English actor, known for his role as DCI Gene Hunt in British television series Life On Mars and its sequel Ashes To Ashes. He also played DCI William Bell in State of Play (2003) and Reverend Anderson in Outcast (2016–2018).
Glenister was born on 10 February 1963 in Harrow, Middlesex, and grew up in Hatch End. He is the son of director John Glenister and Joan Fry Lewis, and the younger brother of fellow actor Robert Glenister.
He attended Hatch End High School.
In his early career, he worked as a runner for the Robert Stigwood Organisation. Following this, he worked until the age of 23 as a film publicist, but developed an interest in acting after watching his brother perform in a student play about the Sex Pistols. With the encouragement of his then-sister-in-law, Amanda Redman, he pursued acting and attended the Central School of Speech and Drama.
In the early 1990s, Glenister appeared in various TV series including Minder, The Ruth Rendell Mysteries, Heartbeat, The Chief, Dressing for Breakfast and Silent Witness. In 1997, he appeared in Sharpe's Justice as Richard Sharpe's half-brother Matt Truman. He played William Dobbin in the 1998 mini-series Vanity Fair.
From 1998 to 1999, Glenister co-starred as a mini-cab driver who aspires to be a rock star in the series Roger Roger. He also played factory boss Mack Mackintosh in the first three series of Clocking Off from 2000 to 2002. In 2001, he appeared in two of the Hornblower TV films as Horatio's antagonist Gunner Hobbs.
Glenister played the photographer who took nude photos for a Women's Institute fundraising calendar in the 2003 feature film Calendar Girls. Also in 2003, he appeared in the mini-series State of Play. Glenister played the German commandant, Baron Heinrich von Rheingarten, in the 2004 mini-series Island at War about the Occupation of the Channel Islands during World War II.
In April 2006, Glenister read the Bedtime Story for the BBC's children's channel, CBeebies. He returned to the slot in February/March 2007.
Glenister played social reformer and estate manager Mr Carter in the 2007 BBC costume drama Cranford, as part of a cast including Judi Dench and Francesca Annis.
Glenister is probably best known for his role as DCI Gene Hunt in Life on Mars (2006–07), co-starring with John Simm as Sam Tyler, and its sequel Ashes to Ashes (2008–10), with Keeley Hawes as Alex Drake. Glenister also worked with Simm on State of Play and Clocking Off and the 2008 crime film Tuesday. Upon announcement of the film, Glenister joked that he and Simm were contractually obliged to work with each other once a year.
Glenister starred as demon hunter Rupert Galvin in the 2009 ITV drama Demons. He used an American accent for the role, which received some criticism from reviewers. After the series was cancelled, he said he had problems with the role and felt that he may have been miscast.
In 2010, Glenister had a small role (credited as 'Poker Friend') in Woody Allen's You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger, and he played Charles Forestier in a 2011 feature film of Guy de Maupassant's Bel Ami. He starred in the 2011 conspiracy thriller Hidden on BBC One.
[ToDo] Show list of extra photos here.
Film and Tv Credits
Total number of credits listed: 95
Film: 28 (29%)
Television: 67 (71%)
Remaining genres not in graph: War, Action, Reality, War & Politics, Family, News, Music, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Animation, Thriller
Filmography
Feb 2026 (first aired)
Jane Andrews' life changes overnight when she lands a dream job in Buckingham Palace and bonds with the Duchess of York. ... view
Character:
DCI Jim Dickie (4 ep.)
Feb 2025 (first aired)
Ex-cop Jim Bergerac is forced to confront a troubling past case when a wealthy woman is murdered, pushing him to overcome personal demons and reignite ... view
Character:
Arthur Wakefield (6 ep.)
Jan 2024 (first aired)
Joanna finds an unidentified man dead in a lift in a underground car park after a devastating flood, police assumes that he became trapped as the wate ... view
Character:
Jack Radcliffe (12 ep.)
May 2023 (first aired)
The hunt to catch the killer of three young women in the Port Talbot area in 1973 and the remarkable story of how - in the first case of its kind - th ... view
Character:
DCI Paul Bethell (4 ep.)
2023
This documentary from BT Sport Films celebrates the life of two-time world champion biker Barry Sheene, paying homage to his trailblazing career. ... view
Character:
Narrator (voice)
Dec 2022 (first aired)
Elijah Levi, a successful comedian in 1942 Palestine, is deported by the British authorities to Carthago, a detainee camp, in which he is held with Je ... view
Character:
Lord James Davidson (11 ep.)
Jun 2022 (first aired)
What are the secrets of our favourite TV shows? Famous names from both sides of the camera reflect on making some of the most popular and influential ... view
Character:
Self (1 ep.)
Sep 2021 (first aired)
Follow a band of exiles on their monumental journey to save humanity and rebuild civilization amid the fall of the Galactic Empire. ... view
Character:
Commdor Argo (1 ep.)
2021
How do you battle an invisible demon? How do you survive the war inside your own head? How do you tell your Dad you're fighting for 30? 'Just in Case' ... view
Character:
Mark
Mar 2020 (first aired)
A tale of secrets and scandals set in 1840s London. When the Trenchards accept an invitation to the now legendary ball hosted by the Duchess of Richmo ... view
Character:
James Trenchard (6 ep.)
Nov 2019 (first aired)
Celebrities are given a unique insight into their lives using innovative DNA science and technology to trace their ancestors. ... view
Character:
Self (1 ep.)
Sep 2019 (first aired)
Dave, Grimsby's own magnet for disaster, is a fighter against the odds and our unlikely hero. He knows that no matter how rubbish things get, there is ... view
Character:
Betty Spud (104 ep.)
2019
Jennifer Saunders and a host of famous faces star in this hilarious Comic Relief reimagining of the hit movie featuring some of ABBA's biggest hits as ... view
Character:
Pierce Brosnan
Feb 2019 (first aired)
Ian Stewart murdered his partner, children's author Helen Bailey, in 2016. He dumped her and her dog in a septic tank at her Hertfordshire home, but r ... view
Character:
Self - Host (16 ep.)
Nov 2017 (first aired)
A British family, the Pembertons, decide it’s time to leave rainy England and move to the sunshine state of Florida. They've bought an RV Park with ... view
Character:
Mal Pemberton (12 ep.)
Sep 2017 (first aired)
Each week a group of four famous faces go toe to toe in testing their general knowledge skills in a variety of entertaining games. ... view
Character:
Self - Contestant (5 ep.)
Mar 2017 (first aired)
Harry Hill's Alien Fun Capsule is a panel show that sees Harry Hill presiding over two teams tasked with saving planet earth from alien invasion! Each ... view
Character:
Self (1 ep.)
Jan 2017 (first aired)
Our Urban Myths are stories that have been passed down over time and have now become part of urban folklore. But are they true? We take a slightly ton ... view
Character:
Kev Wells (1 ep.)
Sep 2016 (first aired)
A police detective finds herself at the centre of the most dangerous case of her life when she is seconded on to the investigation into the murder of ... view
Character:
Frank Le Saux (6 ep.)
Jun 2016 (first aired)
Kyle Barnes has been plagued by possession since he was a child. Now an adult, he embarks on a spiritual journey to find answers, but what he uncovers ... view
Character:
Reverend Anderson (20 ep.)
May 2014 (first aired)
From There To Here is set in the aftermath of the 1996 Arndale bombing and follows Daniel Cotton, a Manchester family man who is torn between the life ... view
Character:
Daniel (3 ep.)
Apr 2014 (first aired)
Three-part crime thriller. When detective Marcus Farrow looks into a seemingly forgotten case, he has no idea of the chaos and heartache that will soo ... view
Character:
David Murdoch (3 ep.)
Apr 2014 (first aired)
Actor and car fan Philip Glenister (of "Life on Mars" fame) and car restorer Ant Anstead find classic British cars to bring back to life. ... view
Character:
Himself (15 ep.)
Feb 2014 (first aired)
Lee Mack wrangles a team of scientists and celebrity guests to find the truth behind the trivia on this bizarrely educational panel show. ... view
Character:
Unknown/various (1 ep.)
Feb 2014 (first aired)
An anthology of darkly comic twisted tales, each one taking place behind a door marked 'number 9'. ... view
Character:
Craig (1 ep.)
Aug 2013 (first aired)
A comedy about a dysfunctional staff room, unrequited love and interactive whiteboards set in an urban secondary school. Chemistry teacher Mr. Church ... view
Character:
Mr Gunn (12 ep.)
2013
British intelligence undertook an audacious operation to listen in on the private conversations of 10,000 German prisoners of war without their ever k ... view
Character:
Narrator
Jun 2012 (first aired)
A series of British television films featuring William Shakespeare's History Plays. ... view
Character:
Talbot (1 ep.)
2012
Various actors, presenters, directors and other staff who have worked at the iconic BBC Television Centre at Shepherd's Bush in London reminisce about ... view
Character:
Self
2012
Georges Duroy travels through 1890s Paris, from cockroach ridden garrets to opulent salons, using his wits and powers of seduction to rise from povert ... view
Character:
Charles Forestier
Jan 2012 (first aired)
In this two-part miniseries adaptation of the classic adventure novel, young Jim Hawkins is the only one who can direct a schooner to an island known ... view
Character:
Captain Smollett (2 ep.)
2011
Just off the southern coast of mainland Greece lies the oldest submerged city in the world. It thrived for 2,000 years during the time that saw the bi ... view
Character:
Narrator
Oct 2011 (first aired)
When lawyer Gina Hawkes hires Harry to find a witness, he unexpectedly revisits his brother's decades-old death, embroiling him in a political conspir ... view
Character:
Harry Venn (4 ep.)
Feb 2011 (first aired)
Mad Dogs is a British black comedy and psychological thriller television series created by Cris Cole that began airing on Sky1 on 10 February 2011. It ... view
Character:
Quinn (14 ep.)
2010
Two married couples find only trouble and heartache as their complicated lives unfold. After 40 years of marriage, Alfie leaves his wife to pursue wha ... view
Character:
Poker Friend
Apr 2010 (first aired)
Eyewitness was a BBC series which examined how the police investigate crimes and the techniques they use to find their way through the complex web of ... view
Character:
Unknown/various (3 ep.)
Sep 2009 (first aired)
An international team of scientists, cavers and wildlife filmmakers venture deep into the heart of the remote tropical island of New Guinea. ... view
Character:
Self - Narrator (3 ep.)
Jun 2009 (first aired)
Documenting the rise of mass air travel, starting with a look at the advent of commercial air travel through to the dropping of prices and the rise of ... view
Character:
Narrator (3 ep.)
2009
The documentary about the making of the critically acclaimed British TV sequel series to the show Life on Mars, featuring behind the scenes interviews ... view
Character:
Himself
Mar 2009 (first aired)
Chris Moyles' Quiz Night is a British television comedy panel game show, presented by Chris Moyles.
The show was originally shown on Channel 4 at 10 ... view
Character:
Self (1 ep.)
2009
Luke Rutherford's ordinary life ends when Rupert Galvin reveals Luke's destiny as Van Helsing's great-grandson, a supernatural warrior battling entiti ... view
Character:
Rupert Galvin
Jan 2009 (first aired)
Luke Rutherford is your average teenager - until his dead father's best friend, Rupert Galvin turns up to reveal his secret destiny: he's the great-gr ... view
Character:
Rupert Galvin (6 ep.)
2008
Four career criminals, two glamorous bank workers and one over-the-hill has-been all happen to be planning a robbery on a London bank on the same day, ... view
Character:
Earp
Feb 2008 (first aired)
Crime drama series featuring Life On Mars' DCI Gene Hunt. After being shot in 2008, DI Alex Drake lands in 1981, where she finds herself in familiar c ... view
Character:
Gene Hunt (24 ep.)
Nov 2007 (first aired)
A rich and comic drama about the people of Cranford, a small Cheshire town on the cusp of change in the 1840s. Adapted from the novels by Elizabeth Ga ... view
Character:
Mr Carter (7 ep.)
2007
A documentary about the conclusion of Life on Mars ... view
Character:
Self
Nov 2006 (first aired)
The story of the big names that have shaped the musical genres, plus an occasional stopgap for the new rock 'n' roll - comedy. ... view
Character:
Self - Narrator (voice) (1 ep.)
Aug 2006 (first aired)
A topical magazine-style daily television programme broadcast live on BBC One. ... view
Character:
Self (1 ep.)
May 2006 (first aired)
The exploits and cases of two rival barristers' chambers with very different attitudes to justice. ... view
Character:
Unknown/various (1 ep.)
Jan 2006 (first aired)
A detective chief inspector from 2006 is investigating a serial killer when he is knocked over by a speeding car. Waking up, he finds himself mysterio ... view
Character:
Gene Hunt (16 ep.)
Oct 2005 (first aired)
Vincent is an ITV drama series. An initial series was made and aired in 2005 and starred Ray Winstone, in the title role, and Suranne Jones as two mem ... view
Character:
Unknown/various (3 ep.)
2005
After his wife dies, a blacksmith named Balian is thrust into royalty, political intrigue and bloody holy wars during the Crusades. ... view
Character:
Squire
Mar 2005 (first aired)
London, 2009: Voter apathy is at an all-time high, and a new right-wing political party, The Democratic Consensus Party, led by Richard Wheeler, have ... view
Character:
John Speers (3 ep.)
2005
Charity walkers raising funds for cancer research by crossing the Sahara Desert argue and squabble over their relationships in the past. However when ... view
Character:
Eddie
Feb 2005 (first aired)
Dougie Molloy is a widower, whose daughter disappeared three years ago. At the time, he was suspected of murdering her. Three years later, Dougie fa ... view
Character:
Dougie Molloy (2 ep.)
Jul 2004 (first aired)
Island at War is a British television series that tells the story of the German Occupation of the Channel Islands. It primarily focuses on three local ... view
Character:
Oberst Heinrich Baron Von Rheingarten (6 ep.)
2003
Life and adventures of lord George Gordon Byron. BBC dramatization of the poet's final thirteen years ... view
Character:
William Fletcher
2003
Members of a Yorkshire branch of the Women's Institute cause controversy when they pose nude for a charity calendar. ... view
Character:
Lawrence Sertain
2003
Just transferring into a squad run by her ex-Lover, DI Judy Hill is assigned to the case of a strangled schoolgirl. ... view
Character:
Daniel Lloyd
May 2003 (first aired)
The murder of Sonia Baker, a young political researcher, leads journalist Cal McCaffrey to uncover complex links between government and big business. ... view
Character:
DCI William Bell (6 ep.)
2003
Based on the controversial novel by Philippa Gregory, "The Other Boleyn Girl" is a fictionalised account of the life of Lady Mary Boleyn who becomes m ... view
Character:
William Strafford
Oct 2002 (first aired)
This fast-paced and stunt-filled motor show tests whether cars, both mundane and extraordinary, live up to their manufacturers' claims. The long-runni ... view
Character:
Self (1 ep.)
2001
Hornblower and the other officers of the Renown must return to Jamaica to face a court-martial and possible execution for their actions in relieving t ... view
Character:
Gunner Hobbs
2001
Hornblower and his comrades come under the command of a revered but mentally unstable captain and are forced to mutiny in order to save their ship, th ... view
Character:
Hobbs
Jan 2000 (first aired)
Clocking Off is a British television drama series broadcast on BBC One for four series from 2000 to 2003. It was produced by Red Production Company, a ... view
Character:
James 'Mack' Mackintosh (18 ep.)
Jan 1999 (first aired)
The Vice is an ITV police drama about the Metropolitan Police Vice Unit. It ran for five short series between 1999 and 2003. It tells the story of the ... view
Character:
Unknown/various (1 ep.)
1998
When Sunny and Tom are reunited shortly before their respective weddings, the former lovers realize how much they still love each other. The pair must ... view
Character:
Tom
Nov 1998 (first aired)
In early 19th-century England, ambitious and ruthless orphan Rebecca Sharp advances from the position of governess to the heights of British society. ... view
Character:
William Dobbin (6 ep.)
Oct 1998 (first aired)
Set during the 18th century Napoleonic Wars, Horatio Hornblower, a young and shy midshipman, rises through the ranks to become an admiral. ... view
Character:
Gunner Hobbs (2 ep.)
Jan 1998 (first aired)
Roger Roger is a BBC television comedy-drama written by John Sullivan. The series was about a mini-cab firm called Cresta Cabs. The pilot aired in 199 ... view
Character:
Phil (18 ep.)
1997
Several years after the battle of Waterloo, a former soldier from Shoreditch sits in a London inn reminiscing about the brave and determined officer ... view
Character:
Truman
1997
Napoleon has been exiled to Elba, the English have returned from the wars, and Major Richard Sharpe finds himself in a sort of exile to lead a company ... view
Character:
Matt Truman
May 1996 (first aired)
Drama about the rivalry between two police superintendents, one traditional and methodical, the other unorthodox and intuitive. ... view
Character:
DS Danny Curtis (1 ep.)
Feb 1996 (first aired)
Comedy starring Emma Wray as a nurse and single mum with a complicated love life; her ex Phil (Philip Glenister), new boyfriend and doctor Roger (Hami ... view
Character:
Phil (17 ep.)
1996
Comedy drama about Donna (Emma Wray) who tells her philandering husband Phil (Philip Glenister) to leave, and struggles to raise her two children on h ... view
Character:
Phil
Feb 1996 (first aired)
A team of exceptional forensic pathologists and scientists investigate heinous crimes and use their skills to catch the people responsible. ... view
Character:
Unknown/various (2 ep.)
1995
Tells the story of a girl who, while working in a London cafe, meets a "raver" who introduces her to the drug Ecstasy and the whole British drugs scen ... view
Character:
Ray
Aug 1995 (first aired)
Soccer AM is a British Saturday-morning football-based comedy/talk show, predominantly based around the Premier League. Originally presented by Jane H ... view
Character:
Self (1 ep.)
1995
Four policemen go undercover and infiltrate a gang of football hooligans hoping to route out their leaders. For one of the four, the line between 'job ... view
Character:
Charlie
Jan 1994 (first aired)
Law and Disorder is a British sitcom that aired on ITV in 1994. Starring Penelope Keith, it was written by Alex Shearer, who had also written No Job f ... view
Character:
Unknown/various (1 ep.)
Jan 1993 (first aired)
The absurd adventures of two defective detectives, who - despite unbelievable incompetence - somehow manage to solve their cases (or be nearby when th ... view
Character:
Uniformed Officer (1 ep.)
Jan 1993 (first aired)
GMTV is the name of the national Channel 3 breakfast television contractor/licensee, broadcasting in the United Kingdom from 1 January 1993 to 3 Septe ... view
Character:
Self (1 ep.)
Jun 1992 (first aired)
Frank Sandford has big hopes for his pop duo, Blue Heaven, but his home life is less than satisfactory. His father, Jim, is a local hard man whose fav ... view
Character:
Paul Twice (1 ep.)
1992
Adaptation of the Barbara Vine (aka Ruth Rendell) novel. After Adam inherits a country house from his great uncle, he and his friend Rufus decide to s ... view
Character:
Young Detective
Apr 1992 (first aired)
Set during the 1960s in the fictional North Yorkshire village of Aidensfield, this enduringly popular series interweaves crime and medical storylines. ... view
Character:
Julian Cantley (1 ep.)
1991
For want of a nail a shoe was lost, for want of a shoe... a young man's life is almost lost, which is exactly what this film is all about: a man barel ... view
Character:
Suited Man
Jun 1991 (first aired)
Introduced by renowned English actor Edward Woodward, In Suspicious Circumstances is an anthology of reenactments depicting real-life murder mysteries ... view
Character:
Herbert Bennett (1 ep.)
Aug 1990 (first aired)
A sitcom set in the offices of "GlobeLink News" after its acquisition by media mogul Sir Roysten Merchant. Led by editor George Dent, the staff of Glo ... view
Character:
Unknown/various (1 ep.)
Apr 1990 (first aired)
The Chief is a British crime drama transmitted on ITV from 20 April 1990 to 16 June 1995. Produced by Anglia Television, it centred on the politics at ... view
Character:
Angus Shadwell (1 ep.)
Jan 1989 (first aired)
From England to Egypt, accompanied by his elegant and trustworthy sidekicks, the intelligent yet eccentrically-refined Belgian detective Hercule Poiro ... view
Character:
Sir William Boyd Carrington (1 ep.)
Oct 1988 (first aired)
This Morning features a variety of news, as well as show business, fashion, beauty, lifestyle, home and garden, food, tech, live phone-ins, and compet ... view
Character:
Self (2 ep.)
Aug 1987 (first aired)
The Ruth Rendell mysteries is a British television series made by TVS and Meridian Television for ITV between 2 August 1987 and 11 October 2000. ... view
Character:
Brian Gregson (3 ep.)
Oct 1979 (first aired)
Roguish comedy drama following the misadventures of small-time crook Arthur Daley. ... view
Character:
Greg Hunter (1 ep.)