British Actor: Robert Glenister

Robert Glenister is a marvelous British actor who first showed up on my radar in Persuasion as Captain Harvile, the friend of Captain Wentworth whose invitation brings Anne and others to Lyme for a visit. He is the character who discusses male versus female affection with Anne at the window in Bath while Wentworth frantically writes a love confession to Anne.

I've maintained elsewhere that all British actors seem obligated to appear in a costume drama, detective show, Dr. Who episode, and American show. Here is Robert Glenister's list:

✔Jane Austen.

Robert Glenister has appeared in numerous mystery shows, including Prime Suspect and, as a regular, Hustle.

I was ready to give up on Glenister and Dr. Who until I discovered that he voiced a character on a Dr. Who radio drama (I really need to add to my list, "Has also performed a voice on a radio drama," which are still quite popular over there). Actually, Glenister appeared live on Dr. Who in 1984 (but apparently wishes he hadn't). 

And he appears in the recent American crime movie Live By Night with Ben Affleck.

In fact, it was seeing the preview for Live by Night that reminded me how stellar Robert Glenister is. He isn't credited as one of the big names, but he does have a one-second clip in the preview. My response, "They got Robert Glenister! Seriously?! Wow. Maybe it's a good movie."

Celebrity-dom is utterly relative.

Robert Glenister is one of those guys who is drop-dead sexy not due to obvious Hollywood good looks but simply because he is. He has a great voice (he is THE voice for Law & Order: UK) and conveys emotion and information in a dead-pan way that isn't simply dead-pan. He projects impressive degrees of subtlety--along with snarkiness, when he needs to, as well as heartwrenching kindliness. He is the best of the actors' actors.