Pavel Douglas

Pavel Douglas is a Polish‑born British actor whose career spans over four decades, marked by a remarkable versatility across television, film, and voice work. Born on 5 January 1951 in Kraków, he was naturalised as a British citizen in 1959 after his family relocated, and he spent his formative years in Scotland and France, absorbing a range of linguistic and cultural influences that would later inform his eclectic screen presence. His first credited television role arrived at the close of the 1970s with a modest part in the British series Shoestring, signalling the start of a steady climb through the industry. Throughout the 1980s Douglas became a familiar face on British screens, notably portraying the enigmatic Captain in two episodes of the cult classic Robin of Sherwood and delivering a memorable performance as Gregory Mantel, the sinister orchestrator of the hit on Den Watts in EastEnders (1988‑89). Simultaneously, he cultivated a recurring role as Lord Alexander Felsham in the beloved BBC series Lovejoy, appearing across its run from 1986 to 1993. His film work includes a turn as a French warship captain in the James Bond blockbuster GoldenEye (1995) and a portrayal of John “The Red” Comyn in the historical epic The Bruce (1996). Douglas has also demonstrated vocal talent, lending his voice to the characters Big Ears and Mr. Plod in the children’s series Make Way for Noddy (2002). In later years he continued to appear in a litany of UK productions, ranging from Heartbeat and Silent Witness to guest‑starring as Chief Superintendent Leo Jackson in Doctors—a performance that helped the episode win Best Single Episode at the 2007 British Soap Awards. Beyond acting, he featured in the Channel 4 documentary Extraordinary Breastfeeding in 2007, where his wife discussed their unconventional parenting approach, and he returned to the screen in 2024 as Frederick in the Christmas special of The Madame Blanc Mysteries.