John Bennett

John David Bennett (8 May 1928 – 11 April 2005) was an English actor. Early life Born in Beckenham, Kent to Alfred Bennett and Bessie Bennett (née Rudnidsky), he was educated at Bradfield College in Berkshire, then trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama, followed by a wide repertory theatre experience including Bromley, Bristol Old Vic, Dundee, the Edinburgh Festival and Watford before going to London's West End. He was Jewish. Career Often cast as a villain, he had many roles on television including Market in Honey Lane, Porridge, Survivors, The Avengers, Strange Report, Bergerac, The Professionals and four episodes of The Saint. He guest-starred in two Doctor Who serials, as General Finch in Invasion of the Dinosaurs (1974) and as the Chinese magician Li H'sen Chang in The Talons of Weng-Chiang (1977). He is also well remembered as Philip Bosinney in the BBC's adaptation of The Forsyte Saga (1967), but also appeared in over three hundred TV productions including God's Architect; Blake's 7; I, Claudius; Rome; Rosemary & Thyme; Saracen; Special Branch; Softly, Softly; Mulberry;[Crown Court. Dr. Stanislaus. 1973] Tales of the Unexpected and Anna Karenina. One of his last televised roles was in an episode of Jonathan Creek. His film roles included The House That Dripped Blood (1970), The House in Nightmare Park (1973), The Fifth Element (1997), Charlotte Gray (2001) and Minority Report (2002). He also played an undercover detective in Victim, but the role was uncredited.