What do The Serpent, Notting Hill, Blackadder and Game of Thrones all have in common?
That probably sounds like the opening to a joke that your dad would make at the Christmas dinner table, but there is a connection between all three.
They’re all connected by one man.
Yes, one man has graced the land of dragons, rubbed shoulders with royalty and played a role in a British love story for the ages. We couldn’t believe it either!
The answer is Tim McInnerny.
Tim was born on September 18, 1956 in Cheadle Hulme, Cheshire. He studied English at Waldham College, Oxford before setting off to travel around on a backpacking gap year.
(Image: BBC)
Not long after his return to the UK he landed his first acting role on the timeless television show Blackadder.
The show aired from 1983 – 1989 and Other than Rowan Atkinson and Tony Robinson, Tim was the only actor to appear in all four series of Blackadder.
During that time he played two loveable, but not so bright aristocrats who shared the name, Lord Percy Percy.
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After two seasons on the show Tim took a step back as he was worried about being typecast. However, after a minor cameo in the third season he returned to the show in the fourth season as the cunning Captain Kevin Darling.
It wasn’t until 1999 that Tim landed the role in the London love story Notting Hill. He is fondly remembered for playing Hugh Grant’s best friend Max.
Over 10 years later he entered our favourite fantasy television series Game of Thrones. Appearing as a character in four episodes, fans will remember him as Robett Glover, the smartest man in all the Seven Kingdoms.
He’s also appeared in Doctor Who, Midsomer Murders, New Tricks and Outlander, to name a few.
You can now catch Tim playing the bitter Paul Siemons in BBC’s The Serpent.
On the background given on Siemons by the production team the actor found it helpful and fascinating.
“His life prior to this was remarkable. He fought for the Belgian resistance during WWII, living for over two years in a forest, blowing up Nazi supply lines etc. He then became involved in what was then known as the Belgian Congo,” Tim said.
“As a result of this work he seemed to drift into the Belgian Diplomatic Corps where he was a kind of Minister Without Portfolio – officially he was not high ranking but, unofficially he dealt with ‘problems’ that his particular set of skills made him uniquely qualified for.”
So next time you’re at a party and someone asks you what all The Serpent, Notting Hill, Blackadder and Game of Thrones have in common, you know the answer.
The Serpent continues on BBC 1 on Sunday night.
