Anthony Bate was an English actor. He is possibly best known for his role as Oliver Lacon in the BBCtelevision adaptations of the John le Carré novels Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and Smiley's People and his role as Bret Renssalaer in Len Deighton's trilogy Game, Set and Match. Bate's other credits include: Dixon of Dock Green, The Saint, The Avengers, Prime Suspect, A Touch of Frost and Midsomer Murders.
From his professional theatre debut in 1953, Bate's theatre roles included: his first West End appearance in Inherit the Wind 1960, Treasure Island 1960, Happy Family 1966, Much Ado About Nothing and Silence 1969. Find Your Way Home 1970, Eden End 1972, Economic Necessity 1973, Getting Away with Murder 1976, Shadow Box 1979, The Old Jest 1980, and A Flea in her Ear 1980. Little Lies 1983, Master Class 1984, The Deep Blue Sea 1988, Relative Values 1993–94.
Television
Bate's first television appearance was in 1955 and from then on he appeared as: James in Pinter's The Collection, Rogojin in The Idiot, MacDuff in Macbeth, Javert in Les Misérables, the title role in Grady, T H Huxley in Darwin’s Bulldog, Nikolai in Fathers and Sons, Creon in King Oedipus, Victor Hugo in Ego Hugo, Harry Paynter in Intimate Strangers, The Dutch Train Hijack 1976, Dr Dorn in The Seagull 1977, Kim Philby in Philby, Burgess and Maclean 1977, An Englishman's Castle, the title role in The Trial of Uri Urlov 1978, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy 1978, Crime and Punishment 1979, 'Tis Pity She's A Whore 1979, The Human Crocodile 1980, Smiley's People 1982, A Woman Called Golda 1982, J A D Ingres in Artists and Models 1983, Shackleton, Game, Set and Match 1987, War and Remembrance 1988, Countdown to War 1989, Medics 1991 and 1992, Prime Suspect 1994, Rebecca 1996, A Touch of Frost 1996, Bodyguards 1996, Silent Witness 1997, Midsomer Murders 2000. He also appeared in Spindoe and Beasts.
Films
Bate's film credits include Dentist in the Chair, Dentist on the Job, Payroll, A Prize of Arms, Act of Murder, Ghost Story, Give My Regards to Broad Street, Eminent Domain and Nowhere in Africa . He was a member of BAFTA from 1985.
Personal life
On 22 May 1954 he married Diana Fay, the daughter of Kenneth Alfred Charles Caws Watson, of Seaview, Isle of Wight. His two sons are Gavin Watson and Mark Hewitt.
Death
Bate died at St. Mary's Hospital, Isle of Wight, on 19 June 2012 at the age of 84, after a brief illness. He had been rushed into the hospital on 17 June because of his condition. He was survived by his wife Diana and his two children.
