John Shrapnel

John Shrapnel Trailers

Hamlet Within TrailerKing Charles III TrailerBritain's Nuclear Bomb - The Inside Story Trailer

Shrapnel was born in Birmingham, Warwickshire, the son of Mary Lillian Myfanwy (née Edwards) and journalist/author Norman Shrapnel.[1] As a stage actor, he was a member of Laurence Olivier's Royal National Theatre company and the Royal Shakespeare Company and most recently appeared as Sir Oliver Surface in The School for Scandal (directed by Deborah Warner) at the Barbican Centre in 2011. He has also appeared extensively in film and on television in roles in Elizabeth R, Z-Cars, Edward and Mrs. Simpson, 101 Dalmatians, Space: 1999, Inspector Morse, Coogan's Run, Notting Hill and Foyle's War. He presented an episode of the 1983 BBC television travel series Great Little Railways. He gave performances in three entries in the BBC Television Shakespeare plays and as Creon in the BBC's 1984 productions of the Three Theban plays of Sophocles. In America, he has starred in supporting roles as Senator Gaius in Gladiator, Nestor in Troy and Pompey in the second episode of Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire. He also played the Jail Warden in the 10th Kingdom, an epic fantasy miniseries. He has the rare achievement of appearing in two episodes of Midsomer Murders as two different characters, in Death in Chorus and Written in Blood. Shrapnel appeared in an episode of Jonathan Creek as Professor Lance Graumann in the episode The Omega Man. He appears in Chemical Wedding alongside Simon Callow, telling the tale of the resurrection of occultist Aleister Crowley. Shrapnel also has experience in the field of BBC radio drama through such characters as Colin Dexter's Inspector Morse and William Gibson's Neuromancer. He is the son-in-law of Deborah Kerr through his 1975 marriage to her younger daughter Francesca Ann Bartley. They have three sons, the actors Lex Shrapnel (b.1979), Tom Shrapnel (b.1981) and the writer Joe Shrapnel (b.1976). They live in Highbury, north London.

Most Popular John Shrapnel Trailers

Total trailers found: 80

Once Upon a Time on the Westway Trailer (2007)

03 May 2007

On the same day a notorious crime kingpin Jimmy Vincent is released from prison, there is a daring armored car diamond heist of diamonds using his m.

Troy Trailer (2004)

13 May 2004

In year 1250 B.C. during the late Bronze age, two emerging nations begin to clash. Paris, the Trojan prince, convinces Helen, Queen of Sparta, to leave her husband Menelaus, and sail with him back to Troy.

Gladiator Trailer (2000)

04 May 2000

After the death of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, his devious son takes power and demotes Maximus, one of Rome's most capable generals who Marcus preferred.

The Victim Trailer (1980)

08 January 1980

When kidnappers abduct his teenage daughter, Sue, industrialist Vincent Craig could easily raise the ransom money.

Britain's Nuclear Bomb - The Inside Story Trailer (2017)

03 May 2017

In 1957, Britain exploded its first megaton hydrogen bomb - codenamed Operation Grapple X. It was the culmination of an extraordinary scientific project, which against almost insuperable odds turned Britain into a nuclear superpower.

101 Dalmatians Trailer (1996)

27 November 1996

An evil, high-fashion designer plots to steal Dalmatian puppies in order to make an extravagant fur coat, but instead creates an extravagant mess.

Elizabeth: The Golden Age Trailer (2007)

09 September 2007

When Queen Elizabeth's reign is threatened by ruthless familial betrayal and Spain's invading army, she and her shrewd adviser must act to safeguard the lives of her people.

Notting Hill Trailer (1999)

21 May 1999

London bookstore owner William Thacker's quiet life turns upside down when a chance encounter with famous actress Anna Scott sparks an unlikely romance challenged by their vastly different worlds.

Poppyland Trailer (1985)

13 January 1985

He is a respectable pillar of London society who yearns for an idyllic existence away from the noise and the smoke.

Shadow of the Sword Trailer (2005)

12 May 2005

Central Europe, early 16th century: two childhood friends, Martin & Georg, find themselves on rival sides of a religious war with both of them struggling to do the right thing.

Professional Foul Trailer (1977)

21 September 1977

Three philosophy professors travel to Prague for a conference. One of them, Anderson, is forced to rethink his ideas on ethics when a former student is arrested by the Czech authorities for writing about individualist approaches to morality.

Hamlet Within Trailer (2022)

21 May 2022

A radical cinematic investigation into the myth of Hamlet, the avenging prince of Denmark, William Shakespeare's creature; his origins and his unending influence on many diverse cultures.

OXI, an Act of Resistance Trailer (2014)

09 October 2014

The popular resistance to the current Greek economic crisis explored and expressed through the ethical and political writings of Ancient Greece.

Theban Plays: Antigone Trailer (1986)

19 September 1986

In a final battle for the control of Thebes, Oedipus's two sons kill each other. Creon issues an order that no one is to bury Polynices upon pain of death.

How to Get Ahead in Advertising Trailer (1989)

05 May 1989

Pressure from his boss and a skin-cream client produces a talking boil on a British adman's neck.

Testimony Trailer (1988)

01 November 1988

The story of the great Soviet composer Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975) and his life and career during the rule of Stalin.

Mirrors Trailer (2008)

14 August 2008

An ex-cop and his family are the target of an evil force that is using mirrors as a gateway into their home.

Whistle Trailer (2002)

22 August 2002

Whistle depicts the dreary off-hours of an ultra-technological hit-man who becomes 'involved' in the life of one of his victims.

K-19: The Widowmaker Trailer (2002)

19 July 2002

When Russia's first nuclear submarine malfunctions on its maiden voyage, the crew must race to save the ship and prevent a nuclear disaster.

Animals of the Ocean Desert Trailer (2001)

21 June 2001

For two-thirds of the year, the Little Rann is a desert. Suddenly, in August, monsoon winds whip up the Arabian Sea and carry it 100 km inland.

Hindenburg: Titanic of the Skies Trailer (2007)

17 September 2007

The film explores the background and build-up to this final flight to disaster. Using dramatic reconstruction, archive footage and exclusive interviews with leading historians and engineering experts, the special delves into the political and scientific events that led up to the catastrophe.

Partition Trailer (1987)

19 August 1987

The tumultuous events surrounding the sub-continent's partition in 1947 into India and Pakistan are re-imagined in Ken McMullen's complex and visually striking film.

Nicholas and Alexandra Trailer (1971)

29 November 1971

Tsar Nicholas II, the inept last monarch of Russia, insensitive to the needs of his people, is overthrown and exiled to Siberia with his family.

The Awakening Trailer (2011)

17 August 2011

In post–War England, a writer and sometime-ghost hunter investigates a reported haunting at a boys boarding school.

The Duchess Trailer (2008)

05 September 2008

A chronicle of the life of 18th century aristocrat Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, who was reviled for her extravagant political and personal life.

The Three Hostages Trailer (1977)

27 December 1977

Retired British solider Richard Hannay is recruited by British intelligence in an attempt to recovern

The Strange Case of Delfina Potocka Trailer (1999)

01 January 1999

In 1945, the new Polish government asked for the heart of Chopin previously buried in Paris. A woman called Paulina Czernika approached the government claiming to have some love letters from the composer to her great-grandmother, the Countess Delfina Potocka.

The Body Trailer (2001)

13 April 2001

An ancient skeleton has been discovered in Jerusalem in a rich man's tomb. Colouration of the wrist and leg bones indicates the cause of death was crucifiction.

Fatherland Trailer (1994)

26 November 1994

Fictional account of what might have happened if Hitler had won the war. It is now the 1960s and Germany's war crimes have so far been kept a secret.

Wachau - Valley of Golden Magic Trailer (2005)

08 June 2005

Join Georg Riha and his team in this ORF-UNIVERSUM production and discover one of the most beautiful stretches along the Danube.

Alien Autopsy Trailer (2006)

07 April 2006

Humouristic reconstruction of the 1995 scandal when two British lads were accused of having faked a documentary from the Roswell incident in 1947.

National Theatre Live: Macbeth Trailer (2013)

19 July 2013

Performing from within the walls of a deconsecrated Manchester church, Kenneth Branagh takes the lead role in this ambitious production of William Shakespeare's tragic tale of ambition and treachery.

An Organization of Dreams Trailer (2009)

02 January 2009

A disillusioned writer follows the intertwining stories of several people, but are they his own inventions or do they really exist?

Timon of Athens Trailer (1981)

16 April 1981

Timon loves to give parties and objects to friends, but when he cannot pay his creditors, his "friends" refuse to help him, and he becomes a misanthropic hermit.

Flayed Trailer (1978)

22 February 1978

'There's absolutely no escape. No chairs or tables to hold on to, no fags to light or drinks to pour: no small talk or trivial daytime chatter.

Hennessy Trailer (1975)

31 December 1975

Former Irish Republican Army member Niall Hennessy lives in Belfast, Ireland, with his wife and daughter amid the ongoing Irish-British conflict.

Edward & Mrs. Simpson Trailer (1978)

06 November 1978

While still the Prince of Wales, the future Edward VIII meets the married American socialite, Wallis Simpson.

Hamlet Trailer (2015)

23 March 2015

From its sell-out run at Manchester's Royal Exchange Theatre comes a film version of this unique and critically acclaimed production of Hamlet with BAFTA-nominee Maxine Peake in the title role.

Gossip from the Forest Trailer (1979)

28 July 1979

The events around the signing of The Armistice at the end of the First World War.

King Lear Trailer (1975)

23 March 1975

King Lear, old and tired, divides his kingdom among his daughters, giving great importance to their protestations of love for him.

Chemical Wedding Trailer (2008)

04 May 2008

A shy, stuttering professor brings satanist Aleister Crowley back to life.

England, My England Trailer (1995)

01 January 1995

The story of Henry Purcell.

Personal Services Trailer (1987)

12 February 1987

Fed up with working hard just to scrape by, Christine Painter comes up with a bold plan to become the madam of a brothel and earn her financial freedom: she opens a house of spanking to fabulous reviews.

Theban Plays: Oedipus at Colonus Trailer (1986)

17 September 1986

Oedipus's wanderings come to an end when he finds his final resting place, as foretold by the gods. But his brother-in-law and his son each try to take him away.

King Lear Trailer (1982)

19 September 1982

An aging King invites disaster, when he abdicates to his corrupt, toadying daughters, and rejects his loving and honest one.

Two Deaths Trailer (1996)

14 June 1996

While a brutal revolution rampages just outside his mansion, pleasure-seeking doctor Daniel Pavenic hosts a genteel dinner party.

King Charles III Trailer (2017)

10 May 2017

Prince Charles' accession to the throne following the Queen's death. When he refuses to sign a controversial bill into law, political chaos ensues: a constitutional crisis, rioting on the streets and a tank in front of Buckingham Palace.

Pope Joan Trailer (1972)

16 August 1972

Based on the medieval legend of Pope Joan, who was made Pope for a brief period around 855 A.D. The movie presents her existence as fact, though it is questionable that Pope Joan really did exist, and portrays her relationships with other notables of the time.

The Gentleman Thief Trailer (2001)

24 June 2001

An adventure of A J Raffles.

Hitting Town Trailer (1976)

26 April 1976

Ralph decides to give his sister Clare a night on the town to cheer her up. They visit a burger bar and a disco in a modern precinct, and Clare gets slightly drunk.

National Theatre Live: Phèdre Trailer (2009)

25 June 2009

A new English adaptation of the classic French tragedy Phèdre by Jean Racine (1639-1699). It retells the ancient Greek tale of the wife of the Atenian King Theseus, who conceived a forbidden love for his son (by an earlier wife) Hyppolytus.

The Tom Machine Trailer (1980)

20 November 1980

100 years in the future: Tom is both bored and worried in the humdrum, violent times. Also he is unable to remember what his job is and thus decides to leave.

Lion Queen Trailer (1998)

01 June 1998

Nakuru National Park in Kenya is rather like a reform centre for wayward youth. Take Scarface: as a young lioness with a reputation for killing sheep and cattle, she was due to be shot.

SS-3: The Assassination of Reinhard Heydrich Trailer (1992)

01 January 1992

Reinhard Heydrich was considered the most dangerous man in Nazi Germany after Hitler himself. The plot to kill him masterminded in England and carried through to finality in Prague in 1942, is told in this gripping dramatised documentary special.

The Ha-Ha Trailer (1969)

25 August 1969

A young woman has a mental breakdown in a state institution.

Building Burma's Death Railway: Moving Half the Mountain Trailer (2014)

01 January 2014

Moving Half The Mountain documents the true stories of the survivors from one of the worst atrocities of the Second World War the brutal use of prisoners (POWs) and forced local labour by the Japanese to build a railway linking Thailand to Burma.

Schönbrunn - Well of Beauty Trailer (2002)

19 December 2002

Schönbrunn is a world of marvels and mystery, of public glamour and curious secrets. The wealth of its building and landscape architecture, the grand views and hidden details, the wildlife, tamed nature as well as its past and present human population supply more stories and images than even the most insatiable camera can record.

Branagh Theatre Live: The Winter's Tale Trailer (2015)

30 November 2015

A jealous king jeopardizes his family, friendships and succession.

Wild Women of Viramba Trailer (2003)

15 January 2003

Following years of research, the intimacies of this female-led group of baboons, are dramatically revealed.

The Return of the Flying Scotsman Trailer (2016)

06 March 2016

Film following the Flying Scotsman, the world's most famous steam engine, as it returns to the tracks following a ten-year restoration which cost more than £4 million.