Looks familiar: 10 great British character actors

JANINE DUVITSKI: Appealingly quirky and budgie-like actress. She was Angela in Abigail's Party (pictured, left), of course, but also well-known from appearances in Little Dorrit, One Foot In The Grave, Boys From The Blackstuff, Waiting For God, Brushstrokes and Benidorm. Film credits include The Madness Of King George, Dracula (1979), and About A Boy Photograph: Ronald Grant Archive

JEREMY CHILD: A real-life baronet and old Etonian, his big break came, appropriately, with Privilege in 1967. Since then he has played over a hundred roles including three home secretaries, effete officers, refined clerics and numerous lawyers. You may have seen his face in Jewel In The Crown, Take Three Girls, The Sweeney, Fairly Secret Army, Minder, Oxbridge Blues, Sir Henry at Rawlinson End or as Captain Truscott in Back to the Land (pictured). Or perhaps in a 1993 Labour party broadcast with Fry & Laurie Photograph: ITV/Rex Features

Georgina Hale: This slinky, adenoidal, estuarine glamour-puss oozed naughtiness in some interesting films (particularly with director Ken Russell) and some classic television in the 70s. She has latterly cornered the market in nouveau riche langour and middle-aged decadence. See The Devils, Mahler and Lisztomania, and the likes of The Boyfriend, The Love Ban and McVicar. She smouldered nicely on TV in The Sweeney, Budgie and Minder (as Renee, seen here with Brian Glover as Yorkie), and more recently in Emmerdale and One Foot In The Grave. The definition of 'crumpet' Photograph: FremantleMedia Ltd/Rex Features

AUBREY MORRIS: Another familiar face you probably couldn't put a name to. He's been in films like Clockwork Orange, Up The Junction, Lisztomania and The Wicker Man, and an A-Z of cult TV from The Prisoner, The Avengers and Catweazle (pictured as Leslie Milton), to Babylon 5, Deadwood, Metal Mickey and Man About The House. Well done, sir Photograph: ITV/Rex Features

KATE WILLIAMS: Currently playing Liz Turner in EastEnders, she is still probably best known for the un-PC ITV favourite Love Thy Neighbour as Jack Smethurst's long-suffering wife (pictured with Rudolph Walker), or possibly for her role in the Euston-films drama series Widows. Film credits include Poor Cow, Melody, Til Death Us Do Part, and Jimmy's mum in Quadrophenia. My personal favourite might be her role as Blakey's nurse and girlfriend in Holiday On The Buses. It's probably not hers Photograph: FremantleMedia/Rex Features

GEOFFREY CHATER: The very image of the establishment, he has played ministers, lawyers, bankers and doctors since the early 1950s. His film credits include Gandhi, If, Barry Lyndon, and O Lucky Man. His appearances on British TV include semi-regular roles in Callan, Devenish and Mapp & Lucia (pictured), plus endless parts in everything from Jason King, Steptoe & Son and Some Mothers Do Ave Em to Brideshead Revisited, Harry Enfield and Dad's Army Photograph: ITV /Rex Features

PETRA MARKHAM: Strangely goggly and doll-like, she played Mikki in Ace Of Wands on ITV in the early 70s, after an early appearance in Doctor Who. Her best-known big-screen role is as Doreen in Get Carter (shown with Michael Caine), but she has continued to show up on TV in the likes of Follyfoot, Bergerac, The Bill, Angels and EastEnders. Interesting footnotes include Curry & Chips and Ripping Yarns. From a theatrical family, her brothers-in-law are/were Roger Lloyd-Pack and the late Corin Redgrave Photograph: METRO/Sportsphoto Ltd./Allstar

JOHN WOODVINE: Craggy and dignified actor whose long association with the RSC and RADA hasn't translated into stardom or luvvie status. Instead he's been rather wasted in many mediocre TV shows including Peak Practice, Emmerdale and The Bill, and small parts in films like The Devils and Young Winston. He boasts the nice 60s full-house of Danger Man (pictured), The Saint, The Baron, The Avengers and The Champions Photograph: ITV/Rex Features

DAMARIS HAYMAN: The epitome of the eminently respectable horsey lady, Ms Hayman was cast strictly to type, having been born in Kensington and educated at Cheltenham Ladies' College. She was memorably eccentric in classic Pertwee-era Doctor Who story The Daemons, and had a number of appearances on TV, in The Sweeney, The Double Deckers, Wodehouse Playhouse and, perhaps less predictably, The Young Ones and Filthy Rich & Catflap. She's pictured in 1972's Sez Les, with Roy Barraclough Photograph: ITV /Rex Features

JOHN CLIVE: A distinctively impish actor who has been a staple of British comedy for many years, resulting in a fantastic CV containing credits for Smashing Tim, Clockwork Orange, Carry On Dick, Carry On Abroad (pictured), The Italian Job and the voice of John Lennon in Yellow Submarine. On the box, he has two memorable appearances in Rising Damp on top of the obligatory gigs on The Sweeney, The Saint, Man In A Suitcase and lots of kids shows. He is also a successful writer of historical fiction Photograph: ITV/Rex Features