James Bree (actor)

James Rutherfoord Worsfold Thomson (20 July 1923 – 1 December 2008[1]), known professionally as James Bree, was a British actor who appeared on stage, and played many supporting roles in both film and television.[2][3]

James Bree
Born	James Rutherfoord Worsfold Thomson (1923-07-20)20 July 1923 East Coker, Somerset, England
Died	1 December 2008(2008-12-01) (aged 85) London, England
Occupation	Actor
Partner(s)	Albert Yates

Bree was educated at Radley College near Abingdon, Oxfordshire and during the Second World War served in the RAF. He later trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama. He changed his surname to Thomson-Bree after inheriting land from his great-uncle, Archdeacon William Bree.[4][5]

On stage, Bree was in the original productions of Thornton Wilder's The Matchmaker in London's West End in 1954; and in John Arden's Sergeant Musgrave's Dance at the Royal Court in 1959.[6] He was also one of the founder members of Peter Hall's Royal Shakespeare Company at Stratford in 1960.[7]

On screen, he was probably best known for playing Blofeld's attorney Gumbold in the 1969 James Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service, and for his role as Uncle Arthur in The Jewel in the Crown.[7][8]

Bree notably played three roles in the classic Doctor Who series. He played the Security Chief in the 1969 Patrick Troughton story The War Games, Nefred in the 1980 Tom Baker story Full Circle and Keeper of the Matrix in the 1986 Colin Baker story The Ultimate Foe.[9]

He died in December 2008, aged 85, after a long illness.[7]