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Robert Coote

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Robert Coote (4 February 1909 – 26 November 1982) was an English actor. He played aristocrats or British military types in many films, and created the role of Colonel Hugh Pickering in the long-running original Broadway production of My Fair Lady. Coote was born in London and educated at Hurstpierpoint College in Sussex. He began his stage career at the age of 16, performing in Britain, South Africa, and Australia before arriving in Hollywood in the late 1930s. He played a succession of pompous British types in supporting roles, including a brief but memorable turn as Sgt. Bertie Higginbotham in Gunga Din (1939). His acting career was interrupted by his service as a squadron leader in the Royal Canadian Air Force during World War II. He played Bob Trubshawe in Powell and Pressburger's A Matter of Life and Death (1946), chosen for the first-ever Royal Film Performance on 1 November 1946, before he returned to Hollywood, where his films included The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947), Forever Amber (1947), The Three Musketeers (1948), and Orson Welles' Othello (1952). In 1956, Coote created the role of Colonel Pickering in the original Broadway production of My Fair Lady (1956–62), which he reprised in the musical's 1976–77 Broadway revival. He also originated the role of King Pellinore in the Broadway production of Camelot (1960–63). He was nominated for an Emmy Award for his performance as Timmy St. Clair in the NBC TV series The Rogues (1964–65). In 1966, Coote appeared with Jackie Gleason and Art Carney in an episode of The Honeymooners entitled "The Honeymooners in England", broadcast on CBS-TV from Miami. In his last feature film performance, Coote portrayed one of the critics dispatched by Vincent Price in Theatre of Blood (1973). His final role was on television, playing orchid nurse Theodore Horstmann in the 1981 NBC-TV series Nero Wolfe, starring William Conrad in the title role. In most film and TV adaptations of Nero Wolfe mysteries, before and since, Horstmann has been a very minor character, but Coote's Horstmann got considerable screen time in the series. The veteran British character actor died in his sleep at the New York Athletic Club in November 1982, at the age of 73. Coote was a close friend of actor David Niven, sharing a house with Niven for a time in the late 1930s and living in a flat over Niven's garage for several years after the Second World War.


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Born:
Feb 4, 1909 In London, England, UK
Movie/TV Credits:
54
First Appeared:
In the series Best Of Enemies
Latest Project:
Series Nero Wolfe 1981-01-16
Known For
Filmography
Series Best Of Enemies 2025
Series Nero Wolfe Theodore Horstmann 1981-01-16
Movie Institute for Revenge Wellington 1979-01-22
Movie Filming Othello 1978-07-10
Movie Theatre of Blood Oliver Larding 1973-03-16
Movie Charley's Aunt Col. Sir Francis Chesney 1969-11-23
Movie Kenner 1968-01-01
Movie Prudence and the Pill Henry Hardcastle 1968-05-23
Movie The Cool Ones Stanley Krum 1967-04-12
Movie A Man Could Get Killed Hatton / Jones 1966-03-25
Movie Alice Through the Looking Glass The Red King 1966-11-06
Movie The Swinger Sir Hubert Charles 1966-11-13
Series The Rogues Timmy St. Clair 1964-09-13
Movie The Golden Head 1964-08-22
Movie The V.I.P.s John Coburn 1963-09-01
Movie Lord Arthur Savile's Crime Baines 1960-01-03
Movie The League of Gentlemen Bunny Warren 1960-04-15
Movie The Horse's Mouth Sir William Beeder 1958-11-11
Movie Merry Andrew Dudley Larabee 1958-03-20
Movie The Swan Capt. Wunderlich 1956-04-26
Movie The Constant Husband The Best Man 1955-04-21
Movie Scaramouche Gaston Binet 1952-05-08
Movie The Prisoner of Zenda Fritz von Tarlenheim 1952-11-04
Movie The Merry Widow Marquis De Crillon 1952-09-05
Movie Soldiers Three Maj. Mercer 1951-04-01
Movie The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel British Medical Officer 1951-10-16
Movie Othello Roderigo 1951-11-28
Movie The Elusive Pimpernel Sir Andrew ffoulkes 1950-11-07
Movie The Red Danube Brigadier C.M.V. Catlock 1949-10-14
Movie The Three Musketeers Aramis 1948-10-20
Movie Berlin Express Sterling 1948-05-01
Movie The Ghost and Mrs. Muir Mr. Coombe 1947-05-25
Movie Forever Amber Sir Thomas Dudley 1947-10-10
Movie The Exile Dick Pinner 1947-10-17
Movie Lured Detective Wilson 1947-08-28
Movie Cloak and Dagger Cronin 1946-09-28
Movie A Matter of Life and Death Bob Trubshawe 1946-12-15
Movie Forever and a Day Blind Officer 1943-01-21
Movie Commandos Strike at Dawn Robert Bowen 1942-12-30
Movie Vigil in the Night Dr. Caley 1940-02-05
Movie You Can't Fool Your Wife Battincourt 1940-05-21
Movie Mr. Moto's Last Warning Rollo Venables 1939-01-20
Movie Gunga Din Bertie Higginbotham 1939-01-26
Movie Nurse Edith Cavell Bungey 1939-08-31
Movie Bad Lands Eaton 1939-08-28
Movie The House of Fear Robert Morton 1939-06-30
Movie A Yank at Oxford Wavertree 1938-02-18
Movie Blond Cheat Gilbert Potts 1938-06-17
Movie The Girl Downstairs Karl 1938-12-23
Movie The Sheik Steps Out Lord Eustace Byington 1937-09-05
Movie The Thirteenth Chair Stanby 1937-05-07
Movie Rangle River Reggie Mannister, Flight-Lieutenant 1936-12-19
Movie Loyalties Robert 1933-07-02
Movie Sally in Our Alley Waiter At Party 1931-07-09