Guy Doleman
Guy Doleman (22 November 1923 – 30 January 1996) was a New Zealand born actor, active in Australia, Britain and the United States. He is possibly best remembered for being the first actor to play Number Two in the classic cult series The Prisoner, and playing Colonel Ross in the Harry Palmer spy movies starring Michael Caine in the 1960s.
Guy Doleman
- Name
- Guy Doleman
- Born
- 22 November 1923
- Birthplace
- Hamilton, Waikato, New Zealand
- Died
- 30 January 1996
- Place of death
- Los Angeles, California, U.S.
- Nationality
- New Zealand
- Occupation
- actor
- Languages
- English
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Documentary summary
Guy Doleman (22 November 1923 – 30 January 1996) was a New Zealand born actor, active in Australia, Britain and the United States. He is possibly best remembered for being the first actor to play Number Two in the classic cult series The Prisoner, and playing Colonel Ross in the Harry Palmer spy movies starring Michael Caine in the 1960s.
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Guy Doleman (1923–1996) was an actor, of New Zealand nationality. The actor was born in Hamilton and died in Los Angeles. Languages used include English.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 29 September 2026
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Documentary evidence
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wikidata · Q1557469 · wikipedia · Guy Doleman
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Guy Doleman • Born — 22 November 1923 • Birthplace — Hamilton, Waikato, New Zealand • Died — 30 January 1996 • Place of death — Los Angeles, California, U.S. • Years Active — 1948–1992
Early life
Early life
Doleman was born in Hamilton, Waikato, New Zealand, later moving to Australia.
Career
Career
During the 1940s and 1950s, Doleman was one of the busiest actors in Australia, appearing in the majority of films made there at the time, and being busy on radio, particularly in the drama Hagen's Circus, which made him a radio star in Australia. Radio historian Peter Philp grouped Doleman with Peter Finch, Grant Taylor, Rod Taylor and Lloyd Berrell as part of "a wild but very colourful group of actors... who in their own way helped forge a wonderful ambience which was unique to Sydney radio." He appeared in many early Australian films including The Phantom Stockman. In 1952 he won a £300 Actor's Choice Award for his performance in the radio drama The Coward. He used this money to go to Hollywood for a film in September 1953, where he tested for some films. He was cast in Long John Silver (1954) but passed on the role because it meant he had to wear contact lenses – Rod Taylor took the part instead. He had moved to London by the early 1960s. Later he returned to Australia. He is perhaps best known for his role as "Count Lippe" in the James Bond film Thunderball (1965) and as "Colonel Ross" in the three film adaptations of Len Deighton's Harry Palmer novels, starring Michael Caine, released between 1965 and 1967. He also played Number Two in the TV series The Prisoner (1967). Doleman's was the first of a pair of Number Twos who appeared in the first episode, "Arrival"; the second being played by George Baker.
Death
Death
Doleman died of lung cancer in Los Angeles on 30 January 1996, aged 72.
Filmography
Filmography
• Always Another Dawn (1948) – Warren Melville • Strong Is the Seed (1949) – William Farrer • The Kangaroo Kid (1950) – Sgt. Jim Penrose • Kangaroo (1952) – Pleader (uncredited) • The Phantom Stockman (1953) – Mr. Stapleton • His Majesty O'Keefe (1954) – Herr Weber • Dial M for Murder (1954) – Detective (uncredited) • Smiley (1956) – Bill McVitty • The Adventures of Long John Silver (1957, TV Series) – Dr. Stanhope • The Shiralee (1957) – Son O'Neill • Smiley Gets a Gun (1958) – Quirk • On the Beach (1959) – Lt. Cmdr. Farrel • The Grey Nurse Said Nothing (1960, TV Movie) • The Square Ring (1960, TV Movie) • Whiplash (1961, TV Series) – Sundowner / Raike Dartner / Norris • Follow the Sun (1961, TV Series) – Alex Cooper • ITV Play of the Week (1962-1963, TV Series) – Walter Ramsden / Captain Lee • No Hiding Place (1962-1964, TV Series) – Melvyn Kerry / Felix Seymour / James Conway • The Avengers (1963, TV Series) – Oliver Waldner • Jezebel ex UK (1963, TV Series) – Robin Coleridge • Captain Sindbad (1963) • The Dickie Henderson Show (1963, TV Series) • BBC Sunday-Night Play (1963, TV Series) – Managing Editor • The Edgar Wallace Mystery Theatre, "The Partner" (1963, TV Series) – Wayne Douglas • The Hidden Truth (1964, TV Series) – Charles Medwin • The System (1964) (aka: The Girl Getters) – Philip • Boy with a Flute (1965, Short) • Young Cassidy (1965) – Officer • The Ipcress File (1965) – Colonel Ross • Thunderball (1965) – Count Lippe • The Idol (1966) – Martin Livesey • The Power Game (1966, TV Series) – Stephen Gray • Funeral in Berlin (1966) – Colonel Ross • The Deadly Bees (1967) – Ralph Hargrove • The Prisoner (1967, Episode: "Arrival") – Number Two • Thirty-Minute Theatre (1967, Episode: "The Tape Recorder") • Billion Dollar Brain (1967) – Colonel Ross • A Twist of Sand (1968) – Patrol Boat Commander • Strange Report (1969, TV Series) – Glyn Crowley • Chilling (1974) • The Six Million Dollar Man (1977, TV Series) – Henry Bulman • Enigma (1977) – Maurice Mockcastle • The Greatest Battle (1978) – General Whitmore • A Dangerous Summer (1981) – Julian Fane • Early Frost (1982) – Mike Hayes • Goodbye Paradise (1983) – Quiney • Matt Houston (1984, TV Series) – Richard / Rudy Bezmer (Episode: Eyewitness) • The Colbys (1986, TV Series) – Peter Hackford • The Shiralee (1987) • Hell Raiders (1988) • Tagget (1991, TV Movie) – Commander Arthur Green • Murder, She Wrote (1992, TV Series) – Corsair (final appearance)
Theatre credits
Theatre credits
• Little Lambs Eat Ivy, Minerva Theatre, Kings Cross, NSW, May 1949 • Edward, My Son, Theatre Royal, Sydney, NSW, 16 September 1949 • All for Mary national tour 1956-57 • The Piccadilly Bushman national tour Sept 1959 – Feb 1960
Select radio credits
Select radio credits
• The Coward (1952) • Chips (1954) • The Orchard Walls (1954)
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1923
Guy Doleman was born on 22 November 1923.
1996
Guy Doleman died on 30 January 1996.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Hamilton.
Birth place
Los Angeles.
Death place
Primary material
Documents and archives
reference work
- “Guy Doleman”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
institutional register
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q1557469: Guy Doleman
General reference · Wikimedia Foundation
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Philp, Peter. Drama in Silent Rooms: A History of Radio Drama in Australia from the 1920s to the 1970s. Eureka Media. 260–261.
- 2.Philp p339
- 3.Vagg, Stephen. The Lee Robinson-Chips Rafferty Story Part One: The Phantom Stockman. Filmink. 1 June 2025.
- 4.TODAY'S RADIO PROGRAMMES Sydneyman wins £300in 'Actors Choice'. The Argus. 4. 14 August 1952.
- 5.Australian to Test. Los Angeles Times 2 Sep 1953: P32.
- 6.LIMELIGHT. The Sun-Herald (Sydney, NSW : 1953 – 1954). 71. 2 May 1954.
- 7.Vagg, Stephen. Forgotten Australian Films: Always Another Dawn. Filmink. 3 August 2025.
- 8.Australian actor gets Lucky break. Brisbane Telegraph. 24 (LAST RACE). 24 September 1953.
- 9.Vagg, Stephen. Forgotten Australian TV Plays: The Grey Nurse Said Nothing. Filmink. 17 November 2020.
- 10.Vagg, Stephen. It's time to say hello again to Goodbye Paradise. InReview. 10 June 2025.
- 11.TODAY'S RADIO PROGRAMMES Sydneyman wins £300in 'Actors Choice'. The Argus (Melbourne). 33,056. 4. 14 August 1952.
- 12.Chips Stars in DB Serial. The Age. 30,903. 1 ("THE AGE" RADIO SUPPLEMENT). 20 May 1954.
- 13.Has Lead in New Play. Illawarra Daily Mercury. 3. 17 March 1954.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Secondary witnessinstitutional register
Wikidata, structured authority record Q1557469: Guy DolemanWikimedia Foundation
General reference
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 17 August 2026.
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