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Ian Abercrombie
ACTOR

Ian Abercrombie

Known for How I Met Your Mother · Twin Peaks · Charmed

Ian Abercrombie (11 September 1934 – 26 January 2012) was an English actor, best known for playing Alfred Pennyworth in Birds of Prey. He appeared as Elaine Benes' boss Justin Pitt during the sixth season of Seinfeld, and as a fastidious butler on Desperate Housewives. Description above from the Wikipedia article Ian Abercrombie, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia

Snapshot 2026-10-13

Born
Sep 11, 1934
Died
Jan 26, 2012
Birthplace
Grays, Essex, England, UK
Known For
Acting

Biography

Ian Abercrombie (11 September 1934 – 26 January 2012) was an English actor, best known for playing Alfred Pennyworth in Birds of Prey. He appeared as Elaine Benes' boss Justin Pitt during the sixth season of Seinfeld, and as a fastidious butler on Desperate Housewives.

Description above from the Wikipedia article Ian Abercrombie, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia

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Known For

TVHow I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your MotherBen Franklin · 2005
★ 8.1
TVTwin Peaks
Twin PeaksTom Brockman · 1990
★ 8.3
TVCharmed
CharmedAramis · 1998
★ 8.2
TVSeinfeld
SeinfeldJustin Pitt · 1989
★ 8.2
TVStar Wars: The Clone Wars
Star Wars: The Clone WarsChancellor Palpatine (voice) · 2008
★ 8.5
TVDesperate Housewives
Desperate HousewivesRupert · 2004
★ 7.9
TVBuffy the Vampire Slayer
Buffy the Vampire SlayerOld Man · 1997
★ 8.1
TVThe Nanny
The NannyButler Inspector · 1993
★ 8.1

Filmography

Movies

Von Ryan's ExpressEnglish POW (uncredited)
1965
Star!Man in Brixton Music Hall (uncredited)
1968
They Shoot Horses, Don't They?Male Dancer #74 (Uncredited)
1969
Sole SurvivorBritish co-pilot
1970
Wicked, WickedEddie, Room Service Waiter (uncredited)
1973
The Island at the Top of the WorldTrain Conductor (uncredited)
1974
The Questor TapesCharlie
1974
Young FrankensteinSecond Villager (uncredited)
1974
High RiskMajor Domo
1976
EA
Eleanor and Franklin: The White House YearsWhiting (uncredited)
1977
Fantasy IslandBartender
1977
The San Pedro BumsCrazed Shopper (uncredited)
1977
KeeferRudy
1978
Little MoDr. Noyes (uncredited)
1978
SextetteFrederick Ambrose (BBC Announcer)
1978
The Prisoner of ZendaJohann
1979
Blood BeachMan in Mayor's Office
1980
S.O.S. TitanicDeck Steward (uncredited)
1980
The Happy Hooker Goes HollywoodDenis
1980
Marian Rose WhiteLord Bates
1982
FlicksInspector
1983
The Ice PiratesHymie
1984
First the EggMr. Hanna
1985
Hostage FlightScotland Yard Inspector
1985
KicksBarnes
1985
FirewalkerBoggs
1986
Last ResortMaitre d'
1986
FrogDr. Fritsky
1987
The Dancing PrincessesRoyal Cobbler
1987
CatacombsBrother Orsini
1988
Dark HolidayCaptain
1989
WarlockMagistrate #1
1989
RepossessedIce Tea Waiter (uncredited)
1990
Rolling Thunder
1991
ZandaleeLouis Medina
1991
Army of DarknessWiseman
1992
Puppet Master III: Toulon's RevengeDr. Hess
1992
The Flash III: Deadly NightshadeSkip
1992
The Public EyeMr. Brown
1992
Addams Family ValuesDriver
1993
Clean SlateLeader
1994
GriefStanley
1994
Test Tube Teens from the Year 2000Professor Dorn
1994
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. FrankweilerParks
1995
A Face to Die ForMr. Sturetsky
1996
RattledDr. Remsen
1996
Bimbo Movie BashDr. Dorn
1997
Johnny Mysto: Boy WizardMerlin
1997
MouseHuntAuctioneer
1997
The Lost World: Jurassic ParkButler
1997
Wild Wild WestBritish Dignitary
1999
Jack Frost 2: The Revenge of the Mutant Killer SnowmanPsychiatrist
2000
ShrekADR & Dubbing
2001
ChromiumBlue.comSir George
2002
Cover Me GirlsSir George
2002
Gypsy LoveSir George
2002
The EternalSir George
2002
Puppet Master: The LegacyDr. Hess (archive footage)
2003
Blasphemy the MovieZues
2005
The L.A. Riot SpectacularAuctioneer
2005
When Puppets and Dolls Attack!Dr. Hess (archive footage)
2005
Garfield: A Tail of Two KittiesSmithee
2006
Inland EmpireHenry the Butler
2006
Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing & Charm SchoolErvin Sezgin
2006
Hard FourJack Ermine
2007
Trust MeTeitelbaum
2007
Star Wars: The Clone WarsChancellor Palpatine / Darth Sidious (voice)
2008
Wizards of Waverly Place: Wizard SchoolHeadmaster Crumbs
2008
Star Wars: The Clone Wars - The Nightsisters TrilogyDarth Sidious / Pirate #2 (voice)
2010
RangoAmbrose (voice)
2011

Television

Get SmartSergeant Poole · 1 eps
1965
Get SmartSergeant Poole (uncredited) · 1 eps
1965
Cannon1 eps
1971
Search1 eps
1972
Happy Days1 eps
1974
The Six Million Dollar ManShoemacher · 1 eps
1974
The Six Million Dollar ManMan in Van · 1 eps
1974
Quincy, M.E.1 eps
1976
The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew MysteriesSgt. Lander · 1 eps
1977
Three's Company1 eps
1977
Battlestar GalacticaForger 7 · 1 eps
1978
The BastardDeserter (uncredited) · 1 eps
1978
Vega$1 eps
1978
Knots LandingCaterer · 1 eps
1979
Mrs. Columbo1 eps
1979
Dynasty2 eps
1981
Falcon CrestRoss Beaton · 2 eps
1981
Faerie Tale TheatreRoyal Cobbler · 1 eps
1982
Faerie Tale TheatreThe Royal Cobbler · 1 eps
1982
Hotel1 eps
1982
Tucker's Witch1 eps
1982
Voyagers!1 eps
1982
AirwolfLord Killebrew · 1 eps
1984
HunterGeorge Cooper · 1 eps
1984
Murder, She WroteDr. Blandings · 1 eps
1984
Santa Barbara6 eps
1984
Who's the Boss?1 eps
1984
Foley Square1 eps
1985
George Burns Comedy Week1 eps
1985
MoonlightingLudwig · 1 eps
1985
OtherworldMr. Miro · 1 eps
1985
Stingray1 eps
1985
The New Alfred Hitchcock PresentsDoctor (uncredited) · 1 eps
1985
It's Garry Shandling's ShowFate · 1 eps
1986
L.A. LawGunther Hall · 1 eps
1986
21 Jump StreetLemieux · 1 eps
1987
Empty NestCaptain Burke · 1 eps
1988
Murphy Brown1 eps
1988
War and RemembranceRodney · 1 eps
1988
CoachJackie · 1 eps
1989
SeinfeldJustin Pitt · 8 eps
1989
Tales from the CryptFulton (segment "The Switch") · 1 eps
1989
Northern ExposureAnastasia's Aide · 1 eps
1990
The FlashSkip · 1 eps
1990
Twin PeaksTom Brockman · 1 eps
1990
Sisters1 eps
1991
Cafe AmericainUncle Claude · 1 eps
1993
The NannyButler Inspector · 1 eps
1993
Babylon 5Correlilmurzon · 1 eps
1994
Touched by an AngelGeorge Taylor · 1 eps
1994
CybillAlan Ford · 1 eps
1995
NewsRadioCadbury · 1 eps
1995
Star Trek: VoyagerAbbot · 1 eps
1995
Star Trek: VoyagerMilo · 1 eps
1995
Beyond Belief: Fact or FictionEmil (segment "The Mummy") · 1 eps
1997
Buffy the Vampire SlayerOld Man · 1 eps
1997
Over the Top1 eps
1997
CharmedAramis · 1 eps
1998
GU
Grown UpsPillip Dmytryk · 1 eps
1999
Love & Money1 eps
1999
The DistrictLeon · 1 eps
2000
Crossing JordanGeorge · 1 eps
2001
State of GraceDonnie Thursday · 2 eps
2001
Birds of PreyAlfred Pennyworth · 13 eps
2002
Chromiumblue.com13 eps
2002
The Random YearsMilton · 1 eps
2002
Jimmy Kimmel Live!Self · 1 eps
2003
Nip/TuckCyril Parks · 1 eps
2003
Desperate HousewivesRupert · 1 eps
2004
SummerlandThomas Lindfield · 1 eps
2004
The BatmanEwan Fripp (voice) · 1 eps
2004
HH
Hidden Howie: The Private Life of a Public Nuisance5 eps
2005
How I Met Your MotherBen Franklin · 1 eps
2005
MoonlightRichard Whitley · 1 eps
2007
Wizards of Waverly PlaceProfessor Crumbs · 10 eps
2007
Childrens HospitalButler · 1 eps
2008
Star Wars: The Clone WarsChancellor Palpatine (voice) · 17 eps
2008
Star Wars: The Clone WarsDarth Sidious / Pirate #2 (voice) · 1 eps
2008
Star Wars: The Clone WarsDarth Sidious (voice) · 5 eps
2008
Star Wars: The Clone WarsChancellor Palpatine / Darth Sidious (voice) · 6 eps
2008
Green Lantern: The Animated SeriesGanthet (voice) · 5 eps
2011

Photos

Ian Abercrombie photo
Ian Abercrombie photo
Ian Abercrombie photo
Ian Abercrombie photo
Ian Abercrombie photo
Ian Abercrombie photo
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