Died June 19, 2012. Born August 31, 1927.

English actor who is best known for his role as Oliver Lacon in the BBC television adaptations of the John le Carré novels Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and Smiley's People.

Bate's first television appearance was in 1955 and since then has appeared as: James in Pinter’s The Collection, Rogojin in The Idiot, MacDuff in Macbeth, Javert in Les Misérables, the title role in Grady (a trilogy), T H Huxley in Darwin’s Bulldog, Nikolai in Fathers and Sons, Creon in King Oedipus, Victor Hugo in Ego Hugo, Harry Paynter in Intimate Strangers, The Dutch Train Hijack 1976, Dr Dorn in The Seagull 1977, Kim Philby in Philby, Burgess and Maclean 1977 (nominated Best Actor Monte Carlo Festival 1978), An Englishman's Castle (1978), the title role in The Trial of Uri Urlov 1978, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy 1978, Crime and Punishment 1979, ‘Tis Pity She’s A Whore 1979, The Human Crocodile 1980, Smiley’s People 1981, A Woman Called Golda (with Ingrid Bergman) 1981, J A D Ingres in Artists and Models 1983, War and Remembrance 1986, Game Set and Match 1987, Countdown to War 1989, Medics 1991 and 1992, Prime Suspect 1994, Rebecca 1996, A Touch of Frost 1996, Bodyguards 1996, Silent Witness 1997, Midsomer Murders 2000. He also appeared in Spindoe and Beasts.

Films include: Dentist in the Chair (1960), Payroll (1961), A Prize of Arms (1962), Stopover Forever (1964), Davy Jones' Locker (1966), Ghost Story (1973), Bismarck (1975), Give My Regards to Broad Street (1982), Exploits at West Poley (1985), Eminent Domaine (1990), A Flight of Fancy (2002), Nowhere in Africa (2003) (winner Oscar for Best Film in a Foreign Language).

On May 22, 1954, he married Diana Fay, the daughter of Kenneth Alfred Charles Cawes Watson (d 1939), of Seaview, Isle of Wight. His 2 sons are Gavin Watson (born 1961) and Mark Hewitt (born 1963).

Bate died in the early hours of June 19, 2012 from a brief illness at a London Hospital. He was rushed into the hospital on June 14, 2012 from the illness. He was survived by his wife Diana and his two children.