George Pastell was a renowned Cypriot character actor who made a significant impact in the British film and television industry. His real name was Nino Pastellides, and he began his acting career in the late 1940s.
Pastellides' breakthrough role was in the 1949 film "Give Us This Day," where he appeared under his real name. He went on to establish himself as a versatile actor, taking on a wide range of villainous roles in both film and television.
Despite being of Greek descent, Pastellides was often cast in roles that required an Eastern or exotic appearance. He worked extensively with Hammer Film Productions, portraying characters such as Mehemet Bey in "The Mummy" (1959),the High Priest of Kali in "The Stranglers of Bombay" (1959),and Hashmi Bey in "The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb" (1964).
In the 1960s, Pastellides' unique features and acting abilities led to his casting in numerous spy movies, including "From Russia with Love" (1963),"The 2nd Best Secret Agent in the Whole Wide World" (1965),"A Man Could Get Killed" (1966),"That Riviera Touch" (1966),and "Deadlier Than the Male" (1967).
Beyond his film work, Pastellides also appeared in several popular television series during the 1960s, such as "Danger Man" (1960),"The Avengers" (1961),"Doctor Who" (1963),"The Champions" (1968),"The Saint" (1962),and "Department S" (1969).
In addition to his on-screen roles, Pastellides was a prolific voice-over artist, replacing the voices of hundreds of other actors in films such as "El Cid" (1961),"You Only Live Twice" (1967),and "Doctor Zhivago" (1965). He earned the nickname "the 'Paul Frees (I)' of Britain" due to his impressive range and versatility in voice-over work.
