During 89 years of life and a distinguished 60-year acting career, Michael Lonsdale hits the jackpot twice — as Deputy Commissioner Claude Lebel in The Day of the Jackal (’73, filmed when he was 43 years old) and especially as the blustery counselor Grigoriev in the 1982 Smiley’s People miniseries. (I’m sorry there’s no HD version of the below scene with Alec Guinness.) Lonsdale had a mere 25 or 26 minutes of screen time, but what a lasting impression.
I don’t even remember his Bond villain performance in Moonraker (’79); nor do I recall his performance as M. Dupont d’Ivry in The Remains of the Day. I’m sorry but neither made a strong imprint.
