<P> Geoffrey Dyson Palmer , OBE ( born 4 June 1927 ) is an English actor known for his roles in British television sitcoms playing Jimmy Anderson in The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin ( 1976 -- 79 ) , Ben Parkinson in Butterflies ( 1978 -- 83 ) and Lionel Hardcastle in As Time Goes By ( 1992 -- 2005 ) . His film appearances include A Fish Called Wanda ( 1988 ) , The Madness of King George ( 1994 ) , Mrs. Brown ( 1997 ) , and Tomorrow Never Dies ( 1997 ) . </P>
who played lionel in as time goes by
Geoffrey Dyson Palmer