Oliver Cotton trained at the Drama Centre in London during the regime of the famed, and infamous, Joh Blatchley and Yat Malgrem two of the major originators in Britain of the Stanislavsky inspired Method school of acting.

His theatrical career encompasses some of the most important productions of British theatre’s recent history. His extensive work with various royal theatres in Britain - the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal National Theatre the Royal Court Theatre to name but a few - and in London’s West End has included John Dexter’s Royal Hunt of the Sun, Peter Hall’s Hamlet, Adrian Noble’s Richard III, Michael Blakemore’s Benefactors and Peter Hall’s An Ideal Husband.

His film and television work is equally extensive, including roles in the BBC’s David Copperfield (TV, 1986), Peter Hall’s The Camomile Lawn (TV, 1992), Westbeach (TV, 1993) Baby Blue (2001) John Malkovich’s The Dancer Upstairs.