Mr. Tulkinghorn Sir Leicester Dedlock's chief legal counsel -- a sinister, arrogant and vindictive man who senses that Lady Dedlock has a guilty secret and is determined to discover what it is. Charles Dance made his acting breakthrough in The Jewel In The Crown in 1984. Since that time his career has soared with starring roles in Michael Collins, Hilary and Jackie, Swimming Pool, Gosford Park and the Judi Dench/Maggie Smith film Ladies in Lavender, which he also wrote, produced and directed. He plays Sir Henry Somerset in To The Ends of the Earth, an adaptation of William Golding's Sea Trilogy. The series, set onboard an old warship heading for Australia in the early 19th century, also stars Sam Neill. His TV debut was in the 1974 miniseries Edward The King, alongside fellow Bleak House actor, Timothy West. Masterpiece Theatre/Mystery! roles have included Rebecca, Murder Rooms and Henry VIII. Dance joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1975 and has appeared in many stage productions over the years.