From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Michael Cochrane (born 19 May 1947) is an English actor who specialises in playing upper class characters, sometimes with a suaveness that hides their villainy. He has had many television and radio roles including Oliver Sterling in the Radio 4 soap opera The Archers, The Pallisers (1974), Wings (1977-78), The Citadel (1983), Goodbye Mr. Chips (1984), No Job for a Lady, The Chief (1990-1995), and as Sir Henry Simmerson in the Sharpe series. He has twice ...