Eric Thompson (November 9, 1929 - December 1, 1982) was a British actor, producer and television presenter.
He was born in Sleaford, Lincolnshire and grew up Rudgwick , Sussex. He trained to be an actor at the Old Vic acting school in London and joined the Old Vic theatre company in 1952.
He worked mostly for the BBC, and was a presenter of the children's television programme Play School in the 1960s. He was best known as the narrator of The Magic Roundabout, for which he wrote the English scripts, using the visuals from the French Le Manège Enchanté. These were transmitted between October 1965 and January 1977. Thompson rarely worked on television after his voice became well-known, but occasionally appeared in programmes such as Doctor Who.
He was married to Scottish actress Phyllida Law, who he met while at the Old Vic, and was the father of Emma Thompson and Sophie Thompson .
See also J. Eric S. Thompson for the archeologist who was also sometimes known as "Eric Thompson".
