Bruce Purchase (2 October 1938 – 5 June 2008) was a New Zealand actor known for his roles on stage and television. Born in Thames, New Zealand, he won a scholarship to study acting in England, training at RADA, and went on to become a founding actor-member of Laurence Olivier's National Theatre. He also performed regularly with the Royal Shakespeare Company. In 2007, Purchase became seriously ill while touring with a production of The Last Confession. He died of cancer on 5 June 2008 at his home in Putney, London.