Sir Humphrey Appleby,
GCB,
KBE,
MVO,
MA (Oxon), is a fictional character from the British television series
Yes Minister and
Yes, Prime Minister. He was played originally by Sir
Nigel Hawthorne, but on stage and in a television adaptation of the stage show by
Henry Goodman in a new series of
Yes, Prime Minister. In
Yes Minister, he is the
Permanent Secretary for the Department of Administrative Affairs (a fictional department of the
British government). In the last episode of
Yes Minister, "
Party Games", he becomes
Cabinet Secretary, the position he retains during
Yes, Prime Minister. Hawthorne's portrayal won the
BAFTA Award for Best Light Entertainment Performance four times: 1981, 1982, 1986 and 1987.