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1-50 of 275
- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Richard Crispin Armitage was born and raised in Leicester, England, to Margaret (Hendey), a secretary, and John Armitage, an engineer. He attended Pattison College in Binley Road, Coventry, where he discovered his love for acting. He took part in many theatre productions all over the UK, from musical theatre (Cats) to classical theatre (Death of a Salesman). He enrolled at LAMDA in 1995 and starred in The Cherry Orchard and The Normal Heart among others.
He started working in cinema in 1999 with some small roles in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, Cleopatra and This Year's Love (1999). In 2000 he took part in the RSC Macbeth tour of the USA and Japan with Antony Sher as the lead actor. In 2002, he had a breakthrough with his role as the charming but a bit odd character John Standring in Sparkhouse (2002), a BBC Miniseries in three parts, opposite Sarah Smart. After two guest-roles in Cold Feet (1997) in 2003 and Between the Sheets (2003), he landed a role as Steven in Frozen (2005). In 2004, he became famous throughout the whole UK with his role of mill-owner John Thornton in North & South (2004) (BBC). He landed a key role in BBC Robin Hood from 2006 to 2009 as the dark and evil Guy of Gisborne, then from 2008 to 2010 he played Lucas North in the successful British series Spooks (MI-5 in the USA). He kept working on British TV (Strike Back: Origins in 2010) and had a small but pivotal role in Captain America: the first Avenger, till he became known worldwide with his role of Thorin Oakenshield in Peter Jackson's trilogy of The Hobbit (2012/2014), for which he received a Saturn Award. In 2014 he was the protagonist of Yael Farber's acclaimed version of Arthur Miller's The Crucible at the Old Vic in London, for which role he was nominated for an Olivier Award. He starred in the third season of Hannibal (2015) in the role of serial killer Francis Dolarhyde, which got him another Saturn Award. In 2016 he starred in the Epix original series Berlin Station in the lead role of Daniel Miller, and in the same year he received many positive reviews for his role of Kenneth in Mike Bartlett's Love, love, love for Roundabout Theatre in NYC. In 2017 He worked on Ocean's Eight, and on the second season of Berlin Station. In July 2017 the film Pilgrimage came out with many positive reviews. He has narrated several audio books with Audible, for which he has received two nominations for an Audie Award. He has recently given the voice to Trevor Belmont in the series Castlevania on Netflix.- Actor
- Executive
- Soundtrack
English-born Tom Hopper has come a long way in his acting career. A former student of Rose Bruford College where he studied acting, Tom Hopper has become widely known for his involvement in both films and in some of television's highly popular drama series including Merlin (2008) as the strongman knight Sir Percival, followed with a memorable performance (almost appearing as the spitting image of Marvel Comic's "Thor" played by Chris Hemsworth) in the medieval swashbuckler Northmen: A Viking Saga (2014). Then Hopper joined a two-part mini-series Barbarians Rising (2016) as the Roman soldier Arminius, before signing on with the Starz drama series Black Sails (2014). Without losing any demand for his 6'5", musculature presence, HBO's medieval fantasy drama series Game of Thrones (2011) recruited him for its seventh season to portray the swordsman-hunter Dickon Tarly.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Parminder Nagra was born in Leicester, Leicestershire, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Bend It Like Beckham (2002), ER (1994) and The Blacklist (2013). She was previously married to James Stenson.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Adrian Scarborough was born on 10 May 1968 in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, England, UK. He is an actor, known for Gosford Park (2001), Vera Drake (2004) and Dirty Pretty Things (2002). He is married to Rose Blackshaw. They have two children.- Actor
- Producer
Michael Kitchen was born on 31 October 1948 in Leicester, Leicestershire, England, UK. He is an actor and producer, known for Out of Africa (1985), GoldenEye (1995) and The World Is Not Enough (1999). He has been married to Rowena Miller since 1988. They have two children.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Rakhee Thakrar was born in Leicester, Leicestershire, England, UK. Rakhee is an actor, known for Wonka (2023), Sex Education (2019) and Four Weddings and a Funeral (2019). Rakhee has been married to Vikash Bhai since 2 September 2017.- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Dominic Keating was born on 1 July 1961 in Leicester, Leicestershire, England, UK. He is an actor and producer, known for Beowulf (2007), Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two (2012) and Star Trek: Enterprise (2001).- Director
- Producer
- Actor
Stephen started off in a career in the legal profession before switching to work as an assistant stage manager at London's Royal Court which led to work as an assistant director on films by Karel Reisz and Lindsay Anderson He directed his first short in 1967 and his feature debut, Gumshoe, in 1971. The next 12 years were spent working in television before returning to film with My Bautiful Laundrette- Writer
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Graham Chapman was born on January 8, 1941 in Leicester, England while a German air raid was in progress. Graham's father was a chief police inspector and probably inspired the constables Graham often portrayed later in comedy sketches. Graham studied medicine in college and earned an M.D., but he practiced medicine for only a few years.
At Cambridge, he took part in a series of comedy revues and shortly after completing his medical studies at St. Bartholomew's Hospital, Graham realized what he wanted to do with his life. He wanted to perform comedy. In 1969, Graham along with University friends John Cleese, Eric Idle, Michael Palin, Terry Jones and American Terry Gilliam formed their own comedy group called Monty Python. Their BBC TV series Monty Python's Flying Circus (1969), which aired a short while later was a an instant hit. Their often self-referential style of humor was delightfully original but completely accessible to most audiences in the UK.
Before the show appeared on public television in the US, many people assumed that Americans would find Monty Python much too British to consider it funny. But PBS never had a larger audience than when stations began to air it during the early 1970s. The classic routines have since become standard college humor.
So enduring was the Python humor that fans know entire sketches such as "The Pet Shop," "Nudge-Nudge, Wink-Wink," "Argument Clinic," and "Penguin on the Telly." Graham was a standout of the group with his tall, blond profile and his zany characters (one of the more memorable was Colonel Muriel Volestrangler, a vaguely military-type character who would stop a sketch because it was "much too silly").
Graham was openly gay long before it was socially acceptable, and was open about his long-term relationship with writer David Sherlock, who lived with him for 24 years. He even adopted and raised a teenage runaway named John Tomiczek. Graham played the title role in the movie Life of Brian (1979) as well as King Arthur in Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975). By the late 1970s, most of the Python members were pursuing independent movie projects and the group was slowly fading into obscurity after their last successful effort The Meaning of Life (1983). Also in 1983, Graham co-wrote and starred in the movie Yellowbeard (1983), which received negative reviews.
In 1988, Graham began working on another series when his health began to decline. A longtime alcoholic, who suffered liver damage before he stopped drinking for good in 1977, Graham began to have trouble concentrating at work. In November 1988, a routine visit to a dentist revealed a malignant tumor on one of his tonsils which was surgically removed. A visit to the doctor a few months later revealed another tumor on his spine which had to be removed which confined him to a wheelchair. During most of 1989, he underwent a series of surgical operations and radiation therapy but for every tumor that was found and removed, another would form either along his spine or in his throat. By July 1989, his cancer was declared terminal and that he would not survive the year, yet he continued to pursue treatments which included chemotherapy. In his wheelchair, he attended the September 1989 taping for the Monty Python's 20th anniversary special. But on October 1, he was hospitalized after a massive stroke which turned into a hemorrhage. He died at the Maidstone hospital at age 48 on October 4, 1989 from complications of the stroke as well as throat and spinal cancer.- Lydia was born in Leicestershire on 9th October 1985, one of four children, her mother being an opera singer and her older brother Charlie (born 25.01.1981) also being an actor. Lydia went to school in Loughborough and at the Oakham School in Rutland before training in acting at the Oxford School of Drama, graduating in 2007. She worked in rep ('Look Back in Anger' at the Lichfield Garrick and in Shakespeare productions at the Half Moon in Herne Hill) and as a children's entertainer.
Lydia's major break occurred when she was cast in The Inbetweeners (2011) in 2011, also appearing in its sequel, The Inbetweeners 2 (2014), three years later. On television she has been seen in comic roles, as the bossy slave Metella in the ancient Rome-set sitcom Plebs (2013) and as ditsy Bunny in Drifters (2013). In 2015 she appeared as Princess Penelope in the decidedly tongue-in-cheek series The Royals (2015) about a family of British monarchs. Away from acting, she is an honorary ambassador for the East Midlands Rainbows children's hospice in her native Loughborough. - Nathalie Cox was born in 1978 in Leicestershire, England, UK. She is an actress and writer, known for Miss Willoughby and the Haunted Bookshop (2021), Exam (2009) and Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (2008).
- Actor
- Writer
- Director
Andy Nyman was born on 13 April 1966 in Leicester, Leicestershire, England, UK. He is an actor and writer, known for Judy (2019), Ghost Stories (2017) and Death at a Funeral (2007).- Jeremy Bulloch was born on February 16, 1945 in Market Harborough, Leicestershire, England, the son of Aziz Diane (Meade) and McGregor Bulloch, an aeronautical engineer. He was the middle of three siblings, along with three older half-brothers from his mother's earlier marriage. Even at the age of five he was on stage in his school show, acting and singing. After failing a school exam at the age of eleven, Jeremy seemed destined for the acting profession and was soon attending Corona Academy Drama School, making his first professional appearance at the age of twelve when he appeared in a commercial for a breakfast cereal.
Following many appearances on children's television, Jeremy's big break came at the age of 17 when he landed a major role in the musical film Summer Holiday (1963) which starred the pop idol Cliff Richard (now Sir Cliff). Shortly after, he went into a BBC soap opera called The Newcomers (1965) which ran for three years and made him a household name in the United Kingdom. In 1969, Jeremy was off to Madrid in Spain to play the leading role in a musical film called Las Leandras (1969). This was followed by two major films: The Virgin and the Gypsy (1970) and Mary, Queen of Scots (1971).
During the 1970s, he made many other screen appearances, including the James Bond films, in which he portrayed the character 'Smithers' (Q's assistant). In 1977, Jeremy spent six months in the Far East, where he was based in Singapore and travelled to the Philippines, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia filming a BBC drama documentary called 'The Sadrina Project'. This documentary was designed to teach the English language to people in the Far East, mainly the Chinese. On a trip to China some 15 years later, where Jeremy was performing in a stage play, he was instantly recognised by hundreds of people who stated they had learnt their English from the Sadrina Project.
In 1978, he was starring in the television comedy series Agony (1979), which was co-written by an American called Len Richmond. It was during this series that Jeremy was asked to play a small part in Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980). The part, of course, was Boba Fett - proving the old theatrical saying that "there is no such thing as a small part"! Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) soon followed and Jeremy was invited to reprise the role of Boba.
Since the early 1980s, Jeremy played many roles on television and on the stage in London's West End. He also had two worldwide theatre tours covering the Middle and Far East. Jeremy appeared regularly in the favourite television series Robin Hood (1984), in which he played the part of Edward of Wickham. Jeremy's son Robbie was asked to play Matthew in the series. 'Robin of Sherwood' has a great following all around the world, and Jeremy attends the convention 'Spirit of Sherwood' in Novi, Michigan every year, work permitting. Another popular series he has appeared in is Doctor Who (1963) where he played Hal the Archer in 'The Time Warrior' with Jon Pertwee, and also Tor in the 'Space Museum' with William Hartnell as the Doctor.
Since the re-release of Star Wars in 1997, the interest in the character of Boba Fett has meant that Jeremy was invited to many sci-fi conventions and events all around the world. His fan mail has increased five-fold, and he managed somehow to reply to everyone that writes to him. In his little leisure time, he loved nothing more than a game of cricket with his friends. Jeremy also enjoyed travelling; in his last decades, he spent more time abroad than at home. He collected an awesome amount of Boba Fett memorabilia, some given to him by dedicated fans, and some he could not resist buying at toy fairs. His office at home resembles a Boba Fett museum.
Jeremy had three grown-up sons, and lived in London with his wife Maureen, and lucky black cat 'Percy.' - Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Kate O'Mara was born Frances Meredith Carroll on August 10, 1939 in Leicester, Leicestershire, England. A hard-looking brunette with high cheekbones, Kate was the daughter of actress Hazel Bainbridge and John Carroll and prodded into performing as a child. Educated at the Aida Foster School, she began an early career as a speech therapist at a Sussex Girls' School, but her attraction to acting got the best of her and she switched gears, making her debut in a stage production of "The Merchant of Venice" in 1963 at age 24. She continued to appear in classical works throughout the next two seasons until television series spots started coming her way. Kate attracted gothic notice in Hammer Studio horror films as tawdry, darkly alluring femmes in both The Horror of Frankenstein (1970) and The Vampire Lovers (1970), but her film load over the years would remain sporadic.
She had remained focused on stage endeavours in the ensuing years and had appeared in many British television series as well as various femme fatales or shady ladies. She made little leeway in America but did appear as Joan Collins equally bitchy sister for one season of Dynasty (1981) in 1986. She was also delightfully vindictive in episodes of Doctor Who (1963) and Absolutely Fabulous (1992) in England. She relished a standout role in the long-running British soap opera Crossroads (2001). In the 1980s, she founded and toured in a theatre company (The British Actor's Theatre Company), which had continued running into the millennium. She had since published two books: "When She Was Bad" in 1991 and "Good Time Girl" in 1993. Kate O'Mara died at age 74 on March 30, 2014 after a short illness in a nursing home in Sussex, England.- Alison King was born on March 3, 1973 in Leicester, Leicestershire, England. at Leicester Royal Infirmary to Alex and June King, who were both nurses at the hospital. She was their fifth child and third daughter. She went to Markfield Mercenfeld Primary School and South Charnwood High School, where she first took an interest in acting. She continued to act while attending Groby Community College, where a teacher would offer drama and dance classes to students in their free time. Alison was raised as a Christadelphian and attended the Christadelphian Church at Westleigh, Leicester, where she was baptised as a teenager. At the age of 18, she moved to Newquay, Cornwall, and worked at Fat Willys Surf Shack. While on holiday in the Mediterranean, in a Tenerife bar in March 1995, she met Philip Middlemiss, who became her boyfriend for five years and encouraged her to become an actress. At the age of 22, she enrolled at the North Cheshire Theatre School. In the 1990s, King was described as a regular on the Manchester party scene while dating Middlemiss, and commented in 2007 about her party animal days, saying "it seems like another life time ago. That gap from 25 to 34 is a long time. Sometimes I meet somebody from 10 years ago and I can't remember anything." During her time at drama school, she got her first television role, playing Helen, a hair salon crimper, in two episodes of Brookside (1982). Before the conclusion of her three-year diploma, she was cast in the major role of Lynda Block in Sky One's Double Team (1997) for three years before the character was sent to prison. She reprised the role some years later.
During her break from working on Dream Team, she worked on several projects abroad including appearing as an extra in the American feature film Shanghai Knights (2003) as a prostitute in a scene alongside Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson. She gained supporting roles in BBC comedy-drama Help (2005), a Steven Seagal direct-to-video film Submerged (2005) and the little-seen feature film Final Contract: Death on Delivery (2006). She talked of her enthusiasm for filming action scenes "I always think you should do the slap for real. They always have a safety guy on set anyway. I've done a lot of action films actually - I like getting involved. I've kicked people, shot them and all kinds of things."
She played Frenchie in a production of Grease (1978) in Edinburgh Festival Theatre, and narrated a production of Blood Brothers in the London Palladium. In 2000, she appeared in an episode of Cold Feet (1997) as "Girlpower", a seductive Internet avatar. In the early 2000s, she made one-episode appearances in several television shows, including the final episode of Mile High (2003), playing the wife of Captain Nigel Croker's, and Coupling (2000) in the episode "The Man with Two Legs", as Chrissy with whom Jeff Murdock becomes infatuated on his morning train ride. She also appeared in the second episode of the fourth series of Auf Wiedersehen, Pet (1983) in 2004. She played one of the prominent roles for two independent films, Save Angel Hope (2007) and Back in Business (2007).
In 2006, she was cast as Carla Connor in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street (1960), which proved to be her breakout role. She made her first appearance in the role in the episode broadcast on 1 December 2006. She had previously appeared in the soap in 2004 as an unrelated character named Mrs Fanshaw. Her one-episode role was part of a larger storyline to "sex up" Ryan Thomas's character, builder Jason Grimshaw. She later joked "I was Mrs Fanshaw - or Fanny. What a nightmare!" She said that she initially found the role difficult, as she "was uncomfortable playing a constant bitch at first. I'm getting into it now but I'm not as nasty or as cocky as Carla. She's horrible to anyone she perceives to be a rival. I couldn't be like that." In November 2010, she admitted her character "annoys the hell" out of her, and she has also said she hates the voice she chose for the character.
After becoming pregnant in 2008, Alison went on maternity leave in 2009. In a November 2008 interview, when asked about filming scenes while pregnant, she joked "Yeah, I'm big and fat at the minute. I'm just getting fatter. It's a competition between my boobs, my bump and my ass! I think my bum's slightly ahead at the minute! I look like Humpty Dumpty with leggings."
Alison's role in the soap involved high-profile storylines. In 2010 she was involved in the death of Tony Gordon storyline, in which she had to be kidnapped in the Underworld factory. For these scenes, she had to be tied to a chair with her hands tied behind her back and have her mouth gagged with gaffer tape. Of filming the scenes, she said "We were tied up and gagged for a week and a half. I was gaffa-taped for a little while and tied up for most of it. My wrist was sore at the end! It was a different experience anyway, acting for two weeks with your hands tied behind your back on a chair." Alison said the Siege Week was "great television and I'm really pleased to be part of it", and performed all stunts herself, except one that consisted of a jump from a balcony. The storyline was a hit with audiences and critically acclaimed.
Alison participated in a live episode to commemorate the show's 50th anniversary in late 2010. In September 2011, her character Carla was raped by her fiancée Frank Foster, whom she was unaware was a sexual predator. The storyline was announced in June, and producers insisted they had consulted domestic abuse charities. This storyline had a massive public impact and saw a high rise in reported rapes across the United Kingdom. Alison spoke of how there was an 800% increase in calls to support organisations after the storyline had aired, and that people had contacted her about their real-life experiences, some of whom she has kept in communication with. She said that she was "proud" of the storyline. Her performance in the rape storyline led to a Best Actress award at the 2012 British Soap Awards. When her nomination was announced, King called it "lovely, it was really nice to hear. I'm delighted." She said that she got "choked up" when she won. She admitted the rape storyline left her "physically and mentally exhausted", but in a January 2016 Q&A called it her favourite storyline of her own from the show. In January 2015, she was involved in a high-profile storyline involving a mini-bus where she almost dies, escaping from the mini-bus before it falls from a cliff.
In May 2015, it was announced she would be taking an extended break from Coronation Street to pursue other projects. She also initially stated her intention was to take a break from the show and return. However, in January 2016, it was confirmed that the departure would be permanent. She said of her reason to leave: "I've probably only ever done about 20 pick-ups or drop-offs in all the time my daughter's been at school, which is quite sad. And creatively, I miss being other people. It's what I went to drama school for. I love playing diverse characters and meeting new people. And, truthfully, I also want to be able to get my voiceover career going again. There's all sorts of things that I used to do, which I can't do while I'm on Coronation Street. So, those are the reasons, really." She departed on 26 May 2016 and in an interview said that she would be looking for new types of roles and projects, and saying said she would continue to watch Coronation Street. Before leaving, she was nominated for Best Serial Drama Performance at the 2016 National Television Awards, but lost to Danny Dyer. In August 2017, after numerous rumours earlier in the year, it was officially announced that Alison would return to her role as Carla Connor in December that year after being lured back by the show's new producer Kate Oates. She returned to filming Coronation Street on 10 October 2017. While on her break from Coronation Street, she filmed four episodes as Superintendent Henchy in the second series of Sky Atlantic comedy Sick Note (2017).
Alison is considered by the British press and public as a sex symbol. Her physical appearance and personality is considered popular within the United Kingdom male demographic. In December 2008, she was voted the top 'Sexiest Soap Babe Of 2008' in an online poll of the British public by MSN Entertainment, followed by Lacey Turner and Roxanne McKee in second and third place. She has been voted sexiest female for her role as Carla Connor on Coronation Street (1960), was nominated for Sexiest Soap Star at the TV Now Awards in 2008, and Sexiest Female at the 2011 British Soap Awards but lost to her Coronation Street co-star Michelle Keegan. She has been named as one of the "sexiest soap females". In August 2012, Maxim named her number one of the Top Ten Sexiest UK Soap Stars. Scottish Daily Record has called her "dreamy", while Daily Mirror has referred to her as "effortlessly gorgeous", and its readers voted her as one of the Sexiest Female soap stars. Columnist Grace Dent described her as "an alluring vision, raven haired, classy, sultry and replete with guile".
Alison has said she is "flattered" to be considered a sex symbol, speaking in 2010 of her surprise "I don't know that I am - but yeah, why not? I've just turned 37, so way to go! They can call me a sex symbol if they want." She spoke in 2007 that she hoped to remain popular with male viewers, saying "I'm thankful that people think I'm sexy, especially as I'm getting on a bit. But if they saw me first thing in the morning they may change their minds!" When asked about her nomination for Sexiest Female at British Soap Awards, she laughed "If I win it, I'll eat my own hat. I don't think Carla is sexy, I think she's just a bit gobby. I don't really see her as a sexpot."
In April 2004, Alison was chosen as the face of Boddingtons beer, taking over from Melanie Sykes. She launched the ad campaign at The Circle Club in Manchester. She said she was "thrilled to be chosen as the girl to deliver that infamous endline in a Boddingtons ad. As a girl who spends so much time in Manchester, it's great to be able to be part of a campaign for a brand such as Boddingtons, especially as I love a creamy pint of Bodds down my local." She made appearances in a series of recurring television adverts for Daz.
During her five-year relationship with Philip Middlemiss, Alison was the subject of press attention due to his fame on Coronation Street, which she would join a decade later, such as when in August 1996, Middlemiss and Alison, then 23-years old, were spotted staying at the Dromoland Castle in Newmarket-on-Fergus, prompting speculation that they they would get engaged. In November 1996, Middlemiss told Scottish Daily Record of his relationship with King "I've never been happier. She is a wonderful girl. I love her to death." Middlemiss has said the couple did not break up but drifted apart. In a July 2000 interview, he said of their relationship "I was in love with Allie. She's the only person I've ever really loved. But she was working in London and I was in Manchester. In another life, if I had been a bus driver and she had worked at the local baker's shop, we would have got married and had kids by now." In 2006, she became engaged to fellow actor Jim Alexander who co-starred in several series of Dream Team with her, as well as the Daz adverts. The couple shared a flat in London. However, the pair split in early 2007. The breakup was reported to be because of King's new role on Coronation Street as Carla Connor, as their relationship became strained when she moved to Manchester in order to star in the soap opera. In January that year, she had said "He's making me very happy and bounding up between London and Manchester. He's coming up for a month in a few days, so I'm looking forward to that very much." A friend of King's said she was "devastated" by the breakup and that she had thrown herself into her work to cope with the loss.
She dated Adam Huckett, a Coronation Street sound technician from April 2007, just two weeks after breaking off her engagement to Jim Alexander. She gave birth to their daughter, Daisy Mae, on 11 February 2009, in a Manchester hospital. She delivered the baby by Caesarean section. King has also stated that she wishes to have more children in the future, and loves being a mother. King admitted she initially struggled with motherhood and "cried down the phone to Julia Haworth for hours. She was sweet." In a 2010 interview with Scottish Daily Record, she said "I love motherhood. My daughter is hilarious. She just makes me laugh every day." When asked in October 2009 if she and Huckett would marry, she said "Probably. Eventually. If he gets a ring!" She became engaged to Huckett in September 2011 while on a trip to Paris. However, on 16 October 2012 it was reported that the engagement was off as they had split up. King had taken a four-month break from Coronation Street between June and October to go on holiday with Huckett and their daughter. They claimed they had split as they "weren't making each other happy anymore". They said they were "determined" to remain friends, denied anyone else was involved, and confirmed they would still work together on Coronation Street. Since 2016, she has been dating Hollyoaks (1995) assistant director Paul Slavin. The relationship was revealed after they were photographed by the press and there was speculation as to his identity. She said of the relationship: "I'm seeing somebody. It's very early days so I don't want to say anything more, but I'm happy."
Alison fronted a campaign to raise money for Breast Cancer Campaign with thermal manufacturer Damart in 2007, and in November 2015, wrote a column for The Mail on Sunday describing a holiday to Villa Irida, Corfu with her daughter and best friend. - Actor
- Writer
- Director
Steve Oram was born on 25 August 1973 in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, England, UK. He is an actor and writer, known for Sightseers (2012), The World's End (2013) and Aaaaaaaah! (2015).- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Soundtrack
Maurice Dean Wint was born in Leicestershire, England. With an impressive inventory of credits in film, television, theatre and radio Wint has unquestionably established himself as a truly diversified performer. A University Honours graduate with a Bachelors Degree in Theatre, he has dedicated a good part of his career to the stage, appearing in numerous productions across the country. His training and exposure to classical and contemporary drama has garnered him a reputation as a thoroughly professional and dynamic stage practitioner. He has worked with some of the country's most established theatre companies and been involved in the development of a number of well known and original dramatic works. He has been nominated a number of times for his work onstage and won a Dora Award for 'Featured Performance' for his role in Michael Healey's Courageous.
On camera, Maurice has played leading and guest starring roles in a handful of memorable feature films, television movies and series. His performances have found wide audiences both on edgy cable and mainstream network television as well as in the cinema and at major international film festivals. His credits include regular and recurring roles in numerous television series; SurrealEstate, Diggstown, For the Record, Shoot the Messenger, Haven, ReGenesis, PSI Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal, TekWar, Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future and Blue Murder , for which he received a Gemini Award Nomination. He has appeared in such features and MOW's as The Kid Detective, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Cube, Curtis's Charm, Rude, RoboCop: Prime Directives and made guest appearances in a handful of episodics: Suits, Murdoch Mysteries, Transporter: The Series, Flashpoint, Heartland, The Listener and The Outer Limits among others.
As a studio voice artist, he has breathed life into a variety or animated characters, narrated many engaging documentaries and voiced hundreds of radio, television and internet commercials. His narration credits include numerous projects for The Discovery Channel (Beasts of the Bible, Elephant Dreams, An Elephant in the City, The Insect Eaters), CBC (Quest for the Unicorn, The Life and Times of Nelson Mandela, How to Stop a Hurricane), Vision TV (A Scattering of Seeds and Seeking Salvation - an official selection of the Hot Docs International Documentary Film Festival 2004) and Global TV (Clubland, which screened at Hot Docs 2009). His voiceover resume also includes two IMAX documentary features - Trolley, which had its World Premiere at Hot Docs 2018 and Aircraft Carrier 3D which premiered at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC with release in IMAX and other giant screen theaters immediately following. He has also lent his voice to a handful of independent features and shorts, one of which was Brad Peyton's award-winning and outlandish Universal/CFC short film Evelyn: The Cutest Evil Dead Girl. At the 9th Annual Academy of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Awards Wint was nominated for 'Outstanding Performance -Voice' for his work in the previously mentioned documentary feature Beasts of the Bible.- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Mark Wingett's first stand out role was Dave in the cult hit Quadrophenia (1979), the film version of The Who's hit album. Mark acted alongside Phil Daniels, Sting, Phil Davis, Toyah Willcox, Trevor Laird, Ray Winstone and a host of other names. Quadrophenia (1979) has gone on to be one of the classics of British cinema. Wingett also appeared in other films including; Breaking Glass (1980) with Hazel O'Connor and Jonathan Pryce. He is also a regular on the British stage both as actor and director, he appeared in a number of productions at The Royal Court Theatre, including Edward Bond's "Saved" and "The Pope's Wedding" alongside Gary Oldman and Joanne Whalley. A well-known face on television, with regular roles on The Bill (1984) and EastEnders (1985), he has since returned to the silver screen to appear in Snow White and the Huntsman (2012) (with Charlize Theron and Kristen Stewart), Franklyn (with Eva Green and Ryan Phillippe) and Intruders (with Clive Owen).- Actress
- Writer
- Music Department
Rachel Parris is an actress, improviser and comedian based in London. She gigs across the UK performing musical comedy, stand-up and improv. In 2014 and 2015 She toured nationally with Chortle Award-winning improv show Austentatious, which she co-founded. She comes from Leicester and she studied Music at Oxford University before going on to train at Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. In 2013, her debut solo comedy show, The Commission, was praised by critics, with the Guardian calling it "captivating...a striking debut" and The Scotsman describing it as "classy clever comedy...uproarious".- Norman Bird was born on 30 October 1924 in Coalville, Leicestershire, England, UK. He was an actor, known for The Lord of the Rings (1978), The League of Gentlemen (1960) and Maniac (1963). He was married to Nona Blair. He died on 22 April 2005 in Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England, UK.
- Actor
- Composer
- Music Department
John Deacon was born on 19 August 1951 in Leicester, Leicestershire, England, UK. He is an actor and composer, known for Flash Gordon (1980), Moulin Rouge! (2001) and Grosse Pointe Blank (1997). He has been married to Veronica Tetzlaff since 18 January 1975. They have six children.- Born in May 2002, Lydia Page is a Midlands-based actor who grew up in Leicestershire, England. Lydia has been a training member of Nottingham Television Workshop since 2017. Lydia is best known for playing: Siobhan in 'Blue Jean' directed by Georgia Oakley; and Primrose Larkin in the ITV comedy adaptation 'The Larkins'.
- Actress
- Producer
- Casting Department
Terri Dwyer is an actress on both the small and big screens with nearly 20 years experience. Her first job was in the long running soap opera Hollyoaks where she played one of the lead roles for 6yrs.
After leaving Hollyoaks Terri had a hugely successful presenting career on shows like Loose Women (ITV1) 60 Minute Makeover (ITV1) and This Morning (ITV1) to name a few. Terri has since established herself as a diverse theatre actress with hugely successful number one tours among her credits.
Her film credits vary from supporting character roles to the leading lady in features. Her vast contribution to the industry has recently seen Terri move into producing. All of which contribute to making Terri a very versatile actress.- David Neilson was born in Loughborough, Leicestershire on 13th March 1949 and attended Garendon Secondary Modern School, leaving when he was 15 years old. He was 20 when he decided to try for drama school, auditioned successfully and did a 3-year drama course at the Central School of Speech and Drama. In 1972 he went into rep in Watford. In his time, he has worked as a gas fitter, plumber, ice cream salesman and barman. Since becoming an actor he had stints as a theatre director, (running the Little Theatre Company in Bristol and directing the premiere of Raymond Briggs' "When The Wind Blows" at the Whitehall Theatre, London), taught drama at RADA Central and Rose Bruford College, and written plays. His "Robin Hood-The Truth Behind The Green Tights" is published by Samuel French, pre-dates and is funnier than Mel Brooks's version which has a similar title. He was interviewed for his current role as Roy Cropper in "Coronation Street" after having been recommended for it by the writer, Stephen Mallatratt.
- Richard Wilson moved from the UK to Sydney, Australia when he was six-years-old. When he was fifteen, Richard appeared in his first screen role as a main character in Fox Television's "Flat Chat" (2001), a thirteen episode sitcom. He made his feature film debut as a lead in the Australian film "Deck Dogz" from Oscar-nominated writer/director Steve Pasvolsky. In 2004, Richard was nominated for the 2004 AFI (Australian Film Industry) Award for Best Young Actor for his role as thinking girl's sex symbol Miller McKee in the ABC and BBC TV series Out There.
In 2005, Richard starred in a pivotal role as Mike Burns, vulnerable younger brother to outlaws Charlie (Guy Pearce) and Arthur (Danny Huston) Burns in Nick Cave's brutally compelling Australian feature, "The Proposition", directed by John Hillcoat. Richard won Filmink Magazine's 'Best Australian Newcomer' Award for his standout performance in this critically acclaimed film. This remarkable UK/Australian co-production also stars Ray Winstone, Emily Watson, and John Hurt. Richard has been working consistently in the film industry since, with a lead role in the feature film "48 Shades" (Disney Australia & NZ), directed by Daniel Lapaine. Richard received another AFI (Australian Film Industry) nomination and Film Critics Circle of Australia Award for his Tour de Force performance in "Clubland" (USA Title: Introducing the Dwights [Warner Independent]), with Oscar-nominated and BAFTA winning actress Brenda Blethyn. "Clubland" was directed by AFI award winning director Cherie Nowlan, (Marking Time, Thank God he met Lizzie).
Richard has two films due for cinematic release in 2010, including the Toronto Film Festival's Midnight Madness Award Winner, "The Loved Ones", by Sean Byrne, and "Birthday", with Wolf Creek's Kestie Morassi. In 2008, Richard decided to take a several year break from the Film Industry to complete his Psychology Honors Degree at an Australian University. - Actor
- Writer
- Producer
David Vaughan Icke is an English writer, public speaker, and former media personality best known for his views on what he calls "who and what is really controlling the world". Describing himself as the most controversial speaker and author in the world, he has written 16 books explaining his position, dubbed "New Age conspiracism", and has attracted a substantial following across the political spectrum. His 533-page The Biggest Secret (1999) has been called the conspiracy theorist's Rosetta Stone.
Icke was a well-known BBC television sports presenter and spokesman for the Green Party, when he had an encounter in 1990 with a psychic who told him that he was a healer placed on Earth for a purpose. In April 1991 he announced on the BBC's Terry Wogan show that he was the son of God, and predicted that the world would soon be devastated by tidal waves and earthquakes. The show changed his life, turning him practically overnight from a respected household name into an object of ridicule.
He continued nevertheless to develop his ideas, and in four books published over seven years - The Robots' Rebellion (1994), And the Truth Shall Set You Free (1995), The Biggest Secret (1999), and Children of the Matrix (2001) - set out a moral and political worldview that combines New-Age spiritualism with a passionate denunciation of what he sees as totalitarian trends in the modern world. At the heart of his theories lies the idea that a secret group of reptilian humanoids called the Babylonian Brotherhood controls humanity, and that many prominent figures are reptilian, including George W. Bush, Queen Elizabeth II, Kris Kristofferson, and Boxcar Willie.
Icke has been criticized for arguing that the reptilians were the original authors of The Protocols of the Elders of Zion - a 1903 Russian forgery purporting to be a plan by the Jewish people to achieve world domination - a claim that has attracted the attention of the far right and the suspicion of Jewish groups. Icke strongly denies there is anything antisemitic about this. He was allowed to enter Canada in 1999 only after persuading immigration officials that when he said lizards, he meant lizards, but his books were still removed from the shelves of Indigo Books, a Canadian chain, after protests from the Canadian Jewish Congress.
Icke's problems in Canada became the focus in 2001 of a documentary by British journalist Jon Ronson, David Icke, the Lizards and the Jews.- Philip Voss was born on 20 August 1936 in Leicester, Leicestershire, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Octopussy (1983), About Time (2013) and Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994). He died on 13 November 2020 in Watford, Hertfordshire, England, UK.
- Actor
- Additional Crew
After leaving school, John Leeson worked in a bookshop, and then as a porter in the Leicester Royal Infirmary Hospital. He joined the Leicester Dramatic Society and ultimately applied for and won a place at RADA. On leaving the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, he worked in repertory and pantomimes, including "Toad of Toad Hall," in which he met his future wife. His first work in television was as a walk-on in a BBC play, "The Wedding Feast." "The Spanish Farm" (1968), "Dad's Army" and numerous situation comedies followed. He played the original Bungle the bear in the children's series "Rainbow" (1972), set questions for "Mastermind" and did a lot of freelance voice work for the BBC. The part of K-9's voice came his way after he bumped into the director, with whom he had worked previously, in a pub. Since his time in "Doctor Who," Leeson has continued to act and provide voiceover services for the BBC and many other companies. In 1995 he appeared in the "Doctor Who" spin-off video drama "Downtime," playing a disc jockey.- Sheila Fearn was born on 3 October 1940 in Leicester, Leicestershire, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Time Bandits (1981), The Likely Lads (1976) and The Likely Lads (1964). She was previously married to Herbert L. Oakes.
- Actor
- Writer
- Director
Patrick Barlow was born on 18 March 1947 in Leicester, Leicestershire, England, UK. He is an actor and writer, known for Bridget Jones's Diary (2001), Shakespeare in Love (1998) and Notting Hill (1999).- Greg Hicks was born on 27 May 1953 in Leicester, Leicestershire, England, UK. He is an actor, known for Snow White and the Huntsman (2012), Son of God (2014) and The Knock (1994).
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Walter Byron was born on 11 June 1899 in Leicester, Leicestershire, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Slightly Married (1932), Don't Bet on Blondes (1935) and Back in Circulation (1937). He died on 2 March 1972 in Signal Hill, California, USA.- Actor
- Writer
- Additional Crew
Gary Winston Lineker OBE was English football's most famous striker in the 1980s and early 1990s. A unique blend of skill, intelligence and charm, he was venomous up front and yet also a superb professional, who rarely lost his temper. During his 14 year long professional career, Lineker was never cautioned, let alone sent off - very few footballers have achieved this feat.
He achieved stardom with Everton F.C., after initially playing for Leicester City F.C. He then had spells with F.C. Barcelona and other big clubs before returning to Tottenham Hotspur. After this, he played two years in Japan for Nagoya Grampus Eight before a foot injury finished his career and he returned to England, to become a TV pundit and presenter for the BBC. Through all these years, he was England's man up front, saving them more than once during the big matches. He has captained them for a few years too.
As an example of his value: in the 1986 World Cup, England had a lousy 1 point from the first two matches against Portugal and Morocco. Lineker's hat-trick saw England win 3-0 against Poland, and on England went into the quarter-finals, where they beat Paraguay 3-0 as well, before crashing out to Argentina, thanks to one of the greatest goals of all-time scored by Diego Maradona. Guess who scored England's only goal of the match...
When England was trailing 1-2 to Cameroon in the 1990 FIFA World Cup. Lineker produced two penalties by his dazzling runs, and scored from both, securing England's 3-2 victory. In the next match, he became one of only three England men's players ever to have scored in a World Cup semi-final (the others being Bobby Charlton against Portugal in 1966 and Kieran Trippier against Croatia in 2018) when he capitalized on a rare mistake by the West German defence and equalized for England with an extremely cold-blooded strike when England were trailing 1-0. The equalizer in the 80th minute sent the game into extra time and then penalties, making it one of the most epic and memorable games in England's history.- Actress
- Producer
- Director
Hersha Verity was born in March 1987 in Leicester, Leicestershire, England, UK. She is an actress and producer, known for Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023), The Power (2023) and Any Dream Will Do (2007). She has been married to Johno Verity since 4 October 2014.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Christopher Godwin is a British actor who has been active since the late 1960s.
He made his TV debut at the age of 25, when he took on the role of PC Grange in an episode of Softly, Softly. He has since made appearances in television dramas including Z-Cars, Return to Waterloo, South of the Border, Return to Treasure Island, Nice Work, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, My Family and Other Animals, FairyTale: A True Story, The Bill, Murder in Mind, and Waking the Dead. In 2012, he guest starred in Season 1, Episode 4 of A Young Doctor's Notebook as Leopold Leopoldovitch. He also voiced Darth Vowrawn in the video game Star Wars: The Old Republic and Chancellor Roderick in the video game Dragon Age: Inquisition.
Godwin played the role of Holofernes in Love's Labour's Lost in the 2007 season at Shakespeare's Globe. He starred in The Woman in Black at the Fortune Theatre in London and appeared in This House at the Garrick Theatre.
In January 2016, he played Lord Berners in Episode 3 of the BBC Radio 4 Afternoon Drama What England Owes.- Actor
- Composer
- Music Department
Niall Joseph McNamee is an Irish Actor and Singer-Songwriter.
He is best known for films such as 'The Foreigner', 'The Party', 'Troubles' and 'Love Without Walls' and 'The Reavey Brothers'.
Niall is a multi instrumentalist, Singer-Songwriter and Composer. Most notably is feature film 'Love Without Walls' in which he stars as Paul.- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Michael Stevenson was born on 2 October 1982 in Leicester, Leicestershire, England, UK. He is an actor and producer, known for Casualty (1986), Innocent (2018) and The Syndicate (2012). He has been married to Lauren Crace since 29 May 2016. They have three children.- Cinematographer
- Camera and Electrical Department
- Actor
Roger Pratt was born on 27 February 1947 in Leicester, Leicestershire, England, UK. He is a cinematographer and actor, known for 12 Monkeys (1995), Chocolat (2000) and Frankenstein (1994).- Nicola Hughes was born on 10 May 1975 in Leicester, Leicestershire, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Death in Paradise (2011), Everybody's Talking About Jamie (2021) and National Theatre Live: Allelujah! (2018).
- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Joe Tucker was born in 1966 in Leicester, Leicestershire, England, UK. He is an actor and director, known for Chernobyl (2019), Greed (2019) and The Frankenstein Chronicles (2015).- Richard Warner was born on 24 May 1911 in Congerstone, Leicester, Leicestershire, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Mary, Queen of Scots (1971), Maurice (1987) and Great Expectations (1959). He was married to Phyllida de Joncourt Ball. He died on 14 January 1989 in Kent, England, UK.
- Costume Designer
- Production Designer
- Special Effects
James Acheson was born on 13 March 1946 in Leicester, Leicestershire, England, UK. He is a costume designer and production designer, known for The Last Emperor (1987), Dangerous Liaisons (1988) and The Man in the Iron Mask (1998).- David Prosho was born in 1965 in Leicestershire, England, UK. He is an actor, known for Scott & Bailey (2011), Stanton Blues (1998) and Hollyoaks (1995).
- Gok Wan, born Kowkhyn Wan, in Leicester, 9 September 1974, is a fashion stylist, award-winning TV presenter and author. He is renowned for helping women feel more confident about their looks, as well as championing high street fashion.
His TV latest TV show is Gok's Style Secrets (2012), built on the success of How To Look Good Naked and Gok's Clothes Road Show, offering styling and dating advice to women who had lost their confidence.
Gok has explored more personal issues in factual TV shows. His Anglo-Asian roots inspired Made In China and Gok Cooks Chinese. And Too Fat Too Young and Gok's Teens explored modern day issues faced by teens including sexuality, online-bullying and eating disorders.
In 2013, Gok launched his sixth collection of his own UK fashion range for Sainsbury's Tu. - Actress
- Soundtrack
Elizabeth Mary "Betty" Driver, MBE was a British actress and singer, best known for her role as Betty Williams (previously Betty Turpin) on the British soap opera, Coronation Street (1960) from 1969 to 2011, appearing in more than 2,800 episodes.
She had previously appeared as Mrs Edgley in Coronation Street spin-off Pardon the Expression (1965-1966) opposite Arthur Lowe. Her early career focussed on her as a singer, appearing in musical films such as Boots! Boots! in 1934, opposite George Formby and Penny Paradise in 1938, directed by Carol Reed. She was made an MBE in the 2000 New Year Honours.
At the age of 8, Driver began performing professionally, forced by her mother to appear with Terence Byron Repertory Theatre Company. She was singing for the BBC by the age of 10 and began touring across the UK in her first revue at the age of 12. While performing in London at the age of 14, Driver was spotted by the agent Bert Aza, who was in partnership with his brother Archie Pitt, Gracie Fields' husband. Despite her young age, he booked her for the lead in a revival of Mr Tower Of London, which had brought Gracie Fields to prominence 19 years earlier. She was also approached by George Formby after he and his wife Beryl Formby saw her perform in Manchester. The Formbys wanted Driver to appear in their new film Boots! Boots!, but according to Driver, when Beryl Formby saw her rehearsing, she decided that she did not want to be outperformed by Driver and sent her away; however, the producers felt so bad about the way Betty Driver was treated that they refused to take her name off the film credits, even though she did not appear in the theatrical release. In fact, it is now known that Driver did indeed perform in the film and her scene was included in the original release. In 1938, an edited version of the film was released which did not include Driver's scene. A restored version of the film (including Driver's scene) has recently been released on DVD which finally confirms the involvement of Driver in the film.
At 16 she was in a West End show called Home and Beauty. Film director Basil Dean, after seeing her in Jimmy Hunter's Brighton Follies, cast her in the 1938 film Penny Paradise, filmed at ATP studios in Ealing. After a few months of variety and radio work, she returned to the studio to make her second film, Let's Be Famous. They had just completed the film when the Second World War was announced and the studios were closed down. Nineteen at the time, Driver resumed touring the country in variety shows. It was at this time that her act and image altered. Against her mother's wishes, Driver and her sister modernised her performance and Driver became a ballad singer. Shortly after, during a six-month run in a revue called Twice In A Blue Moon, Driver and her sister parted company with their mother following a cardiac asthma attack which restricted her mobility.
Driver continued in variety, opening in the Coventry Hippodrome and sharing the bill with the Andrews family - father Ted, mother Barbara and Julie. She made regular trips to Bristol to sing on a radio show called Ack Ack Beer Beer and made her final film in 1941 Facing the Music.
In the 1940s, she became a noted big band singer. During the Second World War, Driver travelled through Europe with ENSA (Entertainments National Service Association), entertaining the troops. She also appeared for seven years on the radio show Henry Hall's Guest Night and on her own show, A Date with Betty, which was broadcast live from the People's Palace in London's East End on 14 July 1949. The show's format was based around Driver singing, doing sketches and introducing guests. All her words were scripted by a young Bob Monkhouse. She recorded many popular tunes in the 1940s and became an established singer during this time. When she was 14, she made her first record "Jubilee Baby", and had another major success with "The Sailor with the Navy Blue Eyes" and made several more hit records. Betty travelled to Australia where she performed her own show and her career took her to Cyprus, Malta and the Middle East. On her return to England she appeared in various Ealing Comedies, on stage in The Lovebirds, Pillar to Post and What A Racket, and on television with James Bolam in Love on the Dole.
In 1964, she auditioned for the role of Hilda Ogden on the television series Coronation Street (the role went to actress Jean Alexander as the casting directors wanted someone who did not weigh as much). She was cast later in the series Pardon the Expression, a spin-off of Coronation Street alongside Arthur Lowe. She has described Lowe as "such a difficult man to work with", so after a much-publicised injury (she damaged her back after the script called for throwing Arthur Lowe), she retired and started running a pub, the Cock Hotel in Whaley Bridge, Derbyshire, with her sister Freda.
In 1969, she was persuaded to come out of retirement to play police officer's wife Betty Turpin on Coronation Street, a role she would play for over 40 years. She was the longest serving barmaid in the history of the Rover's Return and Betty's Hot Pot (served at lunchtime in the Rovers) is an iconic dish, which has also been offered as a ready meal in UK supermarkets.
She was the subject of This Is Your Life in 1976 when she was surprised by Eamonn Andrews.
Driver wrote a memoir on her years in radio and television, called Betty, which was published in 2000. In an interview on the Parkinson show on 11 November 2006, Sir Ian McKellen revealed that Driver still drove herself into work at 07:30am each morning, despite her age. She was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) by Queen Elizabeth II in the Millennium New Year's Honours List on 31 December 1999.
In August 2008, it was announced that Driver was one of several Coronation Street stars facing large salary cuts. In April 2010 Driver was reportedly admitted to hospital with a chest infection. In May 2010 Driver was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the British Soap Awards. There were also rumours that Driver was to retire, however these were confirmed as false. Driver vowed in September 2010 never to retire stating that: "If I retire, I'll be dead in six months with boredom" and stated she still "loved" being part of Coronation Street.
On 23 January 2011, Driver was the guest on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs.
On 11 May 2011, Driver was rushed to hospital, suffering from pneumonia. She died on 15 October, aged 91, after around six weeks in hospital.- Producer
- Actor
- Director
Barry Letts started his career as an actor. He began in repertory in York whilst also working for a local radio station in Leeds. After a chance meeting with BBC producer/director Rex Tucker, he started working with him first on radio and then on television. His first television appearance was in a 1950 production of "Gunpowder Guy," about Guy Fawkes.
He eventually decided he wanted to go into directing and in 1967 attended the BBC directors' course. He worked on episodes of "Z Cars" and "The Newcomers" before directing the six-part Doctor Who story "The Enemy of the World" in 1967. He became producer of Doctor Who in 1969 and remained in that post until 1974. During this period he also co-created and produced the six-part BBC science-fiction drama series "Moonbase 3," transmitted in 1973.
After leaving Doctor Who, he marked time for a while by acting as an assistant of sorts to department head Ronnie Marsh. He then decided to make a return to directing and approached various producers for work. One of the assignments he landed was "The Android Invasion" for Doctor Who in 1975.
Straight after that came a production of "The Prince and the Pauper" for John McCrae. However McCrae was promoted to Head of Drama for a New Zealand TV station, so Letts was asked to take over as producer of the classical serials on BBC1. Amongst those for which he was responsible were "Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm" (1978), "The Mill of the Floss" (1979) and "The Old Curiosity Shop" (1980).
Following his stint as Doctor Who's executive producer at the beginning of the eighties he continued to work as a director, particularly on the classic serials. In the 1990s, he wrote (and subsequently novelised) two Doctor Who radio serials, "The Paradise of Death" and "Doctor Who and the Ghosts of N-Space," both starring Jon Pertwee.- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Simon Hunter grew up in Dumfrieshire, Scotland. Simon made his first film, 'Spaceman', when he was just seven. He spent his early school years making Super 8 epics in the woods rather than attending class! Simon traveled to Zaire to shoot a documentary on Super 8 about life on the riverboats that travel on the Congo River. In 1990, he went to study film production at the University for Creative Arts in Farnham, England. Simon specialised in thriller short films and made an ambitious graduation film, Tea and Bullets, which told the tale of two pensioners racing across England looking for King Arthur's cave. Simon's first feature, Lighthouse, was released theatrically in 2002. Simon subsequently became a much-sought-after commercials director before returning to features with Edward R. Pressman's Mutant Chronicles in the summer of 2006. In 2016, Simon directed his passion project, Edie, which tells the tale of an older lady who climbs a mountain in Scotland at the age of three. The film was completed in 2017 and premiered at the Edinburgh International Film Festival. The movie went on to win audience awards at the Cleveland, Berkshire, and the Hell Half Mile film festivals. The film was released theatrically in the UK, New Zealand, Australia, Germany, France, Scandinavia, the Netherlands, and the United States. Simon's last feature was the five million-dollar World War One film Can You Hear Me? with Peter Facinelli, James Cosmo, and Sir John Standing. In 2024, Simon will be show-running and directing a crime series entitled Cold Mind, which will shoot in Portugal in the spring of 2024. Simon is married to Daniela Bräuer, who appeared briefly in Edie as the German hiker. They have two children, Samuel and Isabel.- Actor
- Stunts
- Additional Crew
Born in Leicester, England in 1972, Oliver's first lead role on film was the 2001 independent movie 'Skare' directed by the late prolific film maker Michael J.Murphy. The finished 16mm film stock was devastatingly mislaid in transportation, and lost forever.
In 2020 he appeared across several episodes of the hit TV show 'Vikings' playing the role of 'Galan'.
2022 saw the release of 'Heropanti 2' where he played Zahid Malik, performing his own action sequences including fighting Bollywood sensation Tiger Shroff and pulling off a daring helicopter descender stunt.
In 2023 he had a featured role in Jeymes Samuels 'Pins & Needles', playing the character Centurion Spear.
Other career highlights include 2011, where he performed at the Royal Opera House, London, directed by Richard Jones CBE in 'Anna Nicole-The Opera'. Also in 2011 he played the titanic video game character 'Duke Nukem' on the live action European tour with Duke's creator Randy Pitchford, who claimed Oliver was the "best Duke he'd ever seen".
Outside of acting Oliver is a keen athlete, winning in 2010 the UKBFF British bodybuilding championships in his class. He attributes his physical longevity to daily yoga and time away travelling whenever possible. He has also been gaming ever since his first Atari, and 'Pitfall'.- John Hug was born in 1946 in Loughborough, Leicestershire, England, UK. He is an actor, known for Space: 1999 (1975), Cosmic Princess (1982) and Charlotte Gray (2001).
- Jurell Joshua Carter was born in Leicester, England to an English mother and Jamaican father. Graduating from The Liverpool Insitute for Performing Arts (LIPA) in 2016. He was the first of three actors to ever receive a BAFTA scholarship back in 2015 to aid him in his final year of training.