Advanced search
- TITLES
- NAMES
- COLLABORATIONS
Search filters
Enter full date
to
or just enter yyyy, or yyyy-mm below
to
Only includes names with the selected topics
to
or just enter yyyy, or yyyy-mm below
to
1-50 of 202
- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Charles Matthew Hunnam was born on April 10, 1980 in Newcastle, England, to Jane (Bell), a business owner, and William Hunnam, a scrap metal merchant. At 18 years of age, he made a guest appearance in popular TV series Byker Grove (1989).
He gained fame in Britain thanks to his television role as the love-smitten Nathan Maloney in Queer as Folk (1999). Independent movies, television series and auditions for such blockbusters as Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002) followed, but it wasn't until 2002 that Charlie started to attract international attention, when he supported Katie Holmes in the suspense thriller Abandon (2002).
His first lead role in a film was in Nicholas Nickleby (2002). After which, he played a pivotal character in the strongly cast, adapted drama Cold Mountain (2003). This was Charlie's first part that he has named in his "trilogy of mad men." The two that followed were in Green Street Hooligans and Children of Men. Charlie's role in Green Street Hooligans caught the eye of Kurt Sutter, who chose him to play the protagonist in his TV show Sons of Anarchy. The series about an outlaw motorcycle club became FX's most popular show ever and a critical success. Following his fame on American TV, Charlie had his first starring part in a film that was a commercial success, Pacific Rim.- Actor
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Callum Keith Rennie was born in Sunderland, England, and raised in Edmonton, Alberta. While attending college in Edmonton Callum was asked to join a radio show which featured actor/comedian Bruce McCulloch (who eventually went on to KIDS IN THE HALL fame). This experience inspired Callum to dig deeper in to the world of acting and led him to audition for the renowned Shaw Festival. Callum was chosen to join the company where he performed a multitude of roles during his time there... a precursor to his impressive range and style as an actor.
Soon rumours of his talents moved through the Toronto film community but Callum choose to head west to Vancouver instead. It didn't take long for him to catch the attention of the film & television industry, which was exploding. After landing various parts in movies and TV series Callum's first leading film role was opposite Sandra Oh in the indie DOUBLE HAPPINESS. His performance activated the first of many nominations and awards to follow. Between his critically acclaimed performance as 'Billy Talent' in the iconic punk rock film HARD CORE LOGO that premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and his desirable charms working through the apocalyptic LAST NIGHT (once again opposite Sandra Oh), for which Callum won his first Genie for Best Performance by an Actor, Callum was now well on his way to an impressive career.
A cascade of opportunities began to flow Callum's way, with a wide range of extraordinary film makers inviting this dynamic talent to join their projects such as David Cronenberg: eXistenZ (1999), Christopher Nolan : Memento (2000), John Woo: Paycheck, Chris Carter: X-Files and David Goyer: Blade Trinity and The Invisible.
Callum's creative senses continued to be attracted by nature to many starring roles in independent film projects like FLOWER & GARNET, FALLING ANGELS, SNOW CAKE, NORMAL and GOON: LAST OF THE ENFORCERS. Also the 3D feature film adaptation of THE YOUNG AND PRODIGIOUS T.S. SPIVET opposite Helena Bottom-Carter for Oscar nominated director Jean-Pierre Jeunet, INTO THE FOREST opposite Ellen Page & Evan Rachel Wood, and BORN TO BE BLUE opposite Ethan Hawke.
Throughout his career Callum has starred in many impressive television projects as well...starting early as the Mountie sidekick on CBS's DUE SOUTH, then the hit SyFy series BATTLESTAR GALACTICA in which he played infamous Cylon 'Leobon', and his turn as legendary rocker 'Lew Ashby' in Showtime's CALIFORNICATION alongside David Duchovny. Callum was the fractured star of SHATTERED for eOne Entertainment, and carried his investigative skills over to the NBC series THE FIRM based on the bestselling John Grisham novel. Callum covertly joined the cast of the Amazon hit series THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE in their season two and experimented on the second season of MARVEL'S JESSICA JONES for Netflix.
Callum next reprises his role in the much anticipated second season of Doug Liman's YouTube Red series IMPULSE.- Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
She was born in Sunderland but raised just down the coast in Peterlee where she was educated at Peterlee Comprehensive. At 14 she joined the local drama group which led to a part in the children's tv series 'Quest of Eagles' and appeared in some television commercials including one as a shop assistant in a 'Mates' condom ad and one for Carlsberg Lager. At 17 she auditioned for 3 drama schools and was turned down by all of them but she didn't mention to them that she was a member of the National Youth Theatre or that she had been on TV. She moved to London at 18 intending to go to art college but a year later still wanting to act she paid for acting lessons to learn the techniques she felt she needed. Only twice she says that she was affected by nerves, the first was when she was taking her driving test, the other was when she was up for a BAFTA Award She's directed a short film 'Speed', about car thieves for Tyne Tees Television.- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Janet McTeer was born on August 5, 1961 in Newcastle, England, UK to parents Jean and Allan McTeer. She was raised in York from the age of 6. She attended Queen Anne Grammar School for Girls, where there was not much opportunity for drama. She became interested in acting at age 16, when she saw "She Stoops to Conquer" at the York Theater. She worked as a waitress at the same theater, where she once served a coffee to Gary Oldman. He suggested that she apply to attend the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), where he had just finished studying. She successfully gained a place at RADA. After graduation, she began her career acting on stage by joining the Royal Exchange Theatre.
Her on-screen film debut came in Half Moon Street (1986), an erotic thriller based on a novel by Paul Theroux. In 2000, she received her first Oscar nomination for Best Actress in a Leading Role for Tumbleweeds (1999). She was awarded Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 2008 Queen's Birthday Honours List for her services to drama.- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Soundtrack
James Christopher Bolam was born in the Sunderland Maternity Home on 16th June 1935 to Marion and Robert Bolam. Later after completing his education at Bede Grammar School he went to drama school then into repertory in Dundee with Sir Ralph Richardson before moving to London. Married to actress Susan Jameson with daughter Lucy, born in 1976 they eventually moved from Fulham to near Horsham in Sussex. He now owns two race horses, 'King Credo', which by 1993 had won three top races including the Tote Gold Trophy at Newbury which repaid his purchase and training costs and 'Unique New Yorker'- Imogen Stubbs was born in Rothbury, Northumberland, lived briefly in Portsmouth, where her father was a naval officer, and then moved with her parents to London, where they inhabited an elderly river barge on the Thames. Educated at St. Paul's and then Westminster, where she was one of the "token girls" in the Sixth Form, she went on to Oxford, where she gained a First Class degree. She achieved success on stage with the Royal Shakespeare Company, notable as Desdemona in "Othello", which was directed by Trevor Nunn, and has worked consistently on stage and screen.
- Actor
- Writer
- Music Department
Eric Idle is an English comedian, actor, author, singer, playwright, director, and songwriter. co-creator of Monty Python on TV, stage, and five films, including The Life of Brian and The Holy Grail, which he later adapted for the stage with John Du Prez as Monty Python's Spamalot, winning the Tony Award for Best Musical in 2005, a Grammy, a Drama Desk Award, and playing for almost five years on Broadway. They also wrote the comic oratorio Not the Messiah, He's a Very Naughty Boy, in 2007, which played round the world and at The Hollywood Bowl and was filmed live at The Royal Albert Hall, and a musical play What About Dick? available soon on iTunes. He created and directed the first mockumentary The Rutles for NBC, starred as Ko-Ko in the English National Opera version of The Mikado in London and Houston, and appeared last year in The Pirates of Penzance in Central Park and in Not the Messiah at Carnegie Hall. He is also one of the conceivers of the musical Seussical. In 2012 he appeared live in front of a billion people worldwide singing his song Always Look on the Bright Side of Life at the Closing Ceremony of the London Olympics. Last year he created, directed, and appeared in the sold-out final Monty Python reunion show One Down Five to Go at London's O2 Arena for 10 nights, whose final performance was broadcast live round the world.
He has also acted in several movies, including Nuns on the Run, Splitting Heirs, Casper, Shrek the Third, and The Adventures of Baron Munchausen; and written two novels, The Greedy Bastard Diary and Pass the Butler, a West End play.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Although born in Sunderland, he spent most of his life in Scotland and considers himself a true Scot. As a child he suffered from asthma and considers his recovery from it was due to playing the bugle in the Boys' Brigade. Educated in Glasgow, he toyed with the idea of becoming a teacher but after national service in the Royal Scots Greys Armoured Corps, he was persuaded to follow his father working in flour mills and by the age of 24 had become a sales manager. In his spare time he worked with amateur drama groups which led him to decide to change career direction. After training at Glasgow College of Dramatic Art, he became assistant stage manager at Glasgow's Citizen Theatre and within three months was playing lead roles including Lorenzo in The Merchant of Venice and the Gentleman Caller in The Glass Menagerie. After declining an offer to understudy Albert Finney at London's National Theatre, he was cast as Martin in the film The Fighting Prince of Donegal (1966) followed by the television play Cock, Hen and Courting Pit (1966) and the film Ulysses (1967). Returning to the theatre, he played MacDuff in Macbeth at London's Royal Court Theatre and during the run took over the title role from Alec Guinness then starred in the theatre's next production of Soldiers of Fortune. His first wife was Scottish actress Jan Wilson by whom he has a daughter Sarah-Anne.- Ron Cook was born on 1 December 1948 in South Shields, Tyne and Wear, England, UK. He is an actor, known for Hot Fuzz (2007), Chocolat (2000) and Thunderbirds (2004).
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Melanie attended RADA in London where she won the Vanburgh Award. Her stage plays have included Women Beware Women (Royal Court), Under Milk Wood, Selfish Shellfish, Twelfth Night, Deathtrap, Dirty Linen, Breezeblock Park, Who Killed Hilda Murrell?, Fire in the Lake, and the stage version of Bread (1986). She's best known as Aveline in the British TV series Bread (1986). Other TV appearances include Auf Wiedersehen, Pet (1983) (Hazel), Juliet Bravo (1980), The Bill (1984), A Night on the Tyne (1989) and Boon (1986). Melanie has two young daughters, Lorna and Molly.- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Craig Conway was born in 1975 in South Shields, Tyne and Wear, England, UK. He is an actor and producer, known for Doomsday (2008), Dog Soldiers (2002) and Broken (2016). He has been married to Brooke Laing since 2016. He was previously married to Jill Halfpenny.- Daniel Weyman was born in 1977 in Newcastle, Tyne and Wear, England, UK. He is an actor, known for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022), Gentleman Jack (2019) and Silent Witness (1996).
- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
In 2024, Richard will be seen starring and producing in the New Zealand feature "Mysterious Ways" about a homosexual vicar at war with the Anglican hierarchy, which will be seen globally at festivals. Most recently seen in Joel Coen's "The Tragedy of Macbeth" (2021) alongside Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand, as well as "Jack Ryan: Season 3" (2022) for Amazon and will be seen at festivals worldwide in the short film "The Night Passenger".
Globally, he is also starring in the original TV series Mary Kills People, now airing the third and final season. For his role as the very complex surgeon Des Bennett, Short was nominated for a Canadian Screen Award (for Best Lead Actor in a Drama series) in 2018.
His most recent stage appearance was as 'Richard Burton' in the hugely acclaimed World Premiere of "CLEO", a play directed by Bob Balaban and written by Pulitzer Prize winner Lawrence Wright, set during the filming of the 1963 movie Cleopatra.
In 2016, Short co-starred in HBO's Vinyl opposite Olivia Wilde. In 2015, he co-starred in Agent Carter, where he played Marvel's first ever gay comic book character, Pinky Pinkerton. Short's diverse range of television credits include appearances in Code Black, Time After Time, Training Day, American Horror Story, Blue Bloods, White Collar, Fringe, Bored to Death, Vera and Covert Affairs among others but it was in 2013 he really came to the attention of audiences worldwide as the villainous "Harlan Moore" in ABC's '666 Park Avenue'.
In film, Short recently took the title of role of King Arthur in "Arthur & Merlin", screening on Amazon, as well as the UK horror feature film 'The Dare' and can now be seen on Amazon in the indie film 'Crazy Famous', as well as in the short-film Abe, directed by Steve Brett. He also starred in the indie films 'Cockroaches' and 'Not Welcome' still awaiting release. He made his debut in the Sundance hit 'Delirious' for director Tom DiCillo. Additional credits include The Exhibitionists alongside Laverne Cox, A New York Love Story, The Guitar (Amy Redford), Public Enemies (Michael Mann), Choose (Rob Legato), The Butterflies of Bill Baker and Café.
In theater, Short co-starred on Broadway in Jez Butterworth's Jerusalem alongside Mark Rylance. Prior to that, he created the role of Eric Saunders in Roberto Aguirre Sacasa's King of Shadows. Additional highlights include An Evening with Simon Gray at The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Centre, a hugely acclaimed performance in Mary Rose for the Vineyard Theatre and as John Eastman in the National Theatre of London transfer of The Night Season, directed by Lonny Price. He made his theater debut in 1996 in the UK production of Grease.
An avid writer, Short has published books, articles and screenplays across the worlds of sports and travel. He divides his time between Los Angeles, Santa Fe and London with his wife and has just set up a production company with the aim of producing challenging and artistic film projects by using some of the incredible, diverse talent with which he's shared a career.- Writer
- Additional Crew
- Actress
Sarah Millican was born on 29 May 1975 in South Shields, Tyne and Wear, England, UK. She is a writer and actress, known for QI (2003), The Sarah Millican Television Programme (2012) and Mock the Week (2005). She has been married to Gary Delaney since December 2013. She was previously married to Andrew Millican.- Richard Riddell was born on 31 May 1984 in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England, UK. He is an actor, known for The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009), Legend (2015) and Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015).
- Actor
- Writer
- Director
3 Minutes of Silence marks Ben's 4th film as a Director/Writer with production company Bolo Films. Ben began his career in theatre as an actor and director, running his own theatre company in the North East of England. On moving to London, Ben studied acting at the Drama Centre and the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.
Bolo Films is a Manchester-based production company. Their previous short films I'm Sorry to Tell You, Taubman and Hope Dies Last have played over 75 international festivals, been BAFTA shortlisted, and qualified for the Academy awards 2017.
3 Minutes of Silence has been funded by the BFI Network and is in the middle of its festival run, playing at 10 International festivals already.
They are currently developing their first feature film Hyem with funding from the BFI Network.- He was born and brought up in Sunderland, Tyne & Wear and started acting at the city's Royalty Theatre. His first big break came when he was cast in the role of schoolboy Darren having an illicit affair with his teacher Lauren in the 2-handed play 'Scarborough' which played to rave reviews at the 2007 Edinburgh Festival.
- Rachel Bell was born in 1950 in Newcastle Upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England, UK. She is an actress, known for The Darling Buds of May (1991), Doctor Who (1963) and Dear John.... (1986). She was previously married to Mike O'Neill.
- Composer
- Actor
- Music Department
Neil Francis Tennant was born on July 10th in North Shields, Northumberland. In 1975, Neil plays in a group in Newcastle called Dust: Their most popular song is a preposterous affair he has written called "Can you hear the dawn break?". They are heavily influenced by The Incredible String Band. "We were convinced we would become terribly famous. It was a very kind of stoned seventies but we used to think it was absolutely brilliant at the time".
After completing a degree in history at the Polytechnic of North London, Neil took a job at Marvel Comics, anglicizing spellings and indicating where over-risque woman needed to be redrawn decently. While there he interviewed comic fan Marc Bolan, who politely pointed out that his tape recorder wasn't working. In 1977 he worked at Macdonald Educational Publishing, later moving to ITV Books. In June 1982, he joined Smash Hits.
On August 19th 1981, Neil and Chris Lowe met by chance in an electronics shop on the Kings Road. Realizing they had a common interest in dance music, they began to write together. To begin with they called themselves West End; later they came up with the name Pet Shop Boys, a name derived from some friends who worked in a pet shop in Ealing.- Carole Malone was born on 14 October 1954 in Newcastle, Tyne and Wear, England, UK. She has been married to Emir Mulabegovic since December 1991.
- Michael Sundin was an English actor, puppeteer, dancer, and trampolinist from Low Fell, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear. He was better known as one of the presenters of the children's program "Blue Peter" from 1984 to 1985. He was fired under controversial circumstances.
Sundin initially became known as a champion trampolinist. He reportedly won five British titles and one world title in trampolining tournaments. He decided to follow a career in show business, making his stage debut in a 1980 version of the Christmas pantomime "Jack and the Beanstalk".
Sundin found work as both an actor and a dancer. From 1982 to 1983, he portrayed the acrobatic kitten Bill Bailey in the musical "Cats" (1981). The musical was loosely based on the poetry collection "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats" (1939) by T. S. Eliot, and depicted sentient cats competing for a chance at rebirth.
In 1984, Sundin was hired as in-suit performer for the dark fantasy film "Return to Oz" (1985). The film was a loose adaptation of the fantasy novels "The Marvelous Land of Oz" (1904) and "Ozma of Oz" (1907) by L. Frank Baum. Sundin was chosen to portray the sentient robot Tik-Tok, one of the film's main characters. He operated the character's body, while Tim Rose remotely-operated the head and Sean Barrett voiced the character. While Sundin was preparing for this role, his casting attracted considerable press attention. Television producer Biddy Baxter invited him to audition for a position as one of the presenters of "Blue Peter". Sundin passed the audition, and was chosen to replace Peter Duncan. His debut episode was broadcast in September 1984.
Sundin made his last appearance as a television presenter in late June 1985. His contract was not renewed following the end of the season. The production team claimed that Sundin "had little rapport with the viewers", but Baxter also reported that both parents and viewers had complained that Sundin was too effeminate. The press had recently outed Sundin as a gay man, which was thought to be the undeclared reason for his firing. Biddy Baxter later claimed in an interview that Sundin was fired because "children didn't like him", not because of his sexuality. The controversy over the perceived discrimination was covered in the tabloid press.
After portraying Tik-Tok "Return to Oz", Sundin was chosen to portray the March Hare in the drama film "Dreamchild" (1985). In the film, the elderly Alice Liddell finds herself becoming the center of attention at the centenary of Lewis Carroll's birth. Her memories of her long-gone friend and potential suitor are juxtaposed with hallucinations of meeting both a ghostly Carroll and the characters from Wonderland.
Sundin subsequently had his last film appearance in the adventure film "Lionheart" (1987). In the film, a group of orphans attempt to join the crusading army of Richard the Lionheart, King of England (1157-1199, reigned 1189-1199), while evading a slave trader who wants to sell them as slaves. The film combined events from the Third Crusade (1189-1192) and the Children's Crusade (1212).
Sundin fell ill in 1988, and was hospitalized in 1989. In July 1989, he died at the Newcastle General Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne. He was only 28-years-old at the time of his death, and he was the first among the presenters of "Blue Peter" to die. The British press initially attributed his death to liver cancer. Later press reports indicated that Sundin had contracted the virus HIV/AIDS, and died due to the infection. - Actor
- Composer
- Music Department
Son of a coal miner, Bryan Ferry cultivated his musical abilities while studying art at the University of Newcastle. In 1971, Ferry founded Roxy Music with, among others, composer and synthesizer player Brian Eno, who left in 1973. Ferry was Roxy's front man until its demise in 1983, but as Eno was leaving the band, Ferry released his first solo album, "These Foolish Things", which demonstrates a different approach of what he was doing at that time with Roxy Music: while the band jumped on the Glam Rock bandwagon, Ferry, in his solo efforts, showed a cool crooning style. But as Roxy Music evolved by the years, it became clear that Ferry's career with the band or as a solo artist was a whole. Although Roxy was very popular in UK, they had little impact in America: their best known hits on this side of the Atlantic were "Love Is the Drug" (1975), "Avalon" and "More Than This" (both in 1982). After Roxy Music disbanded, Ferry put emphasis on his solo career, releasing five albums after the Roxy years and keeping the same crooning style which became his trademark. His biggest solo hits include "Don't Stop The Dance" (1985) and "Kiss and Tell" (1988), which was featured in the motion picture Bright Lights, Big City (1988). Ferry's solo albums contain self-penned songs (Boys & Girls, Bête Noire, Mamouna) or covers (These Foolish Things, Taxi and As Time Goes By, his latest release).- Actor
- Director
- Editor
Every generation has its own multi-talented stars, and 19 year-old Mackenzie Sol is poised to earn a place in that esteemed group. Mackenzie who hails from a small town in Northern England, has been acting, making music and dancing from a young age and first peaked the interest of music fans when he appeared on X-Factor UK at the age of 4. Mackenzie is now based in LA where he is working on his acting and music careers.
With his stunning dance moves, kinetic energy, electric charisma and powerhouse voice, Mackenzie Sol will undoubtedly be this generation's next star.- Actor
- Stunts
- Writer
Christian Howard was born on 4 May 1984 in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England, UK. He is an actor and writer, known for Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist (2014), Street Fighter: Resurrection (2016) and Infinity System (2022).- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Justin McDonald is an award winning actor, writer and producer originally from Tyneside in the north east of England. He received a scholarship to attend Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts in London, where he gained a BA in Acting. He went on to complete his studies early to play a series lead in the prime-time ITV drama 'Distant Shores'.
Since then, McDonald has continued to work as an actor in film, television, theatre and radio. His screen work has seen him playing leading roles in many acclaimed television productions and feature films. In 2023 he won a prestigious Royal Television Society Award for best actor in a drama performance for his work on BFI film 'FIST'.- Harry was born in Sunderland, England. He studied acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art graduating in 2006. He is known for his role in the ground-breaking BBC sitcom Boy Meets Girl (2015) (2015), Criminal (2016) (2016) and Channel 4's Misfits (2009) (2010), Stan & Ollie (2018) (2018) and Peterloo (2018) 2018. Most recently he appeared in The Teacher (2022).
- Malcolm Terris was born on 11 January 1941 in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England, UK. He was an actor, known for The Great Train Robbery (1978), The Bounty (1984) and Chaplin (1992). He died on 6 June 2020 in the UK.
- Debbie Arnold has had an interesting and varied career. Daughter of impressionist Eddie Arnold she inherited his mimicry talents and her first job was impersonating Marilyn Monroe on Who Do You Do (1972) when she was 18 years old. She then turned her talents to acting but still used her "voices" to become one of the top voice-over artistes in England.
She starred opposite Omar Sharif in "The Sleeping Prince" at The Haymarket Theatre in London and that brought her many accolades. She has had a fulfilling career in the theatre and on television. Her theatre career has spanned from Fringe venues to The National Theatre and many West End Shows. She has two daughters, Ciara and Talia, which she considers her best production, and lives in Surrey! - Writer
- Producer
- Actor
Jason Cook was born in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England, UK. He is known for Hebburn (2012), Murder, They Hope (2021) and BBC Comedy Feeds (2012).- George Irving was born on 6 May 1954 in South Shields, Tyne and Wear, England, UK. He is an actor, known for This Year Next Year (1977), EastEnders (1985) and The Tudors (2007). He has been married to Jan Sargent since 1978. They have one child.
- Writer
- Producer
- Script and Continuity Department
Ian La Frenais was born on 7 January 1937 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England, UK. He is a writer and producer, known for The Commitments (1991), Flushed Away (2006) and The Bank Job (2008). He has been married to Doris Vartan since 1984.- Composer
- Actor
- Music Department
After his parents, Jack and Sadie, separated when he was 14, he lived with his father, a prosperous accountant, but it was his mother who had the greatest impact on him. At 19, he married Pam soon after leaving Sunderland, but in 1977, she was replaced by Annie Lennox, whom he met in 1977 after she had dropped out of the Royal College of Music. He was so taken with her that he asked her to marry him; instead, they moved in together and formed the band 'The Tourists', splitting up four years later. Some years later, he met Siobhan Fahey, who after leaving 'Bananarama' had formed 'Shakespears Sister'. They married in 1987, eventually having two sons, Sam Hurricane and Django James Lawless.
He has a £2 million house in Encino, Los Angeles, featuring a helicopter landing pad, a swimming pool, and a four-acre garden; a £750,000 converted warehouse in Hampstead, London; and a £2 million apartment in Covent Garden, London. He has a great love of cars, owning a £250,000 Rolls Royce Silver Cloud, resprayed like the cover of his Spiritual Cowboy album, and a 1956 Silver Cloud which was one of only seven made. He's reputed to be worth around £30 million.- Actress
- Director
- Composer
Perrie Edwards was born on 10 July 1993 in South Shields, Tyne and Wear, England, UK. She is an actress and director, known for Pitch Perfect 2 (2015), Little Mix Feat. Sharaya J: Strip (2018) and The Best Man Holiday (2013).- Actress
- Soundtrack
Charlie Hardwick was born on 3 November 1960 in Wallsend, Tyne and Wear, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Emmerdale Farm (1972), Billy Elliot (2000) and Kappatoo (1990).- Actress
- Soundtrack
Britain's first notorious post-war sex siren in films, the enticing, green-eyed blonde bombshell Christine Norden, was a singer and dancer who had been performing since her teens. The story goes that she was "discovered" by agents of the distinguished film mogul Sir Alexander Korda while waiting outside a theatre ticket line.
Born Mary Lydia Thornton of humble beginnings to a bus driver three days after Christmas 1924, she was the first entertainer to land on the Normandy beaches in 1944 to perform for Allied troops after D-Day. Korda promptly signed her to a seven-year contract and placed her in stark, dark-edged films as a fetching, sometimes singing femme; she appeared in a surprising number of quality films, including Mine Own Executioner (1947), An Ideal Husband (1947), Nightbeat (1947) and Saints and Sinners (1949).
A prime pin-up attraction over the years, she admitted to many affairs (with both men and women) over the years. By the early '50s her film career was over, however, and she trod the New York theatre boards for the next few decades, making her Broadway debut in the musical "Tenderloin" in 1960 and appearing in such productions as "Marat/Sade." She made history of sorts as the first actress to appear topless on Broadway in the 1967 production of "Scuba Duba."
Christine was married five times and has one of the craters of the planet Venus named after her as a tribute to her being a "forerunner of the modern sex symbol." Her last husband developed and named a mathematical formula in her honor. She eventually returned to London for her final years, developed a respiratory infection and died of lobar pneumonia following bypass surgery at age 63. Her memoirs were discovered posthumously but deemed too gamey to be published at the time. Friend and royal biographer Michael Thornton, to whom they were left, has now made segments of her private story public.- Jean Southern was born on 14 January 1927 in South Shields, Tyne and Wear, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001), Finney (1994) and The Glass Virgin (1995).
- Jake Ashton-Nelson was born in 1997 in Tyne and Wear, England, UK. He is an actor, known for Vera (2011), Offal Broth (2023) and The Reward.
- George Clarke was born in 1974 in Washington, Tyne and Wear, England, UK.
- Additional Crew
- Actor
- Writer
Lindsay Kemp was born on 3 May 1938 in South Shields, Tyne and Wear, England, UK. He was an actor and writer, known for The Wicker Man (1973), Velvet Goldmine (1998) and Pierrot in Turquoise or The Looking Glass Murders (1970). He died on 25 August 2018 in Livorno, Tuscany, Italy.- Jonathan Cullen was born in 1960 in Newcastle, Tyne and Wear, England, UK. He is an actor, known for The Foreigner (2017), London Boulevard (2010) and Velvet Goldmine (1998).
- Writer
- Script and Continuity Department
- Music Department
Born in Jarrow in 1935, Alan Plater was brought up in Hull, and trained as an architect in Newcastle. He has been a full-time writer since 1961, with over two hundred assorted credits in radio, television, theatre and film - plus six novels, occasional journalism, broadcasting and teaching. His first plays were written for radio, a medium he still loves. His play, THE JOURNAL OF VASILUE BOGDANOVIC, won the 1983 Sony Radio Award, justifying his faith in eccentric titles. Recent works include a three part dramatisation of ALL THINGS BETRAY THEE the classic novel by Gwyn Thomas about the early days of the Industrial revolution, a radical new version of Gorki's LOWER DEPTHS and a new play, ONLY A MATTER OF TIME, heard in February of this year. His television career began with a string of single plays as well as contributions to the pioneering Z CARS series. Subsequent work has included BARCHESTER CHRONICLES, the BEIDERBECKE TRILOGY, FORTUNES OF WAR and A VERY BRITISH COUP - accumulating Awards from, among others, BAFTA, the Broadcasting Press Guild and the Royal Television Society - plus an International Emmy (USA), the Golden Fleece of Georgia (USSR) and the Grand Prix of the Banff Festival (Canada). His film, SELECTED EXITS, about Gwyn Thomas and starring Anthony Hopkins, was screened on Christmas Day 1993, wining the BAFTA Cymru Writing Award and the Royal Television Society Award for Best Regional Programme. DOGGIN' AROUND, about a jazz pianist adrift in the North of England, was shown in the BBC Screen One season in the Autumn of 1994, starring Eillot Gould and Geraldine James. His work in the theatre includes the musical, CLOSE THE COALHOUSE DOOR, written with Alex Glasgow and Sid Chaplin, a key work in the development of British political drama and triumphantly revived by Live Theatre, Newcastle in October 1994; two celebrated adaptations of Bill Tidy's FOSDYKE SAGA for London's Bush Theatre: RENT PARTY and 1 THOUGHT 1 HEARD A RUSTLING for the Theatre Royal, Stratford East; SWEET SORROW, a celebration of the poet Phillip Larkin for Hull Truck and GOING HOME, a celebration of Tyneside, Australia, forgotten footballers and cool jazz for Newcastle Playhouse. His stage play, SHOOTING THE LEGEND, was seen at at the Theatre Royal, Newcastle in September 1995, where it played to packed houses and rave reviews and won him a nomination for the Lloyd's Playwright of the Year Award. In 1998 he made his debut at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre with ALL CREDIT TO THE LADS, starring Roy Marsden. His first film for the big screen was THE VIRGIN AND THE GYPSY, from D. H. Lawrence's novel, and he later worked with Richard Lester on JUGGERNAUT. He wrote the screenplay for KEEP THE ASPIDISTRA FLYING (A MERRY WAR in the U.S.) from George Orwell's novel, released in 1997, directed by Robert Bierman, starring Richard E. Grant and Helens Bonham Carter. He has also written at least twenty abandoned projects of surpassing brilliance, has been fired by some eminent people and can be very boring about all this in conversation. His latest television work includes contributions to the DALZIEL AND PASCOE series for the BBC, dramatised from the novels by Reginald Hill, starring Warren Clarke and Colin Buchanan. He Lives very contentedly in London with his wife, Shirley. When he remembers where he left his spare time, he spends it adoring his grandchildren, juggling with crazy projects, hanging around jazz clubs and willing Hull City to show some form. He was president of the Writer's Guild of Great Britain from September 1991 until April 1995. He has received honorary degrees from the University of Hull and, in November 1997, from the University of Northumbria in his beloved Newcastle.- Actress
- Composer
- Director
Jade Amelia Thirlwall was born on December 26, 1992 in South Shields, Tyne and Wear, England. She is a member of the British girl group Little Mix, along with Perrie Edwards and Leigh-Anne Pinnock. The band won The X Factor 2011, but she had actually auditioned for the show in both 2008 and 2010. She was sent home both times due to lack of confidence.- Born in Newcastle upon Tyne. His Father a doctor his mother a nurse. His Grandmother from a Mining colliery family his Grandfather Northumbrian Gentry . Trained at Derwentside college winning the Rotary Prize for Dramatic Art then at GSA winning a prize for his choreography and the School Cup for Best Actor. He was spotted by Patricia Marmont then of Marmont Management[ along with Rose Streatfield] and they guided him through his first 10 years of work.
Known for his versatility and his work in every genre. Went into Theatre and Film . As diverse as Sir Trevor Nunn's Skellig, MC in "Cabaret" (Manchester Evening News award nomination), Romeo and Juliet, Taste of Honey. Detective Inspector Berkeley in Casualty BBC Bafta award-winning drama, In Deep, Holby, Vexed. Twisted Tales, Tales ,Suntrap all for the BBC. Tales from the Crypt HBO.
Vampire gang leader with Jude Law in The Wisdom of Crocodiles, Masterpieces God on Trial. His first movie was a small role in Judge Dredd with Stallone. Many Films including Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, with Ralph Fiennes.
He now works in every genre. He received a Craft Best Actor Finalist award for the award-winning Reebok" Escape the Sofa" TV and Cinema Campaign,- which won awards for all concerned. His Theatre roles are extensive including Shakespeare . Launce in Two Gents of Verona. Tybalt in Neil Bartlett's ground breaking Romeo and Juliet . Robbie in the Royal Court production of Shopping and Fuxxing. Geoff in A Taste of Honey. He played Thenardier in Cameron Mackintosh's Les Miserables New Production the 25th-anniversary international tour.
Also the LIVE! Dream the Dream Les Miserables CD as Thenardier, and the Movie Les Miserables with Anne Hathaway, who won an Oscar for her role, also with Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe.
Flytopia for Film 4 playing the lead Johnathon Priestly exploring addiction and mental illness.
The BBC s New adaptation of Les Miserables 2018/2019} The Victor Hugo French Book NOT the musical. With Dominic West, Olivia Coleman and Sir Derek Jacobi and David Oyelowo and Adeel Akhtar. Adapted for the screen by the Legendary Andrew Davies. - Writer
- Actress
- Composer
Lauren Laverne was born on 28 April 1978 in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England, UK. She is a writer and actress, known for Mint Royale with Lauren Laverne: Don't Falter (2000), Kenickie: Nightlife (1998) and The Divine Comedy: Come Home Billy Bird (2004). She has been married to Graeme Fisher since August 2005.- Actor
- Writer
- Director
Coming from a theatrical family, Jack Douglas' entry into show business was as a producer, however, not as a performer. His father was a theatrical producer, and Jack followed in his footsteps at an early age--he produced his first show at 15. Douglas showed no interest in the performing end of the business until one night when one of his actors took ill and, there being no replacement, Douglas put on the character's costume and did it himself. He enjoyed it so much that he soon gave up producing comedies and began performing in them. It wasn't long before he became one of the more recognizable character actors in British films, especially in the "Carry On" series, where he played a variation on his most famous character, a nervous, terrified and perpetually fidgety little man.- Writer
- Composer
- Music Department
Lee Hall has been the recipient of many awards for all aspects of his work. He won the Alfred Bradley Bursary and the Richard Imison Prize with his first play for radio, "I Luv You Jimmy Spud", which he adapted for the screen as "Gabriel and Me" and which premiered at the Edinburgh Film Festival. Growing up he was inspired by seeing plays in Newcastle, particularly those by C. P. Taylor, Tom Hadaway and the R.S.C. His career stemmed from seeing the film "Kes", which inspired him to try his hand at writing and led to him spending some time as Pearson Writer in Residence for the Royal Shakespeare Company. He received a Writers Guild and Talkie Award in 1997 for "Spoonface Steinberg", one of his God's Country series of plays for BBC Radio which was then adapted for television.
Later working on a regular basis with Newcastle's Live Theatre whose production of his 'Cooking With Elvis', which Hall adapted from his own radio play "Blood Sugar", had a successful run at the Edinburgh Festival in 1999 and opened in the West End in March the following year. For the National Theatre he adapted an old Dutch play, "The Good Hope" but changed the setting from the Hook of Holland to Whitby. His first screenplay for a feature film was 'Billy Elliot' which was nominated for a Best Original Screenplay 'Oscar' and screened at Cannes 2000 in the closing slot of 'Directors' Fortnight' and since then he's written a script every year.
His stage play 'Cooking With Elvis adapted from his radio play Blood Sugar opened in London's West End in March 2000 after a successful run at the 1999 Edinburgh Festival. He went onto work on screenplays of Uri Gargarin for Film Four and an adaption of the novel Tulip Fever by Deborah Moggach. He then became Writer in Residence at the Royal Shakespeare Company- Gibb McLaughlin was born on 19 July 1884 in Sunderland, Tyne-and-Wear, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Oliver Twist (1948), The Farmer's Wife (1928) and Mystery of Room 13 (1938). He was married to Eleanor Morton. He died on 30 June 1961 in Kensington, London, England, UK.
- Roger Avon was born on 23 November 1914 in Jarrow, Tyne and Wear, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Au Pair Girls (1972), Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. (1966) and Doctor Who (1963). He was married to Rhoda Oatway. He died on 21 December 1998 in London, England, UK.
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Adam Rhys Dee was born in Newcastle, Tyne and Wear, England, UK. He is known for Flushed Away (2006), The Sea Beast (2022) and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I (2010).- Ralph Watson was born on 20 January 1936 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Doctor Who (1963), Second Verdict (1976) and When the Boat Comes In (1976). He died on 20 June 2021 in England, UK.