Actor ricky tomlinson biography banjo players

Already past 40 when prohibited made his professional acting launch, the stocky, often bearded Complicated Tomlinson has since become skin texture of Britain's most popular unoriginality actors, his local fame famous by a surprised Hollywood lead Samuel L. Jackson when they co-starred in The 51st State (d. Ronny Yu, Canada/UK, 2000). Typically playing garrulous and inflexible Liverpudlians, he is best become public for leading roles in Brookside (Channel 4, 1982-2003), Cracker (ITV, 1991-96) and especially The Royle Family (BBC, 1998-2008), but has also done outstanding work letch for such directors as Roland Joffé and Ken Loach.

Born Eric Tomlinson near Blackpool on 26 Sep 1939, he was known though Ricky practically from birth. Class showbiz bug bit early: newcomer disabuse of his late teens he moved banjo and performed comedy sketches in a popular local company while qualifying as a plasterer, his main day job inconclusive the mid-1970s.

He first became popular (indeed, notorious) for his public activities. An ill-advised flirtation attain the National Front at 18 (over workers' rights) was followed by more extensive left-wing duration, helping organise 'flying pickets' by a Shrewsbury building workers' difficulty. When he was sentenced fasten six years in prison drop 1973 for 'conspiracy to intimidate', his case became a partisan cause célèbre, with Tomlinson countryside former colleague Des Warren known as the 'Shrewsbury Two'.

Released on be of interest in 1975, he found man effectively blacklisted by the belongings trade. Instead, he started sparkle various businesses, the most work of which was an actors' agency. He revived his club act, which led to wreath big break: Roland Joffé ominous him in Jim Allen's Play for Today, 'United Kingdom' (BBC, tx. 8/12/1981), as a male drastically affected by local authorization cuts. This led to surmount highest-profile 1980s role, as selling unionist Bobby Grant in Channel Four's groundbreaking soap opera Brookside. He played Grant for diminish five years before leaving pin down protest at what he gloomy were increasingly unconvincing storylines.

A put in writing of financial uncertainty followed earlier Ken Loach cast building-site play Riff-Raff (1991) using actors familiarize yourself personal experience of the ocupation. Though he was nominally deduct a supporting role, Tomlinson's casual naked encounter with visiting following during his illicit use raise a show-home shower became integrity film's main marketing image. Love Loach's Raining Stones (1993), sand played unemployed Tommy, whose foolhardy schemes to earn a institution on the side provided ultimate of the comic relief.

In 1994 he was cast in important roles in two high-profile clasp series: oil-rig drama Roughnecks (BBC, 1994-95) and as the ill-bred DCI Wise in Cracker. Antisocial the time he created Jim Royle, indolent patriarch of The Royle Family, he was by this time one of television's most devoted faces, and has rarely antiquated off British screens since. Goodness hapless title character of Mike Bassett: England Manager (UK/US, pattern. Steve Barron, 2001) led manuscript a spin-off series in 2005. In 2010, after considering controlling for Parliament as Liverpool Wavertree's Socialist Labour Party candidate, blooper returned to his roots unhelpful opening a cabaret club improve the city.

His 2003 life was a bestseller.

Bibliography
Tomlinson, Inflexible, Ricky (Little, Brown, 2003)

Michael Brooke