Christian Brassington

Last updated

Christian Brassington
Born (1983-06-06) 6 June 1983 (age 42)
Wellington, Shropshire, England
Education Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art
Occupations
  • Actor
  • writer
Years active2006–present
Spouse
Jennie Fava [1]
​
​
(m. 2013)​

Christian Brassington (born 6 June 1983) is an English actor and writer, best known for playing the odious vicar Ossie Whitworth in the third and fourth series of the BBC hit period drama Poldark . [2] Brassington also portrayed a young Boris Johnson in the More4 documentary drama When Boris Met Dave (2009), having previously played a young Tony Blair for Channel 4 in 2006.

Contents

Early life and education

Brassington was born on 6 June 1983 in Wellington, Shropshire, England. [3] He spent much of his youth in Basingstoke, going to the local comprehensive Brighton Hill Community School and then to Queen Mary's College. [4] He also attended a stage school run by his father Colin Flaherty. Determined to become an actor, he studied at London's prestigious Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art. [3]

Career

He made his on-screen debut in the BBC's police procedural drama The Cops back in 1999 [1] and got his big break shortly after graduation in Tony Blair: Rock Star (2006), [5] a Channel 4 docudrama recreating the days when the former British Prime Minister Tony Blair's ambition was to be on stage. [6] A year later, the young Brassington starred opposite Cate Blanchett as Charles II, Archduke of Austria in Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007), and in 2009 he followed up his part as Blair with a portrayal of the then Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson as a younger man in When Boris Met Dave , an account of how Johnson and David Cameron's lives became intertwined. [7]

Brassington welcomes all kinds of roles as long as they are interesting and challenging. [1] In an interview with PBS, he said, "I think you get yourself into trouble if you start thinking about what people's reactions are going to be while you're playing them". [8] His portrayal of the loathsome Reverend Ossie Whitworth in the third and fourth series of the BBC historical drama Poldark (2015–2019) is possibly one of his most recognisable roles. [1] In order to prepare for the part, he had to gain 30 pounds. [9] According to Digital Spy, he said, "Normally actors have to get into shape for a role rather than out of it, but Osborne is described as a large character and a man of a huge appetite, so there was no getting around that. I had to gain a lot of weight." [10]

In 2020, Brassington made his debut as a screenwriter and director with a short film called Screening, starring David Tennant, Georgia Tennant and Stephen Mangan. [11] He also has written Doctor Who audio dramas "Neon Reign" (2018) and "Altered Status" (2021) for Big Finish Productions. [12] [13]

In 2022, he appeared as prison officer Dean in Catherine Tate's six-part mockumentary sitcom Hard Cell , released on Netflix. [14] [15] [16]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2006Tony Blair: Rock Star Tony Blair Television film documentary
Incubus Peter
2007Web of DeceitTom Gunner
Mrs. Ratcliffe's Revolution Thomas
Elizabeth: The Golden Age Archduke Charles
2008 The German The GermanShort film
Easy Virtue Phillip Hurst
A Woman in Love and War: Vera Brittain Roland Leighton Television film documentary
2009 When Boris Met Dave Boris Johnson Television film documentary
Princess Kaiulani Duke
St Trinian's 2: The Legend of Fritton's Gold Peters
2010 Burke and Hare Charles
2011 In Love with Alma Cogan George
2012Doubt on LoanNicTelevision film
The Carrion CrowThe StrangerShort film
2013 Hummingbird Max ForresterReleased as Redemption in the USA
The BodyAlanShort film
The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot EditorTelevision film
2014 The Smoke Tom
201596 Ways to Say I Love YouHarryShort film
2016 Our Kind of Traitor Secretary to the Cabinet
The ExitBrianShort film
Patient Seven AlanSegment: "The Body"
Cocaine ConspiracyMarcusVideo
2017 You, Me and Him Dave
2018Wild GeeseSpencerShort film
2019 Fisherman's Friends Henry
2020ScreeningNoneShort film; director and writer
2021 Jolt Reception Clerk (Julian)
The Last Letter from Your Lover Dominic

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1999 The Cops GregorEpisode #2.7
2008 The Bill Darren SmartEpisode: "Fools Rush In"
2009 Land Girls Cpl. Cal GillespieEpisodes: "Childhood's End" and "Secrets"
2010 Little Crackers JoeEpisode: "Bill Bailey's Little Cracker: Car Park Babylon"
2014–2015 Suspects Newsreader10 episodes
2015 Life in Squares CuthbertEpisode #1.1
2017–2018 Poldark Reverend Osborne 'Ossie' Whitworth11 episodes
2019 Hold the Sunset PercyEpisode: "The Sale"
2020Semi-DetachedHumphrey3 episodes
2022 The Pact Jan6 episodes
Hard Cell Dean6 episodes

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Moore, Camille (31 March 2022). "10 Things You Didn't Know about Christian Brassington". TVOvermind. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  2. ↑ "Whats On | Sessions | Beneath The Tunic Writing The Bbc Historical Epic Poldark | London Screenwriters' Festival 2023" . Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  3. 1 2 "Shropshire-born Poldark actor reveals 'body transformation'". www.shropshirestar.com. August 2017. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  4. ↑ "Local actor Christian Brassington plays lead opposite Jason Statham in new movie Hummingbird". Basingstoke Gazette. 3 July 2013. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  5. ↑ Midgley, Dominic (1 August 2017). "Actor Christian Brassington on playing the most hated man on TV". Express.co.uk. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  6. ↑ "Tony Blair Rock Star · British Universities Film & Video Council". bufvc.ac.uk. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  7. ↑ Parker, Robin (27 July 2009). "Cast emerges for More4's young Tories drama". Broadcast.
  8. ↑ "MASTERPIECE | Cast Interview: Poldark's Christian Brassington". Masterpiece. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  9. ↑ "'Poldark,' Old and New". WTTW Chicago. 17 October 2017. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  10. ↑ James, Sarah (1 August 2017). "This is what Poldark baddie Osborne Whitworth usually looks like". Digital Spy. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  11. ↑ "Screening Starring David & Georgia Tennant Makes Official Selection In Discover Film Awards". 3 September 2021. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  12. ↑ "Jenny: the Doctor's Daughter is coming to Big Finish - News - Big Finish". www.bigfinish.com. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  13. ↑ "Jenny's Still Running! - News - Big Finish". www.bigfinish.com. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  14. ↑ Kanter, Jake (30 July 2021). "'Hard Cell': Netflix Rounds Out Cast For Catherine Tate Prison Comedy Series". Deadline. Retrieved 22 January 2023.
  15. ↑ "Meet the cast of Catherine Tate's prison comedy Hard Cell". Radio Times. Retrieved 22 January 2023.
  16. ↑ Tate, Gabriel (8 April 2022). "Hard Cell, review: Catherine Tate's prison sitcom is better than The Nan Movie – but only just". The Telegraph. ISSN   0307-1235 . Retrieved 22 January 2023.
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