George Costigan

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George Costigan
Blackbird (6266308247).jpg
Born
George J. Costigan

(1947-08-08) 8 August 1947 (age 77)
Nationality English
OccupationActor
Years active1975–present

George J. Costigan (born 8 August 1947) [1] is an English actor who is best known for portraying Bob in the 1987 film Rita, Sue and Bob Too and for roles in TV series such as Happy Valley and So Haunt Me .

Contents

Early life

Born in Portsmouth, Hampshire, Costigan grew up in Salford, Greater Manchester. After attending St Augustine's C of E Primary School on Bolton Road in Pendlebury, he went to Wardley Grammar School on Mardale Avenue in Wardley near Swinton.

Career

Costigan has appeared regularly on television since 1978. He played Tom Towers in the 1982 series of The Barchester Chronicles , an adaption of the novels by Anthony Trollope, and in the same year starred as Tom Hannaway in a BBC adaptation of Fame is the Spur . [2]

In 1984, he appeared as lead guest actor playing Wilson Kemp in "The Greek Interpreter", an episode of the successful Granada TV series The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes , and, in the same year, also played Philip the Bastard in the BBC Television Shakespeare production of The Life and Death of King John (alongside Leonard Rossiter in the title role). [3]

In 1986, he played the lead role of Bob, an adulterous businessman in the small independent comedy film Rita, Sue and Bob Too, which has since achieved cult status. He has since starred or featured in many television productions, including The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (channelling Peter Lorre) Kavanagh QC , Coogan's Run , Connie , A Touch of Frost , Inspector Morse , Murder Most Horrid , London's Burning , The Bill , Holby City , The Long Firm , City Central , Vera , Dalziel and Pascoe , The Ruth Rendell Mysteries , The Inspector Lynley Mysteries , The Beiderbecke Connection , New Tricks , Linda Green and Casualty . His film work includes Calendar Girls and Shirley Valentine .

He appeared in the role of Max Capricorn in the 2007 Doctor Who Christmas special, "Voyage of the Damned". [4]

In 1974, he joined the Liverpool Everyman Theatre Company, where he met his second wife, Jooles, remaining with the company for eight years. Whilst at the Everyman he appeared as Bert in the Willy Russell musical John, Paul, George, Ringo and Bert alongside Trevor Eve, Anthony Sher, and Bernard Hill.

In the theatre, he created the role of Mickey Johnstone in Willy Russell's musical Blood Brothers , originally at the Liverpool Playhouse, and later at the Lyric Theatre, London. He then played the role of Estragon in Samuel Beckett's play Waiting for Godot at the Manchester Library Theatre for three weeks from 16 February to 8 March 2008, and played Willy Loman in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman at York Theatre Royal in November 2008. In December 2009, it was announced that he is to join Emmerdale as a friend of Rodney Blackstock. He made his debut in the soap in March 2010 and his last appearance was shown on 23 July 2010. In April 2010, he starred as Alan, the ex-husband of Christine, Inspector Frost's new love interest in A Touch of Frost . In 2012, he appeared in William Shakespeare's King Lear at the Citizens Theatre, Glasgow, alongside David Hayman. In 2014, he appeared in Happy Valley . He resumed the role, Nevison Gallagher, in the 2016 series. He also starred in the hit TV series Line of Duty as Patrick Fairbank.

In July 2016, he played Sir Ethelred in the BBC's 3-part television adaptation of Joseph Conrad's 1907 novel The Secret Agent . [5]

His first novel The Single Soldier was published in Spring 2017. The second and third parts of the trilogy, The Soldier's Home are also published via Urbane Publishers.[ citation needed ]

Personal life

His partner is the writer Julia North, with whom he wrote a 1990 episode of Birds of a Feather . [6] They have three sons. [7] He supports Everton F.C.

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1975Jenny Can't Work Any FasterBrianTV film
1978 The Sailor's Return Harry Targett
1980 Bloody Kids School Master 2TV film
1981Somewhere More CentralHotel ManagerTV film
1983 Red Monarch ProjectionistTV film
1984 The Life and Death of King John PhilipTV film
1986 The Great Paper Chase Sargeant JonesTV film
1987 Rita, Sue and Bob Too Bob
1989 Shirley Valentine Dougie
1993 The Hawk Stephen Marsh
1995A Mind to MurderRobin CheesemanTV film
1998 Girls' Night Steve
The Tribe Micky
2000 Paranoid BryanUncredited
2001Love or MoneyTedTV film
2002 Stranded QuirkTV film
2003 Calendar Girls Eddie
2005 Frozen P.C. Pike
2007The Good SamaritanRalph MayhewTV film
Garage Dan
2008 Hancock and Joan GeorgeTV film
Summer Mr. Tanner
2010 The Arbor Jimmy 'The Wig'
Hereafter Foster Father

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1977 Second City Firsts TrevorEpisode: "Fattening Frogs for Snakes"
1978Pickersgill PeopleDuggie ButterworthEpisode: "The Sheik of Pickersgill"
1981 Screenplay TedEpisode: "Happy Since I Met You"
1982 Play for Today NolanEpisode: "Under the Skin"
Fame Is the Spur Tom HannawayMini-series, 5 episodes
The Barchester Chronicles Tom TowersMini-series, 2 episodes
1983 Widows CharlieMini-series, 4 episodes
1985 Connie ArnieSeries regular
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Wilson KempEpisode: "The Greek Interpreter"
1988 Rockliffe's Babies Johnny WilshireEpisode: "Top Man"
The Beiderbecke Connection D.C. BenMini-series, 4 episodes
London's Burning David2 episodes
1989 Bergerac Oliver SuttonEpisode: "Trenchard's Last Case"
The Jim Henson Hour FatherEpisode: "Monster Maker"
1990 Inspector Morse Ron GarrettEpisode: "The Infernal Serpent"
StolenTerry3 episodes
Casualty RobertEpisode: "Results"
London's Burning Michael2 episodes
1991 Chimera SchafferMini-series, 3 episodes
Minder Billy2 episodes
1992–1994 So Haunt Me Peter RokebySeries regular
1993 The Riff Raff Element Vincent3 episodes
Screenplay SeanEpisode: "Safe"
1994 Screen Two DonEpisode: "Sin Bin"
The Ruth Rendell Mysteries Det. Insp. MancipleEpisode: "Master of the Moor"
1995 Kavanagh QC Michael DugganEpisode: "A Family Affair"
Coogan's Run Barry ParryEpisode: "Get Calf"
1996 Madson George DartnellEpisode: #1.2
Murder Most Horrid Dave JonesEpisode: "Confess"
1997 Hetty Wainthropp Investigates Wallace PickeringEpisode: "Fisticuffs"
Casualty Martin GregoryEpisode: "Always on My Mind"
1999 Badger MoncurEpisode: "The World According to Carp"
2000 City Central DI Jack CarterSeries regular
The Bill Roxanne2 episodes: "Old Enemies" & "New Friends"
2001 Peak Practice Roy TelfordEpisode: "Win Some, Lose Some"
Holby City James Campbell3 episodes
2002 Dinotopia GeorgioEpisode: "Making Good"
Linda Green BrianEpisode: "Like Father"
Stan the ManDeakinEpisode: #1.5
2004 The Long Firm DI George MooneyMini-series, 4 episodes
2005 Down to Earth Ken FerrisEpisode: "Cowboys"
Where the Heart Is RalphEpisode: "Together"
Rose and Maloney Marcus RocheEpisode: "Alan Richmond"
2006 Dalziel and Pascoe Barry BendelowEpisode: "Glory Days"
The Inspector Lynley Mysteries Owen Harcourt-BainesEpisode: "Natural Causes"
See No Evil: The Moors Murders DCI Joe MounseyMini-series, 2 episodes
Casualty Stephen Gregory MP2 episodes: "The Edge of Fear" & "In Good Faith"
2007 The Royal Hugh EtheridgeEpisode: "Scabs"
The Whistleblowers David DurrellEpisode: "No Child Left Behind"
Doctor Who Max CapricornEpisode: "Voyage of the Damned"
2008 New Tricks Dave DalstonEpisode: "Loyalties and Royalties"
2009 Unforgiven Eddie AckroydMini-series, 2 episodes
Midsomer Murders Jack FilbyEpisode: "The Creeper"
2010 A Touch of Frost Allen MoorheadEpisode: "If Dogs Run Free"
Emmerdale Charlie HaynesSeries regular
2011 Casualty Father Vincent McConnellEpisode: "Mea Culpa"
2012 Homefront Sgt. Howard RaveleyMini-series, 6 episodes
2013 Scott & Bailey Joe Bevan3 episodes
The Great Train Robbery DCS Ernie MillenMini-series, 1 episode
2014–2023 Happy Valley Nevison GallagherSeries regular
2015 Vera Bill TellingEpisode: "Old Wounds"
2016 The Secret Agent Sir EthelredMini-series, 3 episodes
2016, 2021 Line of Duty Patrick Fairbank6 episodes
2019, 2022 Gentleman Jack James Holt7 episodes
2022 Ridley Ray TreviceEpisode: "Swansong"
2023 Maryland RichardMini-series, 3 episodes
2023, 2025 The Power of Parker DougieSeries 1 & 2; 12 episodes

References

  1. "George J. Costigan, England and Wales Birth Registration Index, 1837-2008". FamilySearch . 1947.
  2. Tim Pigott-Smith (1 June 2017). Do You Know Who I Am?: A Memoir. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 164. ISBN   978-1-4729-3425-3.
  3. "George Costigan". Shakespeare in Performance. Archived from the original on 6 February 2012. Retrieved 30 December 2007.
  4. "George Costigan". Hamilton Hodell. Archived from the original on 31 December 2007. Retrieved 30 December 2007.
  5. "The Secret Agent: Episode 1: Credits". BBC Online . Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  6. "Birds of a Feather". 2007. BBC Comedy. Retrieved 30 December 2007.
  7. "Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse Theatres". 2007. Everyman Theatre. Archived from the original on 15 December 2004. Retrieved 30 December 2007.