Jack Ellis (actor)

Last updated

Jack Ellis
Born
John Stuart Ellis

(1955-06-04) 4 June 1955 (age 69)
OccupationActor
Years active1977–present
Spouse Christine Kavanagh (divorced)
PartnerClaire Bejanin
Children2
Relatives Robin Ellis (brother)
Peter Ellis (brother)

John Stuart Ellis (born 4 June 1955) is a British theatre and television actor from London, best known for his portrayal of villainous prison officer Jim Fenner in the TV series Bad Girls . He has also appeared in ITV soap Coronation Street as Bookmaker Harry Mason.

Contents

He and his former wife Christine Kavanagh, from whom he is now divorced, have two children, Theo and Alice. Theo is the bassist in the Mercury Prize-winning band Wolf Alice. He was educated at Highgate School as were his older brothers Robin Ellis, also an actor, and Peter Ellis, a director. [1] [2]

Biography

Prior to Bad Girls , Ellis’ most prominent TV role being Detective Inspector Muddyman in Prime Suspect . Ellis was also seen in Heartbeat , and has appeared in many TV series, including in The Fugitives (2005), playing the part of Salko; Blue Murder in the episode "Steady Eddie", portraying Dan Fulford; and Highlander: The Series ; and in the film Hunter , where he played the lead role.

Ellis is one of the few performers to have acted in both Inspector Morse and its spin-off series Lewis . His first major part since Bad Girls came in summer 2006; Ellis appeared in several episodes of ITV drama Where the Heart Is as businessman Robert Ashford.

In 1994 Ellis played the part of Eddie Barton, a senior HM Customs & Excise Investigation Division officer based at Heathrow Airport who had to retire through ill health caused by motor neurone disease in all seven episodes of series one of The Knock . The disease eventually pushes him into paranoia and death by suicide.

In late 2005 Ellis starred in A Few Good Men at London's Theatre Royal, Haymarket, playing opposite Rob Lowe, John Barrowman and Suranne Jones.

Ellis started his role on Coronation Street as the new Rosamund Street betting shop owner Harry Mason in December 2007. He ran the shop with his son Dan, played by ex- The Bill star Matthew Crompton. [3] Also in 2007, Ellis appeared in an episode of Rome .

Ellis starred in the Theatre Royal, Windsor pantomime Peter Pan (Christmas 2008) playing Captain Hook.also at the Opera House Belfast in 2005.

Sam Mendes directed Ellis as Hastings in a William Shakespeare's Richard III starring Kevin Spacey. The show began in June 2011 and toured the world, culminating in a season at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York in early 2012. [4]

Later in 2012 he toured in a new production of Dickens' Great Expectations playing Jaggers. The production opened in the West End of London in February 2013 at the Vaudeville Theatre. [5]

In 2014, he starred as Deputy Governor Danforth in the much acclaimed production of The Crucible by Arthur Miller directed by Yael Farber at the Old Vic.Jack has also performed as the King and Le Diable in "Les trois Cheveux d'or du Diable" in Montlaur in French and co devised and co directed " Shakespeare Mon Amour " with Maria Cassi in Florence.

In 2016 Jack starred as Warden Stammas in the theatre production of Stephen King's The Shawshank Redemption , playing alongside Paul Nicholls and Ben Onwukwe.

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
1986 Dead Man's Folly Police Constable (uncredited)TV movie
1987 Intimate Contact 2nd FatherMiniseries (1 episode)
1987Strike It RichSteven BentleySeries 2 (regular, 6 episodes)
1987 A Perfect Spy Perce LoftMiniseries (7 episodes)
1988 Inspector Morse SergeantSeries 2, Episode 3
1988 The Comic Strip Presents... Party GuestSeries 4, Episode 5
1989 The Paradise Club GingerSeries 1, Episode 1
1990 The Bill D.S. HooperSeries 6, Episode 77
1990 Casualty Sergeant ChancellorSeries 5, Episode 8
1990 Close to Home DavidSeries 2, Episode 8
1990Hollywood HeartbreakJamesFeature film
1991 Lovejoy Detective InspectorSeries 2, Episode 4
1991–1995 Prime Suspect DI Tony MuddymanSeries 1, 2 & 4 (regular, 5 episodes)
1991 Chancer Chief Inspector BeckSeries 2, Episodes 4 & 6
1992 Van der Valk Frans OpstelSeries 5, Episode 1
1992 A Dangerous Man: Lawrence After Arabia Security GuardTV movie
1993 Anna Lee Hospital DoctorTV movie (pilot)
1993 Rides JerrySeries 2, Episode 1
1994 The Knock Eddie BartonSeries 1 (regular, 7 episodes)
1994CasualtyBernieSeries 9, Episode 3
1994 MacGyver: Trail to Doomsday Joseph (uncredited)TV movie
1995 99-1 LewisSeries 2, Episodes 5 & 6
1995 The Chief Phil CausleySeries 5, Episode 1
1996 The One That Got Away SAS OfficerTV movie
1996 Beck Gavin MitchamSeries 1, Episodes 1 & 2
1997 Wycliffe Miles TrednorSeries 4, Episode 3
1997 Wing and a Prayer Conrad WestholmeSeries 1, Episode 3
1997 Thief Takers Laurie StoneSeries 3, Episodes 7 & 8
1998 Hetty Wainthropp Investigates Brian PowellSeries 3, Episode 6
1998 Highlander: The Series BartholomewSeries 6, Episode 10
1998 City Central Alex MooreSeries 1, Episode 1
1998 House Gang DaveSeries 2, Episode 4
1999 An Unsuitable Job for a Woman Stephen ChildsSeries 2, Episode 2
1999–2005 Bad Girls Jim Fenner Series 1–7 (regular, 88 episodes)
1999 Heartbeat Malcolm ColbourneSeries 9, Episode 12
2000 Distant Shadow Security GuardFeature film
2002 Waking the Dead Police CommissionerSeries 2, Episodes 7 & 8
2003 Sweet Medicine Matthew LawrenceSeries 1, Episode 1
2003 Holby City Richard SmedleySeries 5, Episode 51
2005 The Fugitives SalkoSeries 1 (regular, 7 episodes)
2006 Lewis Rex GriffonPilot Episode
2006 Where the Heart Is Robert AshfordSeries 10 (recurring, 6 episodes)
2006 Blue Murder Dan FulfordSeries 3, Episode 1
2006Hunterunnamed roleShort film
2007 Outlaw Kelly's Father (uncredited)Feature film
2007 Rome BibulusSeries 2, Episode 9
2007–2008 Coronation Street Harry Mason (Regular, 85 episodes)
2008 House of Saddam US Section CommanderMiniseries (1 episode)
2009 It's Alive Prof. BaldwinFeature film
2010Sailor BoyTugShort film
2012Candle to WaterMarlowFeature film
2013 Great Expectations JaggersScreened theatre production
2013StandHim (voice)Short film
2014 New Tricks David HalburtonSeries 11, Episode 7
2014The CrucibleDeputy Governor DanforthScreened theatre production
2016 Vera Brian HallamSeries 6, Episode 3
20178 Days That Made RomeJulius CaesarMiniseries (1 episode)
2018 Versailles Prison GovernorSeries 3, Episodes 2, 3 & 4
2019 Doctors David AnderstonSeries 20, Episode 44

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Derek Jacobi</span> English actor (born 1938)

Sir Derek George Jacobi is an English actor. He is known for his work at the Royal National Theatre and for his film and television roles. He has received numerous accolades including a BAFTA Award, two Olivier Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and a Tony Award. He was given a knighthood for his services to theatre by Queen Elizabeth II in 1994.

Robert Lindsay Stevenson, known professionally as Robert Lindsay, is an English actor and narrator. He has appeared with the Royal Shakespeare Company and in musical theatre, and is the recipient of a British Academy Television Award, a Tony Award, and two Laurence Olivier Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martin Shaw</span> English actor (born 1945)

Martin Shaw is an English stage, television, and film actor. He came to national recognition in the role of Ray Doyle in ITV crime-action television drama series The Professionals (1977–1983). Further notable television parts include the title roles in The Chief (1993–1995), Judge John Deed (2001–2007) and Inspector George Gently (2007–2017). He has also acted on stage and in film, and has narrated numerous audiobooks and presented various television series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robin Ellis</span> British actor and writer (born 1942)

Anthony Robin Ellis is a British actor and cookery book writer best known for his role as Captain Ross Poldark in the 29 episodes of the 1975 BBC classic series Poldark, adapted from a series of books by the British author Winston Graham. He also appeared in Fawlty Towers, Cluedo, The Good Soldier, Elizabeth R, The Moonstone, Bel Ami, Sense and Sensibility, The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes, She Loves Me and Blue Remembered Hills. In 2015–17 and 2019 he appeared in the Poldark series remake as Reverend Halse.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roger Allam</span> British actor (born 1953)

Roger William Allam is a British actor who has performed on stage, in film, on television and radio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marius Goring</span> British actor (1912–1998)

Marius Re Goring was an English stage and screen actor. He is best remembered for the four films he made with Powell & Pressburger, particularly as Conductor 71 in A Matter of Life and Death and as Julian Craster in The Red Shoes. He is also known for playing the titular role in the long-running TV drama series, The Expert. He regularly performed French and German roles, and was frequently cast in the latter because of his name, coupled with his red-gold hair and blue eyes. However, in a 1965 interview, he explained that he was not of German descent, stating that "Goring is a completely English name."

Simon Rouse is an English actor, known for playing the role of Detective Chief Inspector, later Superintendent, Jack Meadows in the long-running ITV police drama The Bill.

Paula Wilcox is an English actress. She played Chrissy Plummer in the ITV sitcom Man About The House from 1973 to 1976, and also had roles in TV shows such as The Lovers, Miss Jones and Son, The Queen’s Nose, The Smoking Room, Emmerdale, Mount Pleasant, Boomers, Upstart Crow and Girlfriends. From 2020 to 2023, Wilcox appeared as Elaine Jones in Coronation Street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sophie Thompson</span> British actress (born 1962)

Sophie Thompson is a British actress. She has worked in film, television and theatre and she won the 1999 Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for the London revival of Into the Woods. She has been nominated for the Olivier Award five other times for Wildest Dreams (1994), Company (1996), Clybourne Park (2011) Guys and Dolls (2016) and Present Laughter (2019).

John Woodvine is an English actor who has appeared in more than 70 theatre productions, as well as a similar number of television and film roles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rupert Penry-Jones</span> British actor (born 1970)

Rupert William Penry-Jones is a British actor. He is known for his performances as Adam Carter in Spooks, Clive Reader in Silk, DI Joseph Chandler in Whitechapel, and Mr. Quinlan in the American horror series The Strain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reece Dinsdale</span> English actor (born 1959)

Reece Dinsdale is an English actor and director. His credits include Threads (1984), A Private Function (1984), Winter Flight (1984), Home to Roost, Haggard (1990), ID (1994), Hamlet (1996), Murder in Mind (2000), Spooks (2003), Life on Mars (2006), Silent Witness (2008), Ahead of the Class, Conviction, The Chase, Love Lies Bleeding, Midnight Man, Coronation Street (2008-2010), Moving On (2011), Waterloo Road (2011), The Knife That Killed Me (2012), and Emmerdale (2020-2021).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicky Henson</span> British actor (1945–2019)

Nicholas Victor Leslie Henson was a British actor.

Jonathan Cake is an English actor who has worked on various TV programmes and films. His notable screen roles include Jack Favell in Rebecca (1997), Oswald Mosley in Mosley (1997), Japheth in the NBC television film Noah's Ark (1999), Tyrannus in the ABC miniseries Empire (2005) and Det. Chuck Vance on the ABC drama series Desperate Housewives (2011–2012).

Peter Ellis is an English actor. Ellis has worked extensively in theatre and television both as an actor and director. He spent four seasons with the Royal Shakespeare Company, as well as spending five years at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, and three years with the Old Vic Company which included playing Benvolio in Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet, Hotspur in Henry IV, Part 1 and later Rosencrantz in a world tour of Hamlet starring Derek Jacobi. He also played Guildenstern in Hamlet on the site of the new Globe Theatre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Haygarth</span> English television, film and theatre actor (1945–2017)

George Anthony Haygarth was an English television, film and theatre actor.

Paul Popplewell is a British actor who has appeared in BAFTA, BIFA, Emmy, RTS, Sundance and Cannes Palme d'Or winning and nominated Film and TV productions. Paul is known for his role as Simon in the BBC Two TV film drama Criminal (1994). He has also appeared in Happy Mondays' Paul Ryder in 24 Hour Party People (2001), Tyrannosaur (2011), and Black Mirror's "Fifteen Million Merits" (2011). He also played Paul Pegg in Casualty (2021–2023).

Steffan Rhodri is a Welsh film and television actor, best known for portraying Dave Coaches in the comedy series Gavin & Stacey.

Christine Mary Kavanagh is an English actress.

William Henry Ellis is an English actor, voice artist and podcaster known for Great Expectations, Dragon Quest Swords, Queen of the Desert, Parade's End, The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler and EastEnders

References

  1. Swann, Yvonne (22 September 2005). "My CV: Jack Ellis". Daily Mirror . Retrieved 14 May 2009.
  2. Hughes, Patrick; Davies, Ian F. (eds.). Highgate School Register 1833-1988 (7th ed.).
  3. Green, Kris (15 October 2007). "Former 'Bad Girls' actor joins Corrie". Digital Spy. Retrieved 29 August 2015.
  4. "Richard III cast update at Old Vic from 18 June". londontheatre.co.uk. 20 April 2011. Retrieved 29 August 2015.
  5. Merrifield, Nicola (14 December 2012). "Vaudeville Theatre to host Great Expectations adaptation". The Stage. Retrieved 29 August 2015.