Joe Tracini | |
---|---|
Born | Joe James Pasquale 19 July 1988 Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England |
Nationality | British |
Alma mater | Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts |
Years active | 2005–present |
Television | My Spy Family (2007–2010) Coming of Age (2008–2011) Hollyoaks (2011–2014, 2018) The Dengineers (2017–2022) |
Parents |
|
Joe Tracini (born Joe James Pasquale; 19 July 1988) is an English actor, presenter and author. He appeared in the role of Dennis Savage in the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks . [1] His previous TV acting credits have included the BBC Three comedy series Coming of Age and the Boomerang children's sitcom My Spy Family . His theatre credits include Spamalot , starring in the role of Patsy during a touring version of the production in 2015. [2] In 2022, he published his first book, Ten Things I Hate About Me. [3]
Joe Tracini was born in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, the son of comedian Joe Pasquale and his second wife, Debbie Pasquale. [4] The family subsequently moved to Kent and Joe was brought up in Higham, near Rochester. He was educated at King's School, Rochester and the Rochester Independent College. Having finished school, Tracini joined the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts in London where he completed a National Diploma in Performing Arts in early 2007. As well as being an actor, Tracini also trained as a magician, having taken an interest in magic at the age of two. In 2003, he received the title of ‘British Junior Magical Champion’ which he won at the Blackpool Opera House in front of 3,000 international magicians. At the same time he also won the title of ‘Most Promising Comedy Act of 2003’, chosen and presented by Ken Dodd, as well as coming third in The Magic Circle's 'Young Magician Of The Year' competition.
Tracini's first theatre appearance came in a Christmas 2005 pantomime version of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at the Cliffs Pavilion in Southend. The following year, having started his studies at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts, he went on to perform in a number of their in-house productions including A Chorus Line and Sexual Perversity in Chicago , as well as a tour version of Richard III , in which he portrayed the title character. In 2007, he returned to the pantomime stage to take on the title role in Peter Pan at the Churchill Theatre in Bromley. [5] A year later he reprised the role, this time at the Beck Theatre in Hayes alongside Leslie Grantham in the role of Captain Hook. [6] By 2009, despite a heavy filming schedule with Coming of Age and My Spy Family , he once again returned to the stage to take on the role of Buttons in Cinderella at The Hawth in Crawley [7] where he received rave reviews from the local media. [8]
Having taken a year off in 2010, he returned to pantomime in 2011 playing the role of Wishee Washee in Aladdin alongside Larry Lamb at the Ashcroft Theatre in Croydon. The following year, Tracini returned to the role of Buttons, this time at the Barbican Centre in York alongside his close friend Dani Harmer and ex- EastEnders star Joe Swash. Due to his filming schedule for Hollyoaks , he again took a break from the pantomime stage in 2013, however having completed his work with the soap, he returned to the stage in November 2014, once again reprising the role of Buttons in Cinderella at Wolverhampton's Grand Theatre alongside Julian Clary and The X Factor (UK series 4) star Niki Evans. [9] In early April 2015, it was confirmed that Tracini would be taking over from Todd Carty in the role of Patsy in the UK tour of Spamalot . The musical's cast already included his father, Joe Pasquale, who had extended his run starring as King Arthur. [10]
Year | Title | Role | Company | Theatre |
---|---|---|---|---|
2005–2006 | Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs [11] | Drummer Boy | Qdos Christmas Panto | Cliffs Pavilion, Southend |
2006 | A Chorus Line [12] | Ensemble | Italia Conti Production | Avondale Theatre, Clapham |
Sexual Perversity in Chicago [13] | Danny Shapiro | Italia Conti Production | Landor Theatre, Clapham | |
Richard III [14] | Richard III | Complete Works Production | Tour | |
2007–2008 | Peter Pan [15] | Peter Pan | First Family Entertainment Panto | Churchill Theatre, Bromley |
2008–2009 | Peter Pan [16] | Peter Pan | Qdos Christmas Panto | Beck Theatre, Hayes |
2009–2010 | Cinderella [17] | Buttons | Qdos Christmas Panto | The Hawth, Crawley |
2011–2012 | Aladdin [18] | Wishee Washee | Evolution Pantomimes | Ashcroft Theatre, Croydon |
2012 | Cinderella [19] | Buttons | Blue Genie Entertainment | Barbican Centre, York |
2014–2015 | Cinderella [20] | Buttons | Qdos Christmas Panto | Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton |
2015 | Spamalot [21] | Patsy | Ambassador Theatre Group | Tour |
2020–2021 | Damian's Pop Up Panto [22] | Billy | Evolution Productions | Crucible Theatre, Sheffield |
2022–2023 | Jack and the Beanstalk | Jack | Norwich Theatre Royal |
His television career started in 2004 when he was a guest on CITV STEM show Prove It! . He fully made his television debut in 2007 as Spike Bannon in My Spy Family airing on Boomerang. Following the success of the first series, he would go on to reprise his role in both the second and third series before the show eventually ended in January 2010. In 2007, Tracini was also cast in the role of Darren 'DK' Karrimore in a pilot for the new BBC Three situation comedy Coming of Age . The first series, airing in 2008 was well received enjoying an average weekly reach of 1.2 million. Subsequent second and third series followed, where Tracini continued to gain plaudits for his outlandish performances, however in 2011 the decision was made to axe the show. [23] In 2010, Tracini also played the role of Victor in the single series of the BBC Four comedy The Great Outdoors .
In August 2011, it was announced that Tracini would be joining the cast of long-running Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks in the role of Dennis Savage. [24] Like Lee Hunter, Dennis was primarily intended to take on comedic storylines. His first appearance was broadcast on 11 November 2011. After only six months in the role, Tracini was nominated for Best Comedy Performance at the British Soap Awards 2012, but was beaten to the award by Coronation Street's Stephanie Cole. Later that year Tracini was nominated for "Funniest Male" at the Inside Soap Awards 2012, but missed out on that award too, being beaten by EastEnders's Ricky Norwood. For the following two years, Tracini was again nominated in the same category, but on both occasions lost out to Coronation Street's Simon Gregson. In April 2014 it was announced that he would be leaving the soap with his final scenes broadcast in November of that year. In total, he appeared in 165 episodes. He will return to Hollyoaks in August 2018 for a brief stint. From 2017 to present, Tracini hosts the CBBC DIY series The Dengineers with Lauren Layfield, he replaced Mark Wright in series 3.
Year | Title | Role | Network | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
2007–2010 | My Spy Family | Spike Bannon | Boomerang | Series 1–3 (12 episodes) |
2008–2011 | Coming of Age | Darren 'DK' Karrimore | BBC Three | Series 1–3 (23 episodes) |
2008 | Bewitched | Milo | BBC | Pilot |
Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps | Darren 'DK' Karrimore | BBC Three | 2009 Comic Relief Special "When Janet Met Michelle" | |
2010 | The Great Outdoors | Victor | BBC Four | Series 1 (3 episodes) |
Inn Mates | Josh | BBC Three | Pilot | |
2011–2014, 2018 | Hollyoaks | Dennis Savage | Channel 4 | Serial Soap (165 episodes) |
2017– | The Dengineers | Co-presenter | CBBC | Series 3 onwards |
2017, 2018 | Saturday Mash-Up! | Himself | CBBC | 2 episode |
Away from television roles, he also played the title role in Roderick Fenske's short film Future Dave, and took on the role of Tony Blackburn alongside Keith Chegwin and Susannah Fielding in the British comedy horror film Kill Keith .
Year | Title | Role | Director | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
2010 | Future Dave | Dave | Roderick Fenske | Short Film |
Kill Keith | Tony Blackburn | Andy Thompson |
Tracini's first book - Ten things I hate about me - was first published in December 2022 by Trapeze. A memoir focusing on mental health, it was well received. [25] The book discusses suicide and borderline personality disorder, using Tracini's trademark combination of humour and sincerity
In 2019, Tracini revealed over Twitter that he had been struggling with addiction issues and had been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. [26]
Leslie Dennis Heseltine is an English television presenter, actor and comedian. He presented Family Fortunes from 1987 until 2002.
Darren Day is an English actor, singer and television presenter, known for his West End theatre starring roles.
Mark Little is an Australian actor, television presenter, comedian and screen/stage writer. He is known for portraying the role of Joe Mangel from 1988 to 1991, 2005 and 2022 on the Australian soap opera Neighbours.
Joseph Ellis Pasquale is an English comedian, actor and television presenter. He is well-known for his squeaky, high-pitched voice.
Ryan Moloney is an Australian actor, known for his portrayal of the fictional character Jarrod "Toadfish" Rebecchi in the Australian soap opera Neighbours from 1995 until his departure in 2024.
Buttons is a traditional character in Cinderella pantomimes, and is commonly portrayed in Cinderella pantomimes throughout the UK and Australia. He is typically a male servant of the household who helps Cinderella and loves her, and who is liked and trusted but not loved by her. The character has sometimes been called Pedro.
Martin Christopher Jarvis is an English actor, presenter and writer who has appeared mainly on children's television for the BBC since 1992, apart from 2000 to 2002 when he was working with ITV and Channel 4. In 2019, he started a radio station for children called Little Radio.
Andrew William Agnew is a Scottish actor, singer and director. He is best known for playing the role of PC Plum in the BAFTA award-winning CBeebies programme Balamory, Tam in CBeebies Woolly & Tig and Walter in Scots Squad.
Michael Starke is a British actor and singer from Liverpool, England. He played Thomas 'Sinbad' Sweeney in Brookside, the Channel 4 soap opera, for sixteen years.
Gemma Bissix is an English actress. She has been acting since the age of 9. Her most prominent roles have been in soap operas, as Clare Bates in EastEnders and Clare Devine in Hollyoaks ; she was awarded with two British Soap Awards for the latter role. Away from soap opera, Bissix has appeared in various television programmes and she competed in the 2009 series of Dancing on Ice. She has appeared in various pantomimes. Bissix returned to Hollyoaks in 2013.
Hayley Soraya Tamaddon is a British actress. She is known for her roles in the ITV soap operas as Del Dingle in Emmerdale and Andrea Beckett in Coronation Street.
Thomas John Law is an English actor and singer. He is known for portraying the role of Peter Beale in the BBC soap opera EastEnders from 2006 to 2010, before reprising the role from 2023 onwards. Between 2021 and 2023, he appeared in the ITV drama series The Bay as DC Eddie Martin.
Nick Pickard is an English actor. He is known for his portrayal of Tony Hutchinson in the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, a role he has held since its first episode in 1995; he remains the longest-serving cast member and in 2017, won the British Soap Award for Outstanding Achievement.
Ieuan Rhys is a Welsh actor. His television work has included thirteen years in the BBC Cymru soap opera Pobol y Cwm, Seargent Tom Swann in the last series of A Mind to Kill and six series of the Welsh-language version of Mr & Mrs – Sion a Sian for HTV. For the last four series he portrayed Eurig Bell, the "not to be messed with" Deputy Headmaster in S4C's Gwaith/Cartref.
Kieron Mark Richardson is an English actor and television presenter. He plays the role of Ste Hay in Hollyoaks, having previously appeared in Heartbeat as Ricky Smith. He won the British Soap Award for Best Onscreen Partnership with Hollyoaks co-star Emmett J. Scanlan in 2013.
John Pickard is an English actor, best known for playing David Porter in the BBC sitcom 2point4 Children, and Dominic Reilly in Channel 4's Hollyoaks.
Rita Joanne Simons is an English actress and singer. She is best known for portraying the role of Roxy Mitchell in the BBC soap opera EastEnders from 2007 to 2017, when her character was killed off, alongside her on screen character's sister Ronnie Mitchell. For her performance on the show Simons received many accolades, including the 2008 National Television Award for Most Popular Newcomer.
David Peter S. Witts is a British actor and model, best known for his portrayal of Joey Branning in the British television soap opera EastEnders, in which he appeared from 2012 to 2013.
Jonathan Clegg is a British comedian and impressionist, who is best known for finishing seventh in the eighth series of Britain's Got Talent.
David Mabibolla Taghinejad, known professionally as David Tag, is an English actor. He is known for portraying the role of Sylver McQueen in the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks from June 2018 until January 2022.