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Michael McKell | |
|---|---|
| Born | 10 February 1959 |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1985–present |
| Television | |
Michael McKell (born 10 February 1959) is an English actor and singer. His career began in music, co-writing various songs for Toyah Willcox, Dollar and Julien Clerc, as well as embarking on a brief solo career. McKell then focused on acting and became known for playing Inspector Trevor Hands in Murder Investigation Team (2003–2005), Dr. Nick West in Doctors (2006–2008) and Nick Henshall in Emmerdale (2008–2011). Alongside various television and theatre roles, McKell has led an established film career since the 1990s, having appeared in numerous films including Essex Boys (2000), Once Upon a Time in London (2019) and Prizefighter: The Life of Jem Belcher (2022).
McKell was born on 10 February 1959 in Tottenham, Haringey, in his grandparents' house. He was initially to be named Paul, chosen by his mother, but after weeks of not having a registered name, his father registered him as Michael. Alongside his mother, a factory worker, and his father, a chargehand, moved to Walthamstow in his youth. Growing up, the family had money troubles. [1]
McKell started his working life as a musician. He was the singer/songwriter for the band The Park, penning hits for Toyah Willcox, Dollar and Julien Clerc. His solo career after deals with Phonogram, WEA and EMI was cut short by a near fatal car crash in August 1991. [2]
In 1985, he toured as Michael St James with French star Julien Clerc and worked with French singer–songwriter Serge Gainsbourg. McKell released an EP, Shower over Moon Street, in 2009 and performed tracks from his album Shower over Moon Street at the Royal Albert Hall in November 2009. "Save Me", the first single from the album, was released on 25 July 2010. In 2022, he released the album The Last Picture Show. [3]
McKell is known for appearing in two British soap operas, Doctors , in which he played Dr. Nick West from 2006 until the character was run over and killed in 2008, [4] and Emmerdale , in which he played DC Nick Henshall over two separate periods from 2008 to 2011, until the character committed suicide. He has also appeared in a third soap opera, EastEnders , as the hitman Carter who supposedly killed Paul Trueman under the orders of Andy Hunter. For his role as Nick in Doctors, McKell received nominations for Sexiest Male at the 2006, 2007 and 2008 British Soap Awards. [5] [6] [7] His exit storyline later saw a nomination at the 2009 ceremony. [8] [9]
He is also known for playing D.S./D.I. Trevor Hands in two series of the ITV drama Murder Investigation Team , two series of Channel 4's Totally Frank and the BBC series Blessed , playing Ronnie, a Jaggeresque musician. [10]
McKell starred in the cult film Essex Boys alongside Sean Bean as drug dealer Wayne Lovell. Other films include Beneath Still Waters, Acts of Godfrey, The Low Down, Blood, Bar, Death, Freight, Shouting Men, Outpost: Rise of the Spetsnaz , Hatton Garden: the Heist and Who Needs Enemies. [10] McKell played the titular roles in Steve Lawson's 2021 film Jekyll and Hyde , and appeared in 2022's Prizefighter with Matt Hookings, Ray Winstone and Russell Crowe. [11]
McKell appeared in a production of Macbeth at the Lyric Hammersmith in the late 1990s. He has appeared in West End musicals, including Blood Brothers and the Rod Stewart musical Tonight's the Night , written and directed by Ben Elton. Elton later went on to write the character Ronnie for McKell in his BBC comedy Blessed. McKell played "Lank" in the double Olivier winning production of Crazy for You in 2012 and returned to the role he created "Stoner" in the 2014 production of Tonight's the Night. [12]
From January to July 2015, McKell co-starred with Tina Hobley, Jamie Lomas, Rik Makarem and Gray O'Brien in a nationwide touring production of Peter James's Dead Simple. [13] From September to October 2015, McKell appeared with Nick Moran in Roaring Trade at the Park Theatre. [14]
From 7 December 2015 to 3 January 2016, McKell appeared in his first pantomime as Abanazar in Aladdin at the Derby Arena. [15] McKell then portrayed Paul in Irvine Welsh's play Creatives at the Edinburgh Festival 2017. McKell embarked on a UK and Ireland tour when he appeared in We Will Rock You from 2019. [16]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Blood | Guy | |
| 2000 | Essex Boys | Wayne Lovell | |
| 2000 | The Low Down | Pubman | |
| 2000 | Kitchen Sync | Man | Short film |
| 2001 | Bar | Barman | |
| 2005 | Beneath Still Waters | Dan Quarry | |
| 2010 | Freight | Vasile | |
| 2011 | Will | First Detective | |
| 2012 | Acts of Godfrey | Billy McGann | |
| 2012 | After Death | Buck Darrenson | |
| 2013 | Outpost: Rise of the Spetsnaz | Colonel Strasser | |
| 2013 | Who Needs Enemies | Ian | |
| 2014 | O. | Sgt. Miles | |
| 2015 | Shoe Polish | Sidney | Short film |
| 2016 | Essex Vendetta | Spencer | |
| 2016 | Hatton Garden: the Heist | Basil | |
| 2016 | Allied | German Officer at Anfa Café | |
| 2017 | The Birth of Boxing | Frank the Ringmaster | Short film |
| 2017 | Freehold | Gerry | |
| 2017 | Transhuman | Michael | |
| 2017 | Leonard | Bernie | Short film |
| 2018 | Winter Ridge | John Faulkner | |
| 2018 | Where Hands Touch | Gestapo #4 | |
| 2018 | The Guard of Auschwitz | Klaus | |
| 2019 | The Cloaking | Doctor Michael Thompson | |
| 2019 | Once Upon a Time in London | Detective Rogers | |
| 2019 | 13 Graves | Len | |
| 2019 | I Know What You Did | Michael Downey | |
| 2019 | The Angel of Auschwitz | Josef Mengele Senior | |
| 2019 | Abatement | Andrew | |
| 2019 | Pentagram | Oliver | |
| 2019 | Lucas and Albert | Tony Mac | |
| 2019 | A Midwinter Night's Dream | The Vicar | Short film |
| 2021 | Splinter | Bobby | |
| 2021 | Jekyll and Hyde | Henry Jekyll / Mr Hyde | |
| 2022 | Darkheart Manor | Buck Darrenson | |
| 2022 | Prizefighter: The Life of Jem Belcher | Frank the Bomber | |
| 2022 | Reset | Doctor Frank | Short film |
| 2023 | Trafficking | The Duke | |
| 2023 | A New Breed of Criminal | Vic | |
| 2023 | The New Housekeeper | Leading Detective | |
| 2023 | Thieves in the Night | Mike | |
| 2024 | War Blade | — | |
| 2025 | Treasures of Terror Vol 3 | Vicar |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2010 | The Bill | Various | 7 episodes |
| 1996 | Madson | Ray McGreevy | 1 episode |
| 1996 | Thief Takers | Jones | Episode: "Nasty Boys" |
| 1997 | Supply & Demand | Police Observer | Television film |
| 1997 | The Vanishing Man | Steve | Television film |
| 1998 | Animal Ark | Jude Somers | Episode: "Donkey on the Doorstep" |
| 1999 | Kavanagh QC | Clifford Luscombe | Episode: "End Game" |
| 1999 | CI5: The New Professionals | Phoenix | Episode: "Phoenix" |
| 2000 | Lock, Stock... | Terry Gardner | Episode: "...And Two Sips" |
| 2000 | Urban Gothic | Dr. Stillman | Episode: "Cry Wolf" |
| 2002 | NCS: Manhunt | Lee Wilde | Recurring role |
| 2003 | A Touch of Frost | Flynn | Episode: "Hidden Truth" |
| 2003 | Danielle Cable: Eyewitness | Terry Cable | Television film |
| 2003–2005 | Murder Investigation Team | Trevor Hands | Main role |
| 2004 | EastEnders | Carter | Guest role |
| 2005 | Holby City | Billy Andrews | Episode: "Dignity" |
| 2005 | Blessed | Ronnie | Main role |
| 2005–2006 | Totally Frank | David | Recurring role |
| 2006–2008 | Doctors | Nick West | Regular role |
| 2008–2011 | Emmerdale | Nick Henshall | Regular role |
| 2009 | Myths | Daedalus | Episode: "The Fall of Icarus" |
| 2013 | Casualty | Paul Rivers | Episode: "Three's a Crowd" |
| 2013 | Marple | Frank Stanford | Episode: "Endless Night" |
| 2015 | Cradle to Grave | Joey Churcher | 1 episode |
| 2016 | Obsession: Dark Desires | Bill | Episode: "The Devil in the Pews" |
| 2017 | Brussel | Gordon | Recurring role |
| 2018 | Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators | Len Tekler | Episode: "The Rascal Cook" |
| 2019 | Vera | Michael Claythorpe | Episode: "The Seagull" |
| 2021 | The Engineering That Built the World | Joseph Strauss | Episode: "Battle of the Bridges" |
| Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | British Soap Awards | Sexiest Male | Doctors | Nominated |
| 2007 | Nominated | |||
| 2008 | Nominated | |||
| 2009 | Best Exit | Nominated |
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