Rob Heyland

Last updated

Rob Heyland (born 2 April 1954) is an Anglo-Irish screenwriter, actor and landscape designer.

Contents

Early life and education

Heyland was born in London to Irish parents and brought up in Kent where his father was a GP. He was educated at The King’s School, Canterbury and studied acting at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London (1976-9).

Career

Landscape Design

At Central, with a child to support, Rob created Gaylord and Merriweather – Good Gardeners of Hampstead, a landscape company. Over the following ten years he built gardens for Charles Dance, Alfred Brendel, Michael Palin, Phil Collins, Janet Suzman, Jeremy Irons and many others. Employees included Joe Swift and Nick Franglen.

Acting

On leaving Central, Rob and his wife Victoria were involved in the setting up of Burgh House arts and community centre in Hampstead and became the centre's first administrators (1979-1984). At the same time Rob started his acting career as a founder member of The Kick Theatre Company with Deborah Warner.

Heyland and Warner took over the running of the New End Theatre in Hampstead. They opened with Anthony Minghella’s Whale Music. They commissioned Steven Berkoff to write Decadence, with Linda Marlowe, which had its premier at the theatre. They also brought Judi Dench and her husband Michael Williams in their final performance together in Village Wooing. Heyland established a thriving late night review spot at the theatre, which hosted, amongst others, the Edinburgh Fringe award winning Cambridge Footlights team of Stephen Fry, Emma Thompson, Hugh Laurie and Tony Slattery in their first London performances. They also established The Wow Show, a rolling revue involving up-and-coming comedians.

Heyland began his professional acting career playing Policeman in a 1982 episode of The Professionals entitled Cry Wolf [1] His only line of dialogue was: “Grub up Miller”. He had two lines in Reilly, Ace of Spies (1983) and then went on to land the lead role of Donald Turner in the prime time BBC TV series One By One – (three series - 1984–1987) (Viewing figures reached 15 million) . [2]

One By One led to him starring in Pepperami adverts, including “Venus Fly Trap” and “Piranha”. Latterly, not much liking working in front of the camera, Heyland focused on theatre.

Theatre credits include Henry VIII in A Man For All Seasons at Birmingham Rep, with Denys Hawthorne as Sir Thomas More. A season with The Royal Shakespeare Company playing The Prince in Romeo and Juliet, with Mark Rylance as Romeo, Cloten in Cymbeline and The Priest in Have. Heyland was Baron Tuzenbach in The Three Sisters at the Albery Theater in London’s West End with Francesca Annis, Susan Penhaligon, Ian Ogilvy, Hywel Bennett, and Ron Cook. It was directed by Elijah Moshinsky, with Sam Mendes as assistant. Touring credits include: Trevor Tinsley in Funny Peculiar and Mellors in Lady Chatterley’s Lover.

Script Writing

Heyland began his writing career in 1991, as part of the team that helped Tony Garnett to create BBC’s hit series Between The Lines (1992-4), starring Neil Pearson. Heyland wrote 7 episodes over 3 seasons (BAFTA, Writers Guild, Broadcasting Press Guild.)

Heyland developed, co-produced and wrote Have Your Cake and Eat It [3] (1997) starring Sinead Cusack (Royal Television Award for Best Actress), James Bolam, Phillip Glenister, Rebecca Front, James Purefoy, and Honeysuckle Weeks.

Other shows created by Heyland include Bomber (ITV film, 2000), with Mark Strong; Promoted To Glory (ITV film. 2003) with Ken Stott, Lesley Manville and Kevin Whately; [4] Ultimate Force (ITV series, 4 seasons – 2002–2007) with Ross Kemp; [5] Whistleblower (RTE, two part film, 2008) with Charlene McKenna and Adrian Dunbar, (Best drama IFTA and Celtic Film Awards, IFTA).

Other TV writing credits include: Wycliffe , Thief Takers , Kavanagh QC , Out of Hours , Heartbeat , The Scarlet Pimpernel , Foyle's War , Robin Hood and Striking Out .

He is currently developing a French Revolution series with Sir Simon Schama.

Politics

Heyland was a founder member of the Social Democrat Party. He was on the policy committee and stood for election in Belsize ward in the local elections in Camden. He was also a member of the 300 group, pushing for greater representation of women in parliament. He has spoken on platforms against consumerism and how it will destroy the planet. “A finite planet and a system of infinite growth are not compatible”.

Personal life

Heyland has been married to Victoria for 45 years. They have 4 children, Florence, Alfred, Lily and Clemency and 10 grandchildren and live in West Cork and South Devon. These grandchildren include Reuben and Juliette.

Related Research Articles

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

Sir Derek George Jacobi is an English actor. Jacobi 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Warner (actor)</span> British actor (1941–2022)

David Hattersley Warner was an English actor who worked in film, television and theatre. Warner's lanky, often haggard appearance lent itself to a variety of villainous characters as well as more sympathetic roles across stage and screen. He received accolades such as a Primetime Emmy Award and nominations for a BAFTA Award and Screen Actors Guild Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Kitchen</span> English actor

Michael Roy Kitchen is an English actor and television producer, best known for his starring role as Detective Chief Superintendent Christopher Foyle in the ITV drama Foyle's War, which comprised eight series between 2002 and 2015. He also played the role of Bill Tanner in two James Bond films opposite Pierce Brosnan, and that of John Farrow in BBC Four's comedy series Brian Pern.

Niamh Cusack is an Irish actress. Born to a family with deep roots in the performing arts, Cusack has been involved as a performer since a young age. She has served with the UK's two leading theatre companies, the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal National Theatre and has performed in a long line of major stage productions since the mid-1980s. She has made numerous appearances on television including a long-running role as Dr. Kate Rowan in the UK series Heartbeat (1992–1995) which made her a household name and favourite. She has often worked as a voice actress on radio, and her film credits include a starring role in In Love with Alma Cogan (2011).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Barkworth</span> English actor

Peter Wynn Barkworth was an English actor. He twice won the BAFTA TV Award for Best Actor; for Crown Matrimonial in 1975 and for Professional Foul and The Country Party in 1978. He also starred in the ITV series Manhunt (1970) and the BBC series Telford's Change (1979). His film appearances included Where Eagles Dare (1968), Patton (1970), International Velvet (1978) and Champions (1984).

Reece Dinsdale is an English actor and director of stage, film and television. He is a Huddersfield Town fan. In 2017 he became a patron of the Square Chapel, an arts centre in Halifax. He is also an honorary patron of The Old Courts multi-arts centre in Wigan

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Hayman</span> Scottish actor and director

David Hayman is a Scottish film, television and stage actor and director. His acting credits include Sid and Nancy (1986), Hope and Glory (1987), Rob Roy (1995), The Jackal (1997), Trial & Retribution (1997-2009), Legionnaire (1998), Ordinary Decent Criminal (2000), Vertical Limit (2000), The Tailor of Panama (2001), Flood (2007), The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (2008), The Paradise (2012), Taboo (2017), Our Ladies (2019), The Nest (2020), Bull (2021), and Andor (2022).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laurence Payne</span>

Laurence Stanley Payne was an English actor and novelist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Schofield (actor)</span> English actor

David Schofield is an English actor. He is best known for his role as Ian Mercer in the films Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006) and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007). He also appeared in the films An American Werewolf in London (1981), Gladiator (2000), From Hell (2001), Valkyrie (2008), The Wolfman (2010) and Darkest Hour (2017).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael McElhatton</span> Irish actor and writer

Michael McElhatton is an Irish actor and writer. He is best known for playing the role of Roose Bolton in the HBO series Game of Thrones from the second to the fifth season. Other credits include I Went Down (1997), Paths to Freedom (2000), Saltwater (2000), Blow Dry (2001), The Actors (2003), Spin the Bottle (2003), Perrier's Bounty (2009), Albert Nobbs (2011), Death of a Superhero (2011), Pentecost (2012), The Fall (2013), The Hallow (2015), The Zookeeper's Wife (2017), Chernobyl (2019), Das Boot (2020), The Alienist: Angel of Darkness (2020), The Wheel of Time (2021), Jack Ryan (2022) and The Long Shadow (2023).

Terry Johnson is a British dramatist and director working for stage, television and film. Educated at Birmingham University, he worked as an actor from 1971 to 1975, and has been active as a playwright since the early 1980s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alan Dobie</span> English actor

Alan Russell Dobie is an English stage, television and film actor and a former member of the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Russell Lewis is an English television writer and former actor. He created and wrote the Inspector Morse prequel Endeavour (2012–2023), and the first two series of Grace (2021-2022).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aidan Turner</span> Irish actor

Aidan Turner is an Irish actor. He began his career in the RTÉ medical drama The Clinic (2008–2009), and the BBC series Desperate Romantics (2009) and later gained attention for starring in Being Human (2009–2011). He starred as the eponymous character in the BBC adaptation of Winston Graham's Poldark (2015–2019). He also starred as Kíli in Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit trilogy (2012–2014).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amy-Joyce Hastings</span> Irish actress

Amy-Joyce Hastings is an Irish actress who was nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role - Film at the 2022 IFTA Film & Drama Awards for her performance in Who We Love.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeremy Swift</span> English actor

Jeremy Paul Swift is an English actor. He studied drama at Guildford School of Acting from 1978 to 1981 and worked almost exclusively in theatre throughout the 1980s, working with companies such as Deborah Warner's Kick Theatre company and comedy performance-art group The People Show. During this period he also appeared in numerous television commercials. In the 1990s, he acted at the National Theatre alongside David Tennant and Richard Wilson in Phyllida Lloyd's production of What the Butler Saw.

Paul Englishby is a film and theatre composer, orchestrator, conductor and pianist. He is best known for his Emmy Award-winning jazz score for David Hare's Page Eight, his orchestral score for the Oscar nominated An Education, his BAFTA nominated score for the BBC's Luther and his many theatre scores for the Royal Shakespeare Company, with whom Paul is an associated artist.

Ryan Ellsworth is a Canadian-born British actor. A graduate of LAMDA, he made his professional stage debut in Declan Donnellan's production of Antigone at the Old Vic Theatre in 1999.

Allan Cubitt is a British television, film, and theatre writer, director, and producer and former teacher, best known for his work on Prime Suspect II and The Fall.

Gareth Langton John Forwood was a British stage, film and television actor. Forwood was the only child of actors Glynis Johns and Anthony Forwood. He made his screen debut in 1965 and went on to prosper as a character actor with over 40 credits in film, television and theatre. His career was marked with recurring roles in several large productions, particularly with the British public broadcast network ITV. In his later career, Forwood was typecast in several British television adaptations of classic novels.

References

  1. ↑ IMDb filmography, ‘’IMDb’’, retrieved 2020-08-09
  2. ↑ TV Listings, The Age , 18 May 1984, retrieved 2010-02-06
  3. ↑ Rampton, James (1996) "Television & Radio: On the box", The Independent , 16 August 1996, retrieved 2010-02-06
  4. ↑ Enker, Debi (2006) "glory/2006/12/22/1166290725367.html Promoted to Glory", Sydney Morning Herald , December 25, 2006, retrieved 2010-02-06
  5. ↑ "Macho Grant Is So Forceful", Daily Mirror , 19 September 2002, retrieved 2010-02-06
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.