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Stephen Tompkinson is popular with his fans for his unique and tasteful approach to the characters he plays. His appearances in films and shows like Chancer, Drop the Dead Donkey, Grafters and others made him a household name.
He has received numerous awards for his impressive performance. He has won prestigious awards such as British Comedy Awards, Royal Television Society Yorkshire, etc.
Stephen’s father had dementia. His father died of Alzheimer’s in 2015. So it’s not the first time Stephen’s family has struggled with dementia.
The actor is trying to raise people’s awareness of the disease. He is also committed to ensuring that people with dementia can have a better life.
Stephen Tompkinson Wife: Who Is He Married To?
Stephen Tompkinson’s wife is Jess Johnson. Stephen’s married life has been a rollercoaster re of divorce and marriage. Stephen has been married four times so far.
He married his first wife, Celia Anastasia. After the divorce, he married Nicci Taylor and divorced her in 2006. He has a daughter, Daisy Ellen, from his second marriage.
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He remarried Elaine Young in 2007 and divorced her in 2016. He married Jess in 2017, so it’s clear that Stephen’s married life hasn’t been very stable so far.
Beses all this marriage, after the first divorce, he was also engaged to Dervla Kirwan, but things d not work out between them and the wedding never happened.
Stephen Tompkinson Net Worth: How Rich Is He?
Stephen Tompkinson’s estimated net worth is $10 million. All of his wealth is the result of the decades he has devoted to the entertainment industry.
Stephen has worked in all four entertainment mediums – television, film, theater and radio. Due to his involvement in various large and small projects, he was pa very well; hence he became rich.
He lives a comfortable life with his family. He can afford any convenience that could make his life and that of his family more comfortable.
He currently spends his money on various dementia-related research and education programs.
Is Stephen Tompkinson married?
What show did Stephen Tompkinson play a priest in?
| Ballykissangel | |
|---|---|
| Starring | Dervla Kirwan Stephen Tompkinson Tony Doyle |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 6 |
Who is Stephen Tompkinson wife?
Personal life. He was married to Celia Anastasia and subsequent to the couple’s divorce he became engaged to Ballykissangel co-star Dervla Kirwan. He then married Nicci Taylor, with whom he has a daughter, Daisy Ellen.
What happens to Padraig on Ballykissangel?
Peter Caffrey who played troubled village mechanic Padraig O’Kelly left the series in 1999 and suffered a stroke the following year. Mr. Caffrey died in 2008. On the lighter side, let’s take a look at what has happened to the gang from Ballykissangel since they departed the show.
Who is Stephen Tompkinson partner now?
How old is Steven Tomlinson?
Where is Dervla Kirwan now?
In 2020, she appeared on Netflix miniseries The Stranger as Corinne Price. In 2020, Kirwan began work on the Irish thriller series Smother, for RTÉ Television.
Has DCI Banks been Cancelled?
“After five series, ITV has taken the decision not to recommission DCI Banks. We’re grateful to the production team at Left Bank Pictures for creating the world of DCI Banks and the actors Stephen Tompkinson, Andrea Lowe and Caroline Catz for the commitment and dedication they’ve shown to their roles.”
Is Ballykissangel a real town?
Avoca village was the filmset for Ballykissangel, a BBC television drama set in a picturesque irish village of the same name. The original story revolved around a young English Roman Catholic priest as he became part of a rural community.
How old is Tok Stephen?
It understood that Mr Stephen, 23, has not yet been on set and it is unclear when he will be because the majority of his scenes would need to be filmed with Ms Bartlett’s replacement. ITV sources confirmed they had yet to find the right actress to play Mariette but hope to be able to announce their new star soon.
Where is Stephen Tompkinson from?
Was DCI Banks married?
In the 1999 novel, In A Dry Season, Banks and his wife, Sandra, are separated and eventually divorce. The character of Detective Sergeant (subsequently Detective Inspector) Annie Cabbot makes her first appearance as a member of Banks’ team.
Why did Father Aiden leave Ballykissangel?
Caffrey left Ballykissangel in 1998 after the first four series and, in 2000, ill-health struck again when a stroke left him partially paralysed and with impaired speech.
What happened to Niamh in Ballykissangel?
Tina Kellegher – Niamh Quigley
She now lives in County Westmeath in Ireland with her family.
What happened to Quigley in Ballykissangel?
Death and legacy
He died at St Thomas’s Hospital in Lambeth, London, England. Brian Quigley, Doyle’s Ballykissangel character, was written out of the show in the first episode of the final series where Quigley fakes his own suicide, supposedly drowning himself and fleeing to Brazil.
Stephen Tompkinson’s Australian Balloon Adventure – Melbourne | Australia Documentary | Documental
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Stephen Tompkinson is an English actor well known for playing Alan Banks in DCI Banks and Danny Trevanion in Wild at Heart. Fray 25 September 2020.
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Date Published: 6/7/2022
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definition – Stephen Tompkinson
Stephen Tompkinson (born 15 October 1965) is an English actor. He is best known for his work in television drama and comedy productions, such as DCI Banks, …
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Date Published: 9/16/2022
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DCI Banks star Stephen Tompkinson says his looks have …
Stephen, now 49, is about to celebrate ten years since he met diplomat Elaine Young and he says this is the year he’ll marry again.
Source: www.dailymail.co.uk
Date Published: 2/18/2022
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DCI Banks star Stephen Tompkinson reveals why he doesn’t …
However, that raises the big question: what is there about him that makes him the producers’ choice – and the envy of so many actors? In his …
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Date Published: 9/19/2022
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Stephen Tompkinson is an English actor best known for his roles in TV series like Drop the Dead Donkey and Wild at Heart. Born in County Durham, …
Stephen Tompkinson definition of Stephen Tompkinson and synonyms of Stephen Tompkinson (English)
Stephen Tompkinson (born October 15, 1965) is an English actor. He is best known for his work in television drama and comedy productions such as DCI Banks, Wild at Heart, Ballykissangel, Grafters and Drop the Dead Donkey, and the film Brassed Off. Year after year for 25 years he has appeared on British television in quality dramas that have been both commercially and critically acclaimed. His stage performances have been hailed equally as “comic book genius” or menacing “devil in a Savile Row threesome” – an actor who “can be relied upon to play characters from all walks of life and make them memorable for television audiences.” , movies and radio.”
Early Life and Education
Stephen was born on October 15, 1965 in Stockton-on-Tees. When he was about 4 his family moved to Scarborough, North Yorkshire and then to Lytham St Annes, Lancashire where he grew up and attended St Bede’s Roman Catholic High School in Lytham and St Mary’s Sixth Form in Blackpool.
His parents – father Brian Tompkinson, a retired bank manager, and mother Josephine, a school teacher – blessed him and his older brother John with a stable and traditional upbringing. Stephen fondly recalls an idyllic childhood, playing cricket and spending time on the pier after school, and holiday trips back to Stockton-on-Tees and to Scotland with his family.[1] But his father tells the true story of Stephen’s childhood misadventures:
“I remember going into his room like I always do to kiss him goodnight and when I spoke to him there was no reply… I pulled back the covers and there was no Stephen, just her Pillow. He had sneaked out the window to Blackpool with his friends. The window was locked when he came back. Also, we had some work to do around the house, so we temporarily lived elsewhere for six months. There was a small gap from which he squeezed through the window. He slipped. There was an 80 foot drop below him and he was holding on to his fingertips. His brother pulled him back to safety, but he may not have been with us today. We are lucky to have him. I am very proud of what Stephen and John have achieved. They are both very close and had a lovely childhood here in St Annes.”[2]
Of his parents, he said, “I couldn’t have done anything without their support.”[3] He credits his grandfather—whom Stephen calls a “comics genius”—for teaching him comic timing through Laurel’s films taught and Hardi. Stephen said of this formative experience:
“My first TV memory was watching Laurel and Hardy with my grandfather. Everyone else laughed at Ollie’s pitfalls. My grandfather put me on his knee and said, ‘Look at Stan’. To me it seemed like he was doing nothing, but grandfather could see his genius. That’s what led me to become an actor.”[4]
Jeff Lynam, an English teacher at St Bede’s, shared his love of theater by staying after school to perform plays with his students.[5] Stephen’s first leading role was as the Red Admiral’s Butterfly in The Plotters of Cabbage Patch Corner. Through the drama he let his imagination run wild, but he also learned to appreciate Shakespeare and to see that the truths of the bard’s plays never change. Stephen fondly remembers his teachers:
“Jeff was so inspirational, you wanted to do your best and I got O-level A’s in English Language and Literature… [He] is the kind of teacher who pushes you to be successful because you feel that you represent him. “[6]
“My teachers Anne Bouget and Steven Brennan were [also] massive influences on me. [Mr. Brennan] decided that as part of studying Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, we should perform the play. I got to play John Proctor, which was such a big role for me to play. Up to this point, I wanted to study English at university, so I had something to fall back on. But this performance changed everything. My parents were so moved, they could see my talent growing and they wanted me to strike while the iron was hot.”[2]
Stephen trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London, alongside James Nesbitt and Rufus Sewell. He graduated in 1988.[7][8]
“When I was in high school, I auditioned for acting schools. The first audition was for the Central School of Speech and Drama in London. It had the best reputation of all and I was lucky enough to get a place there when I was 18. When I started my three-year degree, I felt like I had stepped into an Aladdin cave. I only knew the basics of acting, and there I was in a place where Laurence Olivier, Judi Dench and Peggy Ashcroft had studied.”[9]
Career
Stephen’s prolific career began right out of drama school. He has worked consistently in a variety of roles, demonstrating versatility and adeptness at avoiding the bane of most actors – of being repeatedly cast in the same type of role. He said: “I was always happy when something came up that was completely different from the last job. It keeps me interested and hopefully the audience won’t get bored. It also helped me not to be typecast.”[10] And: “It’s great to have the opportunity to go from comedy to drama and back again. Not everyone gets that chance and I’m very grateful.” [4]
radio
During his final year at the London School of Speech and Drama, he won the 1987 Carleton Hobbs Bursary Award[11] and was rewarded with a plethora of radio drama roles, including the opportunity to work with Anthony Hopkins. Of this early chance experience he said:
“In my final year of drama school I entered [a BBC school competition] and won the Carleton Hobbs Award, which won a boy and a girl a bursary, a share card and a seven-month radio contract [with the BBC Radio Drama Company] ( RDC)]. My first job was the performance of 54 radio plays.”[10]
“It was the best start to a career I could have wished for – the variety of accents and the size of the roles etc was unparalleled. I never expected to work with so many wonderfully experienced directors, writers and actors, and it has helped me appreciate the importance of scripts (and the written word and intention of an individual writer) more than any other medium.”[12 ]
“It was just the best training in helping you hone your singing talents to try and make dialogue as entertaining as possible. They perform to an audience of only one person because the listener has so much work to do as the play plays out in determining what the characters look like, and no two people will share exactly the same vision.”[13]
Over the years he has continued to perform radio plays and readings of books and stories for BBC Radio whenever the opportunity arose – as individual readings or dramatized with other well-known actors. Since there are probably almost 100 performances in the meantime, only a small selection is listed in the following table. Gillian Reynolds, radio critic for The Daily Telegraph, wrote: “Some readings are still chilling, [for example] Stephen Tompkinson reading Kes on Radio 2 on Friday nights.”[14]
Along with Ewan Bailey, Stephen performed a two-part radio play entitled Say What You Want to Hear (Swywth), written by Tim Wright and broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2010. It was the story of two dot-com entrepreneurs, Erik (Stephen) and Mike (Ewan) and their adventures as they pursued love, happiness and football stars across Europe. They set up a website inviting audiences to submit their own “Swywths,” as well as via Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, and YouTube. The thoughts submitted – “those voices in your head telling you what you want to hear” – were recorded by well-known Radio 4 voices and partly integrated into the two pieces. VIDEO: A Quick Guide to Swywths[15]
Stephen has also narrated radio documentaries including Brass Britain which aired in 2008 and was repeated on BBC Radio 2 in 2010. The four-part program explored Britain’s love of brass instruments and bands, including the origins of brass and its role in Britain’s turbulent history, brass band dynasties and the movement’s highly competitive streak, and how brass have permeated British popular culture through television and film themes and popular music , and the future of marching bands.[16]
Radio plays, documentaries and readings
(chronologically descending)
*90-minute radio play presented on the occasion of Agatha Christie’s 100th birthday
TV
In 1988, barely out of drama school, Stephen appeared in a Channel 4 short film entitled Treacle with Ken Goodwin and Freddie Davies. It was Peter Chelsom’s directorial debut and received a BAFTA nomination for Best Short Film in 1988.[17]
Over the next few years he was cast in several single episode roles on All at No. 20″ (with Martin Clunes), “The Return of Shelley”, “After Henry” (with Prunella Scales), “Casualty”, “Made in Heaven” and “Boon”. He also began adding more substantial roles to his resume, including three episodes of The Manageress (1989), three episodes of Tales of Sherwood Forest (1989), nine episodes of Chancer (1990), and nine episodes of Minder (1991). 18]
And a nightingale sang
Also in 1989, Stephen appeared in his first full-length television film. And a Nightingale Sang is a 1977 play by British playwright C.P. Taylor commissioned by the Live Theater Company of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Jack Rosenthal adapted it into a TV movie for Tyne Tees Television and it also aired on Masterpiece Theater in the US. Tyne Tees Television received the 1990 Prix Europa Special Award for the film in the TV Fiction category.[19]
The story is a romantic comedy set in Newcastle towards the end of World War II. Stephen played soldier Eric, who impulsively marries into the slightly dysfunctional and eccentric Stott family, then is shipped off into battle only to rush home on vacation, frustrated by the ambivalence of his war bride Joyce (Pippa Hinchley). be. It also starred Joan Plowright, Tom Watt and Phyllis Logan. The film is an accurate portrayal of how the average working class family had to endure and try to cope with the rigors of air raids and rationing and the vagaries of wartime romance. It’s bittersweet, light-hearted, and funny, yet poignant at the same time.[20]
Drop the dead donkey
1990 was Stephen’s breakthrough year – the year he began starring as the brave but immoral reporter Damien Day in the satirical comedy Drop The Dead Donkey. It was hugely popular in the UK for eight years (1990 to 1998) and has become a cult comedy classic, with reruns appearing frequently on Comedy Central Extra. He appeared in 66 episodes and, halfway through the series’ nine-year run, won the 1994 British Comedy Award for ‘Best TV Comedy Actor’ for his work on the series. About his character he said:
“Damien is completely sneaky. He would sell his grandmother to get a good story, all under the guise of the public’s right to know. He’s such a charlatan. He showed that the only way to stage your own news is with a teddy bear strategically placed in the event of a disaster. The character is an absolute monster.”[22]
“We recorded the show live in front of an audience on a Wednesday. Then on Thursday they cut and two of the cast members came in to do the voiceovers for the end titles with Thursday’s gags and it aired that night. It was a groundbreaking show and that was all to the writers Andy Hamilton and thanks to Guy Jenkin.”[9]
All quiet on the Preston Front
Stephen was a workaholic in the best sense of the word. The recognition of receiving a prestigious award only spurred him on to eagerly pursue other roles. In 1994 he was Private Simon “Spock” Matlock, history teacher and intellectual in the first series (six episodes) of All Quiet on the Preston Front, written by Tim Firth and set in Lancashire. It was a BBC comedy about a group of friends in the fictional town of Roker Bridge and their connections to the local Territorial Army infantry platoon. Stephen decided not to reprise his role as Spock in the second series due to other commitments, so Alistair McGowan was hired in his place.
Across the Irish Sea, however, in the tiny village of Avoca in County Wicklow, Ireland, Stephen would soon play the role that would catapult him to television fame and make him one of Britain’s most popular television actors and a household name.
Ballykissangel
From 1996 to 1998 in Ballykissangel he portrayed the struggles of a young English Roman Catholic priest who was assigned to be the minister of a church in Ireland’s hinterland. Father Peter Clifford seeks sincerely and with great sincerity to serve and be accepted by the rural Irish community, despite many obstacles and temptations that cause him to question his vocation. His co-star on three phenomenally successful series was Dervla Kirwan, who played the feisty landlady Assumpta Fitzgerald.
Stephen tells how he got the job:
“When I first got the scripts, it was really something completely different. I went to the audition on Wednesday afternoon. I got home around 4am and then at 5am there was a call ‘would I be flying to Dublin that night to test it the next morning.’ I got two more scripts that night and read them and was some more excited to see how the story unfolded and how the character evolved. So I didn’t sleep a wink because I was dying to go ahead and try to get that job. So I did a screen test at 10am the next morning. At 12pm I was back at the airport and called my agent and found out I got the job which I was very happy about. Flew back to London, packed my bags, flew back to Dublin on Sunday and left Monday morning. It happened so quickly—a total whirlwind that worked well. He finds himself as a fish in the water, and I found myself at the same time the character was back in the program.”[24]
And from director Paul Harrison’s point of view:
“When we cast for Mrs. Peter, we saw a lot of people and a lot of people did a screen test… a lot of very good people and there were a lot of candidates. Stephen walked through the door and everyone said to a man, “There’s your priest.” All.”[24]
At its peak, Ballykissangel drew 14 to 15 million weekly viewers in the UK.[25] It also aired in Australia and on PBS affiliates in the United States, as well as other countries. While filming was going on, fans traveled in busloads from all over the world to visit the village of Avoca. The show became a tabloid sensation, especially when it was revealed that the co-stars had started a real-life relationship during the break between filming series 1 and 2.
The pair mutually decided to leave the show at the end of season three, feeling that its storyline “had taken a very complete and natural course.”[26] in “The Reckoning,” the penultimate episode of the third series, Ms. Kirwan’s character when she dies in a shockingly tragic accident. Although Dervla wanted her character killed,[27] it was extremely unsettling for fans – who had been following the couple’s evolving relationship closely for three seasons – that the story of Peter and Assumpta was so abrupt and with such devastating finality was smashed inside just a few minutes.
When a fan questioned Kieran Prendiville about this, he replied: “Looking back, I think you’re right. We didn’t give them enough time to enjoy their love and explore everyone’s reaction… we just got it wrong.”[28] It was just as difficult, if not more so, for Stephen: “The tears were real enough. Seeing the woman you love dead in front of you is a terrible thing. There was no acting involved on my part in this scene.”[29]
October
In 1998, Stephen starred as Jim Harper in the three-part ITV psychological thriller October, about a naïve English teacher at a posh school in Switzerland who unknowingly becomes involved in the shady dealings of a multinational pharmaceutical company. Jim’s life turns into a nightmare (literally) when he becomes a guinea pig in trials of a new mind-altering drug. The action required a lot of stunts, which Stephen did himself. Part of the footage was taken near Chamonix at 12,000 feet in the French Alps. “I think 23 crew members were ill and had to wear oxygen masks,” he said. “That included the nurse, which was a little disconcerting. At one point we lost three out of four cameramen.”[29] He then spent two days at sea level with his character fighting for his life in the freezing waters of the English Channel.
“I chose this project because I had never been asked to do anything like this before. And being able to do stunts was one of the reasons it was so appealing. Reading the script I knew that something like this had never been seen on British television for a very long time, with elements of The 39 Steps and asks how an ordinary person manages to deal with a series of fairly extraordinary events.
“I hadn’t done any stunts before because nobody asked me. It was all new and great fun to do. I loved it, I was like a kid in a candy store… Just knowing that the show would have ground to stop when I was feeling a bit groggy gave me a boost. There was a lot of responsibility attached to what I did. A stuntman can look a little naff. When the audience sees me doing these things, I think they connect much more easily.”[29]
“I’ve never been this close to action hero territory… The worst moment was hanging on the outside of a train, only held in place by a wire harness that was routed through my pants! It’s a very authentic look of fear on my face. I was beaten regularly, with electric shocks and knife wounds. I was usually well padded but I still ended up bruising all over the place and I crushed my knee pretty badly when I got thrown into some rocks in the English Channel. It was very exciting and great to be able to do something different.”[30][31]
grafter
Also in 1998 and again in 1999, Stephen co-starred with Robson Green in two series of Grafters, about two Geordie workers trying to start a business together by renovating an old house owned by two yuppies in London. Trevor (played by Stephen) is a bit of a bungler struggling with a failing marriage, while Joe (Green) is a divorced and die-hard womanizer. Episodes of Grafters have consistently received ratings of between 9 and 11.5 million viewers.[25] About his character he said:
“Trevor is an old-fashioned, decent character…His brother Joe (Robson) thinks more on his feet and lives off his wits. Trevor provides moral guidance to Joe, while Joe pulls through Trevor when overwhelmed. [I have] an older brother John… We’re very close. I probably brought that into my work subconsciously. Like Trevor and Joe, we’re always there for each other.”[32]
James Rampton of The Independent wrote:
“It’s Tompkinson who, despite having the less conspicuous role, really catches the eye. In the shadow of a more successful brother and a domineering wife, he captures just a whiff of despondent, unrestrained resignation. Like Eeyore, he seems to be pursued by his own personal rain cloud. No one beats better. Tompkinson is an actor who made the winner by playing the loser….Trevor can be added to the actor’s growing gallery of characters for viewers to look at and think, ‘I know that dude.'”[22]
shades
Stephen and Dervla Kirwan worked together again in 1999 on the TV version of Tim Firth’s The Flint Street Nativity. And in 2001 they co-starred in the mini-series Hereafter, which never aired in the UK but was released on DVD in the US and Canada in 2012, entitled Shades. It’s a touching and gentle drama about two mismatched souls, Mark Jessop and Maeve O’Sullivan, who die suddenly – one in a car accident and the other during a routine medical procedure – but still find themselves in this world. They are thrown together in a whimsical but poignant afterlife that explores what it means to have the chance to help or hinder those left behind.[33]
Within that central premise, the six-part miniseries manages to cover several serious sub-themes with wit, slightly edgy humor, and pathos. Mark and Maeve help a long-married, dying elderly couple find redemption by exploring the importance of honesty and forgiveness in their relationship. Mark helps a young couple on the verge of marriage and commitment to appreciate and embrace the blessings in their lives. A young nanny learns to take responsibility for the unintended outcome of a relationship with her married employer. Meanwhile, Mark struggles with reaching out to the children he left behind while unable to truly bridge the gap between life and death. Finally, the unexpected ending touches on the need to accept and let go of the changes life throws at us to allow ourselves – and our loved ones – to move forward.
In the deep
Also in 2001, Stephen co-starred with Heartbeat star Nick Berry in the mini-series In Deep as part of BBC1’s Crime Doubles season. The promotional material described his performance as “Tompkinson like you’ve never seen him before.”[34] Stephen agreed: “In Deep is a very dark drama and not the sort of thing I’d normally associate with will” – a remarkable understatement, to be sure! Neither before nor since has Stephen come anywhere close to a TV role that has involved infiltrating a pedophile network, being forced to act as one of them, or committing murder in cold blood in a shocking scene. He agrees:
“I thought the powers that be would come and try to sanitize and change that ending, but they didn’t. I think if audiences are expecting Ballykissangel or Grafters they will be in for a surprise. This isn’t just another police show; it was a breeze for us, and the dramatic possibilities are endless.”[34]
Author Peter Jukes spent weeks with real-life undercover cops infiltrating hard-core criminal operations to find out what life is really like for them. Stephen was fascinated by the element of acting that underpins her life-threatening work.
“There are only about 30 of these officers in this country, and they have no fixed abode and no safety net if anything goes wrong. It’s really frightening. They’re always playing and pretending to be someone else. I found that fascinating – that this was a real job where lives were at stake but where they act all the time. So In Deep is a kind of drama within drama. It’s not a formulaic cop show – it twists and turns, taking audiences down dark alleys. “[34]
When In Deep returned for a second series he said:
“It’s not for softies. It was all there for Nick and [me] on the page – it would have been next to impossible to research because if you’re an undercover cop, you’re unlikely to speak to a journalist. It’s a life of triple deception for these guys, because they have to lie to their friends and families about what they do, they have to lie to their co-workers in many cases, and they also have to lie—of course enough—for the people they tell try nailing.
“There’s a lot of action in this series and it’s been an extremely demanding schedule. There was a stunt when we seemed to blow up half of Liverpool, a scene where I have to come out of a pub and go to a phone box and then the building explodes. The force of the explosion was so great that instead of a few windows, three stories went up. Another time I had to be bound, gagged and bundled into a trunk and then the car was sent to the sheet metal crusher. That day my mother decided to visit the set. I think she would like me to play some softer roles – like Lucky Jim.”[35]
In Deep was a gamble at a key point in Stephen’s career. His outward appearance changed radically with every episode, and it certainly wasn’t the smooth, easy-to-watch, heartwarming comedy-drama he’s been in for the last few years. Rather, he commented, “This is a drama that requires a lot of work to find your way through all the lies and misinformation that the two [characters] themselves are dealing with. But I think that’s going to draw audiences in.”[34]
bedtime
Hardly a year went by when Stephen didn’t appear in more than one television drama, and 2001 was no exception. This autumn, Digital Spy, a UK entertainment and media news website, praised the BBC for “attracting the very best writing talent… with a fantastic roster of new stories and great classic adaptations”. As viewers got ready for bed, BBC1 invited them to immerse themselves in the real-time nighttime world of three fictional neighbors (couples). Written by Andy Hamilton of Drop the Dead Donkey, Bedtime was a comedy that aired for three seasons. Stephen and Claire Skinner appeared as a couple in Series 1, which aired August and September 2001, along with Timothy West, David Gillespie, Emma Pierson and Meera Syal.
It was filmed in the bedrooms of three adjoining terraced houses – with poor soundproofing – in a common London suburb. Each episode provided a glimpse of how each couple communicated at the end of their day. In the case of Stephen and Claire’s characters – Paul and Sarah Newcombe – the emphasis was more on drama than comedy. They portrayed a young couple trying to cope with a constantly crying newborn. To add fuel to the fire, Sarah battled postnatal depression and suspicions that Paul was having an affair with his secretary. Increasingly unable to comfort his wife or please his demanding boss, Paul has the brilliant idea that hosting a dinner party for his colleagues will help Sarah understand his world better and distract her from her own troubled thoughts. But it turned out very differently than expected![36][37]
Teddy and Alice
In 2002, Stephen appeared as “Ted” with co-star Dawn French in the comedy-drama miniseries “Ted and Alice,” proving he could easily transition back into a quirky comedic role without a light trick. He called it “an outrageously romantic story.”[38] Ted is an alien who comes to earth to find love. His spaceship lands in the Lake District, where Alice – who works at the local tourist office – has dreamed of finding her Mr Darcy. Other actors were Eleanor Bron, David Troughton, Owen Teale and David Walliams.[39] (VIDEO: Clip of the dance scene when Alice sees Ted for the first time)
There have been a few anomalies on Stephen’s career path to the top. In 1994 Downwardly Mobile – a sitcom by Yorkshire Television about a group of yuppies – aired for one season (7 episodes), but failed to make an impact and was not re-commissioned.[40] Im Jahr 2001 hatte Stephen große Hoffnungen auf eine weitere Sitcom, Mr. Charity, die auf BBC2 ausgestrahlt wurde, aber sie wurde von den Kritikern verrissen, erhielt schlechte Einschaltquoten und wurde nach sechs Folgen gestrichen.[41]
Glücklicher Jim
2003 strahlte ITV1 nach langer Verzögerung die Miniserie Lucky Jim aus. Es war „eine entzückende abendfüllende Adaption des klassischen Comic-Romans von Kingsley Amis. Mit schlaffem Haar und Brille sowie einer unmodernen 1950er-Garderobe aus Tanktops und Cordhosen, [Stephen] Tompkinsons Aussehen als unfallanfälliger Universitätsdozent aus rotem Backstein, Jim Dixon ist nicht der Schmeichelhafteste, aber es war Tompkinson selbst, der die Idee des Projekts so sehr mochte, dass er die Rechte an dem Roman kaufte.“[42] Stephen erklärte:
„Mein Agent erkannte, dass Lucky Jim zu einem der Bücher des Jahrtausends gewählt worden war, aber es war lange Zeit nicht adaptiert worden. Die Rechte waren verfügbar, und er dachte, ich wäre ein guter Jim, also haben wir uns dafür entschieden. Als nächstes kontaktierten wir Jack Rosenthal, den Schöpfer von Londons Burning, und zu unserer Freude sagte er, er würde gerne Lucky Jim adaptieren, und von da an war ich mehr als jeder andere in die Produktion involviert eingeschaltet.”[42]
Der Film hatte eine glänzende Besetzung, darunter Keeley Hawes als Stephens Co-Star und Geliebte Christine, Robert Hardy, Helen McCrory, Denis Lawson, Hermine Norris und Penelope Wilton. Es wurde von britischen Kritikern als “eine liebenswerte Komödie der englischen Kultur” gut aufgenommen.[42] Sogar The Guardian lobte es als “geschickt von Jack Rosenthal adaptiert … makellos gemacht, nicht zuletzt wegen Stephen Tompkinsons Leistung als Jim, mit herausragende Unterstützung von [dem Rest der Besetzung, insbesondere] Helen McCrory (letztere hervorragend als die alberne, ohrfeigende, liebeskranke Dozentin Margaret Peel). Während ITV über seine Planung schwankte, wurde Lucky Jim von PBS auf Masterpiece Theatre in den USA ausgestrahlt (im Februar 2002, bevor es in Großbritannien gezeigt wurde). Es wurde von amerikanischen Kritikern und PBS-Zuschauern so sehr geschätzt, dass Masterpiece Theatre es im Mai 2003 wiederholte, nachdem ITV es endlich geschafft hatte, es im April desselben Jahres auszustrahlen.
PBS widmete dem Film auch eine umfangreiche Website, auf der sie ihn „eine ausgelassene Adaption von Kingsley Amis‘ erstem Roman“ nannten.[44] Über den Film sagte Stephen:
„Was ich an den Dreharbeiten zu Lucky Jim geliebt habe, war, dass unser Autor, Jack Rosenthal, immer am Set war und eine unschätzbare Quelle relevanter Informationen war, um diese Einstellungen der 1950er Jahre auszuleben. Lucky Jim war zu dieser Zeit ein außergewöhnliches Buch, die seltsame Zeit der Geschichte nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg mit all diesen großen Erwartungen – obwohl es in vielerlei Hinsicht nur ein Vakuum war, in dem alle auf die 60er Jahre warteten.“[42]
Marple: Der Mord im Pfarrhaus
Im Dezember 2004 trat Stephen als Detective Inspector Slack in einer neuen Adaption von Agatha Christies The Murder at the Vicarage auf. Es war eine Koproduktion von ITV / WGBH-TV (Boston), die in Großbritannien auf ITV1 und in den USA auf PBS als Teil des langjährigen Mystery! Series. Die Folge trug den Titel Marple: The Murder at the Vicarage. Die Produktion hatte eine hochkarätige Besetzung, darunter Geraldine McEwan als scharfäugige Miss Jane Marple, Sir Derek Jacobi als Colonel Protheroe, Janet McTeer als Anne Protheroe sowie Jason Flemyng, Tim McInnerny, Robert Powell und mehrere andere Prominente Britische Schauspieler. Über seinen eigenen Charakter, DI Slack, sagte Stephen:
„Ich denke, er ist anfangs ein bisschen verärgert über Miss Marple, besonders darüber, wie sie übernimmt und einige sehr relevante Fragen stellt, aber ich denke, er ist mehr als glücklich, gegen Ende in den Hintergrund zu treten, weil er merkt, dass er seine mehr als erfüllt hat Match!…Er ist ihr gegenüber etwas im Hintertreffen, lernt aber schnell, Respekt vor ihr zu gewinnen und ist tief beeindruckt von ihren wunderbaren Talenten.”[45]
In Leugnung des Mordes
Bis zu diesem Zeitpunkt war Stephens breites Repertoire an Fernsehfiguren frei erfunden. However, in 2004, in the BBC1 two-part drama In Denial of Murder he stepped into the world of fact-based drama and took on the mantle of attempting to portray a living person — a different type of career gamble. He took on this new challenge because he knew and had worked with writer Neil McKay before and greatly admired his scripts.[46]
The role was that of crusading journalist Don Hale, who fought successfully to overturn what came to be seen as the longest-running miscarriage of justice in British legal history. It was the case in which Stephen Downing was convicted of murdering Wendy Sewell (played by Caroline Catz) in a Derbyshire cemetery. Mr. Downing was refused parole because he declined to accept responsibility for the crime, thus putting him ‘in denial of murder’.
There was controversy surrounding how the case was depicted, and Stephen himself struggled to make sense of it. When asked his opinion, he explained that although he had done research to prepare for the role, as any serious method actor would do — including visiting the actual cemetery where the crime occurred — he was merely an actor working from a script in which he had total faith and that he believed to be fair.[47]
“Neil hasn’t come down heavily on one side or the another, which you can’t because it’s such an ambiguous case. It’s a mystery and for me that’s what makes it fascinating and I hope makes it compelling and challenging viewing. What Neil’s managed to pull off terrifically well is an unbiased way of telling the story. Viewers will be able to see his dramatisation of this open-ended case and judge it for themselves. It’s telly for grown-ups — true to life because nothing is black and white, everything is shades of grey. One of the really important things Neil’s script does is reveal the back story of Wendy Sewell, because it’s really unfair for anyone just to be known as the ‘Bakewell Tart’. That’s an awful label.”[46][48]
ShakespeaRe-told: The Taming of the Shrew
In 2005, BBC1 broadcast a series of adaptations titled ShakespeaRe-Told, which set the stories of four of Shakespeare’s works in modern-day Britain. Stephen played Harry Kavanaugh in The Taming of the Shrew, written by Sally Wainwright and directed by Dave Richards. Rufus Sewell starred as Harry’s friend Petruchio with Shirley Henderson as Katherine (Kate). Harry has his eye on Kate’s sister Bianca, but she puts him off by declaring that she won’t marry until Kate does (believing this will never happen), so Harry sets about playing matchmaker with a twist. The BBC received many viewer comments, including: “Petruchio is portrayed so genuinely by Mr. Sewell, and his friend, Mr. Tompkinson…does such brilliant and original acting. Truly glorious!” And, “As for Stephen Tompkinson, forever the bewildered idiot, he did magnificently.”[49]
Marian, Again
Also in 2005, Stephen was back in ITV thriller land. Marian, Again was an exceedingly tense, dark psychological drama about the horrors that could lie within any community and just beyond anyone’s front door. As Chris Bishop, he appears to enjoy a contented family life, until it is torn apart when he bumps into Marian, his former girlfriend, who disappeared — presumed dead — 15 years ago. Although the woman denies any knowledge of Chris, he is certain he’s found his lost former lover, and he embarks on an obsessive quest to discover where Marian has been and what happened to her. His quest leads Chris and his family — especially his rebellious teenage daughter — into extreme, terrifying danger. Owen Teale co-starred, along with Kelly Harrison in the title role and Samantha Beckinsale.
Certainly not for the faint of heart, Marian, Again averaged 5.9 million viewers over two 90-minute episodes. Thomas Sutcliffe of The Independent wrote, “Marian, Again was a distinct cut above the usual run of ITV1 two-parters,” and The Daily Telegraph called it “A seriously chilling thriller and all-round excellent piece of drama.” Even the Daily Mirror said, “It’s creepy in the best possible way and a very encouraging start to ITV’s autumn line-up.”[50]
Prime Suspect: The Final Act
One day Stephen received an unexpected phone call. “I had a call from my agent who told me they were to film the last-ever Prime Suspect with Helen Mirren. And I said, ‘Yes!’ before she could finish. She said, ‘There is a part you might be interested in…’ and I said, ‘I meant Yes, I’ll do it, not Yes, please continue! I mean, here is a chance to work with one of the greatest actresses there is. Taking a part in the final Prime Suspect was the quickest decision I’ve ever made!”[51]
Prime Suspect: The Final Act was another ITV and WGBH-TV (Boston) co-production, this time for PBS’s Masterpiece Theatre. It aired in October 2006 in the UK and the following month in the U.S. It was the final case for DCI Jane Tennison, and viewers watched her unravel painfully as she struggled to cope with alcoholism and the death of her father. Stephen’s central role as Sean Phillips, a seeming family man and responsible headmaster with a dark secret, was deftly downplayed until the second part of the two-part drama, when the truth was revealed in a shattering confrontation. “Tompkinson’s understated headmaster was suitably open-faced and creepy all at once.”[52][53]
PBS fittingly created a comprehensive website for DCI Tennison’s last case, on which the Radio Times is quoted: “Prime Suspect 7: The Final Act is a stop-you-in-your-tracks, brilliant drama that’s thoughtful, multi-layered and exquisitely well acted, written and directed. It’s a stunning piece of television.”[54] The episode was rewarded with three Emmys and a BAFTA TV award.
Wild at Heart
Stephen’s next explosive hit — ITV drama series Wild at Heart, created by Ashley Pharoah — began airing in the UK in January 2006. It is the story of Bristol veterinarian Danny Trevanion, who relocated with his family to South Africa where they attempted to build up a successful wildlife preserve and veterinary surgery. From its very beginning Wild at Heart has been a massive success, capturing the imagination of millions of devoted fans across multiple generations for seven seasons. Its inaugural season of six episodes drew an average of nearly 10 million viewers. Over seven seasons it never dipped below 7.5 million on average, despite strong competition during Series 7 and an unexpected cast change that caused the writers to have to write out a primary actor on very short notice, due to an unforeseen circumstance.[55]
Wildlife vet Danny Trevanion — friend and saviour of vervet monkeys, cheetahs, white lions, elephants, hippos, giraffes, rhinos, and even hyenas, wild dogs, and a wily old Afrikaner bloke called Anders DuPlessis (known affectionately as ‘Dup’) — is now one of the roles for which Stephen is best known and loved. The series co-starred Amanda Holden as Danny’s wife Sarah; Lucy-Jo Hudson as his daughter; Deon Stewardson as the Trevanion family’s business partner and friend; and Hayley Mills as Sarah’s mother. When Amanda Holden opted to leave at the end of Series 3, her character died in a spectacular wildfire.[56] Scottish actress Dawn Steele subsequently joined the cast and to the fans’ delight officially became part of the Trevanion family when her character Alice and Danny were married at the start of Series 6. Series 7 saw Robert Bathurst and Jill Halfpenny join the cast.
Although the production schedule required Stephen to live in South Africa for about five months each year for seven years, and afforded him few opportunities to travel home because of the intense work schedule, he never tired of it.[57]
“It’s been so rewarding, I just love it. I get more and more out of it each year, spending time around those animals and learning about them. It’s just such a treat seeing them in the environment they are supposed to be in and a real privilege to share time with them.”[58]
Stephen was invited to be co-executive producer for 32 episodes of Wild at Heart that aired in 2009 to 2012, and executive producer for one episode that aired in 2012. Of this additional privilege he said:
“I’m getting more involved in it and having the great fortune to be asked to be co-executive producer…allows me to be more involved in the story arcs and set ourselves new challenges each time. And we have an incredible crew who rise to those challenges each time and work harder and surprise us more and more each year.”[59]
Series 7 aired January through March 2012. In April 2012 it was revealed that ITV would not commission an eighth series, despite consistently high average viewer ratings over Series 7 that held Wild at Heart firmly in ITV’s top 10 programmes.[25] Even hardened TV critics who closely follow ratings reports and network commissioning decisions — and may have previously sneered at the Sunday night feel-good, unashamedly family drama — seemed baffled by ITV’s decision. The fans were gutted, and for weeks after the news hit complaints appeared on social networking sites Twitter and Facebook.
ITV at least commissioned a two-part Special that will bring the popular series and the story of the beloved Trevanion Family to a proper conclusion, since Series 7 ended on an ambiguous cliffhanger. The Special is expected to air on ITV1 at the end of 2012. A reporter asked Stephen about it at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival, and he responded benignly, “Now and again people need a change and it was our turn to make way for something else. We’re doing a final hurrah….as a way to say goodbye to it. I’m looking forward to going back to South Africa in August [2012] for filming. The team have been like a big family.”[60][61]
DCI Banks
In January 2010, it was announced that Stephen had been cast as Detective Chief Inspector Alan Banks in DCI Banks: Aftermath, a two-part television pilot adaptation of one of Peter Robinson’s hugely popular crime novels. Francis Hopkinson of Left Bank Pictures said, “Aftermath actually starts with the capture and death of a serial killer and it’s about the ramifications of revealing who this man is. So it is a detective drama, but it starts where most detective dramas end.”[62]
DCI Banks: Aftermath drew seven million viewers, beating BBC1’s Spooks in the ratings battle for the same timeslot — and proving Stephen continues to be one of the most popular leading men in Britain.[63] As a result, ITV subsequently commissioned a six-part series that aired in 2011, consisting of three two-part adaptations of three DCI Banks novels: Playing with Fire, Friend of the Devil, and Cold is the Grave. Customers who purchased Series 1 on iTunes gave it 4.5 stars, and said “Best program on TV at the moment,” “Great TV worth watching,” and “Absolutely cliff-hanging stuff, hurry up and produce more episodes!”[64]
Stephen’s co-star for the pilot and Series 1 was Andrea Lowe. The second series, also consisting of three two-part dramas adapted from three Peter Robinson novels — Dry Bones That Dream, Wednesday’s Child, and Strange Affair — will air in the UK in Autumn 2012. With Andrea Lowe taking maternity leave, Stephen will be joined in Series 2 by Doc Martin actress Caroline Catz.[65]
Prior to filming DCI Banks: Aftermath, Stephen read all of Peter Robinson’s books and traveled to the U.S. to spend time with Peter, so he could learn as much as possible about the character of Alan Banks. “I wanted to get as close [as possible] to the spirit of the character that he created in his books.”[66] (AUDIO clip: Interview with David Stephenson from set of DCI Banks Series 1)
Speaking of the difference between Wild at Heart and DCI Banks, Stephen said:
“This is very dark and a great contrast to Wild at Heart. It felt like the right time to do something more serious. Having been associated with giraffes for the last five years it’s quite nice to do something darker. I suppose any actor looks forward to variety in their roles. Variety is the spice of life and I’m spoilt rotten as an actor really.”[63]
He relishes playing detective Alan Banks: “He takes everything personally. Banks is the sort of cop you’d want on your side because he will never ever let anything go. He’s no supercop and he’s not interested in opera or anything like that.” Rather, Banks is more like Stephen’s TV detective hero Columbo, played by Peter Falk — dogged and dour in a crumpled raincoat. “I absolutely loved him. I loved his ordinariness. Banks is a bit like that.”[63] “Bending the rules can prove very tempting but I think Banks’ work ethic and moral code allow him to bend them, not break them.”[67]
“He’s certainly the most intense character I’ve ever played. He’s completely married to his job, almost too emotionally involved for his own health really. He’s a very humanitarian detective, so each murder case he investigates pushes him to the edge of breakdown. It’s like doctors and police officers have to have a certain amount of detachment to do what they do, and Banks doesn’t have that. There’s a quote that Peter [Robinson] put in one of the books that Banks always keeps with him, a quote by John Donne the poet: ‘any man’s death diminishes me because I am involved in mankind’.”[68][69]
Author Peter Robinson has commended Stephen’s dedication and his portrayal of Alan Banks, saying he is “impressed with his professionalism.”
“Stephen’s Banks is perhaps a bit more intense, angry, haunted and guilt-ridden than mine is, but it all works wonderfully….The drama is heightened, and we follow a man going through a terrible journey from a sense of failure to success of a kind….Stephen depicts that journey with great skill and economy, often suggesting far more than he shows.”[70]
Sally Haynes of the ITV Drama commissioning team said of the new series: “DCI Banks is now established as a firm favourite within ITV’s crime drama slate. We’re delighted so many viewers are appreciating Robert Murphy’s adaptations and how the team at Left Bank Pictures are producing DCI Banks.”[65]
Movie
Stephen was barely out of drama school when he appeared in 1988 (as Stephen Duffell) with Ken Goodwin and Freddie Davies in Peter Chelsom’s 11-minute short film titled Treacle. It was the tale of comedian Alfie Duffell’s melodic legacy, set amid the Blackpool variety scene. The work received a 1988 BAFTA nomination in the category of Best Short Film.[71]
Although Stephen has a strong interest in feature films, and once told Alan Titchmarsh “It’s always the most glamourous thing, seeing yourself up on the silver screen,”[57] he has seen many British actors attempt to make the move to Hollywood. When Brassed Off (described below) was featured at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival, Columbia Pictures, Disney, and Paramount Pictures invited Stephen to meet their casting directors. Stephen is British through and through and has a deep love and respect for the British way of life. He realised immediately, “If you want to get established [in Hollywood], you have to pack your bags and go. With the variety of parts I’m getting I feel I’m exactly where I want to be. I’ve no desire to go anywhere at the moment.”[72]
Brassed Off
The year 1996 saw Stephen make the leap from the small screen to a British-made international feature film release. Brassed Off is a rousing drama about a brass band in Grimley, a barely fictional Yorkshire colliery town where the mines are being shut down by the Tory government in the name of progress. Director/writer Mark Herman doesn’t try to make the miners heroic, but he does capture their wit, independence and basic decency.
Danny (Pete Postlethwaite), the band’s leader, is determined to keep them together. Danny’s son Phil (played by Stephen) is badly in debt and must take work as a children’s party clown to try to earn a few pounds, but he fails to prevent his wife and children walking out on him. The rest of the band, meanwhile, with their livelihood and community falling apart around them wonders why they should go on playing. Unexpectedly, an attractive young woman (Gloria, played by Tara Fitzgerald) arrives and soon proves she’s as talented on the flugelhorn as she is beautiful. But she’s also being secretly paid by the mine’s management to compile a report on the advisability of continuing operations there.
Through his poignant script, Mark Herman portrays the town realistically through the miners’ eyes. The plot is greatly enlivened by the stunning sound track, as the band plays many brass favorites. Although the film is not overtly political, Stephen (as Phil, of course) — from behind his red-nosed, multi-coloured clown costume — delivers a stinging attack on the impact of Tory Party politics — delivered in front of a group of pre-schoolers and their astonished mothers inside a church. Brassed Off is a ringing declaration of how important art is to a community.
Speaking of his experience working on his first big-screen film, Stephen said:
“Taking this role was one of the easiest decisions of my life. The character I play, Phil, has the most dramatic journey of all….[He] is a difficult character because he’s not all that sympathetic…It’s his fault that his home life is such a mess. He ignores the problems [and] doesn’t communicate with his wife or his father, but I still had to find some sympathy for him. [It’s a film that travels well], partly because of the music, but also because it could be about any small community facing a crisis. It’s a really powerful script about this community, their grit, determination and the will to survive against the odds. It’s also in some cases, about people who’ve almost thrown in the towel completely.”[73][74] (VIDEO: Brassed Off: The Best Bits)[75]
Hotel Splendide
His next dip into feature-length film was in 2000. Writer-director Terence Gross thought he would be right for the role of Dezmond Blanche in the bleakly satirical film Hotel Splendide, also starring Toni Collette and Daniel Craig. It’s “not your average low-budget British comedy-drama,” and when Stephen was asked about it, he said:
“It’s given me various sleepless nights about why [Terry] thought I would be right for Dezmond — this psychopathic, mother-obsessed Norman Bates character — but I was delighted to do this and stop panicking that I would never work in film again. [The story] is gloriously bizarre. I thought it was very brave and terrific that Terry’s imagination was going to be put into pictures. I think if people see it and don’t want to go through a shower very shortly afterwards, then it hasn’t worked.”[76]
A decade after its release a blogger described it as “about as eccentric as modern British cinema gets — a scatological tale of family, isolation, romance, decay and digestion….about the undoing of tradition, the cutting of the ties that bind, and the chaos of old sewerage systems….Deliberately paced and prone to outbursts of slapstick, action and other general weirdness, it’s hard to think of another British film from the last decade more surprising or deserving of investigation.”[77]
Tabloid
Stephen took a stab at another piece of topical satire when he appeared with Matthew Rhys, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Danny Dyer, and John Hurt in Tabloid (2001). It is a “disturbing and dark satire on the world of celebrity TV and the ultimate consequences of uncontrolled ambition.” Stephen played the role of Lomax, an investigative tabloid ‘hack’.[78]
Harrigan
(In post-production)
In February 2012, Stephen filmed his first lead role in a feature film titled Harrigan, which was promoted at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival and is expected to premiere in London and Newcastle-upon-Tyne in Autumn 2012. The film is the story of fictional creation, Detective Sergeant Barry Harrigan, who represents the long arm of the law on a crime-ridden estate in North East England. It is based on the real-life experiences of retired Tyneside policeman of 31 years Arthur McKenzie, who wrote the script.[79][80]
Stephen was handed the script when he was doing a play at The Live Theatre in Newcastle. He said:
“I thought it was fantastic. I got to meet Arthur, who’s a wonderful, larger-than-life character, and heard that it was based on his memories, and it really grabbed me. [The script] is a real page-turner and [Arthur’s] eyes light up when he talks about his experiences. As soon as I saw it, I wanted to do it — it’s great to be doing a British film.”[81][82]
“It is at heart an old-fashioned western with the sheriff taking on the bad guys, and I am hugely excited about it. Harrigan sees the place he cares about has gone to rack and ruin and he needs to clean it up. He believes in a physical presence on the streets and he sets about taking on the bullies. [He] is a complex character and it [is] a fantastic role to play. [Harrigan] is like a Wild West sheriff coming back into town. I am not sure if you would call him Dirty Harry… Mucky Harry, maybe… but he does have the same principles. He’s much tougher than I’ll ever be.”[82][83][84]
Stephen was especially delighted to return to the North East for this project.
“There’s such a creative vibe happening in the North East. [Harrigan] is very much a North East production and that’s why I’m so happy to be involved. [The film] captures a certain time. It’s when these changes happened [when the ‘local bobby’ was taken off the streets and replaced by panda cars], and people no longer had that contact with their policeman. People like Arthur knew their areas and could just look people in the eye and they would stop what they were doing. It wasn’t a case of fighting, but that look said ‘I’ve clocked you’. There was a bit of respect there. I think we’ve lost that a bit.”[85]
The film is being produced by TallTree Pictures in Newcastle and was filmed in the Newcastle area, including Gateshead and Hartlepool. Filming was completed in less than four weeks, including many night shoots in bitter cold conditions for both cast and crew. It is directed by Vince Woods. Mr. McKenzie’s daughter, Kirsty McKenzie Bell, is the Producer who was instrumental in raising the $2M needed to finance the project. Former Newcastle United footballer Robbie Elliott is one of the film’s major investors.[86][87][88][89]
Mr. McKenzie, whose scripts have also been produced for episodes of The Bill and Wycliffe said: “After 16 years, I never gave up hope and I think, in a way, it’s just coming together at the right time. I’ve got to thank my daughter and Vince Woods who have been the engine behind the whole thing.”[90]
Speaking of Arthur McKenzie, Stephen said:
“It’s been great to have [Arthur] here. He’s full of stories, some of which you would hardly believe because he was in the thick of it all. It’s obviously deeply sentimental for him and we are doing it for him. Everyone looks at him and sees how passionate he is about it and that pushes everyone on. It’s also a great insight into what it was like for police then and how it all worked.”[85]
“He’s the most fascinating, decent man I’ve ever met, and to attempt to fill his shoes is such an honour — and I don’t know if I will be able to fill them, but I’m giving it my best shot. He’s an extraordinary man and a joy and a national treasure.” (VIDEO: Harrigan Filming Begins)[91]
stage
Stephen enjoys the challenge of mixing television and film roles with live stage productions. He has appeared on stage in London’s West End and in theatres across the UK. His many performances include:
Even his earliest performances on stage brought critical acclaim. Of the 1992 production of Michael Wall’s Women Laughing at the Royal Exchange Theatre, Alan Hulme of the Manchester Evening News described the cast as “superb….and the acting has the shocking eloquence of picture postcards in acid.”[92] And The Independent described The End of the Food Chain (1994) at the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough as “excellent” and “vividly acted.”[93]
2003 saw him starring as Mortimer Brewster, along with Michael Richards of Seinfeld fame, in Arsenic and Old Lace at The Strand Theatre in London. Stephen said, “It’s going terrifically well; we’re having a ball at the moment. The play has been a success for over sixty years now. It’s a bit like riding a rollercoaster, it takes care of itself in a way and you just try to cling on. The [1944] film [starring Cary Grant] has always been a great favourite of mine, but I think I was able to make the role my own once I’d managed to get that inimitable voice out of my head.” The part required him to deliver his lines in a New York drawl. One reviewer commented, “The fact that many American audience members…assumed that Stephen was a bone fide American confirms the authenticity of his twang.”[94]
Stephen toured in Charley’s Aunt in 2007, playing the role of Donna Lucia D’Alvadorez. He chatted to Paul O’Grady about the play and his role: VIDEO: Stephen Tompkinson on the Paul O’Grady Show[95] In a review in the British Theatre Guide Sheila Connor said:
“This is Stephen Tompkinson as you have never seen him before — hilarious even before he dons the frock. His manner, voice, expression and actions are spot-on….totally uproariously funny….It is at Babb’s entrance that the play really takes off, Tompkinson revealing himself to be an inspired comic genius to add to his multitude of diverse credits….A truly entertainingly hilarious performance, and it is to be hoped that Tompkinson will treat us to more of the same.”[96]
Comic genius one year, deadly terrifying avenger the next — Stephen’s ‘yin’ and ‘yang’. In 2008, he played the deeply sinister and complex lead character of Vindice in the Jacobean bloodbath The Revenger’s Tragedy at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester. Stephen felt sympathy for the character and explained why the play appealed to him:
“He’s not a villain, he’s an anti-hero, really. You can see he has been wronged. The audience get to be voyeurs and enjoy watching him get his retribution. It’s the black-and-white morality of the play, its bloodthirsty nature, that appealed to me. The way that things are dealt with, there was no red tape: it was out with the poison or the sword if you were wronged.”[97]
And of returning to the stage in Manchester, “I appeared at the Royal Exchange 16 years ago. It’s my favourite theatre that I’ve ever worked in. And I studied the play at A-level. When I told my dad he said he even had my old notes kicking around the house somewhere.”[97]
Stephen toured in Sign of the Times in 2009, playing the character of Frank Tollit, who has spent the past 25 years putting up letters on buildings but dreams of becoming a novelist. His colleague Alan (Tom Shaw), 30 years his junior, wants to be a rock star. Stephen said, “The play is a comedy but much more. It is about having dreams and ambition; it’s about happiness and failure. Frank’s good at his job; he does enjoy it, but he has bigger dreams. I think everyone will be able to relate to it.”[98]
He was correct; his unique ability to connect completely on an emotional level with the characters he portrays inspires viewers and helps them to learn about themselves. After seeing Sign of the Times one blogger wrote: “I learnt to write what you know….I learnt you can change. You shouldn’t just copy your favourite authors, you need to discover your own style. That’s where true talent lies….I learnt that you may not have the success you dream of — but the small successes can be just as good and fulfilling as the big ones.”[99] (AUDIO: Tim Mayo Talks with Stephen Tompkinson about Tim Firth’s Sign of the Times)[100]
In his most recent stage run (February to March 2011), he mesmerized a packed audience as the menacing villain Freddie the Suit in Faith and Cold Reading at the Live Theatre in Newcastle — a role that was written especially for him by his friend of 20 years, Shaun Prendergast.[10] Stephen and Max Roberts, Artistic Director of the Live Theatre, spoke to the Press about the production: AUDIO: Faith & Cold Reading — Max Roberts and Stephen Tompkinson.[101] (VIDEO: Faith and Cold Reading Trailer)[102]
At the play’s launch, Stephen said:
“I’d like to dedicate this to the memory of Mr. [Pete] Postlethwaite, who meant the world to me and who taught me that it starts with the script and that’s why I’m here. It was a real privilege working with him, and this is the first opportunity since his death I’ve had to honour his memory.”[103]
Speaking generally about his experiences on stage, and particularly about touring in a stage production, Stephen has said:
“You can feel a bit cosseted and wrapped in cotton wool in TV land and it’s nice to flex all your acting muscles…It’s sort of like flying without a safety net. And theatre — to get that immediate response is marvellous. It’s what I trained for — three years of drama school….It does differ each night and it does differ from town to town, city to city. Comedy has always fascinated me. The best way to do it is to tour it because it always keeps you on your toes. You can never relax and think this one’s in the bag. It does, humour changes. It’s funny!”[104]
And, while work in television may bring greater financial security, Stephen sometimes finds acting on stage more fulfilling.
“It can be frustrating to work on TV in that it’s always very stop/start, whereas in a play there’s always an immediate reaction from the audience, and you get to tell the story from beginning to end without interruption. But, of course, if you mess up you don’t get to stop and go again. It’s always the case with comedy, especially on tour [that an actor doesn’t get the reaction he expects from a theatre audience]. It’s very different from town to town — areas do share different senses of humour. As soon as you were hoping for a laugh and you didn’t get it, that moment’s already gone. You can often lose a laugh and you never work out why. You think the timing’s exactly the same — it’s always slightly mysterious. But it’s good, it keeps you working hard and you can never take anything for granted.”[105]
moderator
In addition to his work as a character actor, Stephen has hosted or narrated a number of other UK television programs, including a FIFA 100 Years of Football documentary.
In 1999, he presented the BBC2 documentary Great Railway Journeys: Singapore to Bangkok, part of Series 4 of the popular Great Railway Journeys travel documentaries that aired over many years in the UK and on PBS in the U.S. During the trip, Stephen relived luxurious colonial train travel, drank Singapore Slings at the famous Raffles Hotel where the drink originated, enjoyed a game of cricket, toured Malaysia’s rubber and tea plantations, and explored the Thai countryside along the way to Bangkok. He was once asked to name the best hotel he had ever stayed in, and he replied:
“In 1998 I stayed at the Raffles Hotel, Singapore, to film a BBC travelogue on great railway journeys. We had travelled on the Eastern and Oriental Express from Singapore through Malaysia to Bangkok. I was in the Rudyard Kipling suite, which was gorgeously colonial, refined and timeless. There was a lot of polished mahogany and white wood with fancy ceiling fans whirring away. I felt that I’d stepped into an Agatha Christie film.”[106]
Six months after the death of legendary comedian Spike Milligan, the cream of British comedy came together in 2002 to participate in a charity evening titled Spike Milligan: I Told You I Was Ill… — A Live Tribute, recorded at London’s Guildhall. The event featured performances and readings of some of Spike’s best material. Stephen contributed a poignant reading from Spike’s War Diaries. (VIDEO: Stephen Tompkinson reading from Spike Milligan’s War Diaries)[107]
In 2009, as a result of his work on Wild at Heart, Stephen was asked to film and present the documentary, Stephen Tompkinson’s Great African Balloon Adventure, a three-part series inspired by Jules Verne’s first novel Five Weeks in a Balloon. It followed Stephen and his guide, hot air ballooning expert Robin Batchelor, as they travelled 6,108 miles in six weeks from coast to coast, above and on the ground in Tanzania, Rwanda, Zambia, Botswana and Namibia. The series aired on ITV in the UK in June 2009 and was later distributed by American Public Television in the U.S.[108]
The journey included tracking and getting exceptionally close to a troop of elusive mountain gorillas deep in the jungle, visiting a home for Rwandan orphans, and a forced but deliberate crash landing into some bushes — complete with a rescue by Masai warriors, not far from a large thundering and trumpeting herd of elephants on the move near the Ngorongoro Crater.[109] But Stephen took it all in stride. Describing the experience afterward, he was more focused on the feeling of being on a magic carpet ride:
“We [didn’t] get much time to explore Africa when we [were] filming [Wild at Heart], so when ITV asked if I would be interested in the ballooning project, I knew it was an amazing opportunity that I couldn’t say ‘no’ to. [Ballooning] is the most gorgeous mode of transport….In some places in Africa, as far as the eye could see, there wasn’t any sign of man. I’ve never had that experience before. It was almost like time had stopped and we were the only people on the planet.”[10]
“It’s breathtaking up there. You would not believe the serenity and the apparent lack of motion when you’re in the basket. Even at thirty knots, it feels like you’re on a magic carpet suspended over the landscape. When you’re in a plane or a helicopter, the ground zips by too quickly. But in a balloon, the sense of calm is like nothing else I’ve ever experienced — it’s as though the ground below has been laid out especially for you. You get this extraordinary, otherworldly birds-eye view.”[110]
The African balloon series was well received, and ITV commissioned a three-part follow-up series that aired on ITV1 in 2010, titled Stephen Tompkinson’s Australian Balloon Adventure. This series included a much more dramatic, entirely unintentional — indeed seriously life-threatening — crash landing near the Flinders mountain range in South Australia. Stephen relates the experience with delightful wit and humour:
“Ballooning is as safe as any human endeavour that involves defying gravity….but we found ourselves a week into a four-week shoot without having gone up on a single flight, due to the bad weather….We needed to get up in the balloon or we’d be forced to rename the programme Australian Sitting In The Hotel Playing Scrabble Adventure, [so] we convinced ourselves that the conditions were fine….We had to wait 20 minutes for the helicopter carrying another camera crew [and] the wind started to pick up….We were determined to get up there. What could possibly go wrong?…Then we got our first reality check. Heavy black storm clouds, flashing zigzags of lightning….Being not quite a rank amateur, I thought: ‘That’s not good.’ But there’s only so much you can actually do, standing there, helpless, in a laundry basket. With a madman. Well, an enthusiastic eccentric shall we say.
“As we started Robin’s controlled descent, the wind…was blowing, impelling us downwards [until] we began plummeting….[Robin] decided, very calmly but decisively, that we had to land, there and then….One minute we were suspended under a giant hot-air balloon in a lidless wicker box, floating half a mile above land. The next we were coming in to land like a jet into Heathrow. As we hit the ground, at 40mph in a laundry basket, I thought: ‘What a ridiculous way to earn a living.’
“The next few moments happened so quickly that there was no opportunity to register and acknowledge fear….Death looked the most likely outcome. As soon as the basket slammed into the ground, the jolt nearly drove my teeth through my brain. I was hurled upside down…then dragged along for what seemed like an eternity over a cheese grater….Finally, we came to a stop….Clambering out of the wreckage we realised we’d been dragged along for more than 300 yards. That’s the length of three football pitches!…The speedy unexpected connection with the rock-hard, sunbaked ground had…shattered two of my back teeth, which fell out a couple of days later….Robin was shaking. White. Shocked. And so was I.
“It was tempting to dwell on what might have happened but…[our cameraman] Steve’s desperately serious situation…stopped us thinking about ourselves. In a way I was as much worried about Robin as about Steve, although, typically, part of you is very aware you’re making a television documentary so you automatically ask: ‘Did you get that? Blood and all? Great! Now we’ve got a programme!’ We examined our little basket. There was a hole in it, and the aluminium frame around the top was seriously damaged. If [one boulder] had gone the other way, into the basket, we’d have been dead. We [wanted to go] to the nearest town to get checked by a doctor [but] Parachilna has an official population of seven.
“Once we’d recovered enough to travel, we drove back to base and the storm overtook us with a ferocity that, if we’d still been airborne, would have reduced us to human smoothies….After we’d established Steve was all right, I thought: ‘We’ve got to get back in that basket.’ I knew if Robin and I dwelt on what had happened, we just wouldn’t do it. I had to approach it as if I had fallen off a very big horse and had to get back on as soon as possible.”[111]
Narrator/Voice-over
His uniquely warm and recognizable voice and his command of multiple dialects have enabled Stephen to do a variety of voice-over work, including adverts,[112] audio books, and narration. His many adverts include BT Childline, British Midland, Motorola, Alton Towers, Comet, Eurostar, Laphroaig Whisky, Mercury & Kwiksave, Bulmers Cider (VIDEO clip),[113] and Tetley Tea (VIDEO clip “Sidney”: Just the Way You Are).[114]
“It’s the trusting tones of Father Peter Clifford, the heartbreaking lament of a forlorn ex-miner and the intonation that inspires you to buy Bulmers over all the other cider options on the supermarket shelf.” ~Liverpool Daily Post [105]
Stephen performed the voice-over for adverts two years in a row for the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA), the UK’s largest petcare and veterinary charity. One advert featured the song True Colours sung by Eva Cassidy, with Stephen’s voice-over commentary. “The duo is an inspired choice, as Cassidy’s voice has a haunting lyrical quality, while Tompkinson has a soothing and reassuring tone.”[115] Stephen said, “It was a pleasure to record the voice-over for PDSA’s ad. I really admire the work they do at the PDSA — playing a TV vet is difficult enough!”[116]
His narrated TV programmes include Trail of Guilt: Harold Shipman: Addicted to Murder (2000), When Snooker Ruled the World (2002), and A Band for Britain (2010).
Among his many narrated audiobooks are Agatha Christie’s The Sittaford Mystery, Michael Robotham’s Drowning Man, The Card by Arnold Bennett, Ultimate Weapon by Chris Ryan, etc. Stephen has also narrated many children’s titles, including Notso Hotso by Anne Fine; several Astrosaurs titles; Buried Alive and Cliffhanger by Jacqueline Wilson; and many others. (See more comprehensive list below.)
He was the voice of the popular cartoon tomcat called Binka, who traveled to three houses for three meals a day, experiencing various adventures along the way. Twenty-six five-minute episodes were produced and screened on weekday mornings in 2001. Binka can still be seen frequently as repeats on CBBC.
Also in 2001, he performed the voice of Tom, Bob the Builder’s twin brother, in a feature-length Special titled Bob the Builder: A Christmas to Remember. Other voices were performed by Neil Morrissey, Noddy Holder, Alison Steadman, and Elton John. The film won a 2003 BAFTA in the “Children’s Animation” category.
He performed the voice of Stan for the 26-episode pre-school children’s series Little Red Tractor, which was shown originally in 2004–2005 on the BBC’s Cbeebies channel and enjoys continued popularity around the world. It is about the adventures of Stan, the Little Red Tractor’s driver and constant companion, who lives at Gosling Farm in the fictional community of Babblebrook and keeps 2 cows, a dog, and 2 pigs. It has realistic story lines, a large cast of characters, and believable animal behavior. Of this experience, Stephen said:
“It’s a delightful show and one that I was more than happy to get involved with. It’s great fun to do Stan, and I got to meet one of my all-time heroes, Derek Griffiths, who provides the other voices….Every brick for the farm buildings is individually carved from polystyrene, so it gives you a real depth of focus when the technical people come to light it. It really looks brilliant.”[4]
Despite his success in this area, Stephen admits he sometimes doesn’t care for the sound of his own voice: “It always sounds quite horrible. I never like to listen back to it. But you learn to work at certain things to make it as entertaining as possible, so you concentrate on finding all the different colours that you can.”[105]
Audiobooks
director
One day in 2006 an unexpected offer arrived that gave Stephen an opportunity to step behind the camera instead of in front of it. He had recently turned 40, which prompted him to say, “You’ve pretty much decided who you are by 40, but suddenly the phone rings and you can add another string to your bow, like directing.”[117] He made his directing debut in the Midlands, at the helm of the BBC1 afternoon drama The Lightning Kid. To add to the pressure of being in charge of a 50-strong film crew, he was shadowed by a second crew making the documentary Director’s Debut: Stephen Tompkinson’s Story that aired immediately afterward, with the intent of revealing the challenges faced by a new director. BBC Daytime controller Jay Hunt commented, “I’m so pleased that Stephen has agreed to share with us his first, tentative steps into the art of directing.”[118]
While many actors say they’ve always wanted to direct, Stephen wasn’t keen when he was first approached.
“I was reticent. Directing wasn’t something I’d thought about. But then they said I could use my own script, which interested me as I’d come up with a few ideas with actor and writer Shaun Prendergast. Shaun produced this amazing script and I came up to Birmingham to look at locations. One major stroke of luck was finding The Maverick in Amblecote, Stourbridge. It’s a Western-themed pub so we didn’t have to do anything to it. To find a slice of the Wild West in an ordinary street in the West Midlands was fantastic.
“As an actor I’m only used to thinking about my part, but as a director you are suddenly responsible for absolutely everything, from casting to editing. And we only had eight days to shoot a 50-minute film. It was terrifying but fascinating. I especially loved the editing, I had endless hours of fun finding little bits of magic. So I definitely want to direct again! Hopefully, next time I won’t have a camera pointed at me. The fly-on-the-wall team were disappointed there were no hissy fits or dramas off-camera. At one point they asked me to pretend I had a problem, but we didn’t have time to stage anything.”[119]
“Casting was just like picking a fantasy football team. It was like putting together your own team, and I worked out that I have known the cast collectively for about 126 years. [But] casting people I knew was an added pressure. It’s me backing them to the hilt, and if they failed to deliver it would come back on me because I insisted on it. If it all goes well, I’d love to do more directing. If it’s an absolute disaster, I’ll stick to acting. Leading up to the first day of filming I was terrified. The technical guys were great, though. They really helped me out, but I still had the opportunity to think on my feet in setting the scenes up — I had a real freedom, and I’m delighted with the results.”[120]
Critical Acclaim
Kim Francis, Bracknell Forest Standard: “It’s fair to say that the success [Stephen Tompkinson] has enjoyed in his television career is unrivalled.”[104]
Andy Richardson, Shropshire Star: “Finally, there’s the most elusive category of all: TV that is both commercially successful and critically acclaimed. Such works have artistic integrity and somehow work their way into the popular consciousness….The British actor Stephen Tompkinson has made a career by creating works that fall into [this] category. He’s one of our finest actors, on his way to becoming a national treasure, and has made numerous films and TV programmes that are quality, while also have great commercial appeal….Year after year, he returns to our small screens to star in high-quality British drama….The word “integrity” runs through him like the letters in a stick of Blackpool rock. His old mate, the late Pete Postlethwaite…was entirely the same. In many ways, Tompkinson is the carrier of Postlethwaite’s flame. He’s just as likely to take time off from some big-budget TV series to appear in a gritty play….Tompkinson has been exceptional in Wild At Heart, a programme that has stood the test of time because it is both popular and credible. It manages to tell a right, rollicking story but avoids excessive cliché or saccharine sentimentality.”[121]
Ian Cain, The Public Reviews: “In Faith and Cold Reading, [Stephen Tompkinson] abundantly proves that his compelling television presence transfers equally well to the stage….It is, without the shadow of a doubt, Tompkinson who owns the stage throughout. His performance is menacing, sinister, funny and vulnerable by turn and he is an actor who demands your total attention and never lets go of it.”[122]
Tim Firth, dramatist and screenwriter, speaking of his experience working with Stephen in his lead role as Frank Tollit in Sign of the Times: “It is a massive role and Stephen is a fantastic actor. The great thing about him is he hears the music of comedy. He has an interest in comedy and I never have to explain a line to him.”[123]
Jane Haase, Liverpool Echo: “None of [his previous roles] prepared us for his latest starring role as the evil, murderous, revenge-seeking, throat-slashing, tongue-cutting, eye-gouging lawyer Vindice, who, in less time than it takes to butcher a rabbit, slashes his way through three generations of a nobleman’s family — and twice as many throats — in The Revenger’s Tragedy….That it works so well is due in no small part to Tompkinson who revels in the freedom and is a revelation, as he switches seamlessly from revenge-consumed lover to overblown dandy to murderous avenger — a smiling assassin of the first water. Even in its lightest moments Tompkinson’s evil intent is never far from the surface — he is excellent and great fun too.”[124]
Katy Lewis, BBC Entertainment: Beds Herts and Bucks: “Stephen Tompkinson is superb [in Charley’s Aunt]. As a man dressed in woman’s clothing he doesn’t attempt to behave like a girl at all, and as he hilariously galumphs around the stage it appears that his character is very uncomfortable in his get up! Add to that loads of energy and perfectly timed lines and facial expressions and it is a wonderful performance.”[125]
Brian Clover, Curtain Up: In Rattle of a Simple Man, Stephen Tompkinson “moves with ease from rattle-waving drunken bravado to hung-over remorse to tender vulnerability, hinting at the tragedy of an unfulfilled life.”[126]
BBC Press Pack for In Denial of Murder: “Stephen Tompkinson remains one of Britain’s most versatile performers, an actor who can be relied upon to play characters from all walks of life and make them memorable for audiences of television, film and radio.”[46]
The Northern Echo: “Waiting for the Whistle: Staying Up was cast to the hilt…but [it] belonged to the versatile Tompkinson…giving a heartfelt performance as the emotionally disturbed football fan.[127]
Janine Bickerstaff, Click Lancashire: “Stephen delivers an array of witty one liners [in Sign of the Times] with expert timing and plays the warm and worldly-wise Frank to a tee, making him the old-school supervisor everyone has humoured at some time in their working lives. Audiences will leave the theatre having laughed and cried, but shockingly having thought about Frank and how he could be anyone of us. Tompkinson and Shaw are brilliant together….Sign of the Times [is] a real comedy with substance that leaves you thinking but feeling good.”[128]
Laura Davis, Liverpool Echo: “[Frank Tollit] is the sort of role Tompkinson plays well — incorporating a balance of optimism tinged with sadness.”[105]
Chris Collett, THE STAGE Reviews: “Tompkinson’s Freddie [in Faith and Cold Reading] is terrifying, radiating waves of menace off the stage. At times, he appears the embodiment of evil — the devil in a Savile Row three piece.”[129]
Linda Jameson, Exeunt Magazine: “[Laura] Norton and Tompkinson have a strong on-stage rapport [in Faith and Cold Reading]…both in terms of pacing and dialogue. They both play strong, articulate individuals who are able to discuss the play’s central issue of faith without it ever sounding contrived. Tompkinson’s performance in particular is engaging and complex; he’s charismatic, menacing and yet also extremely superstitious (with an amusing tendency to mix his metaphors). It’s a powerful piece of acting that holds the production together; he revels in the play’s genuinely funny word play and the result is a rather imposing, unpredictable character.”[130]
Brian Pendreigh, The Herald (Scotland): “In a world of hype and pretentiousness, prima donnas and prats, Tompkinson comes across as one of the lads. Retaining the voice of a Lancashire lad, he…exhibits a fine sense of self-deprecating humour and honesty.”[76]
James Rampton, The Independent: “Has…success turned [Stephen Tompkinson] into yet another self-important actor who is more interested in perks than in his performances? Not as far as I could gather. Given to wry grins, Tompkinson has a stealthy wit that creeps up on you and unexpectedly taps you on the shoulder. The same spark of humour lights up his roles.”[22]
Actor Nick Berry: “We met at [an] awards ceremony and the warmth of Stephen’s personality struck me. The minute I met him I knew he was genuine….He’s a sharp, witty guy. Annoying really….[And] there’s no such thing as friendly when you play [pool with] Steve.”[131]
Teacher Anthony Holland, Ryles Park School, Bollington: “I bumped into [Stephen] and mentioned we had been talking about him only the other day at school….He actually asked if he could come in and talk to the pupils. He was extremely friendly and down to earth and gave the students an experience they will remember from their time at the school. It was fantastic for such a well-known television star to offer to come here and give up his free time.” And Head of Drama at Ryles Park School, Grant Fairlie said: “The fact that he stayed and talked to our Year 7 and Year 10 Drama GCSE group for over an hour, and even joined in activities, was brilliant.”[132]
Francine Cohen, The People: “If you meet Stephen you feel like you’ve known him for years. There is something very familiar about the six footer, who is the son of a Yorkshire bank manager….He comes over as calm, well mannered and sensible….Despite his considerable success, there is no sign of smugness or complacency about the successful star. He said, ‘I just remember what my parents taught me: Keep a level head.'”[63]
awards
(Source: Internet Movie Database (IMDB), unless otherwise cited)
inspiration
Throughout his career Stephen has tended toward understating his own talent and accomplishments, in favor of praising or giving credit to those from whom he has taken inspiration, including fellow cast and crew members. He is quick to deflect attention away from himself by saying that he has been fortunate to work with great scripts provided by talented writers, and with exceptional actors and directors.
His long-term friend Pete Postlethwaite had an undoubted influence on him. He tells of a scene in Brassed Off where Pete, as the character Danny, is lying in a hospital bed: “I watched him working and, without a word of a lie, I turned away with tears in my eyes, it was so moving….I learnt that less is more.”[74]
When Pete died in January 2011, tributes poured in from around the world. Stephen said, “He was deeply generous with his time and cared about all aspects of his craft passionately. Like all great teachers, he was inspirational and ultimately unforgettable. He will be dearly missed.”[137] And when Pete’s memoirs were later published, Stephen appeared on BBC Breakfast to once again praise his friend: VIDEO: Pete Postlethwaite: best actor in the world.[138] He also participated in a special tribute to the great actor that aired on BBC Two: VIDEO: Pete Postlethwaite: A Tribute.[139]
Later, Stephen dedicated his performance in Faith and Cold Reading to Pete:
“It was at two very pivotal points in my career that I got to work with Pete. The first was my first-ever television series called Tales of Sherwood Forest, and the second was my first film role in Brassed Off, where we worked very closely as father and son. It was amazing to watch him rehearse and see how much time he spent getting the scripts absolutely right. Not in a selfish way, but for the overall project. He obviously reached much dizzier heights that I ever have with Oscar nominations and Spielberg saying he was the best actor in the world. But even when he was doing Hollywood films, if the right theatre job came up, he would stop everything to do it, which I really admired. I really think that Pete would have loved Faith and Cold Reading and hopefully he’ll still be guiding me through.”[10]
Speaking of Brassed Off writer/director Mark Herman, Stephen said, “[He] is terrific: he gave us enough rope to interpret the roles ourselves….it’s rare that your emotional and political beliefs don’t get compromised. It’s nice to be able to speak your mind through your character.”[74]
Of working under the direction of Kevin Spacey on Cloaca at The Old Vic, Stephen said:
“Kevin Spacey is absolutely brilliant. It’s hard to think of many actors that appeal to every generation, but he is one of them. He has this wonderful ability to play the everyman so when he’s directing and has a suggestion about a part, he immediately commands a level of respect because you know he could play the part 10 times better than anyone else. He is open to your suggestions as well though, which is always good. Cloaca is the first show that Kevin Spacey has professionally directed, and it really has been the happiest stage work I’ve ever done.”[140]
Taking it a bit further, Stephen defended Mr. Spacey when his productions received mixed reviews and critics accused him of poor management as the theatre’s Artistic Director:
“Kevin came to the Old Vic with his parents when he was a child and when he heard that it was in financial trouble he took himself out of Hollywood for four years to stop the place being turned into a car park because no one in this country was prepared to save it. For him to take himself out of films for four years at the rate of pay he could command per film, Kevin is probably doing himself out of £50m in loss of earnings, which is a very big-hearted gesture.”[140]
When asked about co-starring with Michael Richards in Arsenic and Old Lace, he replied:
“It’s been a delight. To be honest with you, that was the real big carrot that was dangled in front of me before I took the role! I’m a huge, huge fan, and this is the closest I’ll ever get to working alongside somebody like Buster Keaton or Jacques Tati. That sort of opportunity only comes along once in a lifetime, and I grabbed it with both hands. He’s a wonderful fellow.”[94]
Stephen was “absolutely devastated” and in tears when he was asked to comment the day after Irish actor Tony Doyle died suddenly, just a few hours after Stephen had been with Tony and his wife Sally at a London stage premiere and first-night party. They had worked very closely together for three series of Ballykissangel. Stephen said, “Tony was on very good form — as usual the life and soul of the party. As I always did with Tony, I had a great night out. We were laughing and joking at the party and he was full of life. I just can’t take it in that he’s gone. He was one of the most generous actors I have ever worked with and he was one of my very closest friends. My heart goes out to his family.”[141]
Of his co-star Nick Berry in In Deep: “I’ve known Nick Berry for six years [at that time]. Our backgrounds are very different but I was in no way apprehensive about working with him — he’s a friend and he drew one of the best TV performances I’ve given out of me.”[34]
Of Tim Firth, with whom he worked on both television (The Flint Street Nativity) and stage (Sign of the Times) productions, Stephen said:
“Tim’s a great friend, I have always had an affinity with his work, so when he asked me to star in the play I was more than happy. Tim’s a national treasure, he has the ability to speak to everyone — he’s a worldwide success. Working with him doesn’t feel like work, I enjoy it so much.”[98]
“…to be doing Tim’s words [in Sign of the Times] is a real honour. I’ve always found a real affinity with his work. If I ever get a call from someone like Tim, who is a writer that has always spoken to me somehow, then it doesn’t feel like work. It’s just an absolute treat. The phone conversations don’t last too long if I know he’s responsible for it.”[104]
And, “I’ve known Tim for about 17 years now so it’s just like putting on a pair of your favourite shoes. It’s like having a safety net. I know exactly where he’s coming from with all of his dialogue. He knows my capabilities as well.”[105]
During the early series of Wild At Heart, Stephen even downplayed his own contribution in favor of praising his furry friends: “Neither of us (referring to his co-star Amanda Holden) would dare say that we are the stars of the series — the animals are, and so is the land….I wake up in the mornings and look around me, and there would be wild giraffe, elephants and zebras and lord knows what other marvellous beasts, and when the morning chill had gone it was always gloriously sunny, and I think to myself ‘Tompkinson, are you really getting paid to do this?’ and I just cannot believe my luck.”[142]
Speaking of actor and writer Shaun Prendergast, Stephen’s mildly self-deprecating humour peeks through: “Shaun is one of my oldest and dearest friends and I think [Faith and Cold Reading] is some of the best work he’s ever done. The part [of Freddie the Suit] was written with me in mind so I could hardly say ‘no’. I said ‘what do you want me to do?’, and he said ‘play a psychopath’. I don’t know what that says about our relationship.”[103]
Taking inspiration from the character of DCI Banks, he said, “[DCI Banks] could be the show I end up being most proud of. I really admire the character for doing the job he does. I could think of no one better that you’d want on your side.”[143]
Of the film Harrigan, Stephen said, “The script, which was given to me by the director Vince Woods, is brilliant. You start with a really good script with great writing and that transports the story for everyone. The whole team involved in the project are extremely passionate about it, and I am thrilled to be part of that.”[84]
Praising his agent, he said, “I have been very lucky. From the early days my agent [Barry] and I wanted to take on a variety of roles so that I didn’t become pigeon holed. It stemmed from my time in radio when we did plays across all the genres.”[84]
Philanthropy / Public Service
In June 2012, Stephen recorded a brief video statement for JoiningJack.org, a fundraising effort toward research to find a cure for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), a fatal genetic disorder that affects children.[144]
In March 2012, he supported the Westminster Carers Time Bank by attending a luncheon in London as the group’s special guest. The event was designed to attract new people interested in contributing their time to help others in the community in various ways. The group considered the event “a resounding success,” as over 100 people attended and 30 new carers signed on.[145]
In February 2012, he lent his support to former Newcastle United footballer Robbie Elliott, by participating at the launch of the Robbie Elliott Foundation in an event held near St James’ Park in Newcastle. Stephen revealed that Robbie had helped him with a rigorous exercise regimen to put him in shape for filming Harrigan. Stephen was keen to get behind the Bike for Bobby charity cycle ride Robbie intends to do — “3,500 miles, 8 clubs, 4 countries, 1 Sir Bobby Robson.” Money raised will be split between the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation and Breakthrough Breast Cancer.[146]
In late 2011, Stephen recorded an advert for Text Santa, a charity initiative set up by ITV to support nine UK charities at Christmas. The advert was broadcast repeatedly during December, leading up to ITV’s two Text Santa holiday specials. Stars of other ITV shows made similar adverts. In January 2012, it was announced that £4,120,000 was raised for the various charities.[147] (VIDEO: Text Santa Advert: Stephen Tompkinson)
Also in 2011, the Benfield Motor Group, the largest independent motor group in North East England, gave a substantial cash infusion to the Live Theatre in Newcastle. The money will be used to support the wealth of education and outreach work to be carried out by the Theatre over the next five years. Stephen was asked to participate in the naming ceremony for a special room at the Theatre devoted to writers, as a space for them to gather their thoughts and draw inspiration. Stephen said: “I have thoroughly enjoyed my time performing at Live Theatre over the last few weeks and when I was asked to help name this room I was delighted to be of assistance….Having a writers’ room is vital because without them actors would be speechless.”[148]
In March 2011, Stephen supported the Hallmark Cards for a Cure™ Mothers Day campaign when he handed over a £25,000 donation for a breast cancer research project at Newcastle University.[149]
In 2010, Stephen filmed a public service video in which he visited the award-winning Langley Green Hospital, Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust in Crawley, West Sussex. He delivered an anti-stigma, anti-discrimination message and praised the work of the acute care staff who help patients on the road to recovery from mental illness.[150]
In 2009, Stephen gave his backing to Chester Zoo’s £225m project to become the largest animal attraction in Europe. He took a break from filming his African Balloon Adventure to take a closer look at the 110-acre zoo and its plans to create a conservation bio-dome titled “Natural Vision.” He also provided the voiceover on the promotional video Chester Zoo — A Fantastic Day Out, which is featured on the zoo’s website. After meeting staff and touring the zoo, Stephen said, “We particularly enjoyed seeing behind the scenes in the orangutan enclosure and the baby black rhino. Feeding the lemurs and the penguins was a real highlight. I am delighted to be associated with Chester Zoo and the important wildlife conservation work they contribute to all around the world.”[151][152] (VIDEO: Chester Zoo: A Fantastic Day Out)
In 2008, Stephen became an Ambassador for Project African Wilderness (PAW), a not-for-profit organisation that seeks to protect and restore the Mwabvi Wildlife Reserve in Malawi. He threw his support behind a bike ride the group had organized to draw attention to their conservation work. He said:
“After spending several months in Africa filming, I’m reminded how beautiful and fragile the environment is. We take for granted that it will always be there but, without organisations such as Project African Wilderness dedicating time, resources and passion to maintain conservation reserves such as Mwabvi, Africa would be a different place. I admire people who give up their time to join the cause and raise money to support a charity, and this bike ride is the ultimate test and will be a truly amazing experience. Well done to those people who have already signed up to ride across north Malawi and to those people thinking about it — what are you waiting for!!”[153]
In June 2006, he attended an event at the Trafalgar Hotel in London titled ‘A Smile is a Gift’, to support children and families affected by HIV.[154]
Over the years Stephen has participated in Comic Relief’s Red Nose Day. In 2001, he was one of the team describing the work the charity does in Britain, helping victims of early Alzheimer’s or teenagers who are HIV positive.[155] In 1997, Stephen and Dervla Kirwan did a Comic Relief sketch titled Ballykissdibley — with Dawn French and the cast of The Vicar of Dibley — in which they played their Ballykissangel characters, Fr. Peter Clifford and Assumpta Fitzgerald.[156] (VIDEO: Ballykissdibley Comic Relief)[157]
Personal life
Early in his career (1989) Stephen married then BBC radio producer Celia Anastasia (now de Wolff); they divorced amicably after a lengthy separation. In 1998, he became engaged to Ballykissangel co-star Dervla Kirwan, but the couple split in late 1999.
In November 2000, he and Nicci Taylor joyfully welcomed the arrival of their daughter, Daisy Ellen, and they married in August 2001. However, it was announced in December 2006 that they had separated and would divorce.[158]
At approximately the same time — and following the sudden and unexpected passing of his mother in 2004 — Stephen made an important change in his lifestyle so he could devote more of his available time and attention to his young daughter. Then, in May 2007, while touring in a production of Charley’s Aunt, he met his current partner, Elaine Young, in Glasgow. Stephen credits Elaine with making “the most enormous difference” in his life. “She’s calmed me down and made me worry less about the future. I used to be a terrible worrier — about my career, about life in general — but she’s helped me realise you can’t enjoy the here and now if you’re always thinking about what might happen tomorrow.”[159]
He is completely devoted to and immensely proud of his daughter, Daisy. Despite his demanding professional life, he stays in constant, daily contact with her via Skype, from wherever his work takes him.
“I actually helped deliver her into this world, which I think makes for a very special bond between father and child….Being a dad is the most amazing thing that has ever happened to me….She is the complete core of my life. She has made me feel so much more fulfilled and grounded.”[142]
And on another occasion, “The most romantic and wonderful thing that has ever happened to me was being at the birth of my daughter Daisy and being able to deliver her. It doesn’t get any more emotionally involved than that. Daisy is…my reason to get up at ridiculous times and do ridiculous things for a living.”[160]
When asked if Daisy (age 10 at the time) shows any signs of wanting to be an actor, Stephen replied:
“She is really, really funny; she’s got great comedy timing and tells great jokes. She makes them up herself. Sometimes I look at her and think ‘How old are you?’ ‘Have you been here before?’ She’s spectacular. I love seeing the world through her eyes. She’s fantastic company so I try to spend as much time as I can with her.” And speaking of Daisy in an interview in September 2011, Stephen said, “The worst thing that could happen to me is I would be parted from her.”[63][161][162]
At age 9 Daisy designed the hot air balloon that carried her Dad safely across two continents, and he named it “Daisy” in her honor. The balloon fittingly bears the brilliant red and white colours that are the Home Colours of “Boro” — the Middlesbrough F.C. — which her father has loyally supported since boyhood, a passion he inherited from his dad. “I’m a Boro fan through and through. I’m a long-time Boro fan, a long-suffering Boro fan.”[4]
“My parents used to take me to the games when I was about seven or eight years old, every other weekend or so. I have great memories of that time, when Jack Charlton was in charge of the team. He spoke to me once and I remember running home and shouting ‘Mam! Jack Charlton spoke to me — with his mouth!’ I don’t know what else he would have spoken to me with!”[163]
Stephen is also an avid cricket fan. He once said that if he wasn’t an actor he “wouldn’t mind travelling the world as a cricket commentator, enjoying endless summers.”[162] And in 2008 he wrote an article for The Wisden Cricketer titled “Darren Gough: My Dazzling Mate” that demonstrates he could have been quite as successful in that role as he has been in his acting career.[164] The article
Ballykissangel
British TV series
Fitzgerald’s, a pub in Avoca that served as the series’ primary outdoor set.
Ballykissangel is a BBC television drama created by Kieran Prendiville, set in Ireland and produced by BBC Northern Ireland itself. The original story revolved around a young English Roman Catholic priest who became part of a rural parish. It ran over six series, first broadcast on BBC One in the UK from 1996 to 2001. It aired in Ireland on RTÉ One and in Australia on ABC TV from 1996 to 2001. Reruns were shown on Drama in the UK and in the US by some PBS affiliates.
Significant cast changes occurred at the end of Series 3 after the departure of main characters Peter Clifford and Assumpta Fitzgerald.
The show faced a decline in ratings from a peak of 10 million viewers to 4.8 million[2] and was eventually canceled in 2001.[3]
The name of the fictional village where the show is set is derived from Ballykissane, a townland near Killorglin, County Kerry, where the show’s creator, Kieran Prendiville, vacationed with his family as a child. The name of the village in Irish is shown as “Baile Coisc Aingeal”, meaning “The City of the Fallen Angel”, on the sign outside the post office.[4]
The show was filmed in Avoca and Enniskerry in County Wicklow.
Cast[edit]
Follow [edit]
The program ran in six series from February 11, 1996 to April 15, 2001. Almost all episodes lasted 50 minutes.
All six series were released in Region 1, 2 and 4. In 2010, four years after the release of Series 5, Series 6 was released in Region 2 along with a Series 1–6 box set.
The ninth episode of Series 3, “The Waiting Game”, was omitted from the early Series 3 Series 2 DVDs and all Region 4 (Australia) DVD releases. This is not the case with the 2010 box set or other Region 1 (North America) sets which all include this episode.
Weekday reruns of the show used to air on Virgin Media Three in the Republic of Ireland. In the Netherlands and Flanders, ONS started broadcasting Ballykissangel in 2020.[5]
Series 1 (1996) [ edit ]
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Series Title First Aired 1 1 “Trying to Connect You” February 11, 1996 ( ) Father Peter Clifford is from England and has been posted from Manchester to the small, remote Irish village of Ballykissangel. The first person he meets is Assumpta Fitzgerald, the landlady and landlady at Fitzgerald, who hints that he will not be welcome there. After a challenging start, he tries to familiarize himself with the quirks of his community. Niamh Quigley, daughter of wealthy town businessman Brian Quigley, comes up with a shady plan to find out if her friend Ambrose, the village guard (policeman), will be a good husband. Also, Brian has ordered a luxury automatic confessional for the church, complete with air conditioning and a fax machine, which is proving very inconvenient. Father Clifford panics because he doesn’t have a vehicle to visit his parishioners in remote locations. He is also uncomfortable with father Frank MacAnally (Fr Mac), his regional supervisor. 2 2 “The Things We Do for Love” February 18, 1996 ( ) Brian Quigley is frustrated at Father Clifford’s interfering in his efforts to evict a family living in a trailer; The local soccer game takes on an unexpected meaning. Meanwhile, an attractive woman from Father Clifford’s past arrives uninvited. Guest stars Lena Headey. 3 3 “Live In My Heart And Pay No Rent” February 25, 1996 ( ) Widower Quigley is ready to reignite an old flame while his daughter Niamh looks forward to marrying her beloved Ambrose. Unfortunately, after a close encounter, Ambrose has other ideas and the planned wedding is in jeopardy. 4 4 “Fallen Angel” March 3, 1996 ( ) The townsfolk are intrigued by a local pirate radio station whose mysterious DJ is broadcasting Ballyk’s personal messages along with music, until Ambrose eventually tracks down the illegal radio station. Father Mac insists Father Clifford needs to be a “mobile” priest, but his driving lessons with Assumpta might not be such a good idea. Father Clifford visits and connects with a retired judge in hospital before dying, who has been bitterly agnostic since losing his wife. 5 5 “The Power and the Gory” March 10, 1996 ( ) A death in the village requires a by-election. The fight between Sean Dooley and Brian Quigley continues. Ambrose finally agrees to a church wedding. Assumpta’s former friend Leo comes to the village to report on the election campaign. Liam and Donal accidentally exhume a 50-year-old skeleton. 6 6 “Missing You Already” March 17, 1996 ( ) Brian organizes a local festival, but Assumpta is less than thrilled when it turns out it was a cover-up to steal Fitzgerald’s business. Ambrose and Niamh end up getting married in the church amid the confusion of the busy festival, and Father Clifford learns he’s about to be sent back to England – but are the villagers keen for him to go like Father Mac?
Series 2 (1997) [ edit ]
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Series Title Original Air Date 7 1 “For One Night Only” January 5, 1997 ( ) Sparks fly as Father Clifford plays Assumpta in amateur drama. She declines to play the love scenes, but a stranger comes to the village and agrees to play the romantic lead. 8 2 “River Dance” January 12, 1997 ( ) The village rallies around Brendan Kearney when he loses his teaching position due to declining student numbers. Elsewhere, Ballyk is in the grip of a gold rush and Father Clifford is not pleased with Liam and Donal’s plan to use a statue of the Virgin Mary to lure paying tourists. 9 3 “In the Can” January 19, 1997 ( ) Former one-hit wonder Enda Sullivan asks Assumpta out and Father Clifford recruits him to a gospel mass. Meanwhile, Brian Quigley tries to produce and direct a tourist film. 10 4 “The Facts of Life” January 26, 1997 ( ) Peter finds an abandoned newborn baby on his doorstep and is able to track down the teenage mother and bring them back together. Ambrose slips in the tub and a new Garda comes in Ballyk who is very strict. Against Father Mac’s wishes, Peter gives a speech to the town youth about relationships. 11 5 “Someone to Watch over Me” February 2, 1997 ( ) Brian Quigley teases after hiring an attractive, flirtatious housekeeper who secretly plans to marry him. Local children annoy Peter and the shopkeeper with their mischief. Niamh, feeling depressed after her miscarriage, begins helping in elementary school. 12 6 “Only Skin Deep” February 9, 1997 ( ) Brian Quigley hosts a town beauty pageant as part of the village fete. Brendan tries to comfort Siobhan about her plain looks and they end up sleeping together while Peter and Ambrose try to reform a young student who tried to steal Niamh’s purse. 13 7 “Money, Money, Money” February 16, 1997 ( ) A late-night fire devastates the home of local shopkeeper Kathleen. When she reveals she doesn’t have insurance, Father Clifford organizes a campaign to help restore her home. He gets tipped off the wrong way in a dog race and they are forced to resort to a poker tournament to raise the money they need. 14 8 “Chinese Whispers” February 23, 1997 ( ) Two strangers cause chaos when the villagers believe they are from the tax office. Peter struggles to control his emotions when Niamh reveals Assumpta could leave Ballyk for Dublin.
Series 3 (1998) [ edit ]
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Series Title First Aired 15 1 “As Happy As A Turkey On Boxing Day” December 21, 1997 ( ) Everyone’s Christmas plans fall apart when Padraig’s son Kevin falls down a mine shaft. Peter is chosen by Father Mac to entertain his nephew Timmy. 16 2 “When a Child is Born” March 1, 1998 ( ) As the birth of Niamh’s baby nears, Ambrose’s mother comes to help. The village is in excitement when it appears that a holy “miracle” has occurred in the church, drawing crowds of visitors. Padraig becomes a village news reporter and Ambrose helps Niamh deliver her baby. 17 3 Changing Times March 8, 1998 ( ) Brian’s latest venture to attract Korean investors is to bulldoze a local beauty spot, sparking community protests. Father Clifford intimates his feelings for Assumpta, but after careful consideration decides to remain a priest. Eamon tries to woo a surprised Kathleen. 18 4 “Stardust in Your Eyes” March 15, 1998 ( ) Quigley organizes a welcoming ceremony to impress a group of potential Korean business investors, but they arrive earlier than expected and cause confusion. With Assumpta in Dublin, Niamh struggles to balance pub work with the demands of motherhood. 19 5 “The Fortune in Men’s Eyes” March 22, 1998 ( ) When Ambrose’s mother arrives to help care for baby Kieran, Quigley begins courting her, but only hopes to get her to invest in his business . Liam and Donal are fired from work and Donal’s fiancee leaves him. The villagers report bogus crimes to stop police headquarters from reassigning Ambrose. 20 6 “I Know When I’m Not Wanted” March 29, 1998 ( ) Assumpta returns to Ballyk with her new husband Leo and finds Father Clifford organizing a pub contest. 21 7 Personal Call April 5, 1998 ( ) Father Mac falls ill, Assumpta’s marriage deteriorates, and Quigley’s financial situation deteriorates. 22 8 “Lost Sheep” April 12, 1998 ( ) Siobhan unexpectedly receives the news that she is pregnant. Kathleen is inexplicably horrified when a mysterious young woman arrives in town looking for her older sister, who lived there and worked for Father Mac 20 years ago. Eamon’s wandering sheep become a danger on the road. 23 9 “The Waiting Game” April 19, 1998 ( ) While the people of Ballykissangel are obsessed with an anonymous lottery winner, Ambrose goes undercover to catch a notorious drug dealer in a rowdy nightclub in a neighboring town. 24 10 Pack up Your Troubles April 26, 1998 ( ) Quigley starts a new company. 25 11 “The Reckoning” May 3, 1998 ( ) The town becomes embroiled in a Chinese cooking competition when circumstances cause Peter to confess his feelings to Assumpta. 26 12 “Among Friends” May 4, 1998 ( ) The mood of the villagers is somber as everyone mourns the sudden death of young Assumpta. A gossip reporter interviews people about their relationship with Father Peter. Leo returns to Ballyk, pursues Peter and eventually engages in a fistfight. Peter delays his departure long enough to christen Niamh’s baby.
Series 4 (1998) [ edit ]
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Series title First broadcast date Viewers
(millions) 27 1 “All Bar One” September 20, 1998 ( ) 7.40 When Fitzgerald’s Pub and Hotel is auctioned, many new people come to town, some more welcome than others. Through ruses, Brian and Niamh outbid an eager out-of-town woman to own the pub, who had plans to convert it into a fancier eatery. The city awaits the arrival of its new priest, a former monk. 28 2 “He Heals the Sick” September 27, 1998 ( ) 7:51 As Eamonn tries to rid his farm of invading foxes, Father O’Connell begins to work miracles on the sick. However, Father Mac is skeptical about the legitimacy of these miracles. 29 3 “Bread and Water” October 4, 1998 ( ) 7.92 Siobhan and Brendan prepare for a water birth; Father O’Connell and his sister Orla settle in town and find he can barely afford groceries; Sean Dillon’s boisterous 16-year-old daughter Emma arrives unexpectedly in Ballyk, causing suspense and confusion; and Niamh leaves Ambrose and moves back with her father. The village women help deliver Siobhan’s baby. 30 4 “Par for the Course” October 11, 1998 ( ) 7.71 A roaming stranger wanders Ballykissangel while Siobhan and Brendan argue about their daughter’s christening. Friends finally persuade him to reconcile with her and accept his new fatherhood. Brian convinces a friend of Orla’s to buy a golf course with him. Emma moves in with her new father, who explains his past and why some villagers avoid her. Eamon’s estranged nephew Danny arrives from Dublin and wants him to hide a horse that the authorities want to repossess. 31 5 “The Odd Couple” October 18, 1998 ( ) 7.83 Donal’s new companion, a black bear, roams the village wreaking havoc while Kevin secretly begins working with Sean. 32 6 “Turf” October 25, 1998 ( ) 7am The town is virtually deserted as everyone heads to the annual horse race where “Doctor Ryan” risks losing to “Danny’s Razor”. Back in town, Ambrose attacks a Cilldargan drug dealer he once arrested. 33 7 It’s a Family Affair November 1, 1998 ( ) under 6.73 Brian goes to great lengths to organize and decorate the grand opening of his golf course, where Mickey, a flashy lottery winner, confronts a former aristocrat who has banned him from club membership . Numerous details go wrong at the event and create funny situations. Danny steals his horse back from Sean and his injury from the fall worsens. Eamon secretly pays Sean for the horse. 34 8 “Rock Bottom” November 8, 1998 ( ) 7.21 Padraig’s life spirals out of control, prompting him to turn to drinking for solace and escape. An ancient statue of fertility is unearthed at Sean’s farm and Fitzgerald’s gets satellite television. 35 9 “As Stars Look Down” 15 November 1998 ( ) 7.36 An old friend of Father Mac’s, an African priest, returns to visit Ballyk with news of a promotion to the Vatican and wins the local bingo jackpot. Meanwhile, Emma and Danny are stranded together in a cabin when heavy rain begins to fall. 36 10 “Births, Deaths and Marriages” November 22, 1998 ( ) 7.88 As Siobhan and Brendan prepare for their simple and secret wedding, Emma walks around the corner from the village digging up her family’s past. Eamon is involved in an accident and Niamh and Ambrose feel their marriage has lost its meaning. 37 11 “It’s a Man’s Life” November 29, 1998 ( ) 8.15 As tension between Niamh and Ambrose continues to escalate, Niamh leaves Ambrose for the day. Donal and Liam search for extra cash in golf balls lost in the river, and Kathleen gets an unexpected visit from an old sweetheart. 38 12 “The Final Frontier” December 6, 1998 ( ) 8.71 A violent storm sweeps over Ballykissangel and everyone runs for cover. Niamh confronts her feelings for Sean and Ambrose confronts his marriage to Niamh.
Series 5 (1999) [ edit ]
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Series title First broadcast date Viewers
(Millions) 39 1 “Two Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest” September 26, 1999 ( ) 8.68 As Niamh and Sean make a decision about their relationship, Brian, Orla, Liam and Donal compete in a hot air balloon race over Ballyk. 40 2 ‘Hello and Goodbye’ 3 October 1999 ( ) 8.72 The accidental death of Officer Ambrose has brought tears to everyone in Ballyk, especially his widow Niamh as she grapples with the new changes in her life. Meanwhile, Orla moves from the vicarage to a new cottage, hoping for some freedom. 41 3 “Catch of the Day” October 10, 1999 ( ) 7.96 While Niamh, Sean and Brian are trying to get back to normal life, Liam and Donal stumble upon a box of expensive stolen caviar that has washed ashore, doing them more harm than good could. 42 4 “Moving Out” October 17, 1999 ( ) 7.79 Due to escalating tensions between Emma and her father Sean, Emma leaves home and moves in with a young man and then a young woman. Meanwhile, Niamh decides she must go too, but to Dublin. Both potential buyers for Fitzgerald’s Pub back out of the purchase, but one remains to work there. Aiden, who has neglected to keep expense reports, is unprepared for the church auditor. 43 5 “Eureka” October 24, 1999 ( ) 9:77 am It’s Kieran’s fourth birthday and his grandmother Imelda is coming to visit, causing tensions with Niamh. Orla brings a famous book editor aboard Connor’s boat. Brian is encouraged to risk his life savings for a chance at a stake in an Australian gold mine, but Niamh is skeptical of the offer. 44 6 “Behind Bars” October 31, 1999 ( ) 8:20 am When Niamh moves out of Fitzgerald’s to start her new life in Dublin, Paul Dooley, an old enemy of Brian Quigley, moves in with his wife Oonagh and their two children. Connor’s attempts to arrange a romantic date for Orla go horribly wrong. 45 7 “Brendan’s Crossing” November 7, 1999 ( ) 7.82 Brendan is applying for the position of principal at the local school, but his prospects for the job look bleak given his competition and the members of the selection board. 46 8 “A Few Dollars More” November 21, 1999 ( ) 6.88 am Donal’s Uncle Minto returns to Ballyk with a dangerous new business proposition, just in time for the arrival of the new Garda, Frankie Sullivan. 47 9 “The Outsiders” November 28, 1999 ( ) 6.79 Frankie has a hard time feeling connected to the village when she orders Paul to do 50 hours of community service to right a crime. Brian begins to feel lonely without Niamh and Kieran. 48 10 With a Song in My Heart December 5, 1999 ( ) 6.86 Aidan is looking for choir singers but is finding it difficult to find volunteers. Sean decides to visit Niamh in Dublin. 49 11 “Love’s Labors” December 19, 1999 ( ) at 6:51 am Niamh and Sean announce their engagement to the village and Father Mac. Some people support them while others are unsure of their decision. Donal and Liam try their luck at gambling, and Aidan organizes a raft race with dramatic results. 50 12 “The Wedding” December 28, 1999 ( ) 9:23 AM While Niamh and Sean prepare to say “I do,” Frankie goes in search of a reckless young driver (whom Aidan almost late for the wedding would bring), and Paul is visited by a friend from prison who is trying to cheat on him.
Series 6 (2001) [ edit ]
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Series title First broadcast date Viewers
(millions) 51 1 “God.com” 1 March 2001 ( ) 8.18 Father Vincent Sheahan arrives in Ballyk from Australia. He quickly learns the ways of the villagers as he skeptically deals with a new online confessional and the mysterious disappearance of Brian Quigley. 52 2 “Drink” March 4, 2001 ( ) 6.98 Fr. Sheahan is arrested for drunk driving. Paul targets Louis’ run-down cabin. 53 3 “The Cat and Daddy G.” March 11, 2001 ( ) 5:70 Fr. Sheahan hears a confession that may be the answer to a mysterious attack. Grainne’s pet goat turns out to be just what Avril’s horse the cat needs. 54 4 “Spirit Proof” March 18, 2001 ( ) at 6.08 Mysterious things are happening around Ballyk when Paul gets a fishing license for the pub. Kathleen wins a car and takes driving lessons from Edso. 55 5 “Paul Dooley sleeps with the fishes” March 25, 2001 ( ) under 5.78 Paul has a big debt to pay with Liam and Donal and he doesn’t have much time. Avril gets an unpleasant shock when a couple arrives in Ballyk for the weekend. 56 6 “In a Jam” April 1, 2001 ( ) under 5.57 While Siobhan awaits medical test results, the village holds its annual festival where Fr. Sheahan will judge the jam competition. 57 7 “Getting Better” April 8, 2001 ( ) at 5.86 A faith healer angers Doc Ryan and Father Mac when she holds tent meetings near the village while Paul orders Liam and Donal to move a holy mass stone. A friend of Father Vincent’s comes to the village hoping to get married in St. Joseph, although he was previously divorced. 58 8 “Smoke Signals” April 15, 2001 ( ) at 5.43 In the final episode of Ballykissangel, Father Mac is horrified to learn of the wedding that Father Sheahan performed. Paul receives a tempting offer and someone is caught taking cannabis from a nearby field.
In other media[edit]
Father Peter Clifford[6] and Assumpta Fitzgerald[7] guest-starred in the 1996 Father Ted Christmas special “A Christmassy Ted” where they appear in a dream by Father Ted Crilly.[8]
In 1997, both Father Clifford[9] and Assumpta Fitzgerald guest-starred in a comic relief edition of The Vicar of Dibley[7] entitled “Ballykissdibley”, which featured the main characters of both shows.[9]
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