Paul Copley

Paul Copley:

Ubiquitous and adaptable Yorkshire actor with a gentle, burry voice, massively in demand for his ability to convince in roles ranging from the jolliest of uncles to the grimmest of villains, in everything from suburban sitcoms to heavyweight period drama. One of his biggest recent jobs has been playing Mr Mason, one of the few likeable characters in  'Downton Abbey', but his television CV from the early '70s to today is quite exceptional in its scope and quality.     

As honest farmer Mr Mason in 'Downton Abbey'

As well as 'Downton', he pops up in some other flag-waving series of the British television renaissance of the last decade, like 'Life on Mars', Torchwood' and 'Shameless'. And picking a few TV highlights from further back, you'll see him in Alan Plater's Chaucer-goes-Rugby-League series 'Trinity Tales', the Ben Kingsley 'Silas Marner', the 1977 BBC 'Treasure Island', the influential 'Cracker', 'Queer as Folk', 'The Lakes' and as the irascible seaman Matthews in the long-running 'Hornblower' franchise (photo top).

Perhaps not too convincing with the Cockney accent as
one of Terry's old schoolmates in 'Minder'

A quick run-down of his more everyday appearances would include everything from 'Tenko' and 'Secret Army' to 'Minder' and 'Strangers', with the inescapable cop and hospital stuff such as 'Heartbeat', 'Holby City', 'Peak Practice', 'Casualty', 'The Bill' and 'Doctors'.   

Turning informant in 'New Tricks'

In the movies, his younger days saw him cast in war movies 'A Bridge Too Far' (1977) and 'Zulu Dawn' (1979),  the controversial TV movie 'Death of a Princess' (1980) and later a supporting role in 'The Remains of the Day (1993). He has appeared in a number of shorts and low-budget films, including 'The Day My Nan Died' with Alison Steadman and Deddie Davies.  

Under a mop of '70s curls in n 'Alfie Darling' (1976) with
Alan Price and Vicki Michelle

Trivia: Fans of kids' TV might remember him from the spooky 'Ghost In The Water' which is now apparently lost to posterity, 'Gruey', 'Grange Hill' and a few schools' programmes. 

He also provided the voiceover for the horrible bleach-sloshing paranoia fest 'How Clean Is Your House?'. 

Paul Copley - imdb

Colin Farrell

Colin Farrell:

Spare a thought for British character actor Colin Farrell, now condemned to be referred to as Colin Farrell (II) in deference to the Irish-born Hollywood 'throb of the same name - who presumably never tried to join Equity.

Our chap is the affable, boyish, slightly sneaky-looking Colin Farrell who showed up in some decent TV in the '70s and '80s; Alan Plater's 'Trinity Tales', 'Tales of the Unexpected', 'Sorry!', 'Blakes 7' and 'Hadleigh'. He was also a regular as the dirty-minded Ernie Hadfield in the undertaker comedy 'In Loving Memory' with Thora Hird, but perhaps his most memorable role was as the universally despised 'orrible Norris in 'Porridge'.

Full BBC costume department glory in 'Blakes 7'

In the inevitable 'Midsomer Murders'

He had a decent role as Harry Smith in the film version of  'Oh! What a Lovely War' (1969),but other movie appearances are pretty much all bit-parts: including fighting rubber dinosaurs with Doug* McClure in 'The Land that Time Forgot' (1975), 'A Bridge Too Far' (1977), and 'Gandhi' (1982).

I notice that in recent years he has been obliged to take billing as 'Col' Farrell, which seems a shame as almost everybody in the UK had laughed heartily at him digging up the pitch at Elland Road two years before the 'other' Colin Farrell was even born. Still, that's showbusiness.
   

About to sign up in 'Oh! What a Lovely War' (1969)

Clerk of the Court in 'Gandhi' (1982)

*[edit: not 'Simpsons' character Troy McClure, as I originally wrote...] 

Colin Farrell (II) - imdb

Gerald Sim

Gerald Sim:

† Jun 4 1925 – Dec 11 2014

Delighted to find that this distinguished gent is still around, having made his film debut in 1947's 'Fame Is The Spur'. Sixty years is a long time, so it's likely that you'll have seen his knitted brows in 'The Wrong Box', 'Ryan's Daughter', 'Dr Jeckyll & Sister Hyde', 'Oh What A Lovely War!', 'Dr Phibes Rises Again' or 'A Bridge Too Far' on the big screen. 

His TV career stretches from 'Man In A Suitcase' and 'The Avengers' to 'Cribb', 'Ripping Yarns', 'The Fall & Rise Of Reginald Perrin' and the unavoidable 'Bergerac'. A full house.

Gerald Sim - imdb profile