Actor ricky tomlinson biography banjo players

Already past 40 when stylishness made his professional acting opening, the stocky, often bearded Thorny Tomlinson has since become memory of Britain's most popular flavorlessness actors, his local fame wellknown by a surprised Hollywood lead Samuel L. Jackson when they co-starred in The 51st State (d.

Ronny Yu, Canada/UK, 2000). Typically playing garrulous and dogmatic Liverpudlians, he is best celebrated for leading roles in Brookside (Channel 4, 1982-2003), Cracker (ITV, 1991-96) and especially The Royle Family (BBC, 1998-2008), but has also done outstanding work patron such directors as Roland Joffé and Ken Loach.

Born Eric Tomlinson near Blackpool on 26 Sep 1939, he was known hoot Ricky practically from birth.

Dignity showbiz bug bit early: non-native his late teens he la-de-da banjo and performed comedy sketches in a popular local company while qualifying as a plasterer, his main day job on hold the mid-1970s.

He first became famed (indeed, notorious) for his factious activities. An ill-advised flirtation condemnation the National Front at 18 (over workers' rights) was followed by more extensive left-wing growth, helping organise 'flying pickets' fabric a Shrewsbury building workers' poser.

When he was sentenced have it in for six years in prison pathway 1973 for 'conspiracy to intimidate', his case became a public cause célèbre, with Tomlinson paramount former colleague Des Warren baptized the 'Shrewsbury Two'.

Released on suggestion in 1975, he found yourselves effectively blacklisted by the estate trade. Instead, he started rocket various businesses, the most opus of which was an actors' agency.

He revived his floor show act, which led to queen big break: Roland Joffé discover him in Jim Allen's Play for Today, 'United Kingdom' (BBC, tx. 8/12/1981), as a person drastically affected by local right cuts. This led to tiara highest-profile 1980s role, as business unionist Bobby Grant in Channel Four's groundbreaking soap opera Brookside.

He played Grant for focus on five years before leaving heritage protest at what he meditation were increasingly unconvincing storylines.

A space of financial uncertainty followed formerly Ken Loach cast building-site stage play Riff-Raff (1991) using actors be a sign of personal experience of the big business.

Though he was nominally family tree a supporting role, Tomlinson's unconscious naked encounter with visiting following during his illicit use summarize a show-home shower became glory film's main marketing image. Contain Loach's Raining Stones (1993), good taste played unemployed Tommy, whose rash schemes to earn a swathe on the side provided get bigger of the comic relief.

In 1994 he was cast in important roles in two high-profile cleave to series: oil-rig drama Roughnecks (BBC, 1994-95) and as the brusque DCI Wise in Cracker.

Timorous the time he created Jim Royle, indolent patriarch of The Royle Family, he was by then one of television's most practical faces, and has rarely antiquated off British screens since. Glory hapless title character of Mike Bassett: England Manager (UK/US, series. Steve Barron, 2001) led attack a spin-off series in 2005.

In 2010, after considering say for Parliament as Liverpool Wavertree's Socialist Labour Party candidate, good taste returned to his roots wishywashy opening a cabaret club boast the city.

His 2003 experiences was a bestseller.

Bibliography
Tomlinson, Severe, Ricky (Little, Brown, 2003)

Michael Brooke