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1-50 of 58
- Actor
- Producer
James Brian Mark Purefoy was born and brought up in Taunton, Somerset, England, the son of Shirley (Taylor), who ran an employment agency, and Anthony Chetwynd Purefoy. After leaving school at the age of sixteen, he took a succession of different jobs, including working on a pig farm and as a porter at Yeovil District Hospital, before travelling and working extensively throughout Europe. At eighteen, James returned to college to take his A-Levels, one of which was Drama. It was there that he realised that this was something he felt inspired by and so applied for and was accepted onto the acting course at the Central School of Speech and Drama.
Whilst playing the title role in "Henry V" in the first term of his final year at Central, he was seen by a casting director from the RSC and invited to join the company, immediately, in Stratford. Although initially asked only to play "Ferdinand" in Nicholas Hytner's production of "The Tempest", he left the RSC two years later having performed in eight productions and been directed by the likes of Adrian Noble, Roger Michell and Gene Saks playing, amongst other, "Edgar" in "King Lear" and "Malcolm" in "Macbeth". Over the next six years, he divided his time between theatre and television. In the theatre, he worked with Katie Mitchell on "Women of Troy" at the Gate; Matthew Warchus, Ken Stott and Jude Law on "Death of a Salesman" at the West Yorkshire Playhouse; Iain Glen on "Hamlet" at Bristol Old Vic; Bill Alexander in a critically-acclaimed season at Birmingham Rep, playing leading parts in "The Servant", "The Way of the World" and "Macbeth"; and with Simon Callow, Joseph Fiennes, Rupert Graves, and Helen McCrory, on "Les Enfants du Paradis", again for the RSC.
As well as appearing in the BBC's landmark period drama, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (1996), he has always chosen to do a wide variety of parts on television, to avoid being typecast. From the psychopathic rapist in BBC1's Calling the Shots (1993) with Lynn Redgrave to the fraudster "Darius Guppy" in LWT's "The Prince"; from the urbane observer "Nick Jenkins" in Channel 4's A Dance to the Music of Time (1997) to the sad stalker in Granada's series, Metropolis (2000), James has always managed to confound people's expectations of him. Over the last few years, he has been busy making feature films, on average at the rate of three a year. Early credits include "Jedd Wainwright" in Feast of July (1995) for "Merchant Ivory", and as the bisexual Irish baker, "Brendan" in Rose Troche's Bedrooms and Hallways (1998). From the alcoholic roustabout "Tom Bertram" in Mansfield Park (1999) to the wannabee "Bond" actor "Carl Phipps" in Maybe Baby (2000); the gambling, womanising "Daniel" in Women Talking Dirty (1999) with Helena Bonham Carter to the noble, enigmatic "Prince Edward" in Brian Helgeland's A Knight's Tale (2001).
He has continued to surprise those who seek to pigeon-hole him in his film career - always choosing to play parts that juxtapose strongly with the one he has just completed. Last year, he returned to the theatre to play the rake "Ned Loveless" in Trevor Nunn's acclaimed production of "The Relapse" at the National Theatre in London, before embarking on the biggest challenge he has yet faced - playing "George" in the big budget George and the Dragon (2004), with, among others, Michael Clarke Duncan, Val Kilmer, Piper Perabo and Patrick Swayze. This movie will be released in the summer of 2003. He lives alone in London.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Jenny Agutter was born on December 20, 1952, in Taunton, Somerset, England, UK. The daughter of an army officer, she spent her childhood traveling and living in different countries. Her film career began at the age of 12 in East of Sudan (1964), which was quickly followed by Ballerina: Part 1 (1966) and Ballerina: Part 2 (1966), and A Man Could Get Killed (1966). Other films and television appearances in her early career include Gates to Paradise (1968), Long After Summer (1967), Star! (1968), I Start Counting (1970), The Great Inimitable Mr. Dickens (1970), and The Wild Duck (1971).
In 1970, she appeared in what was her real big break as a child star: The Railway Children (1970), as "Bobbie". The next year, Hollywood called and she spent several years there, appearing in such works as The Cherry Orchard (1971), Walkabout (1971), and The Snow Goose (1971) with Richard Harris, for which she received an Emmy Award. She also appeared in the critically acclaimed A War of Children (1972) and Shelley (1972).
In 1976, Jenny really came to the attention of US film audiences with her starring role in the science-fiction classic Logan's Run (1976) with Michael York. Though not a critical favorite, it was a huge box-office success and spawned a television series. She also starred alongside Richard Chamberlain in a well-received made-for-TV version of the famous Dumas tale The Man in the Iron Mask (1977) and turned in a solid performance in the WW II thriller The Eagle Has Landed (1976) with Michael Caine and Donald Sutherland. The next year, she starred in Peter Shaffer's weighty Equus (1977) as "Jill Mason", alongside Richard Burton. Among her other TV and film work during the 1970s were Dominique (1979), School Play (1979), and The Riddle of the Sands (1979).
In 1981, she played "Desdemona" opposite William Marshall in The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice (1981). Other Shakespeare performances include "King Lear", Love's Labour's Lost (1985) as "Rosaline" for the BBC and Romeo & Juliet (1993) as "Lady Capulet". During this time, she was in numerous films and television series, including Sweet William (1980), Beulah Land (1980), The Survivor (1981), Amy (1981), and one of the films for which she is most fondly remembered, An American Werewolf in London (1981). She also appeared in This Office Life (1984), Secret Places (1984), Silas Marner (1985), Dark Tower (1987), Miss Right (1982), and King of the Wind (1990).
In the 1990s, she concentrated mainly on television, with roles in TECX (1990); Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less (1990); Red Dwarf (1988); The All New Alexei Sayle Show (1994); The Buccaneers (1995); And the Beat Goes On (1996); September (1996) with Edward Fox, Michael York, Virginia McKenna, and Jacqueline Bisset; A Respectable Trade (1998) with Warren Clarke, Anna Massey, and Richard Briers. Her theatrical films during this period included Darkman (1990) with Liam Neeson; and Blue Juice (1995) with Sean Pertwee, Ewan McGregor, and Catherine Zeta-Jones. She also appeared as "Mrs. Bruce" in two feature-length episodes of the popular ITV series Bramwell (1995) in which she starred with Jemma Redgrave. She has also made several guest appearances in TV shows such as The Red Dwarf (1998); Boon (1986); The Equalizer (1985) with Edward Woodward; The Twilight Zone (1985); Magnum, P.I. (1980) and The Six Million Dollar Man (1974).
Jenny married to Johan Tham in August 1990. They have one son Jonathan, born in December 1990 and live in Cornwall, England, UK. Her particular love is charity work for The Diabetic Association and NCH Action for Children - a charity which provides home and other help for homeless children - with which she has been involved for many years.- Richard Lintern is a Film Television and Stage actor based in London.
He started life in Somerset England, studied at Durham University, then won a scholarship to The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.
Since graduating he has worked extensively across many disciplines, enjoying success at the Royal Shakespeare Company and Royal National Theatre whilst developing a varied and rewarding film and television career. He also has a highly successful voice over career, including narrating BAFTA winning documentaries and voicing animated and games-based characters.
From 2013 til 2020 he starred as Thomas Chamberlain in BBC! Primetime drama Silent Witness, enjoying his role as one of the series' central figures. He left in 2020 to concentrate on developing other projects, both screen and stage based - Pattie Boyd was born on 17 March 1944 in Taunton, Somerset, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Der Kommissar (1969), The Beatles: A Day in the Life (1967) and The Celebrity Game (1964). She has been married to Rod Weston since 30 April 2015. She was previously married to Eric Clapton and George Harrison.
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Alan Gifford was born on March 11, 1911 in Taunton, Massachusetts, USA as John Lennox. He was an actor, known for 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), The Saint (1962), and Phase IV (1974). He was married to Blanch. He later remarried to Beatrix Gifford, taking her surname as his stage name. Together they had one daughter. He died on March 20, 1989 in Blairgowrie, Perthshire, Scotland.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Fiona Curzon was born on 7 June 1946 in Taunton, Somerset, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Femme Fatale (2002), Yellow Dog (1973) and Highlander: The Raven (1998). She has been married to Oliver Tom Nickalls since 1982. They have one child. She was previously married to Noel Curzon.- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Eric achieved national recognition for his role as a regular cast member on Season 3 of the Emmy Award-winning PBS series Zoom (1997).
His acting career began when his third grade class put on a series of plays from an anthology the students were reading. From there, he was hooked. At the suggestion of his teacher Eric signed up for an acting summer camp and although he was too young for the program, he was allowed to join because of a glowing review from his teacher. From here, all bets were off as Eric stole the show each summer for five summers. One day he saw an advertisement for an open call for the second incarnation of Zoom." Although he did not make the first cut, Eric's determination pushed him to try again the following year. Timing is everything, and he was cast as one of seven cast out of over 3,000 kids who auditioned.
After "Zoom," Eric took some time off from professional acting to focus on his academics at Silver Lake Regional High School in Kingston, Massachusetts, where his interests led him to excel in academics and sports, as well as theatre. He was the captain of the track team while stealing the show again in school plays, earning Highest Honors all four years. Upon graduating second in his class as the school's Salutatorian, Eric enrolled in Emerson College in Boston, where he starting focusing more on his acting career. His work during college included regional theatre, commercials, feature films, and he continued to be involved as both an actor and stage combat director in the main stage plays and student films at Emerson, while still making Dean's List each semester and graduating Magna Cum Laude. Eric's theatre credits at Emerson include playing Oberon and Theseus in "A Midsummer Night's Dream," as well as roles in various student films. Eric was awarded the college's prestigious Isabel Sanford Scholarship, which is designated to assist minority students studying theatre, media, and/or technical arts.- Ivor Salter was born on 22 August 1925 in Taunton, Somerset, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Einer frisst den anderen (1964), The Black Arrow (1958) and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1960). He died on 21 June 1991 in Warwickshire, England, UK.
- Deborah Meaden is an entrepreneur who launched her first business venture while still in her teens, and had multiple business ventures in the leisure and retail industry before becoming one of the titular "Dragons" on Dragons' Den (2005).
Her involvement in Dragon's Den since 2006 has led to multiple other television appearances, including playing "herself" in Episode #7.6 (2017) and in Conned Out of Luck (2010). Parodied by Harry Enfield as "the grumpy woman", she also got to appear opposite Enfield in one of his Dragon's Den spoofs for Comic Relief 2009 (2009), playing a Victorian version of herself. - Frank Marlowe was born on 24 December 1906 in Taunton, Massachusetts, USA. He was an actor, known for Murder in the Blue Room (1944), The Lone Ranger (1949) and Bulldog Drummond Strikes Back (1947). He died on 30 March 1964 in Hollywood, California, USA.
- James Woolley was born in 1945 in Taunton, Somerset, England, UK. He is an actor, known for What a Girl Wants (2003), I'll Be There (2003) and One for Sorrow (2022).
- Colleen Clifford was born on 17 November 1898 in Taunton, Somerset, England, UK. She was an actress, known for The Year My Voice Broke (1987), Number 96 (1972) and Careful, He Might Hear You (1983). She was married to Douglas 'Jerry' Blackford. She died on 7 April 1996 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
- Emily MacDonagh was born on 16 August 1989 in Taunton, Somerset, England, UK. She has been married to Peter Andre since 11 July 2015. They have three children.
- Actress
- Additional Crew
Rosemary Lord was born on 16 May 1947 in Taunton, Somerset, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Days of Our Lives (1965), 101 Dalmatians (1996) and Three Men and a Little Lady (1990).- Actress
- Director
- Writer
Abi Lea is a non-binary, British-Australian actor from Somerset, England who lives in Los Angeles. Abi made their theatrical debut at Edinburgh Festival and went on to beat thousands in competition for a place in the UK's National Youth Film Academy. Abi lived in Chicago before moving to Los Angeles; where they appeared on NBC's 'Chicago Med' and studied improvisation at The iO Theater. They recently worked on Sam Barlow's 'Immortality' and Amazon Prime's 'Expats'.- Robert Webber was born on 2 November 1903 in Taunton, Somerset, England, UK. He was an actor, known for The Six Proud Walkers (1954), Sixpenny Corner (1955) and The Six Proud Walkers (1962). He died on 21 December 1980 in Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset, England, UK.
- Jos Buttler was born on 8 September 1990 in Taunton, Somerset, England. He has been married to Louise Buttler since October 2017. They have two children.
- Jonathan Michal Ferreira was born outside of Boston, and grew up in Bangor, Maine, He became involved in community theatre at the age of ten. By the time he was 12, he was already acting professionally. After graduation from Bangor High Schoolclass of 1994, and Emerson College, Boston, MA, BFA in Acting, Cum Laude, 1998. After graduation, Jon moved to Los Angeles and worked as an actor for two years. After serving for a year in AmeriCorps, Jon went on to earn a second degree in Theatre Education Point Park University, Pittsburgh, PA, BA in Theater Education, Summa Cum Laude, 2003., and Illinois State University, MFA in Directing, Summa Cum Laude, 2011. from Point Park University, and taught high school Theater and English in Pittsburgh and Baltimore for the next four years. In 2005, Jon moved to New York City, but eventually ended up back in Boston, where he worked as a tour guide for the Freedom Trail Foundation, and continued to act and direct professionally. In 2011, Jon earned his MFA in Directing from Illinois State University, while teaching undergraduate directing classes to theatre majors. After graduating from ISU, Jon worked for a year as a director in Chicago, where he had the privilege of being assistant director of a production of "Tree" at Victory Gardens Theatre, and a play called "The Outgoing Tide" at Northlight Theatre Company, starring John Mahoney and Rondi Reed. Jon then headed back to Maine, where he taught acting and improvization classes at Bangor Adult Education, and opened his own acting studio called MaineStage Actors Studio & Talent. While in Maine, Jon directed four productions at Bangor's only professional theatre company - Penobscot Theatre Company - the same company in which he had started his acting career 25 years earlier. In 2018, Jon moved back to Boston and started producing and directing plays at the Old State House Museum. In 2020, Jon began pre-production on his first feature film. Jon will be adapting and directing his own 2010 graduate thesis production of "Macbeth". The film will be a post-apocalyptic retelling of the classic tale, set in the year 2040, after the fall of civilization. The events of the play will be seen through a modern lens, and tackle contemporary topics such as climate change, Black Lives Matter, police brutality, sexism, reproductive rights, anti-maskers, global pandemic, and more. The film is set to be released in 2022 or 2023.
Jonathan died unexpectedly on September 24, 2023, at the age of 47. - Michael Pattemore was born on 18 August 1955 in Taunton, Somerset, England, UK.
- John 'Beans' Reardon was born on 23 November 1897 in Taunton, Massachusetts, USA. He was an actor, known for 1949 World Series (1949) and The Jack Benny Program (1950). He was married to Marie Pickett. He died on 31 July 1984 in Long Beach, California, USA.
- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Charlie Flannery was born on 7 March 1948 in Taunton, Massachusetts, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for We'll Always Have Parris (2016) and Between Us (2016). He died on 10 September 2016 in Taunton, Massachusetts, USA.- Producer
- Director
- Writer
Conrad Clark was born in 1979 in Taunton, Somerset, England, UK. He is a producer and director, known for Soul Carriage (2006), A Fallible Girl (2013) and Creatures of the Wind (2015).- Leonard Cracknell was born on 20 January 1941 in Taunton, Somerset, England, UK. He was an actor, known for David Copperfield (1956), The Spread of the Eagle (1963) and The Terrornauts (1967). He died on 13 March 1998 in Penzance, Cornwall, England, UK.
- Paul Billing was born in July 1957 in Taunton, Somerset, England, UK. He is a writer, known for Prime Suspect: The Lost Child (1995), The Angel Makers and Murder Rooms: Mysteries of the Real Sherlock Holmes (2000).
- Actor
- Writer
- Script and Continuity Department
Hugh Burns was born on 17 June 1959 in Taunton, Somerset, England. He was an actor and writer, known for Nine Bullets in Paris, The Link and Tracker (2010). He died on 19 January 2023 in London, England, UK.