Stephen Tompkinson

Trained at the Central School of Speech & Drama, he won the Carleton-Hobbs Award which led to a season with the BBC Radio Rep., - and he's never looked back.

One of our hardest-working actors, his high-profile TV roles include "In Denial ofMurder", "Grafters", "BallykissAngel", " Drop The Dead Donkey", "All Quiet on the Preston Front", and "Downwardly Mobile" - he won the Top TV Comedy Actor award in 1994 - "Bedtime", "Ted & Alice", "Lucky Jim" and "In Deep" (3 series).

In recent years, he's starred in such West End productions as "Tartuffe", "Art", "Arsenic and Old Lace", and "Rattle of a Simple Man". He appeared in a new play, "Cloaca" at the Old Vic in late 2004.

He starred in the memorable British film "Brassed Off", also "Hotel Splendide" and "Treacle".