Professional actor and voice artist with more than 50 years experience in broadcasting and acting.
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James trained at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama and has been a professional actor for over 40 years. He has appeared on stage at the National Theatre and in the West End of London as well as in numerous repertory theatres across the country. James created the character of Phil Murray in Trevor Griffiths’ classic play “Comedians” performing it at the National Theatre and Wyndhams Theatre and appearing in the television adaptation. Over the years he has worked with many great actors and directors, including Sir John Gielguid, Sir Ralph Richardson, Peter Sellers and Sir Richard Eyre. As well as performing on stage, James has appeared in various television sitcoms, working extensively with the author David Nobbs of “The Fall & Rise of Reginald Perrin” fame. James also created the character of ‘Jellyneck’ in the famous TV series “The Sweeney” and went on to play him in the film “Sweeney Two”. During the course of his career, James has worked extensively for BBC Radio and television, and has narrated numerous audio books and provided voice-overs for the Central Office for Information, advertisements and computer games. Several years ago James started a micro brewery with great success but eventually sold it to concentrate on drinking beer rather than making it. Now in his sixties he is still a mad keen motorcyclist and trains police dogs.
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Back in the 1980s I met and played the part of Charlie Richardson in this Drama Documentary which was devised and directed by Bob Long and Martin Short. Charlie would have played himself but had not long been released after serving 18 years of a twenty five year sentence in a high security prison and did not have the confidence. The real Charlie and his father are both briefly interviewed towards the end of the film.
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A short extract from the BBC production of Trevor Griffiths' extraordinary play Comedians. Eddie Peel and I are playing Phil and Ged Murray. My character, the comedian Phil Murray, tries to introduce an unrehearsed racist joke into the middle of their act. The whole event turns into an embarrassing disaster.
Serves my character (Phil Murray) right for being such a little racist shit!! |