Stephen Tompkinson

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Stephen Tompkinson
Born 15 October 1965 (1965-10-15) (age 46)
Stockton-on-Tees, England
Occupation Actor
Years active 1987-Present
Known for DCI Banks
Wild at Heart
Spouse Nicci Taylor
Children Daisy Ellen

Stephen Tompkinson (born 15 October 1965) is an English actor. He is best known for his work in comedy and drama productions such as Drop the Dead Donkey, Ballykissangel, Grafters, In Deep, Wild at Heart and DCI Banks.

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[edit] Early life and education

Tompkinson was born in Stockton-on-Tees on the 15th October 1965. He grew up in Lytham St. Annes in Lancashire and attending St. Bede's Catholic High School, Lytham, Lancashire and St Mary's Sixth Form, Blackpool. He trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama.[1]

[edit] Career

Tompkinson first came to prominence with the role of the courageous but unethical reporter Damien Day in the satirical comedy Drop The Dead Donkey from 1990 to 1998. He has since starred in the film Brassed Off, appeared in Chancer with Clive Owen, teamed up with Nick Berry in crime-solving drama In Deep and acted alongside Robson Green in two series of Grafters in 1998. As well as starring in other television dramas, such as All Quiet on the Preston Front he has also appeared regularly on stage. in 1999 he starred in the Flint Street Nativity which first aired in Liverpool.

One of his most popular roles was that of Father Peter Clifford, alongside one-time fiancée Dervla Kirwan, in Ballykissangel. After leaving that show at the end of its third season, the two co-starred in the series Shades (2001).

In 2002, Stephen Tompkinson appeared as an alien in the comedy/drama mini-series Ted and Alice. Other cast members included Dawn French, Eleanor Bron and David Troughton.

In January 2006 he starred in a new ITV drama series Wild at Heart about a Bristol veterinarian relocating to Africa. The series has been a massive success, and it is now one of the roles Stephen is best known for. The series co-starred Amanda Holden as his wife and ex Coronation Street actress Lucy-Jo Hudson as his daughter. The series is currently in its seventh series.

At the beginning of 2009, he was busy with filming "Stephen Tompkinson's Great African Balloon Adventure", a three part documentary about his adventures in a hot air balloon travelling from Tanzania to Namibia. The series ran on ITV in the UK in June 2009. In 2010, Tompkinson's three part series "Stephen Tompkinson's Australian Adventure" was shown on ITV1. There is presently talk of a subsequent adventure to South America or Asia in 2012.

Tompkinson is currently hosting a FIFA 100 years of football documentary. In January 2010, it was announced that Stephen has been cast as Chief Inspector Alan Banks in "Aftermath", a television adaptation of Peter Robinson's novels.

ITV has announced that 'Wild At Heart' will return for a seventh series in 2012. Tompkinson and the rest of the cast are due to fly out to location to begin filming the 10 new episodes in the summer season.

[edit] Personal life

Tompkinson was at one point engaged to Ballykissangel co-star Dervla Kirwan. In November, 2000, he and Nicci Taylor had a daughter, Daisy. They married in August 2001, but in December 2006 it was announced that the couple had split while Tompkinson was filming Wild at Heart and were to divorce.[2] He is a Middlesbrough Football Club fan.[3]

[edit] Film and television credits

[edit] References

  1. ^ Biography at webcitation.org
  2. ^ Ballysplitangel for Stephen Tompkinson's five-year marriage at The Mail on Sunday
  3. ^ Steven Tompkinson at sundaysun.co.uk

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Stephen_Tompkinson&oldid=478769847"
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