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Charles drives a [[Rolls-Royce (car)|Rolls-Royce]].
Charles drives a [[Rolls-Royce (car)|Rolls-Royce]].

On Jan 5th 2006, Craig Charles released a press statement admitting that yes, he indeed did rape that girl. However, he worded it in a manner that meant he could not be charged with the crime again.


==Credits==
==Credits==

Revision as of 13:39, 7 January 2007

File:Lloyd Mullaney.JPG
Craig as Lloyd Mullaney.

Craig Charles (born July 11, 1964 in Liverpool) is an English actor, stand up comedian, author, poet, and radio and television presenter, best known for playing Dave Lister in the British cult-favourite sci-fi sitcom Red Dwarf.

Early life

Craig Charles was born to a multiracial family in Liverpool; his father was black and his mother was white Irish. Before turning to entertainment, Charles played professional football, most notably for Tranmere Rovers. He started out his career as a contemporary and urban performance poet on the British cabaret circuit, and his performances were considered original and Charles was described as having a natural ironic wit which appealed to talent scouts.

Charles then began to slowly foray into the world of television. He appeared on the late-night comedy programme, Saturday Live, and later became a presenter of children's television programmes, including What's That Noise on BBC1. He also appeared, weekly, as a John Cooper Clarke-style 'punk poet' on the BBC1 pop music television programme The Oxford Road Show, humourously calling himself "Susan Williams".

He later appeared on the Terry Wogan chatshow.

Roles in television

File:RD lister.jpg
Craig Charles as Dave Lister

Charles acquired cult status in 1988 as the Liverpudlian slob, Dave Lister, in BBC2's long-running sci-fi comedy television series Red Dwarf. This was a role Charles played in all eight series until 1999. Within Red Dwarf, aside from playing Lister he also played a number of alter-ego characters including Sebastian Doyle (in the series five episode Back to Reality), Cloister the Stupid (in the first series episode The End), Lister of Smeg (in the seventh series episode Stoke Me a Clipper) and Brett Riverboat (in the sixth series episode Gunmen of the Apocalypse).

Charles has appeared briefly in a number of television shows such as Eastenders, Holby City, The Bill, Lexx, The 10 Percenters, Spaced,Doctors and Celebrity Weakest Link.

Charles' other acting work includes briefly playing the title role in the short-lived Channel 4 sitcom Captain Butler (1997).

He has also presented a number of television programmes, most notably at the end of the 1990s and early 2000s. Among his credits as a presenter are the virtual reality gameshow CyberZone (1993) on BBC2; the late-night entertainment show Funky Bunker (1997) on ITV; the reality television show Jailbreak (2000) on five; the late-night chat show Weapons of Mass Distraction (2004) on ITV1; and most notably Robot Wars on BBC2 from 1998–2003, and on Five from 2003–2004.

He also provided the voice-over for the UK version of the Japanese hit TV show Takeshi's Castle, shown on Challenge, and was a team captain on the sci-fi-based quiz show Space Cadets (1997) on Channel 4.

Present career

In 2005, Charles joined the cast of ITV's long-running soap opera Coronation Street, playing philandering taxi driver Lloyd Mullaney. Later that year, he participated in the Channel 4 reality sports show, The Games, coming fourth overall in the men's competition.

Since 2003 Charles has been a DJ on BBC 6 Music, presenting The Craig Charles Funk Show, a funk and soul radio show. He was briefly suspended from Coronation Street in June 2006 whilst the BBC investigated allegations of crack cocaine usage. Charles has returned to presenting his show from 4 November, but the programme is now renamed The Funk & Soul Show and has been reduced from two shows per week to one.

Charles is set to star in two upcoming feature films in 2007, Clubbing to Death and Fated.

Charles has been shooting scenes for Gangster movie Clubbing to Death, that also stars Huey Morgan (Fun Lovin' Criminals), Nick Moran (Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels), Philip Olivier (Brookside) & ex-gangster Dave Courtney. The film is due for worldwide release in 2007.

Personal life

In 1984, at the age of 20, Charles married English actress and fellow Liverpudlian Cathy Tyson. Their son Jack Charles was born in 1988. The couple were divorced in 1989. Afterward, Charles dated Irish singer/songwriter Suzanne Rhatigan, co-writing some lyrics for her album To Hell with Love and directing a video for her. Rhatigan also appeared alongside Charles in the fourth series of Red Dwarf for the episode Camille.

In August 1997, Charles married his second wife, Jackie which they had two daughters Anna-Jo (born in 1998) and Nillie (born in 2003).

In 1994, Charles and a friend were arrested and remanded in custody for several months on a rape charge. Whilst in prison Charles was attacked by a man wielding a knife. At his trial the prosecution suggested that Charles had taken cocaine prior to the alleged rape, which Charles denied. Both Charles and his friend were exonerated at the trial, however, in February 1995 and the alleged rape victim, an ex-girlfriend, later withdrew her claim.[1] Charles' imprisonment delayed the production of the seventh season of Red Dwarf.

In June 2006 a photograph was printed in the Daily Mirror newspaper that purported to show Charles smoking crack cocaine in the back seat of a taxi. According to the story by writer Stephen Moyes, Charles spent four hours in the taxi smoking crack cocaine from an old drinks can, while instructing the driver to buy him pornography.[2] These allegations resulted in Charles being suspended from Coronation Street until January 2007,[3] and from BBC 6 Music while an investigation is held. To date no statement has been made by Charles himself.

Charles was arrested in August 2006 on suspicion of possession of a class A drug, and later released on bail pending further enquiries. On 22 September 2006 he accepted a caution for possession of a Class A drug.[4]

Charles' younger brother Emile Charles is also an actor. He played a younger version of Lister in "Timeslides" during the third series of Red Dwarf.

Charles drives a Rolls-Royce.

On Jan 5th 2006, Craig Charles released a press statement admitting that yes, he indeed did rape that girl. However, he worded it in a manner that meant he could not be charged with the crime again.

Credits

  1. Fated (2006/I) - Pedro
  2. Coronation Street (2005-) - Lloyd Mullaney (suspended)
  3. Ten Minutes (2003) - Mark
  4. Sushi TV (2003) TV Series - Narrator (UK version, after replacing Julian Clary)
  5. Takeshi's Castle (2002-04) TV Series - Narrator (UK version)
  6. EastEnders: Ricky And Bianca (2002, EastEnders spin-off drama) - Vince
  7. Don't Walk (2001) (voice) - Narrator
  8. Can't Smeg, Won't Smeg (1998, one-off special edition of BBC2's Can't Cook, Won't Cook) - Dave Lister
  9. Captain Butler (1997) TV Series - Captain Butler
  10. Cyberspace (1996) TV Series
  11. The Governor (1995) TV Series - Eugene Buffy
  12. The Bill (1995) TV Series
  13. Red Dwarf: Smeg Outs (1995, Video Release) - Dave Lister (new and archive footage)
  14. Asterix Conquers America (1994) (voice) - Asterix
  15. Red Dwarf: Smeg Ups (1994, Video Release) - Dave Lister (archive footage)
  16. CyberZone (1993) TV Series - presenter
  17. Prince Cinders (1993) (voice) - Cat
  18. Comic Relief (1991) (TV) - Dave Lister
  19. Super Nintendo promotional video - Commentator
  20. Red Dwarf (1988-99) TV Series - Dave Lister

Filmography

  1. The Games (2005) TV Series .... Himself (Series 3)
  2. Fated (2006) .... Pedro
  3. Forty Years Of Fuck(2005) (TV) .... Himself
  4. Britain's Best Sitcom (2004) TV Series .... Himself
  5. The Sitcom Story (2003) (TV) .... Himself
  6. Takeshi's Castle (2002) TV Series .... Himself - Narrator
  7. Top Ten TV Sci-Fi (2001) (TV) .... Himself
  8. Jailbreak (2000) TV Series .... Himself - Host
  9. The Colour Of Funny (1999) .... Keith Dennis
  10. Ripley's Believe It or Not (1999/I) TV Series .... Himself - UK Presenter
  11. Robot Wars (1998-2004) TV Series .... Himself - Host (after replacing Jeremy Clarkson)
  12. Universe Challenge (1998, one-off special edition of BBC2's University Challenge) .... Himself
  13. Space Cadets (1997) TV Series .... Himself - Space Captain
  14. Funky Bunker (1997) TV Series .... Himself
  15. CyberZone" (1993) TV Series .... Himself - Host
  16. Cyberpunks And Technophobes (1993) TV Series .... Himself
  17. Ghostwatch (1992) (TV) .... Himself
  18. Them And Us (1992) TV Series .... Himself
  19. What's That Noise (1989) TV Series .... Himself
  20. Craig Goes Mad In Melbourne (1988) TV Series .... Himself
  21. Night Network (1987) TV Series .... Himself
  22. The Marksman (1987) TV Series .... McFadden
  23. Business As Usual (1987)

References

  1. ^ "The trauma of being falsely accused". BBC News. 2003-07-31. Retrieved 2006-12-27. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. ^ "Corrie star on crack". The Mirror. 2006-06-20. Retrieved 2006-12-27. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  3. ^ "Charles to make Street comeback". BBC News. 2006-09-29. Retrieved 2006-12-27. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ "Actor Charles given drugs caution". BBC News. 2006-09-22. Retrieved 2006-12-27. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
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