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Max Beesley

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Max Beesley
Born
Maxton Gig Beesley Jr.

(1971-04-16) 16 April 1971 (age 53)
Burnage, Lancashire, England
Occupation(s)Actor, Writer, Producer Musician Composer.
Years active1994–present
SpouseJennifer Noelle
Children2

Maxton Gig Beesley Jr. (born 16 April 1971) is an English actor and musician. He has appeared in a variety of television shows such as Bodies, an adaptation of The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, Survivors, Mad Dogs, Homeland, Suits, Ordinary Lies, and Jamestown. As of 2020, he can be currently seen in The Outsider.

Early life

Beesley was born on 16 April 1971 in Burnage, Manchester.[1] His father, Maxton Beesley Sr, is a professional jazz drummer and actor, and his mother was a jazz singer who performed under the stage name Chris Marlowe.[2] He has a step-brother, Jason Milligan, who is also an actor.[3] He has a brother Gary who is a teacher. His parents divorced when he was a baby. His middle name was inspired by the American actor Gig Young. His father was also a regular guest on the Ted Rogers show 3-2-1, doing impressions amidst several sketches.

Career

Acting

Beesley studied in New York under teacher Sheila Gray. He is an advocate for method acting and approaches all his roles with this technique. Beesley came to prominence with his first major acting role in BBC's The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, a 1997 television mini-series based on the book of the same name. He then appeared in the film Kill Me Later alongside Selma Blair. He also starred in Mike Figgis' movie Hotel. He starred in the BBC Three medical drama Bodies, which ran from 2004 to 2007 and won best drama at the Royal Television Society awards. He also starred in the BBC One series Hotel Babylon from 2006 to 2008, with a guest appearance thereafter in one episode.

In June 2007, Beesley starred in the ITV series Talk to Me. He also starred in the film Red Roses and Petrol alongside Malcom McDowell, and in the BBC thriller The Last Enemy with Benedict Cumberbatch and Robert Carlyle. In October 2008, he was one of the lead characters in BBC One's remake of the 1970s drama Survivors, as remorseless former criminal Tom Price. The series consisted of six episodes, with a second series of six episodes transmitted in January 2010. He starred in the ITV drama The Reckoning in April 2011. Beesley gained more exposure with American audiences with a recurring role on Suits in 2013 and from October 2015 with another recurring role, this time in the US spy drama Homeland opposite Claire Danes, as ex-British special forces bodyguard Mike Brown. From 2016 to 2018 he starred in Jamestown as Henry Sharrow, depicting the first British settlers to colonise Virginia in 1609. He joined the cast of The Outsider on HBO in June 2019, which aired from January 2020.

Beesley has been the narrator for several TV advertisements, including ITV, NFU Mutual's insurance, Energizer's lithium batteries, and PC World.[4] He also provided the voiceover for Manchester United's season review DVD.[when?] In 2011, he appeared in a TV campaign for the UK recruitment company Jobsite, and was also featured on their homepage. Beesley narrated the documentary Chatsworth, shown on BBC One in May 2012.

Music

Beesley is also a session musician, and solo artist, having had a successful career before becoming an actor. He was a chorister at Manchester Cathedral and studied at Chetham's School of Music.[5] He also studied percussion and classical piano at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama with soul singer Omar and toured with the Brand New Heavies on keyboards and percussion. He has also toured or recorded with George Benson, Earth Wind and Fire, Stevie Wonder, The JB’s and Zero7. He is also a vibraphone player.[6]

Beesley has performed in concert as a percussionist and pianist for Robbie Williams, Take That, Jamiroquai, and the Paul Weller Movement.[5] He played percussion and piano at Williams' Knebworth gigs in summer 2003 and at Hyde Park for Live 8 London. Williams' first concert of his Close Encounters Tour in Perth on 30 November 2006 saw Beesley as percussionist for the second half of the show. He also played drums during the performance of "Rudebox" at Williams' second Brisbane concert and during a BBC Electric Proms show.

Beesley was a member of the jazz band Incognito, but in 1994, after an eight-month tour with them, decided to end his music career and start acting.[6] On 28 October 2006, Beesley appeared as a special guest pianist for James Brown during his performance at the Roundhouse in London as part of the BBC's Electric Proms festival.[7] In 2020 he recorded his first solo album titled ‘Groove Spectrum’ at Capitol studios in Los Angeles with legendary Grammy winner, producer, mixer, Al Schmitt mixing the Album. It features Paul Weller, Robbie Williams, Fred Durst, Lisa Stansfield, jazz pianist Christian Sands, Tommy Blaize, Antonique Smith, John Turrell, Omar, and Francci Richards. A multi instrumentalist Beesley wrote, played, and scored the album.

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1983 Last of the Summer Wine Colin's mate 1 episode
1986 Last of the Summer Wine Passerby 1 episode
1997 The Broker's Man Joe Goodwin 2 episodes
1997 The History of Tom Jones: A Foundling Tom Jones / Reverend Summer 5 episodes
1999 Five Seconds to Spare William
1999 The Match Wullie Smith
2000 It Was an Accident Mickey Cousins
2001 Kill Me Later Charlie Anders
2001 The Last Minute Billy Byrne
2001 Hotel Antonio
2001 Glitter Julian "Dice" Black
2002 Fields of Gold Mark Hurst
2002 Anita and Me Hairy Neddy
2003 The Emperor's Wife Emperor
2003 Red Roses and Petrol Johnny Doyle
2004 Torque Luther
2004 The Porter Porter Short film
2004–2006 Bodies Dr. Rob Lake 17 episodes
2005 Bloodlines DC Jake Bannerman
2005 Hustle Jake Henry 1 episode
2005 Her Name is Carla Jack
2006–2009 Hotel Babylon Charlie Edwards 22 episodes
2007 Talk to Me Mitch Moore 4 episodes
2007–2008 London Ink Narrator 6 episodes
2008 The Last Enemy Michael Ezard 5 episodes
2008–2010 Survivors Tom Price 12 episodes
2011–2013 Mad Dogs Woody 14 episodes
2011 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Thomas Stewart Series 11, Episode 3: "Blood Moon"
2011 The Reckoning Mark Dobson 2 episodes
2013 Suits Stephen Huntley 7 episodes
2013 Pawn Billy
2015 Ordinary Lies Mike 6 episodes
2015 Strike Back Ray McQueen 2 episodes
2015 Homeland Mike Brown 1 episode
2015–2016 Empire Guy 3 episodes
2017–2019 Jamestown Henry Sharrow
2020 The Outsider Seale Bolton 4 episodes

References

  1. ^ "Max Beesley - Biography". Hello Magazine.
  2. ^ "BBC - Drama - People Index Max Beesley". BBC. Retrieved 13 May 2012.
  3. ^ "Jason Milligan (III)". IMDb.com. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
  4. ^ "Press Releases: Julie Graham, Max Beesley, Nikki Amuka-Bird & Paterson Joseph star in Survivors for BBC One". BBC Press Office. 30 May 2007. Retrieved 7 December 2008.
  5. ^ a b "Notable Alumni". Chetham's School of Music. Retrieved 21 July 2011. Ex-Chet's students include [...] actor Max Beesley, who achieved first recognition as percussionist and keyboard player with Jamiroquai, Take That and Robbie Williams
  6. ^ a b "Max Beesley Discography at Discogs". Discogs. Retrieved 21 July 2011.
  7. ^ Dowden, Neil. "James Brown + The Zutons @ Roundhouse, London". musicOMH. Retrieved 21 July 2011. ...actor/musician Max Beesley played piano for JB to sing Ray Charles' Georgia On My Mind

External links

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