Brendan Coyle
Brendan Coyle | |
|---|---|
| Born | 2 December 1963 |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1992-present |
Brendan Coyle (born David Coyle on 2 December 1963) is a British actor.[1] He won the Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role for The Weir in 1999.[2] He also played Nicholas Higgins in the miniseries North & South, Robert Timmins in the first three series of Lark Rise to Candleford, and more recently Mr Bates, the valet, in Downton Abbey. The last role earned him a nomination for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series and a BAFTA nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
Early life
Coyle was born in Corby, Northamptonshire, to an Irish father and Scottish mother.[1] Due to his English birth and Irish parentage, he holds dual British and Irish citizenship. He is a great-nephew of football manager Sir Matt Busby.[3]
He studied drama in Dublin in 1981 and received a scholarship to Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in the United Kingdom in 1983.[1]
Career
Brendan Coyle received a Laurence Olivier Award in 1999 for his performance in Conor McPherson's The Weir and won a New York Critics Theater World Award for Outstanding Broadway Debut for the same play in its New York production.[1] In 2001, Coyle appeared in the film Conspiracy as Gestapo Chief Heinrich Müller. He played Kaz Sweeney in the British drama, True Dare Kiss, and Nicholas Higgins in North & South for the BBC.
Since 2008, he has played Robert Timmins in three BBC series based on the Lark Rise to Candleford novels, written by Flora Thompson. In 2010, he began playing John Bates, valet and former British Army batman to the Earl of Grantham in Julian Fellowes's period drama series, Downton Abbey. Fellowes wrote the part for Coyle, and it won him nominations for a BAFTA and IFTA,[4] as well as a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Awards as Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2012. Coyle also played the character of Terry Starling in the short-lived Sky comedy series Starlings.
Personal life
Coyle divides his time between London and Norfolk. He is an avid supporter of Manchester United.
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Fool's Gold: The Story of the Brink's-Mat Robbery | Det Sgt Benwell | TV movie |
| 1992 | The Bill | Chris Bailey | TV series (1 episode: "Radio Waves") |
| 1994 | Ailsa | Miles Butler | |
| 1995 | The Glass Virgin | Manuel Mendoza | TV mini-series |
| 1995 | Dangerfield | David Walsh | TV series (2 episodes) |
| 1996 | Silent Witness | Liam Slattery | TV series (2 episodes) |
| 1996 | Thief Takers | D.S Bob "Bingo" Tate | TV series (16 episodes) |
| 1997 | The Last Bus Home | Steve Burkett | |
| 1997 | Tomorrow Never Dies | Leading Seaman - HMS Bedford | |
| 1998 | Soft Sand, Blue Sea | Gerry | |
| 1998 | The General | UVF Leader | |
| 1998 | Happy Birthday To Me | short | |
| 1999 | I Could Read the Sky | Francie | |
| 2000 | McCready and Daughter | Donal McCready | TV movie |
| 2000 | Paths to Freedom | Jeremy Fitzgerald | TV series (6 episodes) |
| 2001 | Rebel Heart | Michael Collins | TV mini-series |
| 2001 | The Inspector Lynley Mysteries | Richard Tey | TV series (1 episode: "A Great Deliverance") |
| 2001 | The Bombmaker | George McEvoy | TV movie |
| 2001 | Conspiracy | SS Maj Gen Heinrich Müller | TV movie |
| 2001 | Mapmaker | Robert Bates | |
| 2002 | Rockface | Douglas McLanaghan | TV series (7 episodes) |
| 2003 | Waking the Dead | Martin Corgan | TV series (2 episodes) |
| 2003 | Single | Paul | TV series |
| 2004 | Amnesia | D.C Ian Reid | TV movie |
| 2004 | Omagh | D.S John White | TV movie |
| 2004 | North & South | Nicholas Higgins | TV mini-series (4 episodes) |
| 2005 | Allegiance | Michael Collins | |
| 2005 | The Jacket | Damon | |
| 2005 | Shameless | Father Polish | TV series (1 episode: "Episode #2.4") |
| 2005 | Jericho | Christie | TV series (3 episodes) |
| 2005 | The Ghost Squad | Sgt Ralph Allan | TV series (1 episode: "Heroes") |
| 2006 | The Commander: Blacklight | Carl Dirkwood | TV movie |
| 2006 | Soundproof | D.I. Dave Cox | TV movie |
| 2006 | Offside | Duncan Miller | |
| 2006 | Prime Suspect: The Final Act | D.C.S Mitchell | TV movie |
| 2006 | Perfect Parents | Ed | TV movie |
| 2007 | The Mark of Cain | Davey Gulliver | |
| 2007 | Wedding Belles | Priest | TV movie |
| 2007 | The Good Samaritan | Lewis Farrell | TV movie |
| 2007 | Damage | Aidan Cahill | TV movie |
| 2007 | True Dare Kiss | Kaz Sweeney | TV series (6 episodes) |
| 2008 | Lark Rise to Candleford | Robert Timmins | TV series (31 episodes: 2008-2010) |
| 2009 | Inspector George Gently | Patrick Donovan | TV series (1 episode: "Gently in the Night") |
| 2009 | Perrier's Bounty | Jerome | |
| 2009 | Blue Murder | Derek Jowell | TV series (2 episodes) |
| 2010–present | Downton Abbey | John Bates | TV series (25 episodes: 2010–present) Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Nominated - BAFTA Television Award for Best Supporting Actor Nominated - Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (2012) |
| 2011 | The Raven | Reagan | |
| 2012–2013 | Starlings | Terry Starling | TV series |
| 2014 | Noble | Gerry Shaw | Feature Film |
| 2015 | Spotless | Nelson Clay | TV series |
| 2016 | The Rising | Augustine Birrell | |
| 2016 | Me Before You | ||
| 2016 | Murdoch Mysteries | Mr. Rankin | TV series (1 episode: "A Merry Murdoch Christmas") |
Anderson Shelter Productions
In July 2014, Brendan Coyle and Joy Harrison formed Anderson Shelter Productions Limited.[5] with the mission to "find talented young filmmakers and then helps fund their short films."[6] On 14 September 2014, Coyle announced via Twitter his involvement with Council Child Production's short film, Starcross.[7]
| # | Title | Release date | Notes | Refs. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Starcross (short film, Council Child Productions) | 2014 | Associate Producer | [8] |
| 2 | The Loneliest Time (short film, Time Bomb Pictures Ltd.) | 2015 | Associate Producer | [9][10] |
| 3 | Margie's Garden (short film, Council Child Productions) | 2016 | Executive Producer | [11] |
| 4 | Emerald City (feature film, Colin Broderick) | 2016 | Associate Producer | [12] |
References
- ^ a b c d Paddock, Terri (16 January 2006). "20 Questions With…Brendan Coyle". Retrieved 31 January 2011.
- ^ "Olivier Winners 1999". Retrieved 1 February 2016.
- ^ "True Dare Kiss: Brendan Coyle interview" (Press release). BBC Press Office. 18 June 2007. Retrieved 31 January 2011.
- ^ "Downton Abbey characters at PBS". Retrieved 2 February 2011.
- ^ "Anderson Shelter Productions Limited". Endole UK Company Insights. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
- ^ "Brendan Coyle: Farewell Downton Abbey, Hello Spotless and More!". Parade. Retrieved 10 December 2015.
- ^ "Brendan Coyle on Twitter (14 September 2014)". Twitter. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
- ^ "Starcross". British Films Directory. British Council. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
- ^ "The Loneliest Time Kickstarter". Kickstarter. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
- ^ "Brendan Coyle on Twitter (20 May 2015)". Twitter. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
- ^ "Margie's Garden - Thank you to our backers!". Margie's Garden. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
- ^ "Hollywood Shows Its Support for Emerald City". Kickstarter. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
External links
- 1963 births
- Alumni of the Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts
- English male film actors
- English people of Irish descent
- English people of Scottish descent
- English male stage actors
- English male television actors
- Living people
- People from Corby
- Actors from Northamptonshire
- Laurence Olivier Award winners
- 20th-century English male actors
- 21st-century English male actors