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Ian Mercer

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the English cricketer, see Ian Mercer (cricketer). For the fictional character, see List of Pirates of the Caribbean characters#Ian Mercer.

Ian Mercer
Born (1961-07-10) 10 July 1961 (age 63)
Oldham, Lancashire, England
NationalityBritish
Alma materNorthumbria University
OccupationActor
Years active1982–present
SpouseSusan E. Fenwick (div.)
Children2

Ian Cameron Mercer (born 10 July 1961) is an English actor. He is known for playing Gary Mallett in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street from 1995 to 2000, having previously appeared in 1987 as Pete Jackson. His other television credits include Brookside (1982–83), Cracker (1993), and The Street (2007).

Early life

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Mercer was born in Oldham, Lancashire. On leaving school, Mercer trained as an electrical engineer but decided to become an actor when he became an assistant stage manager at the Oldham Coliseum in 1979.

Career

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His first television appearance was as Mile in Starting Out (1982), a series made by ATV for schools and written by Grazyna Monvid.

Mercer went on to work in such stage productions as Bent, Spend Spend Spend, Saturday Night, Sunday Morning, Billy Liar, Stop The Children's Laughter, Welcome Home, Romeo and Juliet, The Fancy Man, The York Realist, Beauty and the Beast and Revengers Tragedy.[1]

His television and film acting credits include leading roles as a butcher in Blue Money (1985), Coronation Street (as Gary Mallett and in 1987, Pete Jackson), Shackleton (with Kenneth Branagh), Heartbeat, The Monocled Mutineer, A Touch of Frost, Cracker, Common As Muck, Peak Practice, New Tricks and Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (with Russell Crowe).[1] In 2009 he appeared in an episode of Doctors and two episodes of Waking the Dead. He appeared as Blackbeard's chief zombie henchman in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. During August and September 2015 he returned to Doctors playing the recurring role of Andy Weston in an ongoing sub-plot.

In 2018, Mercer appeared in the Mike Leigh film, Peterloo, playing the "buffoonish" Dr Healey.[2]

Personal life

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In 2007, he completed three years of study at Northumbria University, gaining a degree in English and Art History.[3]

In May 2011, he was convicted of benefit fraud, having falsely claimed £2,300 in council tax benefit despite being in work at the time. He was fined £165 with a £15 victim surcharge and £100 costs.[4]

He lives in Northumberland with his two daughters, Scarlett Rae (1997) and Carmine Mae (2000).

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Director Notes
2002 Re-inventing Eddie Dougie Jim Doyle
2003 Master and Commander:
The Far Side of the World 		Mr. Hollar, Boatswain Peter Weir
2005 Lassie Yorkshire Policeman Charles Sturridge
2009 The Boat That Rocked Transfer Boatman Richard Curtis
Creation Goodman Jon Amiel
2010 Poor Wee Me Mike Simon Powell
Gold Top Terry Satvinder Johal Short film
2011 Pirates of the Caribbean:
On Stranger Tides 		Quartermaster
(Thomas Miller) 		Rob Marshall
2016 The Legend of Tarzan Freckled Force Publique David Yates
2018 Peterloo Dr. Joseph Healey Mike Leigh
2022 The Sea Beast Old Nick (voice) Chris Williams Netflix film

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1982 Starting Out Milo 5 episodes
1982–1983 Brookside Demon Duane 5 episodes
1984 Crown Court Michael Rofe 1 episode
Weekend Playhouse Brian
1984–1985 How We Used to Live Freddy Selby 3 episodes
1985 One by One Colin 2 episodes
1986–1990 ScreenPlay Brad

Peters

1 episode (1986)

1 episode (1990)

1986 The Monocled Mutineer Wheelchair 1 episode
1987 Coronation Street Pete Jackson 13 episodes
1991 The Bill D.S. Dave Lindsay 1 episode
1993 Cracker D.C./D.S. George Giggs 4 episodes
1994 Screen Two Local Reporter

Probation Officer

1 episode (March)

1 episode (June)

Peak Practice "Clarkey" Clarke 2 episodes
Common As Muck Guy Simmons 6 episodes
1995 The Final Cut Graham Glass 1 episode
1995–2000 Coronation Street Gary Mallett 425 episodes,
Series regular
1996 A Touch of Frost P.C. Craven 3 episodes
2003 Sweet Medicine Tony Durston 1 episode
2006 The Afternoon Play Eddie Connolly
Doctors Billy Collis 1 episode
2007 Damien Giggs 1 episode
New Tricks Paul Wilmslow
Heartbeat Ronald Kirby
The Chase D.I. Proctor
The Street Richard Watts 2 episodes
2009 Red Riding: In the Year of Our Lord 1974 Paul Bosker TV movie
Red Riding: In the Year of Our Lord 1983
Holby City Ken O'Dowd 2 episodes
Doctors Lenny Aston 1 episode
Spanish Flu: The Forgotten Fallen Stanford TV movie
Waking the Dead Jason Bloch 2 episodes
2010 Shameless Roscoe
Lewis Lester Garvey 1 episode (Your Sudden Death Question)
2011 Doctors George Arnott 1 episode
2012 The Scapegoat Fincher TV movie
2013 Doctors Jim Grove 1 episode
2014 Scott & Bailey Frankie Waddington 1 episode
2015 Doctors Andy Weston 15 episodes
2016 Churchill's Secret Sgt Murray TV movie
In the Club Mickey 2 episodes
2022 All Creatures Great and Small Mr Sunningwell S3 Ep5
2024 The Listeners Tom 3 episodes

Theatre credits

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Year Title Role Venue(s)
2001–2002 The York Realist Arthur The Lowry (15–17 November 2001)
Theatre Royal, Bristol (20–24 November 2001)
Royal Court Theatre (6 January-9 February 2002)
Strand Theatre (8 March-20 April 2002)
2019 Calendar Girls Rod Theatre Royal, Norwich (15 February)

References

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  1. ^ a b Mercer on the Internet Movie Database
  2. ^ John Bleasdale. "Peterloo first look: Mike Leigh's cudgel for a massacre". BFI. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
  3. ^ 'Street' star's times are a-Changeling – BBC Nottingham website 3 October 2007
  4. ^ 'Pirates of the Caribbean star convicted of benefit fraud', The Daily Telegraph – 27 May 2011
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