Anthony Flanagan (born 11 April 1972) is an English actor most widely known for his portrayal of policeman

Tony Tony may refer to: People and fictional characters * Tony (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Gregory Tony (born 1978), American law enforcement officer * Motu Tony (born 1981), New Zealand international rugby leagu ...

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...

's comedy-drama series '' Shameless''.

Biography

Flanagan was born in

Stockport Stockport is a town and borough in Greater Manchester, England, south-east of Manchester, south-west of Ashton-under-Lyne and north of Macclesfield. The River Goyt and Tame merge to create the River Mersey here. Most of the town is within ...

Cheshire Cheshire ( ) is a ceremonial and historic county in North West England, bordered by Wales to the west, Merseyside and Greater Manchester to the north, Derbyshire to the east, and Staffordshire and Shropshire to the south. Cheshire's county t ...

. At school he was called Anthony Bonello. After leaving Grange Comprehensive School, in Oldham, he worked as a

joiner A joiner is an artisan and tradesperson who builds things by joining pieces of wood, particularly lighter and more ornamental work than that done by a carpenter, including furniture and the "fittings" of a house, ship, etc. Joiners may work in ...

. At 16 he went to London, taking on occasional odd jobs and for a time slept on the streets. Flanagan has described this as "a very bad period".Edmonds, Richard (3 July 2001
"Walking the streets to treading the boards"
''

Birmingham Post The ''Birmingham Post'' is a weekly printed newspaper based in Birmingham, England, with a circulation of 2,545 and distribution throughout the West Midlands. First published under the name the ''Birmingham Daily Post'' in 1857, it has had a s ...

'' (Retrieved: 6 March 2010) Flanagan decided to become an actor after seeing a friend of his sister perform at

RADA The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA; ) is a drama school in London, England, that provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in the Bloomsbury area of Central London, close to the Senat ...

."Screen life: Anthony Flanagan"
''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'', 28 February 2007 (Retrieved: 6 March 2010) Flanagan studied at

Oldham College Oldham College, is a further education college based in Oldham, Greater Manchester, England. History Oldham College was established in 1893 after a donation from the Platt family, a famous textile machinery manufacturer. This led to the institu ...

and Capitol Theatre in Manchester (now

Manchester Metropolitan University Manchester Metropolitan University is located in the centre of Manchester, England. The university has over 40,000 students and over 4,000 members of staff. It is home to four faculties (Arts and Humanities, Business and Law, Health and Educat ...

} after a year of unemployment. Flanagan's first professional job was in a lead role at the RSC (

Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and produces around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, St ...

) in the 2001/02 season, playing Pat Harford in

Peter Whelan Peter Whelan (3 October 1931 – 3 July 2014) was a British playwright. Whelan was born and raised in Stoke-on-Trent, England. As a student from 1951–55 Whelan was an inspirational figure in the newly-formed Drama Society at the experimental ...

's play ''A Russian in the Woods''. (Flanagan would later reflect on the experience of appearing on stage naked.) This led to a collaboration with writer and theatre critic Richard Edmonds on a one-man show on the life of

Baudelaire Charles Pierre Baudelaire (, ; ; 9 April 1821 – 31 August 1867) was a French poet who also produced notable work as an essayist and art critic. His poems exhibit mastery in the handling of rhyme and rhythm, contain an exoticism inherited fro ...

entitled ''King of a Rainy Country''. Notable work includes roles series in '' Shameless'', ''

Vincent Vincent ( la, Vincentius) is a male given name derived from the Roman name Vincentius, which is derived from the Latin word (''to conquer''). People with the given name Artists *Vincent Apap (1909–2003), Maltese sculptor *Vincent van Gogh ...

'', ''

Cracker Cracker, crackers or The Crackers may refer to: Animals * ''Hamadryas'' (butterfly), or crackers, a genus of brush-footed butterflies * '' Sparodon'', a monotypic genus whose species is sometimes known as "Cracker" Arts and entertainment Films ...

'' (where his roles as Kenny Archer in the 2006 TV film was almost universally praised despite mixed critical reaction to the comeback show itself), ''

Life on Mars The possibility of life on Mars is a subject of interest in astrobiology due to the planet's proximity and similarities to Earth. To date, no proof of past or present life has been found on Mars. Cumulative evidence suggests that during the ...

'', ''

Foyle's War ''Foyle's War'' is a British detective fiction, detective drama television series set during and shortly after the Second World War, created by ''Midsomer Murders'' screenwriter and author Anthony Horowitz and commissioned by ITV (TV network), ...

'', ''All About George'', ''

Casualty Casualty may refer to: *Casualty (person), a person who is killed or rendered unfit for service in a war or natural disaster **Civilian casualty, a non-combatant killed or injured in warfare * The emergency department of a hospital, also known as ...

'', ''

Holby City ''Holby City'' (stylised on-screen as HOLBY CIY) is a British medical drama television series that aired weekly on BBC One. It was created by Tony McHale and Mal Young as a spin-off from the established BBC medical drama ''Casualty'', and pr ...

'', ''

The Bill ''The Bill'' is a British police procedural television series, first broadcast on ITV from 16 August 1983 until 31 August 2010. The programme originated from a one-off drama, '' Woodentop'', broadcast in August 1983. The programme focused on ...

'', '' Spooks'', '' Spooks: Code 9'', ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the u ...

'', '' Survivors'' and ''

Red Riding ''Red Riding'' is a British crime drama limited series written by Tony Grisoni and based on the book series of the same name by David Peace. The series comprises the novels ''Nineteen Seventy-Four'' (1999), ''Nineteen Seventy-Seven'' (2000), '' ...

''. He played his first major lead role in the short serial ''

Instinct Instinct is the inherent inclination of a living organism towards a particular complex behaviour, containing both innate (inborn) and learned elements. The simplest example of an instinctive behaviour is a fixed action pattern (FAP), in which a v ...

'', broadcast in February 2007 and was due to appear in the West End in ''

Glengarry Glen Ross ''Glengarry Glen Ross'' is a play by David Mamet that won the Pulitzer Prize in 1984. The play shows parts of two days in the lives of four desperate Chicago real estate agents who are prepared to engage in any number of unethical, illegal acts� ...

'' in October 2007 but withdrew due to 'personal reasons'.Mendick, Robert (10 October 2007
"Opening night cancelled as actor pulls out"
'' ThisIsLondon.co.uk'' (Retrieved: 6 March 2010)Nathan, John (8 October 2007
"Flanagan Withdraws from London Glengarry; Opening Night Delayed"
''PlayBill.com'' (Retrieved: 6 March 2010) Flanagan appeared in the

BBC TV BBC Television is a service of the BBC. The corporation has operated a public broadcast television service in the United Kingdom, under the terms of a royal charter, since 1927. It produced television programmes from its own studios from 19 ...

docudrama Docudrama (or documentary drama) is a genre of television and film, which features dramatized re-enactments of actual events. It is described as a hybrid of documentary and drama and "a fact-based representation of real event". Docudramas typic ...

Heroes and Villains "Heroes and Villains" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1967 album ''Smiley Smile'' and their unfinished ''Smile'' project. Written by Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks, Wilson envisioned the song as an Old West-themed ...

'' as

Spartacus Spartacus ( el, Σπάρτακος '; la, Spartacus; c. 103–71 BC) was a Thracian gladiator who, along with Crixus, Gannicus, Castus, and Oenomaus, was one of the escaped slave leaders in the Third Servile War, a major slave uprising ...

, first broadcast in 2008. He breaks the character of 'virile Roman hero' and appears full of doubt, irascible and Shakespearean. The series was successful in Europe and the United States, and was noted for the credibility of its historic sources. He took on the role of villain Dexter in BBC's '' Survivors'' (2009–10); the character is killed in series 2 episode 3 (BBC later announced that the shooting of season 3 would be cancelled). In 2009 he played the dogged but doomed journalist Barry Gannon in ''

''; set in 1974, it is the first film in the Red Riding Trilogy. Initially a

series, the trilogy has been successful all over the world, and regularly featured on the European film festival circuit, winning many awards. Flanagan was scheduled to appear in the film ''Acts of Godfrey'', which filmed in early 2010; however, he didn't appear due to theatre commitments. He briefly appears in ''

Glorious 39 ''Glorious 39'' is a 2009 British war thriller film written and directed by Stephen Poliakoff, starring Romola Garai, Bill Nighy, Julie Christie, Jeremy Northam, Christopher Lee, David Tennant, Jenny Agutter and Eddie Redmayne. The film was rel ...

'' (2009), a British production written and directed by

Stephen Poliakoff Stephen Poliakoff (born 1 December 1952) is a British playwright, director and screenwriter. In 2006 Gerard Gilbert of ''The Independent'' described him as the UK's "pre-eminent TV dramatist" who had "inherited Dennis Potter's crown". Early ...

. 2010 was the year of Flanagan's theatre comeback. The ex-RSC came to the for a new adaptation of

Chekhov Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (; 29 January 1860 Old Style date 17 January. – 15 July 1904 Old Style date 2 July.) was a Russian playwright and short-story writer who is considered to be one of the greatest writers of all time. His career ...

's '' Cherry Orchard'' beside Josie Lawrence, where his performance was very well received. In 2011, Flanagan played the role of Steve in ''Life on the Line'', a short film by Jamie Donaghue. He also played in ITV's BAFTA award-winning drama ''

Appropriate Adult In English law, an appropriate adult is a parent, guardian or social worker; or if no person matching this is available, any responsible person over 18. The term was introduced as part of the policing reforms in the Police and Criminal Evidence ...

'' as Mike playing opposite

Emily Watson Emily Margaret Watson (born 14 January 1967) is an English actress. She began her career on stage and joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1992. In 2002, she starred in productions of ''Twelfth Night'' and ''Uncle Vanya'' at the Donmar War ...

, who won a BAFTA for Best Leading Actress for her role as Janet Leech in the same film. In 2012 Flanagan appeared as Fergus in Series 4 of '' Being Human''. He then appeared as Andy in Julie Gearey's ''

Prisoners' Wives ''Prisoners' Wives'' is a BBC drama series, created and written by Julie Gearey and starring Polly Walker, Pippa Haywood, Emma Rigby, Natalie Gavin, Sally Carman and Karla Crome, with supporting cast including Iain Glen, Adam Gillen, Jonas Armst ...

'', a BBC One drama about how women deal with life after their husbands and families are sent to prison. Also in 2012 Flanagan returned as a Detective Chief Inspector in BBC One's ''

Silent Witness ''Silent Witness'' is a British crime drama television series produced by the BBC, which focuses on a team of forensic pathology experts and their investigations into various crimes. First broadcast in 1996, the series was created by Nigel McC ...

'' to play D.C.I. Ronson. In 2012 Flanagan worked and appeared in three films: *He plays the Recruiting Sergeant in ''

Private Peaceful ''Private Peaceful'' is a novel for older children by British author Michael Morpurgo first published in 2003. It is about a fictional young soldier called Thomas "Tommo" Peaceful, who is looking back on his life from the trenches of World War ...

'', based on

Michael Morpurgo Sir Michael Andrew Bridge Morpurgo (''né'' Bridge; 5 October 1943) is an English book author, poet, playwright, and librettist who is known best for children's novels such as ''War Horse'' (1982). His work is noted for its "magical storytellin ...

's novel of the same name, which was adapted for the screen by Simon Readeand and was directed by Pat O'Connor. *He appears in Kadri Kousaar's film ''The Arbiter'' as Mickey. *He played the title role in Klaus Huttmann's feature film ''The List''. Flanagan plays Arnold Hankin, a self-made successful businessman, in '' The Village'', broadcast on BBC One in 2013 and 2014 – an epic drama charting the turbulent times of one English village. The six-part series was directed by

Antonia Bird Antonia Jane Bird, FRSA (27 May 1951 – 24 October 2013Kate Hardi"Antonia Bird obituary" ''The Guardian'', 28 October 2013) was an English producer and director of television drama and feature films. Career In 1968, at the age of 17, Bird ...

, who directed Flanagan once before in ''

'', and also by

Gillies MacKinnon Gillies MacKinnon (born 8 January 1948, Glasgow) is a Scottish film director, writer and painter. He attended the Glasgow School of Art where he studied mural painting. Following this he became an art teacher and cartoonist, and about this time ...

."''The Village'' Press Pack"
BBC Press Office, 19 March 2013. Retrieved 19 March 2013. Flanagan can be seen in

Jimmy McGovern James Stanley McGovern (born September 1949) is an English screenwriter and producer. He is best known for creating the drama series '' Cracker'' (1993–1995), for which he received two Edgar Awards from the Mystery Writers of America. He als ...

's '' Moving On'' and in the second series of ''Shetland'', shown on BBC One in 2014.

Personal life

He is married to actress

Rebekah Staton Rebekah Staton (born 17 June 1981 in Leek, Staffordshire, England) is an English actress and narrator. She is best known for narrating '' Don't Tell The Bride'' and for her roles as Della in '' Raised by Wolves'' and Katy in ''Home''. She has al ...

Select filmography

*'' Shameless'' (2004–06), Tony *''

'' (2006), Pete Bond *''

'' (2006), Kenny Archer *''

'' (2007), D.C.I. Thomas Flynn *''

'' (2007), Orin Scannell *''

'' (2007–08), Spartacus *'' Coming Up'' (2008), Sirjad *''

'' (2009), Barry Gannon *'' Survivors'' (2008–10), Dexter *''

New Tricks ''New Tricks'' is a British television police procedural The police show, or police crime drama, is a subgenre of procedural drama and detective fiction that emphasizes the investigative procedure of a police officer or department as the ...

'' (2011), Anthony Bassett *''

Life on the Line ''Life on the Line'' is the second studio album by English rock band Eddie and the Hot Rods. The album was mixed by Ed Hollis and Steve Nicol, produced by Ed Hollis, and engineered by Steve Lillywhite. This release is considered a step in the ...

'' (2011), Steve *''

'' (2011), Mike *'' Being Human'' (2012), Fergus *''

'' (2012), Andy *''

'' (2012), Ronson *''

'' (2012), Recruiting Sergeant *''The Arbiter'' (2012), Mickey *''The List'' (2013), Chris Corwin *'' The Village'' (2013), Arnold Hankin *'' Moving On'' (2013), Greg *''

Shetland Shetland, also called the Shetland Islands and formerly Zetland, is a subarctic archipelago in Scotland lying between Orkney, the Faroe Islands and Norway. It is the northernmost region of the United Kingdom. The islands lie about to the no ...

'' (2013), Euan *''

In The Flesh In the Flesh may refer to: Books * ''In the Flesh'' (2009 graphic novel), a collection of stories by Koren Shadmi Film and TV * ''In the Flesh'' (1998 film), an American gay-themed murder mystery film * ''In the Flesh'' (2003 film), an Indian ...

'' (2014) *''

The Crown The Crown is the state in all its aspects within the jurisprudence of the Commonwealth realms and their subdivisions (such as the Crown Dependencies, overseas territories, provinces, or states). Legally ill-defined, the term has different ...

'' (2016) *'' Wild Bill'' (2019), PC Sean Cobley *''

Around the World in 80 Days ''Around the World in Eighty Days'' (french: link=no, Le tour du monde en quatre-vingts jours) is an adventure novel by the French writer Jules Verne, first published in French in 1872. In the story, Phileas Fogg of London and his newly employe ...

'' (2021), Thomas Kneedling *''

House of the Dragon ''House of the Dragon'' is an American Fantasy television, fantasy drama (film and television), drama television series created by George R. R. Martin and Ryan Condal for HBO. A prequel to ''Game of Thrones'' (2011–2019), it is the second TV ...

'' (2022), Ser Steffon Darklyn

References

External links

*
Anthony Flanagan's profile at Hobson's International Voice OversAnthony Flanagan Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Flanagan, Anthony 1972 births Living people Actors from Stockport Alumni of Manchester Metropolitan University English male television actors