Bill Thomas (born 1952) is an English stage and screen actor.

Career

He was Tom Henshall in the BBC series '' Cutting It'' and Charles Quance in the classic BBC serial '' The House of Eliott'', had the lead role the feature film ''Weak at Denise'' and ''Syrup'' (which was nominated for an Academy Award for best short life action feature in 1994). A recent return to the stage saw him playing Ironside, in ''An English Tragedy'', a new play by Oscar-winning playwright

Ronald Harwood Sir Ronald Harwood ( né Horwitz; 9 November 1934 – 8 September 2020) was a South African-born British author, playwright, and screenwriter, best known for his plays for the British stage as well as the screenplays for ''The Dresser'' (for w ...

. A generation of young adults know him as Mr Tucknott the pompous and long suffering bank manager in the classic ''

Bodger and Badger ''Bodger & Badger'' is a BBC children's comedy programme written by Andy Cunningham (actor), Andy Cunningham, first broadcast in 1989. It starred Cunningham as handyman Simon Bodger and his talking Eurasian badger, badger companion. The program ...

'' series on BBCTV. His previous stage work includes the lead role in ''Dragon'' in the Olivier Theatre as a member of the

Royal National Theatre The Royal National Theatre in London, commonly known as the National Theatre (NT), is one of the United Kingdom's three most prominent publicly funded performing arts venues, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal Opera House. I ...

, a remarkable and innovative production by the accomplished director Ulz, after working together at

Nottingham Playhouse Nottingham Playhouse is a theatre in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England. It was first established as a repertory theatre in 1948 when it operated from a former cinema in Goldsmith Street. Directors during this period included Val May and Fr ...

. He was Arturo UI in ''

The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui ''The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui'' (german: Der aufhaltsame Aufstieg des Arturo Ui, links=no), subtitled "A parable play", is a 1941 play by the German playwright Bertolt Brecht. It chronicles the rise of Arturo Ui, a fictional 1930s Chicago m ...

'', directed by David Gilmore at the Nuffield Theatre, Southampton and went on to lead roles in repertory for much his early career, having five children in the process with his wife, whom he met at the Victoria Theatre, Stoke in his first job out of Rose Bruford College. He was 23 and she was in the sixth form at a local school and worked as a volunteer usherette. He has also had sculpture exhibited at the Whitechapel Gallery in East London, where he has lived for most of his life. He has a long connection with the Theatre Royal, Stratford, E15, where with Jeff Teare and Patrick Prior he pioneered a series of political dramas, developing and performing leading roles in satirical attacks on Margaret Thatchers government. The same team produced pantomimes for many years during the 1980s and 90's which set a standard in British Theatre for integrity and quality. His recent TV work has included spells in '' Emmerdale'' and ''Doctors'', ''Heartbeat'' and two films with director Norman Hull based on true life events that revolve around the crimes of unlikely individuals, The Canoe Man and the Antiques Rogueshow, and has completed filming on Abrahams Point with Mackenzie Crook and Harriet Walter.

Selected film and television work

In 2017 Thomas played Dr. Mazery in ''

Loving Vincent ''Loving Vincent'' ( pl, Twój Vincent) is a 2017 experimental adult animated biographical drama film about the life of the painter Vincent van Gogh, and, in particular, about the circumstances of his death. It is the first fully painted animat ...

''.

Appearances in theatre

* Played Ironside the prison Warder in a new play by Oscar-winning writer Ronald Harwood AN ENGLISH TRAGEDY - Watford Palace Theatre. * Burgomeister (lead) in DRAGON in the Olivier - Royal National Theatre * Arturo Ui in THE RESISTIBLE RISE OF ARTURO UI - Nuffield Theatre, Southampton

External links

Bill Thomas home page
*
Spotlight

Personal Management
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, Bill Living people 1952 births English male television actors English male film actors English male stage actors