Jason Hughes (born 18 December 1971,
Porthcawl
Porthcawl (, ) is a town and community on the south coast of Wales in the county borough of Bridgend, west of the capital city, Cardiff and southeast of Swansea. Historically part of Glamorgan and situated on a low limestone headland on the S ...
) is a
Welsh
Welsh may refer to:
Related to Wales
* Welsh, referring or related to Wales
* Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales
* Welsh people
People
* Welsh (surname)
* Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...
actor best known for playing Sergeant Ben Jones in the ITV series, ''
Midsomer Murders
''Midsomer Murders'' is a British crime drama television series, adapted by Anthony Horowitz and Douglas Watkinson from the novels in the '' Chief Inspector Barnaby'' book series (created by Caroline Graham), and broadcast on two channels of I ...
'' (2005-2013) and for the BBC drama, ''
This Life
This may refer to:
* ''This'', the singular proximal demonstrative pronoun
Places
* This, or ''Thinis'', an ancient city in Upper Egypt
* This, Ardennes, a commune in France
People with the surname
* Hervé This, French culinary chemist Arts, e ...
'' (1996-1997) in which he played lawyer Warren Jones. Hughes has also appeared in theatre such as the 1999 re-enactment of ''Our Country’s Good'' as the Second Lieutenant Ralph Clark.
[10 Questions for Actor Jason Hughes, Theartsdesk.com, Jasper Rees, 24th of August 2015]
Background
Hughes was born in
Porthcawl
Porthcawl (, ) is a town and community on the south coast of Wales in the county borough of Bridgend, west of the capital city, Cardiff and southeast of Swansea. Historically part of Glamorgan and situated on a low limestone headland on the S ...
and spent most of his early childhood there with his family. He is of
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
and
Welsh
Welsh may refer to:
Related to Wales
* Welsh, referring or related to Wales
* Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales
* Welsh people
People
* Welsh (surname)
* Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...
descent. His grandfather, Raldo Carpinini, was the son of an Italian immigrant from northern Italy (Bardi) who came and settled into
Ammanford
Ammanford ( cy, Rhydaman) is a town and community in Carmarthenshire, Wales, with a population of 5,411 at the 2011 census. It is a former coal mining town. The built-up area had a population of 7,945 with the wider urban area even bigger.
Acco ...
. Hughes' great-grandfather was originally trained to lay train tracks but eventually began an ice-cream business. Hughes' maternal grandfather became a policeman in Porthcawl.
[WalesOnline, 15th of October 2005]
Hughes planned to become a sportsman in either rugby or cricket as a teenager but he had to become a lot bigger and lacked the support to become a first class rugby player.
[The Irish News, 23rd of April 2018, Interviewer: Gabrielle Fagan] When Hughes was 11 or 12 in attended a comprehensive school, he had a teacher who inspired him in his drama classes and encouraged him to apply for the
National Youth Theatre
The National Youth Theatre of Great Britain (NYT) is a youth theatre and registered charity in London. Its aim is to develop and nurture young people through creative arts and theatrical productions. Founded in 1956 as the world's first youth th ...
of Wales.
His biggest inspirations growing up were Welsh actors
Anthony Hopkins
Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins (born 31 December 1937) is a Welsh actor, director, and producer. One of Britain's most recognisable and prolific actors, he is known for his performances on the screen and stage. Hopkins has received many accolad ...
and
Michael Sheen
Michael Christopher Sheen OBE (born 5 February 1969) is a Welsh actor, television producer and political activist. After training at London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), he worked mainly in theatre throughout the 1990s with stage rol ...
.
[Adam Jacques 3rd of November 2013, Independent] Hughes studied drama at in the National Youth Theatre of Wales where he met Sheen in the summer of 1987. Hughes and Sheen lived in the same halls of residence where they became close friends.
They were both atypical to acting, coming from a sports background and liked music; Hughes had learnt guitar and piano earlier. He also met actors
Ruth Jones
Ruth Alexandra Elisabeth Jones (born 22 September 1966) is a Welsh actress, comedian, writer and producer. She co-wrote and co-starred in the award-winning BBC sitcom ''Gavin & Stacey'' (2007–2010, 2019).
Jones has also appeared in various ...
,
Rob Brydon
Robert Brydon Jones (; born 3 May 1965) is a Welsh actor, comedian, impressionist, presenter, singer and writer. He played Dr Paul Hamilton in the Australian/British comedy series ''Supernova'', Bryn West in the BBC sitcom '' Gavin & Stacey'' ...
and
Hywel Simons
Hywel Simons (born 10 February 1970) is a British actor from Neath, Wales.
Born in Neath, he was brought up in Porthcawl. He started acting while a pupil at Porthcawl Comprehensive School, before he went on to study at LAMDA.
Simons first T ...
; Simons was a School friend of Sheen's.
Hughes later went on to study drama at the
London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and moved in with Sheen and Hywel Simons. Hughes went on to play in the 1999 production of ''
Look Back in Anger
''Look Back in Anger'' (1956) is a realist play written by John Osborne. It focuses on the life and marital struggles of an intelligent and educated but disaffected young man of working-class origin, Jimmy Porter, and his equally competent yet i ...
'' with Sheen at the National Youth Theatre and ''Caligula'' at the Donmar.
Career
Hughes' first big role was lawyer Warren Jones in ''
This Life
This may refer to:
* ''This'', the singular proximal demonstrative pronoun
Places
* This, or ''Thinis'', an ancient city in Upper Egypt
* This, Ardennes, a commune in France
People with the surname
* Hervé This, French culinary chemist Arts, e ...
'' which aired from 1996 – 1997. It revolves around a group of posh, badly behaved, young lawyers who end up emotionally detached from each other usually due to sex. It was the UK’s hottest drama show of the 1990s and the show won five awards including the Royal Television Society’s award for best drama. Hughes’s character had an impact on the gay community since his character is portrayed as homosexual, causing young gay men to write letters to Hughes about their stories of coming out to their families.
![Midsomer Murders Logo](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/16/Midsomer_Murders_Logo.jpg)
In 2005, Hughes began starring in the murder mystery television series ''
Midsomer Murders
''Midsomer Murders'' is a British crime drama television series, adapted by Anthony Horowitz and Douglas Watkinson from the novels in the '' Chief Inspector Barnaby'' book series (created by Caroline Graham), and broadcast on two channels of I ...
'' as Detective Sergeant Ben Jones. The show revolves around two detectives who solve gory and unique murders amongst the tranquil setting of Midsomer County. Hughes was originally told to speak in an English accent as his Welsh accent did not fit the character criteria. Hughes was aware of the show's repertoire after watching a few episodes and he knew the standards the directors were looking for.
In the years prior to the role, Hughes had had a 2nd child and was shooting a film in Ireland where all his income went into paying bills.
After feeling "irresponsible" and "letting myself, wife and children down" Hughes was reluctant when his agent spoke to him about an interview for ''Midsomer Murders'' which gave him 10 months a year of work; he described it as a "gift from the angels". After 2 years in this role, Hughes had a steady pay cheque, which caused him to sign-up for another 2 years, then another three. His 7 years of acting in ''Midsomer'' influenced Hughes’s acting by learning technical language and getting used to the lines and formats of scripts.
In 2013, he left ''Midsomer Murders'' but returned for one episode of Series 19 in 2017.
In 1999, Hughes played Ralph Clark in ''Our Country's Good''. Clark is the second lieutenant who is ordered to gather a group of negative and demoralized convicts into a cast that is able to re-enact Farquhar’s ''The Performing Officer.'' He played Cliff in a
1999 production of ''
Look Back in Anger
''Look Back in Anger'' (1956) is a realist play written by John Osborne. It focuses on the life and marital struggles of an intelligent and educated but disaffected young man of working-class origin, Jimmy Porter, and his equally competent yet i ...
''.
The 2015 play, ''Violence and Son'', by
Gary Owen is about a Welsh 17 year-old boy whose mother recently passed away from cancer. He is forced to live with his biological father, Rick (Jason Hughes). The plot thickens when he meets Jen, a girl he meets in college who shares a passion for Doctor Who with him. However, she already has a boyfriend, a rugby player called Jorden.
[''Violence and Son'', Royal Court Theatre, Aleks Sierz, 9 June 2015.]
Hughes played in a band, Butterfly Macqueen, playing guitar and singing backup vocals. The band last performed in Brighton on 12 February 2009 at the opening of the American Music Club.
Jason Hughes fan page
Accessed 4 August 2022.
Personal life
Hughes is a father of 3 children; Molly, Max and Carys. He is married to jewelry designer Natasha Dahlberg, formerly an actress. Hughes calls himself a family man and part of what caused him to leave ''Midsomer Murders'' was due to being away from home for up to six months. When he isn’t acting or spending time with his wife and children, Hughes goes swimming and does yoga.
Filmography
Film
*''House!
''House!'' is a 2000 British comedy film written by Eric Styles and Jason Sutton and directed by Julian Kemp. The film stars Kelly Macdonald, Freddie Jones, Miriam Margolyes and Jason Hughes.
Plot
The aging "La Scala" bingo hall is administere ...
'' (2000)
*''Phoenix Blue'' (2001)
*''Shooters'' (2002)
*''Tarot Mechanic'' (2002)
*'' Killing Me Softly'' (2002)
*''Sorry'' (2004)
*''Feeder'' (2005)
*''Red Mercury
Red mercury is purportedly a substance of uncertain composition used in the creation of nuclear weapons, as well as other weapons systems. Because of the great secrecy surrounding the development and manufacturing of nuclear weapons, there is no ...
'' (2005)
*''Dead Long Enough'' (2006)
Television
*'' London's Burning'' (1994)
*''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 ...
'' (1995)
*''Peak Practice
''Peak Practice'' is a British drama series about a GP surgery in Cardale—a small fictional town in the Derbyshire Peak District—and the doctors who worked there. It ran on ITV from 10 May 1993 to 30 January 2002 and was one of their most ...
'' (1995)
*''Castles'' (1995)
*''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 ...
'' (1996)
*''King Girl'' (1996)
*''This Life
This may refer to:
* ''This'', the singular proximal demonstrative pronoun
Places
* This, or ''Thinis'', an ancient city in Upper Egypt
* This, Ardennes, a commune in France
People with the surname
* Hervé This, French culinary chemist Arts, e ...
'' (1996–97, 2007)
*''Strangers in the Night'' (1995)
*''Harry Enfield and Chums
''Harry Enfield & Chums'' (originally titled ''Harry Enfield's Television Programme'') is a British sketch show starring Harry Enfield, Paul Whitehouse and Kathy Burke. It first broadcast on BBC2 in 1990 in the 9 pm slot on Thursday night ...
'' (1997)
*''The Flint Street Nativity
''The Flint Street Nativity'' is a 1999 British television comedy film directed by Marcus Mortimer, written by Tim Firth, and starring Frank Skinner, Neil Morrissey, Jane Horrocks, John Thomson, Stephen Tompkinson, Mark Addy, Ralf Little, Ju ...
'' (1999)
*''Plain Jane'' (2002)
*'' Waking the Dead'' (2003)
*''Mine All Mine
''Mine All Mine'' is a British television series produced by Red Production Company for ITV. It was written by Russell T Davies and starred Griff Rhys Jones. The story takes place in Swansea, Wales.
Overview
Rhys Jones plays Max Vivaldi, an e ...
'' (2004)
*''Dead Long Enough'' (2005)
*''Midsomer Murders
''Midsomer Murders'' is a British crime drama television series, adapted by Anthony Horowitz and Douglas Watkinson from the novels in the '' Chief Inspector Barnaby'' book series (created by Caroline Graham), and broadcast on two channels of I ...
'' (2005–2013, 2017)
*'' Death In Paradise'' (2017)
*'' Three Girls'' (2017)
*''Marcella
Marcella is a Roman cognomen and Italian given name, the feminine version of Marcello (Mark in English). Marcella means warlike, martial, and strong. It could also mean 'young warrior'. The origin of the name Marcella is Latin.
Marcella may refer ...
'', Series 2 (2018)
*'' The Pact'' (2021)
Theatre
*'' A Slice of Saturday Night'' (1992, Theater Auf Tournee, Germany — tour)
*''Macbeth
''Macbeth'' (, full title ''The Tragedie of Macbeth'') is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. It is thought to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition on those w ...
'' (1994, Theatre Clwyd)
*'' The Unexpected Guest'' (1994, Theatre Royal, Windsor
The Theatre Royal is an Edwardian theatre on Thames Street in Windsor in Berkshire. The present building is the second theatre to stand on this site and opened on 13 December 1910. Built for Sir Wiliam Shipley and Captain Reginald Shipley, it was ...
)
*''Nothing to Pay'' (1995, Thin Language)
*''Phaedra's Love'' (1996, Royal Court Theatre — staged opreading)
*''Badfinger'' (1997, Donmar Warehouse)
*''The Illusion'' (1997, Royal Exchange, Manchester
The Royal Exchange is a grade II listed building in Manchester, England. It is located in the city centre on the land bounded by St Ann's Square, Exchange Street, Market Street, Cross Street and Old Bank Street. The complex includes the Royal ...
)
*''Snake in the Grass'' (1997, The Old Vic
The Old Vic is a 1,000-seat, nonprofit organization, not-for-profit producing house, producing theatre in Waterloo, London, Waterloo, London, England. Established in 1818 as the Royal Coburg Theatre, and renamed in 1833 the Royal Victoria Th ...
)
*''The Herbal Bed
''The Herbal Bed'' (1996) is a play by Peter Whelan, written specifically for the Royal Shakespeare Company. The play is set in the year 1613 and is about Susanna Hall, daughter of William Shakespeare, who is accused of adultery with local haber ...
'' (1998, 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 ...
)
*''A Real Classy Affair'' (1998, Royal Court Theatre)
*'' Violence and Son (Royal Court Theatre Upstairs).
*''Look Back in Anger
''Look Back in Anger'' (1956) is a realist play written by John Osborne. It focuses on the life and marital struggles of an intelligent and educated but disaffected young man of working-class origin, Jimmy Porter, and his equally competent yet i ...
'' (1999, Lyttelton 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. In ...
)
*''In Flame
Charlotte Jones is a British actress, screenwriter and playwright.
Career
Her first play ''Airswimming'' debuted in 1997 at the Battersea Arts Centre in London. Her other plays include ''In Flame'', ''The Dark'', ''The Lightning Play'', and '' ...
'' (2000, New Ambassador's Theatre)
*'' Kiss Me Like You Mean It'' (2001, Soho Theatre
The Soho Theatre is a theatre and registered charity in the Soho district of the City of Westminster, in London, England. It produces and presents new works of theatre, together with comedy and cabaret, across three performance spaces.
The the ...
)
*''A Wing and a Prayer'' (2002, Battersea Arts Centre Studio)
*''Fight for Barbara'' (2003, Theatre Royal, Bath
The Theatre Royal in Bath, England, was built in 1805. A Grade II* listed building, it has been described by the Theatres Trust as "One of the most important surviving examples of Georgian theatre architecture". It has a capacity for an audien ...
Theatre Royal, Bath)
*''Design for Living
''Design for Living'' is a comedy play written by Noël Coward in 1932. It concerns a trio of artistic characters, Gilda, Otto and Leo, and their complicated three-way relationship. Originally written to star Lynn Fontanne, Alfred Lunt and Cowa ...
'' (2003, Theatre Royal, Bath)
*''Caligula'' (2003, Donmar Warehouse
The Donmar Warehouse is a 251-seat, not-for-profit theatre in Covent Garden, London, England. It first opened on 18 July 1977.
Sam Mendes, Michael Grandage and Josie Rourke have all served as artistic director, a post held since 2019 by Mi ...
)
*'' 4.48 Psychosis'' (2004, Royal Court Theatre
The Royal Court Theatre, at different times known as the Court Theatre, the New Chelsea Theatre, and the Belgravia Theatre, is a non-commercial West End theatre in Sloane Square, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, Englan ...
and US tour)
*''In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play)
''In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play)'' is a 2009 play by Sarah Ruhl, published by Samuel French. It concerns the early history of the vibrator, when doctors allegedly used it as a clinical device to bring women to orgasm as treatment for " ...
'' (2013, St. James)
*''Our Country's Good
''Our Country's Good'' is a 1988 play written by British playwright Timberlake Wertenbaker, adapted from the Thomas Keneally novel ''The Playmaker''. The story concerns a group of Royal Marines and convicts in a penal colony in New South Wales, ...
'' (2015, Olivier 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. In ...
)
*''The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?
''The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?'' is a full-length play written in 2000 by Edward Albee which opened on Broadway in 2002. It won the 2002 Tony Award for Best Play, the 2002 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play, and was a finalist for the 2003 ...
'' (2017, Theatre Royal Haymarket
The Theatre Royal Haymarket (also known as Haymarket Theatre or the Little Theatre) is a West End theatre on Haymarket in the City of Westminster which dates back to 1720, making it the third-oldest London playhouse still in use. Samuel Foot ...
)
*''On Bear Ridge'' (2019, The Royal Court Theatre, London)
Radio
*''Green Baize Dream'' (1995)
*''Cadfael
Brother Cadfael is the main fictional character in a series of historical murder mysteries written between 1977 and 1994 by the linguist-scholar Edith Pargeter under the name "Ellis Peters". The character of Cadfael himself is a Welsh Benedic ...
'': "Dead Man’s Ransom" (1995)
*''A Clockwork Orange
''A Clockwork Orange'' may refer to:
* ''A Clockwork Orange'' (novel), a 1962 novel by Anthony Burgess
** ''A Clockwork Orange'' (film), a 1971 film directed by Stanley Kubrick based on the novel
*** ''A Clockwork Orange'' (soundtrack), the film ...
'' (1998)
*''Cold Calling'' (2003)
*''Time for Mrs. Milliner'' (2003)
*''Bubble'' (2004)
*''The Guest Before You'' (2004)
*''School Runs'' (2006)
*''Inspector Steine'' (2007)
*''Gite a la Mer'' (2007)
*''The Pale Horse'' (2017)
Audio books
*''Framed'' (2006)
References
External links
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hughes, Jason
Welsh male television actors
Living people
People from Porthcawl
National Youth Theatre members
1971 births