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Jason Watkins (born 28 October 1962) is an English stage, film and television actor. He played the lead role in the two-part drama ''
The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies ''The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies'' is a 2014 British television film. It tells the real-life story of retired schoolteacher Christopher Jefferies, who was questioned by police as a suspect in the murder of Joanna Yeates. He was vilifi ...
'', for which he won the BAFTA TV Award for Best Actor. He has also played William Herrick in '' Being Human'', Gavin Strong in '' Trollied'', Simon Harwood in '' W1A,'' Gordon Shakespeare in the film series '' Nativity'', British Prime Minister
Harold Wilson James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, (11 March 1916 – 24 May 1995) was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from October 1964 to June 1970, and again from March 1974 to April 1976. He ...
in Season 3 of ''
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 differ ...
'' and Detective Sergeant Dodds in ''
McDonald & Dodds ''McDonald & Dodds'' is a British television crime drama series, based in the English city of Bath, that stars Tala Gouveia and Jason Watkins as mismatched detectives, DCI Lauren McDonald & DS Dodds. Created and principally written by screenwr ...
''.


Early life

Watkins was born in Windsor Road, Albrighton,
Shropshire Shropshire (; alternatively Salop; abbreviated in print only as Shrops; demonym Salopian ) is a landlocked historic county in the West Midlands region of England. It is bordered by Wales to the west and the English counties of Cheshire to ...
, where he lived until the age of seven, when his parents moved to
Wolverhampton Wolverhampton () is a city, metropolitan borough and administrative centre in the West Midlands, England. The population size has increased by 5.7%, from around 249,500 in 2011 to 263,700 in 2021. People from the city are called "Wulfrunians ...
. His father Alan was a metallurgist and his mother a teacher at Albrighton's primary school. He credits his introduction to entertainment to taking lessons in clowning at
Bridgnorth Bridgnorth is a town in Shropshire, England. The River Severn splits it into High Town and Low Town, the upper town on the right bank and the lower on the left bank of the River Severn. The population at the 2011 Census was 12,079. Histor ...
from
mime artist A mime artist, or simply mime (from Greek , , "imitator, actor"), is a person who uses ''mime'' (also called ''pantomime'' outside of Britain), the acting out of a story through body motions without the use of speech, as a theatrical medium ...
Ben Benison, also a presenter on TV programme ''
Vision On ''Vision On'' was a British children's television programme, shown on BBC1 from 1964 to 1976 and designed specifically for children with hearing impairment. Concept and production ''Vision On'' was conceived and developed by BBC producers Ur ...
''.


Career


Stage

Following his training at the
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art 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 ...
, Watkins established himself as a stage actor. He is a member of the National Theatre company. He was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Theatre Award in 2001 (2000 season) for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in ''A Servant For Two Masters'' (
Young Vic The Young Vic Theatre is a performing arts venue located on The Cut, near the South Bank, in the London Borough of Lambeth. The Young Vic was established by Frank Dunlop in 1970. Kwame Kwei-Armah has been Artistic Director since February 201 ...
, subsequently transferred to New Ambassadors Theatre). His other theatre work includes ''
Rafts and Dreams ''Rafts and Dreams'' is a play by English playwright Robert Holman that was first performed in 1990, and published in 1991. Plot Beginning as a seeming domestic drama, ''Rafts and Dreams'' shows the relationship between obsessive-compulsive mys ...
'' at the
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, England ...
, ''Philistines'' and ''Landscape with Weapon'' (by
Joe Penhall Joe Scott Penhall (born 1967) is an English-Australian playwright and screenwriter, best known for his award-winning stage play '' Blue/Orange'', the award-winning West End musical ''Sunny Afternoon'' and creating the Netflix original series ' ...
) at the National Theatre, London (2007) and ''A Laughing Matter'' (by April De Angelis) at the
Liverpool Playhouse The Liverpool Playhouse is a theatre in Williamson Square in the city of Liverpool, England. It originated in 1866 as a music hall, and in 1911 developed into a repertory theatre. As such it nurtured the early careers of many actors and actres ...
in 2003. In 2018, he played the predatory serial killer Ralph in a revival of
Bryony Lavery Bryony Lavery (born 1947) is a British dramatist, known for her successful and award-winning 1998 play '' Frozen''. In addition to her work in theatre, she has also written for television and radio. She has written books including the biography ...
's play '' Frozen'' at the
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 ...
.


Television

Watkins's more prominent television roles have included the vampire leader William Herrick in '' Being Human''; the crime suspect Jason Buliegh in ''
Conviction In law, a conviction is the verdict reached by a court of law finding a defendant guilty of a crime. The opposite of a conviction is an acquittal (that is, "not guilty"). In Scotland, there can also be a verdict of " not proven", which is cons ...
''; Bradley Stainer in '' Funland''; and the dog-walking crime witness Francis Cross in '' Five Days''. He also played Oswald Cooper in "The Great and the Good", an episode of ''
Lewis Lewis may refer to: Names * Lewis (given name), including a list of people with the given name * Lewis (surname), including a list of people with the surname Music * Lewis (musician), Canadian singer * "Lewis (Mistreated)", a song by Radiohead ...
''; Plornish in the 2008
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
production of ''
Little Dorrit ''Little Dorrit'' is a novel by Charles Dickens, originally published in serial form between 1855 and 1857. The story features Amy Dorrit, youngest child of her family, born and raised in the Marshalsea prison for debtors in London. Arthur Cl ...
''; and Cabbage Patterson in the BBC adaptation of ''
Lark Rise to Candleford ''Lark Rise to Candleford'' is a trilogy of semi-autobiographical novels by Flora Thompson about the countryside of north-east Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, England, at the end of the 19th century. The stories were previously published s ...
''. He had a cameo in episode seven of the second series of ''
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 ...
'', as
Gene Hunt DCI Gene Hunt is a fictional character in BBC One's science fiction/police procedural drama ''Life on Mars'' and its sequel, '' Ashes to Ashes''. The character is portrayed by Philip Glenister in both ''Life on Mars'' and ''Ashes to Ashes'', ...
's dissolute lawyer Colin Merric. In 2006, he played the pioneering radiologist Ernest Wilson in a BBC pilot, ''
Casualty 1906 ''Casualty 1900s'', broadcast in the U.S. as ''London Hospital'', is a British hospital drama inspired by but otherwise unrelated to BBC One drama ''Casualty''. It places the viewer in the Receiving Room of the London Hospital, in London's E ...
''. Also in 2006 he played the part of Sir Christopher Hatton in '' The Virgin Queen'', a four-part BBC drama. He then featured in the second series of the BBC's comedy ''
Psychoville ''Psychoville'' is a British psychological horror-thriller black comedy mystery television series created and written by and starring '' The League of Gentlemen'' members Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton for the BBC. It debuted on BBC T ...
'', as Peter Bishop, owner of Hoyti Toyti, an antique shop specialising in toys. Additionally he appeared as Doctor Roger Brierley in
Victoria Wood Victoria Wood (19 May 1953 – 20 April 2016) was an English comedian, actress, lyricist, singer, composer, pianist, screenwriter, producer and director. Wood wrote and starred in dozens of sketches, plays, musicals, films and sitcoms over se ...
's television film ''
Housewife, 49 ''Housewife, 49'' is a 2006 television film based on the wartime diaries of Nella Last. Written by and starring English actress and comedian Victoria Wood, it follows the experiences of an ordinary housewife and mother in the Northern English t ...
''. Since 2011, he has also appeared in the
Sky1 Sky One was a British pay television channel operated and owned by Sky Group (a division of Comcast). Originally launched on 26 April 1982 as Satellite Television, it was Europe's first satellite and non- terrestrial channel. From 31 July 1989, ...
sitcom '' Trollied'' as the store manager Gavin. In early 2012 he joined the cast of the BBC drama ''
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 ...
'', appeared as Detective Gilks in ''
Dirk Gently Dirk Gently (born Svlad Cjelli, also known as Dirk Cjelli) is a fictional character created by English writer Douglas Adams and featured in the books '' Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency'', ''The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul'' and '' T ...
'' and portrayed a smooth
Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Brit ...
PR man in ''
Twenty Twelve ''Twenty Twelve'' is a BBC television comedy series written and directed by John Morton. Starring Hugh Bonneville, Jessica Hynes and Amelia Bullmore, the programme is a spoof on-location mockumentary following the organisation of the 2012 Summ ...
''. On 11 May 2013, he appeared in the ''
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 ...
'' story ''
Nightmare in Silver "Nightmare in Silver" is the twelfth and penultimate episode of the seventh series of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' and was first broadcast on BBC One on 11 May 2013. It was written by Neil Gaiman and directed by ...
'', written by
Neil Gaiman Neil Richard MacKinnon GaimanBorn as Neil Richard Gaiman, with "MacKinnon" added on the occasion of his marriage to Amanda Palmer. ; ( Neil Richard Gaiman; born 10 November 1960) is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, gra ...
, featuring the
Cybermen The Cybermen are a fictional race of cyborgs principally portrayed in the British science fiction television programme ''Doctor Who''. The Cybermen are a species of space-faring cyborgs who often forcefully and painfully convert human beings ( ...
in their current design. Also in 2013 he played an anaesthetist in ''
The Wrong Mans ''The Wrong Mans'' is a British BBC Television comedy-drama series, co-produced with the American online television provider Hulu. It premiered on BBC Two on 24 September 2013 and in the United States on 11 November 2013. Considered a critica ...
''. In 2014, he appeared as Simon Harwood in the BBC comedy series '' W1A''. A second series aired in 2015 and a third was broadcast in 2017. In 2014, he played the leading role in a two-part ITV drama entitled ''
The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies ''The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies'' is a 2014 British television film. It tells the real-life story of retired schoolteacher Christopher Jefferies, who was questioned by police as a suspect in the murder of Joanna Yeates. He was vilifi ...
'', about the innocent initial suspect in the 2010 murder of Joanna Yeates. He won the BAFTA TV Award for Best Actor for this role. In 2016, Watkins played the role of Pastor Hansford in the four-part ITV drama '' The Secret''. Watkins appeared in two episodes of ''
The Hollow Crown ''The Hollow Crown'' may refer to: * a passage in Shakespeare's play ''Richard II'' * ''The Hollow Crown'' (anthology), a 1961 work by John Barton * ''The Hollow Crown'' (TV series), a BBC adaptation of Shakespeare plays * ''Hollow Crown '' ...
'' and played the role of Malcolm Turner in the BBC sitcom series ''
Love, Nina ''Love, Nina'' is a 2016 British comedy drama starring Faye Marsay and Helena Bonham Carter. Adapted by Nick Hornby from Nina Stibbe's book, ''Love, Nina: Despatches from Family Life,'' the series received its debut on BBC One on 20 May 2016 and ...
''. He narrated the
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service ...
documentary series ''The Job Interview'', appeared as Tony Michaels in an episode of ''
Friday Night Dinner ''Friday Night Dinner'' is a British television sitcom written by Robert Popper and starring Tamsin Greig, Paul Ritter, Simon Bird, Tom Rosenthal, and Mark Heap. The comedy is focused on the regular dinner experience of the middle-class Briti ...
'' and was cast as Mr Humphries in the BBC revival of ''
Are You Being Served? ''Are You Being Served?'' is a British sitcom created and written by executive producer David Croft (Croft also directed some episodes) and Jeremy Lloyd, with contributions from Michael Knowles and John Chapman, for the BBC. Set in London ...
''. In 2017, Watkins played Solomon Coop, private secretary to the Prince Regent (later George IV), in the
BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...
series ''
Taboo A taboo or tabu is a social group's ban, prohibition, or avoidance of something (usually an utterance or behavior) based on the group's sense that it is excessively repulsive, sacred, or allowed only for certain persons.''Encyclopædia Britannica ...
''. Also on BBC One, Watkins performed as Wilfred Lucas-Dockery, the governor of the prison in the third episode of the BBC's adaptation of the
Evelyn Waugh Arthur Evelyn St. John Waugh (; 28 October 1903 – 10 April 1966) was an English writer of novels, biographies, and travel books; he was also a prolific journalist and book reviewer. His most famous works include the early satires '' Decl ...
novel ''
Decline and Fall ''Decline and Fall'' is a novel by the English author Evelyn Waugh, first published in 1928. It was Waugh's first published novel; an earlier attempt, titled '' The Temple at Thatch'', was destroyed by Waugh while still in manuscript form. '' ...
''. He played Simon in the second series of the ITV drama ''
Safe House A safe house (also spelled safehouse) is, in a generic sense, a secret place for sanctuary or suitable to hide people from the law, hostile actors or actions, or from retribution, threats or perceived danger. It may also be a metaphor. Histori ...
'' in 2017. In 2018 he played Roger in the BBC sitcom '' Hold the Sunset'' and
Emlyn Hooson Hugh Emlyn Hooson, Baron Hooson, (26 March 1925 – 21 February 2012) was a Welsh Liberal and then Liberal Democrat politician. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Montgomeryshire from 1962 until 1979. Early life Hooson was born at Colo ...
in the
Russell T Davies Stephen Russell Davies (born 27 April 1963), better known as Russell T Davies, is a Welsh screenwriter and television producer whose works include ''Queer as Folk'', '' The Second Coming'', ''Casanova'', the 2005 revival of the BBC One scien ...
miniseries '' A Very English Scandal''. Watkins played Prime Minister
Harold Wilson James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, (11 March 1916 – 24 May 1995) was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from October 1964 to June 1970, and again from March 1974 to April 1976. He ...
in the third series of the Netflix drama ''
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 differ ...
'' and provided the voice of Captain Orchis in the BBC adaptation of ''
Watership Down ''Watership Down'' is an adventure novel by English author Richard Adams, published by Rex Collings Ltd of London in 1972. Set in Berkshire in southern England, the story features a small group of rabbits. Although they live in their natural ...
''. Since 2020 he has appeared in a leading role as DS Dodds in the series ''
McDonald & Dodds ''McDonald & Dodds'' is a British television crime drama series, based in the English city of Bath, that stars Tala Gouveia and Jason Watkins as mismatched detectives, DCI Lauren McDonald & DS Dodds. Created and principally written by screenwr ...
''. In 2022 Watkins appeared as Prime Minister Winston Churchill in the series SAS: Rogue Heroes.


Film

Watkins's most prominent film role to date has been the vividly camp gay wedding planner Gregory Hough in the 2006 comedy ''
Confetti Confetti are small pieces or streamers of paper, mylar, or metallic material which are usually thrown at celebrations, especially parades and weddings. The origins are from the Latin ''confectum'', with ''confetti'' the plural of Italian ''co ...
''. He has also played smaller roles in '' High Hopes'', '' Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason'', ''
Tomorrow Never Dies ''Tomorrow Never Dies'' is a 1997 spy film, the eighteenth in the ''James Bond'' series produced by Eon Productions and the second to star Pierce Brosnan as fictional MI6 agent James Bond. Directed by Roger Spottiswoode from a screenplay ...
'', ''
The Golden Compass ''Northern Lights'' (titled ''The Golden Compass'' in North America and some other countries) is a young-adult fantasy novel by Philip Pullman, published in 1995 by Scholastic UK. Set in a parallel universe, it follows the journey of Lyra Be ...
'', '' Wild Child'' and ''
Nativity! ''Nativity!'' is a 2009 British Christmas musical comedy film directed by Debbie Isitt and released on 27 November 2009 and the first instalment in the ''Nativity'' film series. The film stars Martin Freeman and Ashley Jensen. In the film te ...
'' and its follow-up '' Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger''. His son, Freddie, played his pupil in ''Nativity!''.


Personal life

Watkins is married to jewellery and fashion designer Clara Francis. On New Year's Day 2011, their 2-year-old daughter Maude died of
sepsis Sepsis, formerly known as septicemia (septicaemia in British English) or blood poisoning, is a life-threatening condition that arises when the body's response to infection causes injury to its own tissues and organs. This initial stage is follo ...
. He dedicated his 2015 BAFTA award to her and campaigns for greater awareness of sepsis. He is a patron of Child Bereavement UK, a charity that supports children, young people and families when a child grieves or when a child dies. He and his wife have two other children, Bessie and Gilbert. He also has two sons, Freddie and Pip, from his first marriage to actress Caroline Harding. Watkins is able to walk on his hands.Archived a
Ghostarchive
and th
Wayback Machine


Awards


Filmography


Television


Film


References


External links

* *

at the National Theatre Company database
Jason Watkins
at comedy.co.uk {{DEFAULTSORT:Watkins, Jason 1966 births Living people Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art English male film actors English male stage actors English male television actors Actors from Shropshire 20th-century English male actors 21st-century English male actors Best Actor BAFTA Award (television) winners