Michael Cronin (born 1942) is an English

actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...

Personal life

Born in

Cranfield Cranfield is a village and civil parish in the west of Bedfordshire, England, situated between Bedford and Milton Keynes. It had a population of 4,909 in 2001. increasing to 5,369 at the 2011 Census. The parish is in Central Bedfordshire uni ...

Bedfordshire Bedfordshire (; abbreviated Beds) is a ceremonial county in the East of England. The county has been administered by three unitary authorities, Borough of Bedford, Central Bedfordshire and Borough of Luton, since Bedfordshire County Council wa ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, he was educated at St Brendan's College by the Christian Brothers in

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...

, and at the

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree ...

where he studied English. He is married and has two sons.

Acting career

Cronin is a

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...

and

stage Stage or stages may refer to: Acting * Stage (theatre), a space for the performance of theatrical productions * Theatre, a branch of the performing arts, often referred to as "the stage" * ''The Stage'', a weekly British theatre newspaper * Sta ...

actor, particularly remembered for his role as the tough but fair PE teacher Geoff 'Bullet' Baxter in the television series ''

Grange Hill ''Grange Hill'' is a British Children's television series, children's television drama series, originally produced by the BBC and portraying life in a typical Comprehensive school (England and Wales), comprehensive school. The show began its ru ...

'' between 1979 and 1986. He also made a cameo appearance as Baxter in a 2000 edition of ''

The Grimleys ''The Grimleys'' is a comedy-drama television series set on a council estate in Dudley, West Midlands, England in the mid-1970s. It was first broadcast by Granada TV for ITV in 1999, following a pilot in 1997, and concluded in 2001 after thre ...

''. He also appeared in ''

Fawlty Towers ''Fawlty Towers'' is a British television sitcom written by John Cleese and Connie Booth, broadcast on BBC2 in 1975 and 1979. Two series of six episodes each were made. The show was ranked first on a list of the 100 Greatest British Television ...

'' as Irish cowboy builder Lurphy (whom Manuel memorably called a "hideous orangutan"), and as Eliphaz in the 1977 television miniseries ''

Jesus of Nazareth Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...

''. He has appeared in episodes of ''

Foyle's War ''Foyle's War'' is a British 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 after the long-running 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 ...

'', ''

The Gentle Touch ''The Gentle Touch'' is a British police drama television series made by London Weekend Television for ITV which began on 11 April 1980 and ran until 1984. The series is notable for being the first British series to feature a female police off ...

'', ''

The Sweeney ''The Sweeney'' is a 1970s British television police drama focusing on two members of the Flying Squad, a branch of the Metropolitan Police specialising in tackling armed robbery and violent crime in London. It stars John Thaw as Detective Ins ...

'' and '' Bergerac'', and played

Vyacheslav Molotov Vyacheslav Mikhaylovich Molotov. ; (;. 9 March Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates">O._S._25_February.html" ;"title="Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="nowiki/>Old Style and New Style dates">O. S. 25 February">Old_Style_and_New_Style_dat ...

in the 1989 TV movie ''

Countdown to War ''Countdown to War'' is a television film made in 1989 as a co-production by Granada Television and PBS. It recounts the events that occurred between 15 March 1939, when the German army commanded by Adolf Hitler invaded Czechoslovakia and created ...

''. In 1990 he played Alfred Inglethorp in the ''

Agatha Christie's Poirot ''Poirot'' (also known as ''Agatha Christie's Poirot'') is a British mystery drama television programme that aired on ITV from 8 January 1989 to 13 November 2013. David Suchet starred as the eponymous detective, Agatha Christie's fictional Her ...

'' film ''

The Mysterious Affair at Styles ''The Mysterious Affair at Styles'' is a detective novel by British writer Agatha Christie. It was written in the middle of the First World War, in 1916, and first published by John Lane in the United States in October 1920 and in the United ...

'', and played Sergei in the 2000 television adaptation of ''

Anna Karenina ''Anna Karenina'' ( rus, «Анна Каренина», p=ˈanːə kɐˈrʲenʲɪnə) is a novel by the Russian author Leo Tolstoy, first published in book form in 1878. Widely considered to be one of the greatest works of literature ever writt ...

''. He also occasionally appeared in the BBC television programme ''

Merlin Merlin ( cy, Myrddin, kw, Marzhin, br, Merzhin) is a mythical figure prominently featured in the legend of King Arthur and best known as a mage, with several other main roles. His usual depiction, based on an amalgamation of historic and le ...

'' (2008), as the character ''

Geoffrey of Monmouth Geoffrey of Monmouth ( la, Galfridus Monemutensis, Galfridus Arturus, cy, Gruffudd ap Arthur, Sieffre o Fynwy; 1095 – 1155) was a British cleric from Monmouth, Wales and one of the major figures in the development of British historiograph ...

''. He also made an appearance in the second episode of the second series of '' Citizen Khan'' as a friend of Naani's who turns out to be gay. Other television work includes: ''

Marie Curie Marie Salomea Skłodowska–Curie ( , , ; born Maria Salomea Skłodowska, ; 7 November 1867 – 4 July 1934) was a Polish and naturalized-French physicist and chemist who conducted pioneering research on radioactivity. She was the first ...

'', '' The Chinese Puzzle'', ''

Midnight at the Starlight Midnight is the transition time from one day to the next – the moment when the date changes, on the local official clock time for any particular jurisdiction. By clock time, midnight is the opposite of noon, differing from it by 12 hours ...

'', ''Invasion'', ''

Tiny Revolutions Tiny may refer to: Kane Places * Tiny, Ontario, a township in Canada * Tiny, Virginia, an unincorporated community in the US * Tiny Glacier, Wyoming, US Computing * Tiny BASIC, a dialect of the computer programming language BASIC * Tiny Encryp ...

'', '' Glorious Day'', ''

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 ...

'', '' Wycliffe'', '' The History of Tom Jones: a Foundling'', '' Shakespeare Shorts'', '' Our Mutual Friend'', '' Goodnight Mr Tom'', ''

My Dad's the Prime Minister ''My Dad's the Prime Minister'' is a British sitcom written by Ian Hislop and Nick Newman, and was a co-production between CBBC and BBC Entertainment. It centres on the life of the Prime Minister, his family and his spin doctor. Its main cast in ...

'', '' Law & Order: UK'', and ''

Mayor of Casterbridge ''The Mayor of Casterbridge: The Life and Death of a Man of Character'' is an 1886 novel by the English author Thomas Hardy. One of Hardy's Wessex novels, it is set in a fictional rural England with Casterbridge standing in for Dorchester in ...

''. His film appearances include roles in ''

The Sexplorer ''The Sexplorer'' (US title: ''The Girl from Starship Venus'', UK re-release title: ''Diary of a Space Virgin'') is a 1975 British sex comedy film directed by Derek Ford. The film was produced by Morton M. Lewis. The film also has a hardcore ver ...

'' (1975), ''

Secrets of a Superstud ''Secrets of a Super Stud'', also known as ''It's Getting Harder All the Time'' and ''Naughty Girls on the Loose'', is a 1976 British sex comedy film, one of many to be also filmed in a hardcore version for export. It was shot at Twickenham Fi ...

'' (1976), ''

What's Up Nurse! ''What's Up Nurse!'' is a 1977 British sex comedy film directed by Derek Ford and starring Nicholas Field, Felicity Devonshire and John Le Mesurier. It tells the story of the adventures of a young doctor in a hospital. A sequel ''What's Up ...

'' (1977), '' Under the Bed'' (1977), ''

Le Pétomane Joseph Pujol (June 1, 1857 – August 8, 1945), better known by his stage name Le Pétomane (, ), was a French flatulist (professional farter) and entertainer. He was famous for his remarkable control of the abdominal muscles, which enabled him ...

'' (1979), ''

Hopscotch Hopscotch is a popular playground game in which players toss a small object, called a lagger, into numbered triangles or a pattern of rectangles outlined on the ground and then hop or jump through the spaces and retrieve the object. It is a ch ...

'' (1980), ''

Captive Captive or Captives may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Captive'' (1980 film), a sci-fi film, starring Cameron Mitchell and David Ladd * ''Captive'' (1986 film), a British-French film starring Oliver Reed * ''Captive'' (1991 ...

'' (1986), ''

The Hour of the Pig ''The Hour of the Pig'' is a 1993 British/ French film by writer/director Leslie Megahey, produced by the BBC. The film stars Colin Firth, Ian Holm, Donald Pleasence, Nicol Williamson, Jim Carter and Amina Annabi. It was released in the Unit ...

'' (1993), '' The Grotesque'' (1995), '' Double Identity'' (2009), '' The Wolfman'' (2010), ''

The Raven "The Raven" is a narrative poem by American writer Edgar Allan Poe. First published in January 1845, the poem is often noted for its musicality, stylized language, and supernatural atmosphere. It tells of a distraught lover who is paid a myste ...

'' (2012), '' In Secret'' (2013) and '' In the Heart of the Sea'' (2015). His theatre work includes: ''An Empty Desk'' (Royal Court); ''Duet for One'', ''Hamlet'', ''Due Process of Law'' (Dukes, Lancaster); ''Hamlet'', ''Jail Diary of Albie Sachs'', and ''Gloo Joo'' (Young Vic); ''Hedda Gabler'' (Octagon, Bolton); ''Caesar and Cleopatra'', ''The Prisoner of Zenda'', and ''The Corn is Green'' (Greenwich Theatre). From 1986 to 1991 he worked with the English Shakespeare Company in ''Richard II'', ''Henry IV'' Pts 1 and 2, ''Henry V'', ''Henry VI'', ''Richard III'', ''Coriolanus'', and ''The Winter's Tale'', and toured with them in the UK, Europe, Japan, US, India and Australia; ''All My Sons'' (

Oxford Stage Company Headlong is a British touring theatre company noted for making bold, innovative productions with some of the UK’s finest artists. Jeremy Herrin took over the artistic directorship of the company in 2013, and is the current artistic director. Ar ...

/ Wolsey); Purcell's ''The Indian Queen with the King's Consort'' and NYMT at the Queen Elizabeth Hall and Schwetzingen Festival in Germany; ''Hamlet'', and, ''Comedians'' (The Belgrade, Coventry); ''Northanger Abbey'' (Greenwich Theatre); ''The Merchant of Venice'' (Salisbury Playhouse); ''Timon of Athens'' (AJTC Brix Theatre) ''The Taming of the Shrew'', ''Don Juan The Masterbuilder'', ''The Cherry Orchard'', ''Love’s Labour’s Lost'', ''Ghosts'', ''King Lear'', ''Romeo and Juliet'', ''Twelfth Night'', (English Touring Theatre) ''Mary Stuart'' (Derby Playhouse) ''Richard II'' (Steven Berkoff) ''Hamlet'', ''Mother Courage'' (English Touring Theatre); ''The Last Confession'' (Chichester/The Haymarket London); ''The Ruling Class'', Dir Jamie Lloyd, Trafalgar Studios.

Writing career

Michael Cronin has written three children's novels, published by

Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print books ...

. His first novel, ''

Against the Day ''Against the Day'' is an epic historical novel by Thomas Pynchon, published in 2006. The narrative takes place between the 1893 Chicago World's Fair and the time immediately following World War I and features more than a hundred characters spr ...

'', was short listed for the 1999

Angus Book Award The Angus Book Award is a literary award for UK authors of teenage fiction. It is awarded by Angus Council in Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great B ...

. The story is set after the end of

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

in an England that has fallen under

Nazi Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...

occupation. It follows the adventures of two boys who become dangerously involved in a secret

resistance movement A resistance movement is an organized effort by some portion of the civil population of a country to withstand the legally established government or an occupying power and to disrupt civil order and stability. It may seek to achieve its objective ...

. A sequel, ''Through the Night'', was published in 2003. A third book in the series, ''In the Morning'', was published in 2005. He is also a

screenwriter A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based. ...

with two film

screenplay ''ScreenPlay'' is a television drama anthology series broadcast on BBC2 between 9 July 1986 and 27 October 1993. Background After single-play anthology series went off the air, the BBC introduced several showcases for made-for-television, fe ...

s to his credit.

Bibliography

*''

'' - 1998 novel () *''Through the Night'' - 2003 novel () *''In the Morning'' - 2005 novel () * ''No Final Truth'' - film script * ''Stealing the Fire'' - film script

External links

*
Author Bio
a
Oxford Education
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cronin, Michael 1942 births Living people Male actors from Bedfordshire English children's writers 21st-century English novelists English male television actors People from Cranfield Date of birth missing (living people) Alumni of the University of London English male novelists 21st-century English male writers