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Tony began his acting career such that it is by accident.Tony was working as a technician at the Tyne Theatre and Opera House in 1985, the same year he recorded his first album.Whilst working on the play 'Peter Pan' directed by ,Willie Russell. Tony was aked to step forward and play the part of a London cabbie,who had to remove and then finally re-deliver Na,na's doghouse.He stepped up to bat and that was it.He had the bug.
When not recording or touring with his music,Tony would keep working in theatre as a carpenter.He enjoyed this line of work as it afforded him the oppotunity to see great actors and great plays for free.
He began working for the Royal Shakespeare Company in Newcastle and soon transferred to London to continue working for the company.
While in London Tony's great friend and actor Richard Ridings was set to film a children's show for ITV,entitled 'The Ink Thief'.Tony met the producer who gave him a small role as an airline passenger.
Tony also performed for his brother-in-law who was at film school in Wales.He was doing his film short,'Idlers' and asked Tony if he'd play a local nightclub bouncer.Which he did.
Tony still without an agent went to open auditions and aquired regular industry papers to keep up to speed.
This is how he was seen and consequently offered parts in Richard Gere's,'First Night' which he turned down because of lack of horse skills and 'Judge Dredd' which he did playing alongside Sylvester Stallone as a convict on his way to Aspen Prison.
When the RSC were coming to the end of their London residency Tony was offered a position as touring master carpenter on the world tour of 'Comedy Of Errors',directed by Tim Supple,artistic director of the Young Vic Theatre.
Tony did the tour and on completion he was offered a part in the same play at the Young Vic in London,by Mr.Supple.He accepted and his slope towards acting increased.
Tim Supple the offered Tony to do some workshops for him at the Young Vic on his upcoming production of 'Twelfth Night'.He did and played Feste and Orsino and other selections from the play.
After this Tony managed to aquire an agent.Michael Ladkin and Sarah Crouch.He went for auditions for everything from West End musicals to T.V.
Getting himself a part in the Bill,for Carlton T.V. as an Informant.
He was offered the part of Ugolin in 'Jean de Florette' (by Marcel Pagnol) the musical,however the production was closed down before it began.
Tony managed to get himself a part in the Jerome Flynn cop show 'Badger' set in Northumberland.
He was selected to play the part of the cruel mayor ,Uriah Botchet, for the Chaplin's Panto company,in a London and regional tour of 'Jack and the Beanstalk'
All the time he was not acting Tony continued working in the West End on theatre productions.
Tony had just begun putting the Queen show 'We Will Rock You' into the Dominion Theatre in London when he heard that an audition he'd gone for with Peter Weir(director of the Truman Show & Witness) had been successful and he would be spending five months in Baja,Mexico on the 20th Century Fox picture,'Master & Commander',"Far Side of the World" as ship's carpenter,Mr.Lamb.
While in Mexico Tony and some fellow cast members performed a radio play written by fellow actor and friend Robert Pugh(the Lakes,Enigma,etc.).Tony played Dr.Watson in this Sherlock Holmes spoof to Mr. Pugh's Holmes and George Innes(the Italian Job,Danger UXB,etc.)as Mrs.Hudson.
The play caught everyones attention and now they are recording the 3rd part of the next episode.Set for release through Fox in 2004.
Tony has completed filming an episode of Battlefield Britain for the BBC,due for broadcast late next year on T.V.He plays a Cavalier in the English Civil war.Remarkably his character is a Carpenter by day,which is funny as his role prior to this was as Carpenter Lamb in Master and Commander!!
Tony has finished work on the BBC/HBO film 'Dirty War' due on TV September I'm told.He plays a Tactical Support Group leader(TSG),apparently they are one step up from Police and one step down from Army or so the production office informed me!
Tony continues to work with Automation Engineer/Technician. As he accepts roles I will endeavour to update this page.
Thank you for reading.I hope it was of interest. 777 |
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