Jason Watkins (actor)

Jason Watkins
Born Jason Barrington Watkins
(1966-07-30) 30 July 1966
Wokingham, Berkshire, England, UK
Nationality British
Occupation Actor
Years active 1986–present

Jason Barrington Watkins (born 30 July 1966 in Wokingham, Berkshire) is a BAFTA award-winning[1] British stage, film and television actor, best known for playing William Herrick in Being Human, Gavin Strong in Trollied, Simon Harwood in W1A and appearing as Gordon Shakespeare in the Nativity! film series.

He played the lead role in two-part drama The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies, for which he won the BAFTA TV Award for Best Actor.

Career

Since training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art,[2] he has established himself as a stage actor, and is a member of the National Theatre company.[3]

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, subsequently transferred to New Ambassadors Theatre).[4]

Other theatre work includes Rafts and Dreams at the Royal Court Theatre, Philistines and Landscape with Weapon (by Joe Penhall) at the National Theatre, London (2007) and A Laughing Matter (by April De Angelis) at the Liverpool Playhouse in 2003 (for which he was hailed as "magnificent" for his portrayal of the actor David Garrick).

Television

Watkins' most prominent television roles have included vampire leader William Herrick in Being Human, crime suspect Jason Buliegh in Conviction, Bradley Stainer in Funland and dog-walking crime witness Francis Cross in Five Days. He played Oswald Cooper in "The Great and the Good" episode of Lewis,[5] Plornish in the 2008 BBC production of Little Dorrit, and Cabbage Patterson in the BBC adaptation of Lark Rise to Candleford. Watkins had a cameo in episode seven of the second series of Life on Mars, as Gene Hunt's dissolute lawyer Colin Merric.[6] In 2006 he played real life pioneering radiologist Ernest Wilson in BBC pilot Casualty 1906. He then featured in the second series of the BBC's comedy Psychoville, as Peter Bishop, owner of Hoyti Toyti, an antique shop specialising in toys. Since 2011, he has also appeared in the Sky1 sitcom Trollied as the store manager Gavin. In early 2012 he joined the cast of the BBC drama Prisoners' Wives, appeared as Detective Gilks in Dirk Gently and portrayed a smooth Church of England PR man in Twenty Twelve.

On 11 May 2013 he appeared in the Doctor Who story Nightmare in Silver featuring the Cybermen in their current design. The episode and written by Neil Gaiman.[7]

In 2013, he played an anaesthetist in The Wrong Mans. In 2014, he appeared as Simon Harwood in BBC comedy series W1A. A second series aired in 2015 and a third will be broadcast in 2016.

In 2014, he played the lead role in a two part ITV drama entitled The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies, about the innocent initial suspect in the 2010 murder of Joanna Yeates, for which he won the BAFTA TV Award for Best Actor.

In 2016, Watkins played the role of Pastor Hansford in the four-part ITV drama The Secret, which also starred James Nesbitt. Watkins appeared in two episodes of The Hollow Crown and played Solomon Coop in the BBC mini-series Taboo.

He played the role of Malcolm Turner in the BBC sitcom series Love, Nina in 2016. He also narrated the Channel 4 documentary series The Job Interview in the same year. Watkins appeared as Tony Michaels in an episode of Friday Night Dinner.

Watkins has been cast as the role of Mr. Humphries in the BBC revival of Are You Being Served?, a role previously played by the late John Inman. The one-off special is scheduled to be broadcast in September 2016.[8] 2016 line of duty

In 2017, Watkins will star in the second series of ITV drama Safe House.[9]

Film

Watkins' most prominent film role to date has been the vividly camp gay wedding planner Gregory Hough in the 2006 comedy Confetti. He has also played smaller roles in Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, Tomorrow Never Dies, The Golden Compass, Wild Child and Nativity! and its follow-up Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger. His son, Freddie, played his pupil in Nativity!.

Personal life

In 2011, Watkins's two and a half year old daughter Maude died of sepsis. He dedicated his 2015 BAFTA award to her.

Awards

Year Ceremony Award Nominated work Result
2001 Olivier Awards[10] "Best Supporting Actor" Jason Watkins – A Servant To Two Masters Nominated
2002 Helen Hayes Awards "Outstanding Lead Actor" Jason Watkins – A Servant of Two Masters Won
2015 British Academy Television Awards[11][12] "Leading Actor" Jason Watkins – The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies Won
"Mini-Series" The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies Won
2016 Royal Television Society Awards "Best Drama Serial"[13] The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies Won

Filmography

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2009–2012 Being Human William Herrick Recurring role
2010–2012 Dirk Gently DI Gilks Recurring role
2011– Trollied Gavin Strong
2012 Miranda (TV series) Dick Twist Guest Role
2013 Doctor Who Webley Guest role
The Wrong Mans Guest role
2014– W1A Simon Harwood Third series to air in 2016
2014 The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies Christopher Jefferies Two-part series; won two Television BAFTAs
2016 The Secret Pastor Hansford Four-part drama
The Hollow Crown Suffolk 2 episodes: "Henry VI Part I" and "Henry VI part II"
Taboo Solomon Coop Mini-series
Love, Nina Malcolm Turner Sitcom series
The Job Interview Himself, narrator Documentary series
Friday Night Dinner Tony Michaels Episode "The Two Tonys"
Are You Being Served? Mr. Humphries[14] TV special
2017— Safe House TBA Series 2 onwards

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1988 High Hopes Wayne
1997 Tomorrow Never Dies Principal Warfare Officer
2004 Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason Charlie Parker-Knowles
2006 Confetti Gregory Hough
2007 The Golden Compass Bolvangar Official
2008 Wild Child Mr. Nellist
2009 Nativity! Mr. Gordon Shakespeare
2012 Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger Mr. Gordon Shakespeare
2014 Nativity 3: Dude, Where's My Donkey? Mr. Gordon Shakespeare

References

External links

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