Craig Charles

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Charles as Dave Lister in Red Dwarf
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Charles as Dave Lister in Red Dwarf

Craig Charles (born Liverpool, UK July 11, 1964) is an English actor, poet, and radio and television presenter, best known for playing Dave Lister in the British cult-favourite sci-fi sitcom Red Dwarf.

Contents

[edit] Early years

Before turning to entertainment, Craig played professional football, most notably for Tranmere Rovers. He started his performance career as a performance poet on the British cabaret circuit, appeared on the late-night comedy programme, Saturday Live, and later became a presenter of children's television programmes, including What's That Noise on BBC1. He also appeared, weekly, as a John Cooper Clarke-style 'punk poet' on the BBC1 pop music television programme The Oxford Road Show, calling himself 'Susan Williams'.

[edit] Red Dwarf and Beyond

Craig acquired cult status in 1988 as the Liverpudlian slob, Dave Lister, in BBC2's long-running sci-fi comedy series Red Dwarf, a role he played in all eight series until 1999. Within Red Dwarf, aside from playing Lister he also played a number of alter-ego characters including Sebastian Doyle (Back to Reality, series V), Smeg (with the Heads) (Timeslides, series III), Cloister the Stupid (The End, series I), Lister of Smeg (Beyond a Joke, series VII) and Brett Riverboat (Gunmen of the Apocalypse, series VI).

Craig briefly played the title role in the short-lived Channel 4 sitcom Captain Butler (1997).

He has also presented a number of television programmes. Among these are the virtual reality gameshow CyberZone (1993) on BBC2; the late-night entertainment show Funky Bunker (1997) on ITV; the reality television show Jailbreak (2000) on five; the late-night chat show Weapons of Mass Distraction (2004) on ITV1; and most notably Robot Wars on BBC2 from 1998-2003, and on five from 2003-2004.

He also provided the voice-over for the UK version of the Japanese hit TV show Takeshi's Castle, shown on Challenge, and was a team captain on the sci-fi-based quiz show Space Cadets (1997) on Channel 4.

[edit] Present career

In 2005, Craig joined the cast of ITV's long-running soap opera Coronation Street, playing philandering taxi driver Lloyd Mullaney. Later that year, he participated in the Channel 4 reality sports show, The Games, coming fourth overall in the men's competition.

Since 2003 Craig has been a DJ on BBC 6 Music, presenting The Craig Charles Funk Show, a funk and soul radio show.

He was briefly suspended from the show in June 2006 until the BBC investigated allegations of crack cocaine usage. Craig has returned to presenting his show from 4 November, but the programme is now renamed The Funk & Soul Show and has been reduced from two shows per week to one.

A feature film in which Craig stars, Fated (2006), is scheduled for release in December 2006.

[edit] Personal life

Craig was married to Cathy Tyson from 1984 to 1989. Afterward, he dated singer/songwriter Suzanne Rhatigan, co-writing some lyrics for her album To Hell with Love and directing a video for her. In August 1997 he married his second wife, Jackie.

In 1994, Craig and a friend were arrested and remanded in custody for several months on a rape charge. At their trial the prosecution suggested that Craig had taken cocaine prior to the alleged rape, which Craig denied. Both Craig and his friend were exonerated at the trial, and the alleged rape victim later withdrew her claim, but while in prison Craig was attacked by a man wielding a knife. Craig's imprisonment delayed the production of the seventh season of Red Dwarf.

In June 2006 a photo was printed in the Daily Mirror newspaper that purported to show Craig smoking crack in the back seat of a taxi.[1]. According to the story by writer Stephen Moyes), Craig spent four hours in the taxi smoking crack cocaine from an old drinks can, while instructing the driver to buy him pornography. These allegations resulted in Craig being suspended from Coronation Street until January [2], and from BBC 6 Music while an investigation is held. To date no statement has been made by Craig himself.

Charles was arrested in August 2006 on suspicion of possession of a class A drug, and later released on bail pending further enquiries. On 22 September 2006 he was found guilty of possession of a Class A substance [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/5370492.stm.

Craig's younger brother Emile Charles is also an actor. He played a younger version of Lister in "Timeslides" during the third series of Red Dwarf.

[edit] Credits

  1. Fated (2006/I) - Pedro
  2. Coronation Street (2005-) - Lloyd Mullaney (suspended)
  3. Ten Minutes (2003) - Mark
  4. Sushi TV (2003) TV Series - Narrator (UK version, after replacing Julian Clary)
  5. Takeshi's Castle (2002-04) TV Series - Narrator (UK version)
  6. EastEnders: Ricky And Bianca (2002, EastEnders spin-off drama) - Vince
  7. Don't Walk (2001) (voice) - Narrator
  8. Can't Smeg, Won't Smeg (1998, one-off special edition of BBC2's Can't Cook, Won't Cook) - Dave Lister
  9. Captain Butler (1997) TV Series - Captain Butler
  10. Cyberspace (1996) TV Series
  11. The Governor (1995) TV Series - Eugene Buffy
  12. The Bill (1995) TV Series
  13. Red Dwarf: Smeg Outs (1995, Video Release) - Dave Lister (new and archive footage)
  14. Asterix Conquers America (1994) (voice) - Asterix
  15. Red Dwarf: Smeg Ups (1994, Video Release) - Dave Lister (archive footage)
  16. CyberZone (1993) TV Series - Presenter
  17. Prince Cinders (1993) (voice) - Cat
  18. Comic Relief (1991) (TV) - Dave Lister
  19. Super Nintendo promotional video - Commentator
  20. Red Dwarf (1988-99) TV Series - Dave Lister

[edit] Filmography

  1. The Games (2005) TV Series .... Himself (Series 3)
  2. [3]Fated (2006) .... Pedro
  3. Forty Years Of Fuck(2005) (TV) .... Himself
  4. Britain's Best Sitcom (2004) TV Series .... Himself
  5. The Sitcom Story (2003) (TV) .... Himself
  6. Takeshi's Castle (2002) TV Series .... Himself - Narrator
  7. Top Ten TV Sci-Fi (2001) (TV) .... Himself
  8. Jailbreak (2000) TV Series .... Himself - Host
  9. The Colour Of Funny (1999) .... Keith Dennis
  10. Ripley's Believe It or Not (1999/I) TV Series .... Himself - UK Presenter
  11. Robot Wars (1998-2004) TV Series .... Himself - Host (after replacing Jeremy Clarkson)
  12. Universe Challenge (1998, one-off special edition of BBC2's University Challenge) .... Himself
  13. Space Cadets (1997) TV Series .... Himself - Space Captain
  14. Funky Bunker (1997) TV Series .... Himself
  15. CyberZone" (1993) TV Series .... Himself - Host
  16. Cyberpunks And Technophobes (1993) TV Series .... Himself
  17. Ghostwatch (1992) (TV) .... Himself
  18. Them And Us (1992) TV Series .... Himself
  19. What's That Noise (1989) TV Series .... Himself
  20. Craig Goes Mad In Melbourne (1988) TV Series .... Himself
  21. Night Network (1987) TV Series .... Himself
  22. The Marksman (1987) TV Series .... McFadden
  23. Business As Usual (1987)

[edit] External links

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