John Simm
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John Simm was born on July 10, 1970 in Leeds, West Yorkshire and grew up in Nelson, Lancashire; he is an actor and musician.
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[edit] Biography
Simm was born in Leeds, Yorkshire. His father, Ronald, was a local musician who taught him to play guitar. John would join his father on stage in the working men’s clubs playing the guitar, he made his debut singing Elvis’s Wooden Heart, and they called themselves Us2.
In 1986 and at the age of 16, John went to Blackpool Drama College and enjoyed three years of drinking and starring in West Side Story. He then attended the Drama Centre in London at the age of 18, where he studied the Stanislavski School of method acting. Coming from a working/lower middle class upbringing to suddenly being surrounded by those from more privileged backgrounds, he educated himself by reading classic plays and novels.
In the 90s, the band John played guitar in, Magic Alex www.myspace.com/magicalexthegroop (named after The Beatles' electrician) toured with Echo and the Bunnymen on two tours, and also sang backing vocals on an album by Echo and the Bunnymen singer Ian McCulloch. He also made his TV debut in 1992 with a role in the TV series Rumpole of the Bailey.
He starred in Boston Kickout and won the Best Actor award at the Valencia Film Festival.
In 1997 John starred in the first series of the critically acclaimed and often controversial The Lakes, a BBC series written by Jimmy McGovern. In 1999 he starred in the second series of The Lakes as well as appearing in Human Traffic and Wonderland.
In 2000 he starred in the opening episode of the acclaimed drama Clocking Off written by Paul Abbott, who he would later work with again for the political thriller series State of Play.
In 2002 he featured in the film 24 Hour Party People as enigmatic New Order frontman Bernard Sumner. It was also this year that he played Raskolnikov in the BBC adaptation of Crime and Punishment which is also his favourite book. At a live concert in Finsbury park the same year, Simm sang "Digital" onstage with New Order.
In 2004 he played a researcher and investigator for a charity in a Channel 4 drama Sex Traffic, the hard hitting drama that follows the plight of two young Moldovan sisters sold into sexual slavery.
He recently starred as Detective Inspector Sam Tyler in the popular 2006 BBC series Life on Mars in which he played a police officer apparently sent back in time to 1973. He is currently filming the second series of Life on Mars.
He is married to actress Kate MacGowan, who also appeared alongside him 24 Hour Party People; their son, Ryan, was born in 2001.
[edit] Filmography
- Ten Minute Movie (2004)
- 24 Hour Party People (2002)
- Miranda (2002)
- Human Traffic (1999)
- Wonderland (1999)
- Understanding Jane (1998)
- Diana & Me (1997)
- Boston Kickout (1995)
People can now go and listen to Magic Alex John's band at www.myspace.com/magicalexthegroop
[edit] Television credits
- Life On Mars (2006)
- Blue/Orange (2005)
- Sex Traffic (2004)
- Imperium: Nerone (2004)
- London (2004)
- The All Star Comedy Show (2004)
- The Canterbury Tales (2004)
- State of Play (2003)
- White Teeth (2002)
- Crime and Punishment (2002)
- Magic Hour (2002)
- Spaced (2001)
- Is Harry on the Boat? (2001)
- Never Never (2000)
- Clocking Off (2000)
- Forgive and Forget (2000)
- The Lakes Series 2 (1999)
- The Locksmith (1997)
- The Lakes Series 1 (1997)
- Cracker (1995)
- Chiller (1995)
- Here Comes the Mirror Man (1995)
- A Pinch of Snuff (1994)
- Men of the World (1994)
- Meat (1994)
- Heartbeat (1993)
- Rumpole of the Bailey (1992)
[edit] External links
- John Simm at the Internet Movie Database
