| Ray Lonnen | |
|---|---|
| Born | 18 May 1940 Bournemouth, Hampshire (now Dorset), England |
| Occupation | Actor |
Ray Lonnen (born 18 May 1940 in Bournemouth, Hampshire now Dorset) is an English stage and television actor. His most prominent roles include Willie Caine in the cold-war spy drama series The Sandbaggers (1978–80), and also as Harry Brown in the television mini-series Harry's Game (1982).
Lonnen's early television appearances include The Power Game (1966), The Fellows (1967), and Honey Lane (1968). He then had a semi-regular role in the British crime drama series Z Cars between 1972-77, and also appeared in the cult TV series Doctor Who in the 1973 story "Frontier in Space".
Lonnen played one of the leads in the 1978 ITV espionage series The Sandbaggers, in which he played Willie Caine (aka "Sandbagger 1"). The Sandbaggers ran for three series until 1980. Lonnen's next lead role was in the 1982 ITV mini-series Harry's Game, based on the novel by Gerald Seymour. In this, Lonnen played Harry Brown, a British agent sent to Northern Ireland to smoke out an IRA assassin who had slain a cabinet minister. In 1984, Lonnen went on to star in yet another spy-themed drama series, The Brief, in which he played a British barrister who travels to Germany to represent a British soldier accused of spying and treason. Aside from his lead roles, Lonnen also continued to appear in guest roles throughout the 1980s, including episodes of The Gentle Touch, Hammer House of Horror, Tales of the Unexpected, and Lovejoy.
In 1990, Lonnen played Detective Inspector Alex Vale in the ITV detective drama series Yellowthread Street, which was set in Hong Kong. Based on the novels by William Leonard Marshall, the series ran for 13 episodes.
Throughout the 1990s, Lonnen continued to make guest appearances in various television series and even voiced several characters in the children's animated series Budgie the Little Helicopter. In 2001, he had a recurring role in the ITV police series The Bill. He also appeared in several episodes of the Canadian sci-fi series Starhunter as well as a recurring role in the short-lived revival of the ITV soap-opera Crossroads.
Since the 1960s, Lonnen has performed in a variety of stage roles, including drama, comedy and musicals. His stage credits include Under Milk Wood (as the Narrator), In Praise of Love, Run for Your Wife, Having a Ball, Wonderful Town, Make Me An Offer, Lock Up Your Daughters, Wonderland, Bells Are Ringing, How the Other Half Loves, The Anniversary, A Touch of Danger, Murder by the Book, Same Time Next Year, Misery, Worm’s Eye View, Rebecca, Jeffrey Archer’s The Perfect Murder and he has played Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls. He also played Clark Gable in a play about the making of the 1961 film The Misfits, he toured South-East Asia in a production of Catch Me If You Can, and also toured New Zealand in the play Rose.