John Michie

John Michie (born 25 October 1956) is a Burmese born Scottish television and film actor, known for his roles as DI Robbie Ross in the ITV detective drama series Taggart, and as Karl Munro in Coronation Street from 2011 to 2013, from 2013 he will star in Holby City as Guy Self.

Early life

Born in Burma, Michie was raised in Kenya until he was 12, when his family settled in Edinburgh, Scotland, later sending him to study at Glenalmond College.^[1] At the age of 19 he worked his passage to Australia on a cargo ship, where he spent a year as a jackaroo herding cattle before returning to Scotland. He took a job as a stage hand at the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh, where his interest in acting started. He returned to Kenya when he was 22, beginning his acting career in A Private Matter at the Donovan Maule Theatre, Nairobi, in 1980.

Career

Television

Following guest appearing on television programmes such as Casualty (TV series), Lovejoy, Poirot, and Bugs, Michie’s first starring role came in BBC series Moon And Son alongside That Was The Week That Was star Millicent Martin. The pair played a couple of clairvoyants who travelled between France and the United Kingdom solving crimes and getting into various adventures. Michie headed north to Yorkshire in 1996 to appear in The Ruth Rendell Mysteries – Master of the Moor with Colin Firth and ITV1's Heartbeat and to star in The Bare Necessities (TV play), the story of a group of ex-miners who stumble across a new career as strippers. He also had an early appearance in Taggart in 1990, as character Robby Meiklejohn in an episode called Love Knot. Michie was a regular in the first series of ITV’s London Bridge in 1996 before taking up his regular part in Taggart in 1998 playing DI Robbie Ross, a dedicated detective not afraid to go about things his own way and fly in the face of authority when he needs to.^[2] Despite his ongoing commitment to Taggart, Michie also appeared in an episode of Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) in 2001, as well as an episode of Wire in the Blood in 2002. From 2011 to 2013, Michie played Karl Munro in Coronation Street. His character was the partner of Stella Price.

Presenting

In recent years, Michie has become increasingly involved in the factual production sector. His first presenting role was for the one hour documentary Murder Capital, which was produced by STV for The Crime & Investigation Network. It was during filming of Murder Capital that Michie met STV producer Mick McAvoy and together they developed the idea for Michie’s next series Highlands. This six part historical documentary series focused on the Highland Clearances of the late 18th and 19th centuries.^[3] John’s most recent presenting work was for STV’s Made in Scotland for which he is also executive producer. This documentary series examines the symbols of Scotland.^[4] The final episode saw John unveil a newly designed Michie Tartan.^[5]

Voice over

Michie is the voice behind Windfall Films’ Big, Bigger, Biggest and Monster Moves series for Five (TV channel). Big, Bigger, Biggest explores the engineering marvel of large buildings and sky scrapers,^[6] while Monster Moves documents the most daring and dangerous relocation projects ever attempted. Other voice over work has included Channel 4’s The Gunpowder Plot, and six titles in the series Football Stories.

Films

Michie’s first film role was in the 1989 film Conquest of the South Pole but his first leading role came in the film adaptation, Monk Dawson in 1998. Based on the Piers Paul Read novel, it gained a good reception from the critics despite only a short run at the UK box office. Michie played the character David Baird in John Madden’s 1996 film Truth or Dare starring Helen Baxendale and John Hannah. In 1999 John starred alongside Richard Harris in To Walk with Lions, a film based on the life of George Adamson. This sees Michie back in his childhood home of Kenya playing the wildlife conservationist Tony Fitzjohn.

Stage

Michie began his acting career on the stage and has appeared in several West End productions. Most recently he played Danny in Breed, a new play from emerging playwright Lou Ramsden, staged at Theatre503 in 2010. Past roles include playing Arthur in Jean Anouilh’s comedy, Number One, at the Queen’s Theatre in 1984. He also played John in Noel Coward’s play, Easy Virtue, at the Garrick Theatre in 1988–1989, before going on to play Walker in Andrew Davies’ Prin at the Lyric Theatre, 1989–1990, directed by One Foot in the Grave star Richard Wilson. Michie was directed by Wilson twice more in Women Laughing at The Royal Court and in Simply Disconnected at the Chichester Festival Theatre in 1996.

Personal life

Michie has three children with his partner Carol, a former Hot Gossip dancer. He is a keen swimmer and player of squash, as well as being a big fan of 'the great outdoors.'

Television