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1-20 of 20
- Actor
- Director
- Writer
English actor, writer and director Chiwetel Ejiofor is renowned for his portrayal of Solomon Northup in 12 Years a Slave (2013), for which he received Academy Award and Golden Globe Award nominations, along with the BAFTA Award for Best Actor. He is also known for playing Okwe in Dirty Pretty Things (2002), the Operative in Serenity (2005), Lola in Kinky Boots (2005), Luke in Children of Men (2006), Dr. Adrian Helmsley in 2012 (2009) and Dr. Vincent Kapoor in The Martian (2015).
Chiwetelu Umeadi Ejiofor was born on July 10, 1977 in Forest Gate, London, England, to Nigerian parents, Obiajulu (Okaford), a pharmacist, and Arinze Ejiofor, a doctor. Chiwetel attended Dulwich College in South-East London. By the age of 13, he was appearing in numerous school and National Youth Theatre productions and subsequently attended the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts (LAMDA).
Ejiofor caught the attention of Steven Spielberg who cast him in the critically acclaimed Amistad (1997) alongside Morgan Freeman and Anthony Hopkins. He has since been seen on the big screen in numerous features including Stephen Frears' Dirty Pretty Things (2002) (for which he won Best Actor at the British Independent Film Awards, the Evening Standard Film Awards, and the San Diego Film Critics Society Awards), Love Actually (2003), Woody Allen's Melinda and Melinda (2004), Kinky Boots (2005), Inside Man (2006), Children of Men (2006), American Gangster (2007) and Talk to Me (2007), for which his performance won him an Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Ejiofor has balanced his film and television commitments with a number of prestigious stage productions. In 2008, his portrayal of the title role in Michael Grandage's "Othello" at the Donmar Warehouse alongside Ewan McGregor was unanimously commended and won him best actor at the 2008 Laurence Olivier Awards and Evening Standard Theatre Awards. He also received nominations in the South Bank Show Awards and the What's On Stage Theatregoers' Choice Awards in 2009. His other stage roles include Roger Michell's "Blue/Orange" in 2000 which received the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Play, and the same year Tim Supple's "Romeo and Juliet" in which Ejiofor portrayed the title role.
Following his television debut in the series episode Deadly Voyage (1996), Ejiofor has complimented his film and theatre work on the small screen in productions including Murder in Mind (2001), created by the award-winning writer Anthony Horowitz, Trust (2003), Twelfth Night, or What You Will (2003), and Canterbury Tales (2003). His television appearance in the hard hitting emotional drama Tsunami: The Aftermath (2006) alongside Toni Collette, Sophie Okonedo and Tim Roth earned him a nomination for a Golden Globe Award as well as an NAACP Image award.
Ejiofor also appeared in such notable films as Endgame (2009), Channel 4's moving drama set in South Africa for which his performance earned him a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Miniseries; Roland Emmerich's action feature 2012 (2009), opposite John Cusack, Danny Glover and Thandiwe Newton; and Salt (2010), opposite Angelina Jolie and Liev Schreiber. In 2013, he starred in Half of a Yellow Sun (2013) and 12 Years a Slave (2013), receiving an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for the latter film.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Shirley Anne Field was one of Britain's most highly respected actresses. She starred opposite Laurence Olivier, Albert Finney, Steve McQueen, Michael Caine, Daniel Day-Lewis and Ned Beatty in such classic films as The Entertainer, Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, The War Lover, Alfie, My Beautiful Laundrette and Hear My Song.
As a teenager, she returned to London, her birthplace. She worked as a photographic model to pay her way through acting school, and had small parts in films. Her break came when she was cast as Tina the Beauty Queen opposite Sir Laurence Oliver in The Entertainer. She credited Tony Richardson, the director, with starting her (proper) career.
Her role as "Doreen" in Saturday Night and Sunday Morning soon followed. Only 22 years old, Shirley Anne was a major film star. Her next movie, Man in the Moon, was featured in a Royal Command Performance. This resulted in her name being above the title in all the major cinemas around Leicester Square. Apparently this is a record to this day.
A friend of Richardson told Shirley how Tony and he had gone to Leicester Square to see her name in lights. She worked with Albert Finney at the Royal Court in Lindsay Anderson production of The Lily White Boys. They later worked together again, on Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, written by Alan Sillitoe.
Hollywood was paying attention. Shirley Anne was cast as the female lead in The War Lover opposite Steve McQueen and Robert Wagner. Then she starred in a Hollywood blockbuster, Kings of the Sun, with Yul Brynner and George Chakiris, filmed in Mexico.
She interspersed her film career with theatre and TV performances in Britain and around the world. She played the lead in Wait until Dark in South Africa. She played the part of "Pamela" in the U.S. television drama Santa Barbara.
In the 1980s, she met up again with Stephen Frears, with whom she had worked when they were both beginners at the Royal Court. He cast her in My Beautiful Laundrette which was a big success and a breakthrough movie Her next big film was Hear My Song, as Cathleen Doyle, was made in the 1990s.
In recent years, she toured in theatre productions such as The Cemetery Club and Five Blue Hair Ladies Sitting on a Green Park Bench. Late in her career, she appeared alongside Flora Spencer Longhurst in Beautiful Relics, a short film directed by Adrian Hedgecock.- Actor
- Producer
- Executive
Billy Murray has entertained British Television audiences for over thirty years.
He is perhaps best known for his role as DS Don Beech in ITV series The Bill (1984), and has also appeared in EastEnders (1985) as the crime boss "Johnnie Allen".
His on-screen presence is very much underrated and thanks to his charismatic manner Murray has always given convincing edge and depth to the characters he portrays.
He was set to play Derek "Del Boy" Trotter in Only Fools and Horses (1981) but was replaced at the last minute by David Jason due to conflicting production schedules.
Pick any popular mainstream long lived British drama or comedy over the past two decades and you will probably find that Billy Murray has had guest-starring roles in most of them at one time or another.
He is the father of actress Jaime Murray, who plays the gorgeous Stacie in the runaway hit drama Hustle (2004) on BBC 1.- Music Artist
- Actor
- Writer
Born Ben Paul Ballance Drew, Drew was born into a world where he was bought up by music and film, inspiring his art now. Growing up in the Circle Estate, Forest Gate, he meet Ed Skerin at a youth club who introduced him into rap. He has since released three studio albums, various mix-tapes, acted in several films, and recently directed his debut film, ill manors. Despite all this, Drew says more than anything, he is a story teller.- A police officer's son, Terrence E. Hardiman was born in Forest Gate, Essex (the area was later absorbed into London). He went to school in Essex, graduated in 1956 and then proceeded to study English at Cambridge University's Fitzwilliam College. He began his career on the Shakespearean stage as an amateur thespian with the Cambridge University Players and The Marlowe Society in the late 1950s. After an impressive early performance as Mephistopheles in Doctor Faustus, Hardiman joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-Upon-Avon. A member of the ensemble from 1966 to 1970, he made regular appearances in classic plays like King Lear, Hamlet and (as Starveling the tailor) in Peter Brook's notably minimalist production of A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Acting on screen from 1965, Hardiman excelled in the portrayal of autocratic, imperious or sinister characters. He reached the peak of his popularity as the piercingly green-eyed, mind control-using antagonist of The Demon Headmaster (1996), a children's sci-fi series which made the actor a much recognized figure in and around London. In real life, Hardiman was known as a "good-natured gentleman" of amiable temperament.
Prior to his role as the demonic principal, Hardiman had enjoyed recurring roles in Softly Softly: Task Force (1969) (Inspector Armstrong), Secret Army (1977) (Luftwaffe chief Major Hans Dietrich Reinhardt) and Granada's Crown Court (1972) (barrister Stephen Harvesty). His impressively diverse gallery of personae in guest-starring appearances on television and in occasional forays to the big screen has included abbots and cardinals, Nazi officers, doctors, judges, police superintendents, university professors, a grand wizard (The Worst Witch (1998)) and even a Prime Minister (Ramsay McDonald in Gandhi (1982)).
In addition to his work on stage and screen, Hardiman provided narration and voice-overs for numerous audio books by authors ranging from Roald Dahl and Ken Follett to Inspector Morse creator Colin Dexter and Wilkie Collins. He was married for almost six decades to the actress Rowena Cooper. Hardiman died on April 18 2023 at the age of 86. - Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Dame Anna Neagle, the endearingly popular British star during WWII, was born Florence Marjorie Robertson and began dancing as a professional in chorus lines at age 14. She starred with actor Jack Buchanan in the musical "Stand Up and Sing" in the West End and earned her big break when producer/director Herbert Wilcox, who had caught the show purposely to consider Buchanan for an upcoming film, was also taken (and smitten) by Anna, casting her as well in the process. Thus began one of the most exclusive and successful partnerships in the British cinema.
Under Wilcox's guidance (they married in 1943), Anna became one of the biggest and brightest celebrities of her time. Always considered an actress of limited abilities, the lovely Anna nevertheless would prove to be a sensational box-office commodity for nearly two decades. She added glamour and sophistication for war-torn London audiences and her lightweight musicals, comedies and even costumed historical dramas provided a nicely balanced escape route. The tasteful, ladylike heroines she portrayed included nurses Edith Cavell and Florence Nightingale, flyer Amy Johnson and undercover spy Odette; Nell Gwyn and Queen Victoria also fell within her grasp. She appeared in a number of frothy post-war retreads co-starring Michael Wilding that the critics turned their noses on but the audiences ate up - including They Met at Midnight (1946), Katy's Love Affair (1947), Spring in Park Lane (1948) and The Lady with a Lamp (1951). She tried to extend her fame to Hollywood and briefly appeared there in three musicals in the early 40s, but failed to make a dent. Anna's appeal faded somewhat in the late 50s and, after producing a few film efforts, retired altogether from the screen.
She returned to her theatre roots, which culminated in the long-running "Charlie Girl", a 1965 production that ran with Anna for nearly six years. She was bestowed with the honor of Dame of the British Empire in 1969 for her contributions to the theatre. Anna continued to perform after her husband's death in 1977, later developing Parkinson's disease in her final years. She died in 1986 of complications.- Actor
- Additional Crew
London-born David Farrar dropped out of school at 14 and became a writer for the Morning Advertiser newspaper; but it wasn't long before he decided to change careers and become an actor. He started out on the stage in 1932, and five years later made his film debut. Appearing at first in low-budget thrillers, such as Sexton Blake and the Hooded Terror (1938),he worked his way up to more prestigious projects, such as Ealing's Went the Day Well? (1942). Farrar hit his stride in a series of films for renowned directors Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, most notably the classic Black Narcissus (1947).
Farrar's brooding good looks and deep, rich baritone won him legions of female fans in the US and Europe, and soon Hollywood came a-calling. He journeyed to Universal as a contract player, but the studio put him in a succession of second-tier action pictures and costume dramas as a villain. He returned to England somewhat embittered by his Hollywood experiences and determined to do better in his own country's film industry, but he couldn't regain the momentum he had before he left for Hollywood. After a small role as King Xerxes of Persia in the Greek-shot The 300 Spartans (1962), he left film acting and turned to television. When his wife died in 1976 he retired from acting altogether, and with his daughter Barbara moved to the Natal coast in South Africa, where he passed away in 1995 at age 87.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Peter Byrne was born on 29 January 1928 in Forest Gate, London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Dixon of Dock Green (1955), Frenchman's Farm (1987) and A Christmas Night with the Stars (1958). He was married to Renée Goldschmidt and Vera Dalgleish. He died on 14 May 2018 in the UK.- Malcolm McFee, an English actor born in the mid-1940s, was best known for his role as "Peter Craven" in the hit TV series Please Sir! (1968) and The Fenn Street Gang (1971). Inspired by the 1967 movie To Sir, with Love (1967), Please Sir! (1968) - which debuted in 1968 - was itself the inspiration for the American series Welcome Back, Kotter (1975). Set in a south London secondary school called "The Fenn Street School", the situation comedy assayed the travails of a naive school teacher played by John Alderton and his unruly class of students. McFee, who was in his early 20s, played one of the mob of rowdy adolescent boys and girls (all the actors being significantly older than the ages of the characters they were portraying). McFee also was in the 1971 movie of the same name, Please Sir! (1971).
He appeared in the anti-war satirical musical Oh! What a Lovely War (1969), the first movie directed by Richard Attenborough, as one of three boys from a family that go off to World War One to fight for King and Country. McFee is the last of the three brothers to be killed, near the end of the war (and movie).
After series star John Alderton left the show in 1971, the series was renamed The Fenn Street Gang (1971) and focused on the kids after they had left school. The Fenn Street Gang (1971) lasted until 1973, dying a slow death as the chemistry of the original had been lost. The shows were popular, consistently ranking in the top five during their entire runs.
McFee's career went in the doldrums after The Fenn Street Gang (1971). He made guest appearances on other TV shows and turned to the stage, where he made a career as an actor and director. As a theater director, he worked in small theaters in Greater London and the provinces. He died suddenly in November 2001 at his home in Braintree, Essex, three weeks before he was scheduled to appear as the "Dame" in the pantomime of "Beauty and the Beast" at the Chesham-based Elgiva Theatre company. He had been suffering from cancer. - Producer
- Executive
- Actress
June joined the BBC in November 2019. She is an internationally renowned broadcaster, writer and campaigner on diversity issues. She started her career as a DJ and presenter on MTV, Kiss FM and for ten years on Channel 4's T4 youth strand. She has gone on to appear as a panellist on ITV's Loose Women and now on Sky News' The Pledge.
Since 2010, she has built a reputation as a leading campaigner on a wide range of diversity and inclusion issues. She is a passionate advocate for change in the workplace and a champion for greater representation throughout the media. She has written two books on diversity issues - Diversify (2017) and The Power of Women (2018) - and co-founded the Women - Inspiration and Enterprise (WIE) Alliance in 2010, an international conference supporting female excellence and empowerment. She also co-founded the Decide Act Now (DNA) summit, promoting discussion and innovation.- Actress
- Writer
- Art Department
London-born actress Serena Lorien's acting career started at an early age when she booked her first UK commercial at the tender age of 6. It was also from this tender age that Serena was attending the prestigious British Arts Academy Italia Conti. This world-renowned academy was also attended by many of the UK's stars like Kelly Brook, Russell Brand and Naomi Campbell.
In the UK, Serena enjoyed roles on many prime time Television fan favorites like the top-rating soap, BBC's EastEnders (1985), the long-running Grange Hill (1978), ITV's police drama The Bill (1984), Family Affairs (1997) & Manchild (2002).
On relocating to Hollywood, Serena became in high demand, she has a string of features under her belt, including Finding Neverland (2004), The Four Feathers (2002), A Voice in the Dark (2013) & A Way with Murder (2009) to name a few.
Her latest and upcoming films find her playing a multitude of characters: an American murderess in House of Manson (2014), an attorney in A Date With Oscar, a true story about a man who bought an Oscar from eBay, alongside Alimi Ballard, a reporter in Garbage (2012), alongside Daryl Hannah, Michael Madsen and William Baldwin, a doctor in the psychological thriller [error], alongside Thora Birch and Efren Ramirez, a police detective in The Human Factor (1992), alongside Eric Roberts and Danny Trejo, A Voice in the Dark (2013), alongside Richard Portnow, a wealthy Southern socialite in the upcoming thriller Gripped, directed by 'David. A. Armstrong', a drug dealer's girlfriend in the upcoming action film Blood on the Border, alongside Martin Landau, and a DA in Poe (2012), alongside David Fine.
Serena was raised in a very creative family with a musician, singer/ songwriter father who had two number one albums on the UK's New Age charts.
Serena's voice can also be heard all over the world through her voice over work most notably in Agatha Christie's "Evil Under the Sun", playing "Gladys Narracott", the hotel maid for the Nintendo Wii.- Iris Sadler was born on 22 March 1908 in Forest Gate, London, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Little Dorrit (1987), Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter (1968) and Mind Your Language (1977). She died on 12 January 1991 in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, England, UK.
- Alan Curbishley was born on 8 November 1957 in Forest Gate, London, England, UK. He is an actor, known for Pundits (2020), Defoe (2024) and Match of the Day (1964).
- Temple Bell was born on 12 September 1902 in Forest Gate, London, England, UK. She was an actress, known for A Romance of Mayfair (1925), The Amazing Partnership (1921) and God's Good Man (1919). She died on 5 September 2001 in Kensington, London, England, UK.
- Cyril Fry was born in 1917 in Forest Gate, London, England, UK. He died in 2010 in the UK.
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Gladys Ripley was born on 9 July 1908 in Forest Gate, Essex, England, UK. She was an actress. She was married to Squadron Leader F. Price and E.A. Dick. She died on 21 December 1955.- Bertha Lewis was born on 12 May 1887 in Forest Gate, London, England, UK. She was an actress, known for The Mikado (1926). She was married to Herbert Heyner (baritone). She died on 8 May 1931 in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, UK.
- Producer
- Camera and Electrical Department
- Additional Crew
Dean Ivemey was born on 2 November 1965 in Forest Gate, London, England, UK. Dean is a producer, known for Untitled Daniel Johnson Project, Gone Fishing (2008) and Time of Her Life (2005).- Additional Crew
- Director
- Writer
Theo Richmond was born on 7 May 1929 in Forest Gate, London, England, UK. Theo was a director and writer, known for Heavens Above! (1963), This Week (1956) and Police Cadet (1971). Theo was married to Diane Souccar and Lee Langley. Theo died on 25 August 2022 in London, England, UK.- Camera and Electrical Department
McVirn Etienne was born on 7 April 1963 in Forest Gate, London, England, UK. McVirn is known for Charlie (2004) and Love Life (2002).