Bill Thomas (born 1952) is an English stage and screen actor, one of the most prolific actors of his generation. In forty six years as a professional actor Bill played four hundred and sixty three characters but never a doctor, policeman or soldier, until his last film ''

Loving Vincent ''Loving Vincent'' is a 2017 experimental animated historical drama film about the life of the painter Vincent van Gogh, in particular the circumstances of his death. It is the first fully painted animated feature film. The film, written and d ...

'' in which he was Dr Mazery. The film was nominated for an Oscar. His body of work encompassed 18 feature films, 31 short films, 130 Television productions, 74 theatre productions, 166 adverts. From 2010 he struggled to remember lines and gave up acting in 2016 to become the doorman at ''

Selfridges Selfridges, also known as Selfridges & Co., is a chain of upmarket department stores in the United Kingdom that is operated by Selfridges Retail Limited. It was founded by Harry Gordon Selfridge in 1908. The historic Daniel Burnham-designed Self ...

'', the famous department store in London's Oxford Street, effectively his West End debut, and the most glamorous job he ever had. He has written a novel called "Ordinary - the novel that Tommy Warren wrote" about a very elderly doorman who is persuaded by a colleague to write a novel about his experiences during WWII. Finding himself short of material he starts to make things up (or does he?).

Career

He was Tom Henshall, long suffering father of the hairdressing sisters in four seasons of the BBC series ''

Cutting It ''Cutting It'' is a BBC television drama series set in Manchester, England, focusing on the lives and loves of the team running a hairdressing salon. It ran for four series between 2002 and 2005. The show features a number of actors who subsequ ...

'' and Charles Quance, the tailor who has a bumpy romance with one of the seamstresses in three seasons of the classic BBC serial ''

The House of Eliott ''The House of Eliott'' is a British television series produced and broadcast by the BBC in three series between 31 August 1991 and 6 March 1994. The series starred Stella Gonet as Beatrice Eliott and Louise Lombard as Evangeline Eliott, two s ...

''. He took the lead role of Colin in the feature film ''Weak at Denise'', about a woman who is coaxed to seduce him by her immoral boyfriend to get his money but falls in love (a happy ending) and ''The Sky in Bloom'' in which he was Branick Hammond, who is dying from cancer (but that's the least of his problems) and ''Syrup'' (which was nominated for an Academy Award for best short life action feature in 1994). A bald man gets a wig and it changes his life. He was featured artist in 166 TV commercials all over the world. A return to the stage saw him playing Ironside, in ''An English Tragedy'', a new play by Oscar-winning playwright

Ronald Harwood Sir Ronald Harwood ( né Horwitz; 9 November 1934 – 8 September 2020) was a South African-born British author, playwright, and screenwriter, best known for his plays for the British stage as well as the screenplays for '' The Dresser'' (for ...

. A generation of young adults know him as Mr Tucknott the pompous and terrifying bank manager in the classic ''

Bodger and Badger ''Bodger & Badger'' is a BBC children's comedy programme written by Andy Cunningham, first broadcast in 1989. It starred Cunningham as handyman Simon Bodger and his talking badger companion. The programme originated from some appearances the d ...

'' series on BBCTV. His previous stage work includes the lead role in ''Dragon'' in the Olivier Theatre as a member of the

Royal National Theatre The National Theatre (NT), officially the Royal National Theatre and sometimes referred to in international contexts as the National Theatre of Great Britain, is a performing arts venue and associated theatre company located in London, England, ...

, a remarkable and innovative production by the accomplished director Ulz, after working together at

Nottingham Playhouse Nottingham Playhouse is a theatre in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England. It was first established as a repertory theatre in 1948 when it operated from a former cinema in Goldsmith Street. Directors during this period included Val May and F ...

. He was Arturo UI in ''

The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui ''The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui'' (), subtitled "A parable play", is a 1941 play by the German playwright Bertolt Brecht. It chronicles the rise of Arturo Ui, a fictional 1930s Chicago mobster, and his attempts to control the cauliflower ra ...

'', directed by David Gilmore at the Nuffield Theatre, Southampton and went on to lead roles in repertory for much his early career (including six plays by Shakespeare). He has a long connection with the Theatre Royal, Stratford, E15, where with Jeff Teare and Patrick Prior he pioneered a series of political dramas, developing and performing leading roles in satirical attacks on Margaret Thatchers government. The same team produced pantomimes for many years during the 1980s and 90's which set a standard in British Theatre for integrity and quality. TV work has included spells in ''

Emmerdale ''Emmerdale'' (known as ''Emmerdale Farm'' until 1989) is a British television soap opera that is broadcast on ITV (TV network), ITV. The show is set in Emmerdale (known as Beckindale until 1994), a List of fictional towns and villages, fict ...

'' and six episodes of ''

Doctors Doctor, Doctors, The Doctor or The Doctors may refer to: Titles and occupations * Physician, a medical practitioner * Doctor (title), an academic title for the holder of a doctoral-level degree ** Doctorate ** List of doctoral degrees awarded b ...

'', all different people, three different people in''

Heartbeat Heartbeat, heart beat or heartbeats may refer to: Science and technology * Heartbeat (biology), one cardiac cycle of the heart * Heartbeat (computing), a periodic signal to indicate normal operation or to synchronize parts of a system ** Heartbea ...

'', five different people in ''

The Bill ''The Bill'' is a British police procedural television series, broadcast on ITV (TV network), ITV from 16 October 1984 until 31 August 2010. The programme originated from a one-off drama, "Woodentop (The Bill), Woodentop" (part of the ''Storyb ...

'', four different people in ''

Midsomer Murders ''Midsomer Murders'' is a British Mystery fiction, mystery television series, adapted by Anthony Horowitz and Douglas Watkinson from the novels in the ''Chief Inspector Barnaby'' book series created by Caroline Graham (writer), Caroline Graham. ...

''. He has also makes pictures and has exhibited at the

Whitechapel Gallery The Whitechapel Gallery is a public art gallery in Whitechapel on the north side of Whitechapel High Street, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. The original building, designed by Charles Harrison Townsend, opened in 1901 as one of the fi ...

in East London, where he has lived for most of his life.

Selected film and television work

(click title to watch clip)

Appearances in theatre include

* Ironside, the prison warder in a new play by Oscar-winning writer Ronald Harwood, ''An English Tragedy'' – Watford Palace Theatre. * Burgomeister (lead), in ''Dragon'' at the Olivier – Royal National Theatre * Arturo Ui in ''The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui'' – Nuffield Theatre, Southampton

External links

* *https://www.billthomas.co.uk/ Artist's Website *https://www.sainou.com// Personal Management *https://www.billthomas.co.uk/_files/ugd/687ba0_755bcab129424007a6fa0220a5891153.pdf/ Full interactive CV Below is a photograph of the cover of "Ordinary" the first novel by Bill Thomas... Ordinary cover photo

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] {{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, Bill Living people 1952 births English male television actors English male film actors English male stage actors