David Neilson (born 13 March 1949) is an English actor. He is best known for his role as cafe owner Roy Cropper in the long running ITV

soap opera A soap opera (also called a daytime drama or soap) is a genre of a long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term ''soap opera'' originat ...

Coronation Street ''Coronation Street'' (colloquially referred to as ''Corrie'') is a British television soap opera created by ITV Granada, Granada Television and shown on ITV (TV network), ITV since 9 December 1960. The programme centres on a cobbled, terraced ...

'', which he has played since 1995.

Early life

Neilson was born in

Loughborough Loughborough ( ) is a market town in the Charnwood (borough), Charnwood Borough of Leicestershire, England; it is the administrative centre of Charnwood Borough Council. At the United Kingdom 2021 census, the town's built-up area had a popula ...

Leicestershire Leicestershire ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It is bordered by Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire to the north, Rutland to the east, Northamptonshire to the south-east, Warw ...

, and enrolled at the Central School of Speech and Drama at the age of 20. He worked in various jobs at the same time, including as a gas fitter,

ice cream Ice cream is a frozen dessert typically made from milk or cream that has been flavoured with a sweetener, either sugar or an alternative, and a spice, such as Chocolate, cocoa or vanilla, or with fruit, such as strawberries or peaches. Food ...

salesman and a barman.

Career

His television roles include ''

Z-Cars ''Z-Cars'' or ''Z Cars'' (pronounced "zed cars") is a British television police procedural series centred on the work of mobile uniformed police and CID detectives in the fictional town of Newtown, based on Kirkby, near Liverpool. Produced by ...

'', '' Young at Heart'', Mike in a single episode of '' Survivors'' (BBC), Edgar in DH Lawrence's ''Sons and Lovers'' adapted by Trevor Griffiths (BBC), ''Blue Heaven'' by

Frank Skinner Christopher Graham Collins (born 28 January 1957), known professionally as Frank Skinner, is an English comedian, actor, presenter and writer. At the 2001 British Comedy Awards, he was named Best Comedy Entertainment Personality. His televisio ...

, as Millington in the TV movies of the Charlie Resnick novels, '' Bergerac'', '' Casualty'', '' Boys from the Blackstuff'', '' Secret Army'' and '' Heartbeat''. He appeared briefly in ''

EastEnders ''EastEnders'' is a British television soap opera created by Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the East End of London, the ...

'' in the early 1990s, and in a celebrity edition of '' Stars in Their Eyes'' as

Roy Orbison Roy Kelton Orbison (April 23, 1936 – December 6, 1988) was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist known for his distinctive and powerful voice, complex song structures, and dark, emotional ballads. Orbison's most successful periods were ...

. He also starred in the British drama Chimera. In addition he has appeared in two

Mike Leigh Mike Leigh (born 20 February 1943) is an English screenwriter, producer, director and former actor with a film, theatre, and television career spanning more than 60 years. His accolades include prizes at the Cannes Film Festival, the Berlin In ...

films: '' Life Is Sweet'' and '' Secrets & Lies''. On radio in 2009, Neilson appeared in ''God Bless Our Love'', an uplifting, romantic comedy about a priest and a nun who fall in love and leave their orders to marry and begin a new life together.

Personal life

Neilson is a lifelong Leicester City supporter, regularly running Alan Birchenall's charity race around the

King Power Stadium King Power Stadium is a football stadium in the city of Leicester, East Midlands, England, and the home of Leicester City. The stadium opened in 2002 as the Walkers Stadium and has a capacity of 32,259. The club attracted worldwide attenti ...

to raise money for awareness for

prostate cancer Prostate cancer is the neoplasm, uncontrolled growth of cells in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system below the bladder. Abnormal growth of the prostate tissue is usually detected through Screening (medicine), screening tests, ...

, in memory of former Leicester City player Keith Weller. He is also a Labour Party supporter, supporting the party at the 2011 Oldham East and Saddleworth by-election.

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Neilson, David 1949 births Living people 20th-century English male actors 21st-century English male actors British Soap Award for Best Actor winners English male soap opera actors English male film actors Actors from Loughborough Male actors from Leicestershire Labour Party (UK) people