Neil Morrisey

Neil Anthony Morrissey (born 4 July 1962) is an English actor, businessman, narrator, and television presenter. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Rocky in '' Boon'', and Tony in ''Men Behaving Badly''. Other notable acting roles include Deputy Head Eddie Lawson in the BBC One school-based drama series '' Waterloo Road'', and Nigel Morton in ''Line of Duty''. Morrissey also provided the voice of the titular character, Lofty, Roley, and others in ''Bob the Builder''.

Early life

Morrissey was born in Stafford, Staffordshire on 4 July 1962, the third of four sons of Irish parents who were both psychiatric nurses. Neil, aged 10, and his brother Stephen, aged 12, stole sweets and stationery from a shop. In court, a magistrate issued a care order and the pair were sent to separate children's homes, Neil spending most of his time (six years) at Penkhull Children's Home, from 1974. under the care of Margaret Cartlidge.

"we were slightly feral, left to our own devices, getting into loads of trouble, burgling and vandalising stuff in Stafford"

He attended Thistley Hough Academy in Penkhull, where he passed all nine CSEs with O-Level-equivalent grades, despite purportedly being downgraded from taking GCE exams on account of his being raised in care. He went on to further study for his A-levels at the City of Stoke-on-Trent Sixth Form College.

Morrissey had developed his skills and reputation as an actor through his teenage years at Stoke Schools Theatre, Stoke Repertory Theatre, performing at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 1979. He further studied acting at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, after receiving an educational grant, and he 'sofa-surfed' with friends, and performed street theatre, to survive first year.

Career

Acting

In 1984, Morrissey, in his film debut, played Able Seaman Matthew Quintal in historical mariner drama '' The Bounty'', alongside Mel Gibson, Anthony Hopkins and Laurence Olivier. In 1987, Morrissey rose to notoriety as dim biker Rocky in the ITV drama series '' Boon'', alongside Michael Elphick. Many of the actors from '' Boon'', were also involved in the 1990 British spoof horror film ''I Bought a Vampire Motorcycle'', where he played the lead role of Noddy. In 1992, Morrissey took on the role of Tony in ''Men Behaving Badly'', created to replace Harry Enfield, who departed after the first series. The series became one of the most popular UK sitcoms of the 90s and Morrissey became a national celebrity.

During the early 1990s he appeared as "Sammy the Chamois" in Noel Edmonds' ''Noel's House Party''.

In 1998, Morrissey starred in the John Godber rugby league film ''Up 'n' Under''. Neil also voiced Wilfred Toadflax and Dusty Dogwood in ''Brambly Hedge'' (1997), which was produced by HIT Entertainment. After this, Neil voiced several characters in the HIT Entertainment children's television series ''Bob the Builder'', including the lead character, Bob, for over a decade between 1999 and 2011. During his voice acting role, he achieved two UK number 1 singles, with "Can We Fix It?" (which was the 2000 UK Christmas No 1), and " Mambo No 5" in 2001. He later provided voice narration for Morph, and Maisy.

In 2000, Morrissey starred in TV comedy film ''Happy Birthday, Shakespeare'', where he played a coach driver, in a cast that included Amanda Holden, Les Dennis, and Freddie Highmore. In 2002, Morrissey returned to TV screens in the drama series '' Paradise Heights'', which ran for two series. He then had a starring role in the BBC sitcom ''Carrie and Barry'' from 2004 until 2005.

His work in West End theatre work includes ''Speed'', ''Robin Hood'', ''The Daughter In-Law'' and his critically acclaimed West End performance in ''A Passionate Woman.'' In 2005 Morrissey performed in Victoria Wood's musical adaptation of ''Acorn Antiques'' alongside Julie Walters, Celia Imrie, Duncan Preston and Josie Lawrence. Morrissey took over the role of Nathan Detroit from Nigel Lindsay in the London revival of ''Guys and Dolls'' from March to June 2006.

In 2007, he appeared in British TV show '' Skins'', as Marcus Ainsworth, the father of Hannah Murray's character Cassie Ainsworth. He reprised the role in 2013, when appearing in both parts of ''Skins Pure''. In 2007, he appeared in the BBC One school-based drama series, '' Waterloo Road'' as the new deputy headteacher, Eddie Lawson. In 2009, he left Waterloo Road after the fourth series.

In January 2012, Morrissey took on the role of Fagin in Lionel Bart's musical ''Oliver'' at the Palace Theatre in Manchester. Morrissey starred alongside Adrian Edmondson, Robert Webb and Miles Jupp in the play '' Neville's Island'' at Duke of York's Theatre, London during Autumn 2014.

In 2015, he played a character called Keith, who is Johnny (Joe Maw) and Tee's (Mia McKenna Bruce) villainous mother's former boyfriend, in the CBBC sitcom ''The Dumping Ground''. In December 2015, Morrissey starred in BBC Two's comedy-drama '' A Gert Lush Christmas'', playing the father of Russell Howard's character.

In 2016, he joined the cast of ''Grantchester'' for the second series, where he played the role of Harding Redmond. Also in 2016, he took part in the second series of ITV's reality series '' Bear Grylls: Mission Survive''.

From 2017, Morrissey played Greg McConnell in ITV's ''The Good Karma Hospital'', for several seasons until 2022. He portrayed Peter Carr in Series 3 of ''Unforgotten'' in 2018. In 2021, he starred as Frank Stevenson in series four of the BBC series ''The Syndicate'', starring alongside Katherine Rose Morley. In 2023, he was the subject of ''DNA Journey'' with Adrian Dunbar.

Morrissey played the part of Captain Perrot, an accomplice of Colonel Blood, in ''The Crown Jewels'', a humorous play written by screenwriter Simon Nye and performed at the Garrick Theatre in London in 2023, about Blood's theft of the Crown Jewels) in 1671. The part of Blood was played by Aidan McArdle, Al Murray played King Charles II, and the cast also included Mel Giedroyc.

Spoof show

On 1 April 2006, a BBC Three spoof programme titled ''Neil Morrissey's Secret'' documented sides of Morrissey's life that were previously unknown to the world at large. It alleged he has a house, wife and two children in Jordan, as well as a degree in botany, for which he had studied for 20 years. These studies were integral to his motivation to find a breakthrough in anti-ageing, which supposedly occurred naturally amongst the local population. It was said that he had invented a cream called The Essence which contains extracts of a plant found only in a remote Jordanian village. In the documentary the cream's acolytes include celebrities such as Jane Seymour, Gloria Hunniford and Philippa Forrester. The hoax documentary was launched on 1 April, and despite the suspicions caused by this date as April Fool's Day, it still managed to convince some people that it was true.

Business

Morrissey's love of Welsh poet Dylan Thomas led him to buy up numerous properties in the village of Laugharne, including the Hurst Hotel, the New Three Mariners pub and Brown's Hotel in April 2004 for £670,000. In October 2006, it was announced that the business had put Brown's Hotel on the market to finance the redevelopment of the Hurst Hotel, and the expansion of the private members' club, Hurst House in Covent Garden, London.

In July 2008, with delays encountered on the construction of Hurst House-at-the-Mill, a luxury hotel in Hertfordshire due to open in 2009, the Laugharne-based assets of the Hurst House group went into a packaged administration. The assets were subsequently bought by new investors, resulting in the end of Morrissey's association with Laugharne.

Morrissey part-owned the lease on the ''Ye Olde Punch Bowl Inn'' in Marton, North Yorkshire. From this base came the Morrissey Fox range of real ale, developed by Morrissey and chef Richard Fox which is still in production. In June 2009, it was reported that his Welsh pub had failed and the lease to ''Ye Olde Punch Bowl Inn'' was handed back to the owner after just 18 months on 22 October 2009.

Morrissey avoided bankruptcy over his failed business ventures but entered an IVA. Morrissey went on to own a chain of pubs in Staffordshire, including ''The Plume of Feathers'' in Barlaston, and later ''The Old Bramshall Inn'' in Bramshall. The latter opened its doors as a Neil Morrissey pub on 28 June 2018, an event which Morrissey attended. In December 2021 the leasehold was sold and the pub was renamed 'The Butchers Arms'.

Personal life

Morrissey married Amanda Noar in 1987 after meeting her when she was a guest in an episode of '' Boon''; the couple have a son born in 1989. They divorced in 1991. He then became engaged to actress Elizabeth Carling, whom he had first met in 1989, when she too was working on ''Boon''. They parted on good terms, and she later guest-starred alongside him in ''Men Behaving Badly''. His subsequent affairs have been well documented by the British tabloids, including dating Rachel Weisz after starring together in ''My Summer with Des'' in 1998. They lived together at his flat in Crouch End, north London.Interview: Neil Morrissey
The Observer Morrissey had an affair with Amanda Holden in 2000, whom he met filming ''Happy Birthday, Shakespeare'', leading to her divorce in 2003 from comedian Les Dennis.

Morrissey's older brother Stephen died in 1997 following a drug overdose. Morrissey has numerous tattoos. According to one version of their origin, he applied them himself with needles and Indian ink. On his left arm are his first name and a blob, which was going to be his initials before it became infected, causing him to require a tetanus jab. On his right is a squiggle, which is a reversed version of '' The Saint'' logo. Morrissey himself says the tattoos were done by other boys at the children's home. The boys there apparently saw that he did not have a tattoo and so gave him the option of a tattoo or a beating. He decided on the tattoo and now regrets not taking the other option.

In 2006, Morrissey was awarded an honorary degree from Staffordshire University. He is a supporter of Crystal Palace. A fan of real ale, in 2011 he produced a real ale with the club called Palace Ale.

Filmography

Film

Television

Discography

Studio albums

Singles

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Morrissey, Neil
1962 births
Living people
20th-century English male actors
21st-century English male actors
Actors from Stafford
Alumni of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama
British novelty song performers
English brewers
English businesspeople
English male film actors
English male television actors
English male voice actors
English people of Irish descent
Male actors from Staffordshire
People from Penkhull