Stephen Yardley (born 24 March 1942) is an English actor. After graduating from the

Royal Academy of Dramatic Art The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, also known by its abbreviation RADA (), is a drama school in London, England, which provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in Bloomsbury, Central London ...

in 1963, he became known for his many roles on UK television between 1964 and 2004.

Career

In the mid-1960s, Yardley was a permanent member of the company at Dundee Repertory Theatre. Yardley made early appearances on television in the 1960s in series including ''

Danger Man ''Danger Man'' (retitled ''Secret Agent'' in the United States for the revived series, and ''Destination Danger'' and ''John Drake'' in other overseas markets) is a British television series that was broadcast between 1960 and 1962, and again ...

'' and '' United!'', and had an extended run during 1967–68 in ''

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 ...

''. His subsequent work included performances as semi-reformed cat burglar William "Spider" Scott in '' The XYY Man'' (1976–77); as Detective Inspector Laker in ''Regan'', the Armchair Theatre instalment which served as the pilot for '' The Sweeney''; Max Brocard in '' Secret Army'' (1978); Roy Swetman, a professional hit man in "Hijack" (1980), an episode of '' The Professionals''; and as Police Inspector Cadogan in '' Virtual Murder'' (1992). Yardley twice had roles in ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...

'' – Sevrin in '' Genesis of the Daleks'' (1975) and Arak in '' Vengeance on Varos'' (1985) – and also took a part in the science fiction series ''

Blake's 7 ''Blake's 7'' is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. Four series of thirteen 50-minute episodes were broadcast on BBC1 between 1978 and 1981. It was created by Terry Nation, who also wrote the first series, prod ...

'' (1981) and the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

adaptation of '' The Day of the Triffids'' (1981). Yardley had a regular role as Ken Masters in the BBC television series '' Howards' Way'' (1985–90), appeared in an episode of '' Heartbeat'' in 1996, and played Vince Farmer in Channel 5's soap opera '' Family Affairs'' (1999–2003). Yardley most recently appeared in the

Sky One Sky One was a British pay television channel operated and owned by Sky Group (a division of Comcast). Originally launched on 26 April 1982 as Satellite Television, it was Europe's first satellite and non- terrestrial channel. From 31 July 1989, ...

series '' Hex'' (2004).

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Yardley, Stephen 1942 births Actors from the Borough of Harrogate Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art English male soap opera actors Living people Male actors from North Yorkshire