Paul Copley

Known For: Acting
Born: November 25, 1944
Place of Birth: Denby Dale, West Yorkshire, England, UK

Paul Copley

Paul is a long established and much respected British actor and voiceover artist. Born in Denby Dale, West Riding of Yorkshire, on 25th November 1944 he grew up beside a dairy farm. His father, Harold, was involved with local amateur dramatic productions, as were the rest of his family. He went to Penistone Grammar School, then the Northern Counties College of Education in Newcastle upon Tyne, where he received an Associate of the Drama Board (ADB) in Drama. He taught English and Drama in Walthamstow, before he joined the Leeds Playhouse Theatre-in-education Company in 1971. In 1976, Paul won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a New Play for his role in John Wilson's For King and Country. With many and varied roles to follow, Paul soon established himself as one of the UK's leading stage, film, television and radio actors. In 2011-2015 Paul gained worldwide recognition appe…

Filmography

Big Winners

2025 · Arthur Thistle

Play for Today

2025 · Arthur Thistle

Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale

2025 · Albert Mason

Rose Ayling-Ellis: Old Hands, New Tricks

2025 · Narrator (voice)

Ticker

2023 · Howard

DI Ray

2022 · Terry Hunter

Downton Abbey: A New Era

2022 · Mason

The Infectious Imagination of Henry Bramble

2021 · Great Uncle Geoffrey

Enola Holmes

2020 · Station Master

Ropeless

2020 · Larry Windsor

On the Edge

2018 · Ray

Trust Me

2017 · Arthur Hardacre

Broken

2017 · Joe Kerrigan

Reg

2016 · Man 2

The Nest Egg

2016

The Sound of Music Live!

2015 · Franz

The Coroner

2015 · John Roxwell

Code of a Killer

2015 · Sidney Jeffreys

The 12 Days of Christine

2015 · Ernie

Inside No. 9

2014 · Ernie

Father Brown

2013 · Mr Feste

Carved with Love: The Genius of British Woodwork

2013 · Narrator

Last Tango in Halifax

2012 · , Harry

First Encounter: King Lear

2012 · King Lear

White Heat

2012 · Alan (present day)

Call the Midwife

2012 · Tommy Smith

Vera

2011 · Malcolm Kenrich

Downton Abbey

2010 · Mr. Mason

Moving On

2009 · Ronnie

Survivors

2008 · Ted

Inspector George Gently

2008

The Shadow in the North

2007 · Paton

Kingdom

2007 · Vincent Straker

Torchwood

2006 · Clement McDonald

When Kim & Aggie Went To Hospital

2006 · Self - Narrator (voice)

The Street

2006

Johnny and the Bomb

2006 · Sgt. Bourke

Life on Mars

2006 · Reg Cole

Marian, Again

2005 · Phillip Walsh

Dead Man Weds

2005 · Blind Man

Shameless

2004 · Norman Owens

New Tricks

2004 · Pat the Rat

The Key

2003

How Clean Is Your House?

2003 · , Self - Narrator (voice)

Burn It

2003 · Terry Grimshaw

The Afternoon Play

2003 · Dave

The Royal

2003 · Nesbitt

Hornblower: Duty

2003 · Matthews

Hornblower: Loyalty

2003 · Matthews

Nice Guy Eddie

2002

Born and Bred

2002 · Hubert Gough

The Many Lives of Albert Walker

2002 · Danny Peck

Waking the Dead

2001 · , Clifford Day

Messiah

2001 · Ian Fleet

Hornblower: Retribution

2001 · Matthews

Hornblower: Mutiny

2001 · Mathews

Blow Dry

2001 · Ken

Hornblower: The Frogs and the Lobsters

1999 · Mathews

Hornblower: The Duchess and the Devil

1999 · Matthews

Queer as Folk

1999 · Roy Maloney

Hornblower: The Examination for Lieutenant

1998 · Mathews

The Worst Witch

1998 · Algernon Rowan-Webb, Algernon Rowan Webb

Hornblower: The Even Chance

1998 · Matthews

Hornblower

1998 · Matthews

Written in Blood

1998 · Brian Chappel

The Lakes

1997 · Peter Quinlan

Midsomer Murders

1997 · Frank Dewar

This Life

1996 · Jerry Cook

Silent Witness

1996

Jude

1996 · Mr. Willis

Roughnecks

1994 · Ian

A Pinch of Snuff

1994 · Charlie Heppelwhite

The Remains of the Day

1993 · Harry Smith

Cracker

1993 · Pathologist

Harry

1993 · Thomas Thomas

Peak Practice

1993 · Tim Shardlow, DS Patrick Hopkins

Heartbeat

1992 · Dick Radcliffe, Herbie Lloyd, Malcolm Stainsby

How's Business

1991 · Jack

Stay Lucky

1989

The Paradise Club

1989 · Mousey Pavitt

Testimony of a Child

1989 · Gerry

Young Charlie Chaplin

1989 · Chimnery Sweep

Theban Plays: Oedipus at Colonus

1986 · Local Man

Casualty

1986 · Frederick Chambers, Mick McCarthur, Arthur

Silas Marner

1985 · William Dane

The Bright Side

The Bright Side

1985

Which Side Are You On?

1985 · Narrator (voice)

Bird Fancier

1985 · Roy Pearson

The Bill

1984

Big Deal

1984 · Max

The Gathering Seed

1983 · Bob Henshaw

Doll’s Eye

1983 · Social Worker

Ends and Means

1983

Ghost in the Water

1982 · Mr. Reed

P.Q. 17

1981 · PO Jordan

A Room for the Winter

A Room for the Winter

1981 · Robert

Tenko

1981 · POW

West End Tales

1981 · Herbert

A Brush with Mr. Porter on the Road to El Dorado

1981 · Tom

Happy

1980 · Vernon

Death of a Princess

1980 · Steve Jackson

Minder

1979 · Palmer

Cries from a Watchtower

1979 · Andy

Black Jack

1979 · Narrator

Turning Year Tales

Turning Year Tales

1979 · Tim

Zulu Dawn

1979 · Cpl. Storey

After Julius

1979 · Dan

Pillion

1979 · Writer

On a Paving Stone Mounted

1978

Travellers

1978 · Young William/Middle William/Sales Rep

Strangers

1978 · Des White

Mucking Out

1978 · Brian Wilson

The Turkey Who Lives on the Hill

1978 · Bill

Destiny

1978 · Paul McShane

Some Enchanted Evening

Some Enchanted Evening

1978 · Peter

A Christmas Carol

1977 · Fred (Scrooge's Nephew)

Treasure Island

1977

Premiere

1977 · Young William

BBC2 Play of the Week

1977 · Finnegan, Bill

Secret Army

1977 · Eric Finch

A Bridge Too Far

1977 · Pvt. Wicks

Arnhem: The Story of an Escape

1976 · Finnegan

The Chester Mystery Plays

1976

Trinity Tales

1975 · Dave the Joiner

Days of Hope

1975 · Ben Matthews

Alfie Darling

1975 · Bakey

Diane

1975 · Jim

Churchill's People

1974 · Viventius

Playhouse

1974 · Jim, Vernon

Second City Firsts

Second City Firsts

1973 · Brian Wilson

Father Dear Father

1973 · Dumbo

Speech Day

1973 · Woodwork Master

Play for Today

1970 · , Andy

ITV Playhouse

1967 · Peter

BBC Play of the Month

1965

Dangerous Journey

— · Narrator

Paul Copley · Virelixia