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You are here > Ideas & Inspiration > Famous People > Entertainers & Musicians > Entertainers
Alma Reville (1899 – 1982) was perhaps best known as the wife of director Alfred Hitchcock, but she was also an assistant director and a screenwriter. She was born in Nottingham and lived for a short time at Robin Hood Terrace before moving to London.
Anjli was born in February 1990. She attended West Bridgford School and is best known for playing ‘Rani Chandra’ in the Sarah Jane Adventures on CBBC.
Ahsen (known to everyone as Ace) was born in Nottingham in 1971. Along with fellow Grease Monkeys (2003) star Karl Collins, he was one of the original members of the Nottingham Central Junior Television Workshop. His previous credits include Cardiac Arrest, Band of Gold, Holby City, Coronation Street, The Sarah Jane Adventures and many other dramas. In 2010 he joined the cast of Eastenders, playing the role as Yusef Khan.
The renowned TV and film actor was born in Beeston, Nottinghamshire (1931 - 2002). Best known for his portrayal of cynical Dutch detective Van der Valk, his other famous roles included Bob Rusk, the necktie murderer in Alfred Hitchcock's Frenzy. His wife of 40 years, Judith Shergold, was a singer and actress. Following his death The Barry Foster Memorial Appeal was set up to help disabled children get involved in theatre.
Barry made his theatre debut in a Shakespeare season at the Comedy Theatre and toured extensively in numerous plays. The Nottingham born and based actor is well known as the champion ballroom dancer Barry Stuart-Hargreaves in the TV series Hi-De-Hi! Howard has also appeared in Dr Who, in a two part special which was aired over Christmas in 2009.
Born in March 1972 in Nottingham and is the former partner of Samantha Morton (see below). He has a daughter with Samantha who was born in 2000. Charlie won a handful of TV and film roles in his teens before his first lead in The Punk (1993). His big break came when Luc Besson cast him as David in The Fifth Element (1997). Shortly after he was praised at Cannes for his outstanding portrayal of junkie Billy in Nil By Mouth (1997).
Born January 1968 in Huthwaite, Sutton-in-Ashfield. Chris has played Peter Barlow since December 2000. He trained at Central School Of Speech And Drama. His other TV credits include The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4 (BBC1) as Barry Kent; Soldier, Soldier (Central, 1997) as Tony Rossi; The Locksmith (BBC1).
Now a TV personality and gameshow host, Dale was born in Nottingham in 1955. Best known for 'Supermarket Sweep', he was once a DJ with Nottingham's Radio Trent (96FM).
Dennis McCarthy ( 1933 – 1996) Evacuated to Nottingham in WWII, Dennis presented on BBC Radio Nottingham and spent 25 years broadcasting to the city. He was well loved by listeners and his funeral brought the city to a standstill. He interviewed six Prime Ministers, Red Rum, and hundreds of film and TV stars during his career.
Born in Worksop (1919-1995), Donald Pleasence started acting on the London stage in 1939. Serving in the RAF in WW2, he was shot down, tortured, and held in a POW camp where he formed an acting group to pass the time. Donald specialised in strange or menacing characters, from Ernst Blofeld in You Only Live Twice (1967), to Dr. Loomis in the Halloween series.
Douglas Byng (1893 -1987) was one of the most redoubtable entertainers of the 20th century whose long career spanned theatre, pantomime, cabaret, film and television. 'Bawdy - But British' he was a master of the double-entendre, often appearing as a pantomime Dame. Noel Coward once described his act as 'the most refined vulgarity in London'.
Real name Frederick John Westcott, (1866 - 1941) Karno lived in several towns before settling in Nottingham. Karno rose to become one of the greatest showmen in the world, making his fortune with Fred Karno’s Circus. The list of recruits to his troupe included Sir Charlie Chaplin, Stan Laurel, Will Hay and Max Miller. "When in doubt, fall on your arse."
Television and stage satirist John Bird was born November 1936 in Bulwell. He grew up in Nottingham and attended the city’s High Pavement Grammar School. He received an honorary degree from The University of Nottingham in 2002. Appearances in Bremner, Bird and Fortune, along with Rory Bremner and John Fortune, led to nominations for a 2003 Laurence Olivier Theatre Award for Best Entertainment of 2002 for a show performed at the Albery.
The dance-pop trio KWS were from Nottingham. The bands name derives from the last names of its members - Chris King, Winnie Williams and Delron St. Joseph. They were best known for their No.1 hit Please Don't Go in the 1990s. But they weren't a one hit wonder - they actually had seven top 40s including Rock You Baby, Hold Back The Night and Ain't Nobody and won the Best British Newcomer award at the BRIT Awards in 1993.
Leslie Crowther (1933 - 1996) hailed from West Bridgford and was awarded a CBE in 1993. Presenter of many TV shows, including the children's BBC favourite 'Crackerjack', he is also well remembered as a game show host. In particular 'The Price Is Right', through which his 'Come On Down' catchphrase entered television folklore.
Born in Nottingham in 1978, TV comedy actor and writer Mathew has appeared in ‘Teachers’, ’20 Things To Do Before You’re Thirty', 'Carrie & Barry' and most notably ‘Gavin & Stacey’ portraying Gavin Shipman. He also acted in and wrote for ‘The Catherine Tate Show'.
Peter was born in October 1936 and moved to Nottingham at the age of six due to his fathers job. He says he was always a show-off. His first TV credit was as a constable in an episode of "The Last Chronicle of Barsett" in 1959. He later achieved widespread fame playing alongside Penelope Keith in "To The Manor Born" and other British comedies such as ‘Only When I Laugh’.
Richard Bacon was born in 1975 in Mansfield and went to Worksop College. In February 1996, Bacon joined L!VE TV as reporter, but he's best known as a former presenter of BBC television's Blue Peter programme. Since leaving the show, Richard has presented The Big Breakfast, Top of the Pops, Back To Reality and ITV's This Morning during the summer of 2005. He's also presented on radio stations XFM and BBC Radio Five Live and in 2005 started presenting the drive time programme "Richard Bacon: The Go Home Show" on London's Capital FM.
Born in Carlton, Nottingham, Richard Beckinsale (1947-1979) attended an acting course at Clarendon College (ncn Nottingham) which led to a place at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. A cameo in Coronation Street led to Jack Rosenthall's comedy The Lovers which rocketed him to stardom. Richard was most famous for starring in two of the greatest British TV sitcoms, ‘Porridge’ and ‘Rising Damp’, before his early death at the age of 31. Richard has two daughters who both followed in their father’s footsteps and became actresses, Samantha Beckinsale and Kate Beckinsale.
A star of the West End, Broadway and television, Robert Lindsay first found fame as the revolutionary Wolfie in 'Citizen Smith'. He has won Olivier, Tony and Fred Astaire awards on both sides of the Atlantic for 'Me and my Girl'. Robert studied Performing Arts at Clarendon College, Nottingham (ncn) before RADA. Best known for his singing, dancing, or affable clowning in 'My Family', Robert is also a heavyweight Shakespearean actor.
The late Robin Bailey (1919-1999) was born in Hucknall, Nottingham. An actor who starred in Kavanagh Q.C., Rumpole of the Bailey, Dalziel and Pascoe, Silent Evidence and The Adventures of Robin Hood among many other film and TV shows.
Born in Wollaton, Nottingham in 1977, Samantha Morton attended drama workshops at the former Central studios in Nottingham as a 13-year-old. Now she has established herself as one of the finest actors of her generation. Samantha, a Golden Globe winner who has also won Oscar nominations for her turns in Woody Allen's Sweet and Low Down" (1999) and Jim Sheridan's "In America" (2002). Samantha has two daughters, Esme born in 2000 with actor Charlie Creed-Miles (see above) and Edie born in 2008 with filmmaker Harry Holm.
BAFTA nominated film director grew up in Nottingham and left school before taking any GCSEs. He made his feature film breakthrough in the late 1990's directing "TwentyFourSeven”. Nottingham's estates and suburbs have provided the locations and settings for most of his work to date. Shane is widely regarding as a Notts County F.C. fan and has several references included in his films by way of imagery and background shots.
Sherrie, born September 1950 is a TV actress well known for comedy appearances and a long running popular role in Coronation Street and Emmerdale. Sherrie is now a regular panellist on Loose Women, a popular ITV1 daytime chat show. Sherrie was born in Burton Joyce and by the age of six, she was in revues around the country, tap-dancing and singing. Before training at RADA, she was also an usherette at the Nottingham Playhouse.
Su was born in Nottingham in 1949 and attended Clarendon College (now ncn). Most well known for playing Peggy Ollerenshaw in Hi De Hi, Su’s TV debut was on Opportunity Knocks, where she came second to a singing Jack Russell dog. Su has had success with hit records, stage shows, theatre and pantomime in her thirty year career, and in 2013 returned to her home city to star in the Theatre Royal's pantomime, Peter Pan, as Mimi the Magical Mermaid. Su is a well known supporter of Nottingham Forest F.C.
Vicky was born in Wollaton in Nottingham in 1983, and is best known for starring in Shane Meadows films such as This is England, who incidently is also a Nottingham born superstar who is featured on this page. Her spectacular performance as Lol in This is England '86 won her two awards in 2011; the British Academy Television Award for Best Actress and the Royal Television Society Award for Best Actress.
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