Don Warrington facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Don Warrington MBE
Warrington in 2017
Born	Don Williams (1951-05-23) 23 May 1951 (age 74) Trinidad, Trinidad and Tobago
Education	Harris College Drama Centre London
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1974–present
Spouse(s)	Mary Maddocks
Children	2

Don Warrington MBE (born Don Williams, 23 May 1951) is a British actor from Trinidad. He is famous for his roles in two popular TV shows. He played Philip Smith in the ITV comedy Rising Damp from 1974 to 1978. More recently, he has played Commissioner Selwyn Patterson in the BBC detective series Death in Paradise since 2011. His son, Jake Fairbrother, is also an actor.

Don Warrington was honored with the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) award in 2008. This award recognizes his great work and contributions.

Early Life and Training

Don Warrington was born in Trinidad. When he was seven, he moved to Newcastle upon Tyne in England with his mother and brother. His sister stayed in Trinidad. His father, Basil Kydd, was a politician in Trinidad who passed away in 1958.

Don studied at Harris College, which is now called the University of Central Lancashire. He also trained to be an actor at the Drama Centre London. When he joined the actors' union, Equity, he found there was already an actor named Don Williams. So, he chose the stage name Warrington. He picked this name from Warrington Road, the street where he grew up. He began acting in plays at different theatres when he was 17 years old.

Acting Career

Don Warrington has had a long and successful career in acting. He has appeared in many TV shows, films, and theatre productions.

Television and Film Roles

Don first became well-known for playing Philip Smith in the comedy show Rising Damp. He starred alongside actors like Leonard Rossiter and Richard Beckinsale. This show was very popular from 1974 to 1978.

He also had a regular role in the crime drama C.A.T.S. Eyes from 1985 to 1987. In this show, he played Nigel Beaumont, a government contact. Don also appeared as Judge Ken Winyard in New Street Law.

In 1993, he played a TV reporter named Graham Gaunt in To Play the King. This was part of the BBC's House of Cards series.

Don has had smaller parts in many other TV programmes. These include Red Dwarf, Lovejoy, and Manchild. He also voiced the character of Rassilon, who founded Time Lord society, in several Doctor Who audio plays. He even appeared as the President of an alternative Great Britain in a Doctor Who episode called "Rise of the Cybermen" in 2006.

He was one of the people interviewed on the BBC 2 show Grumpy Old Men. You might have also seen him in Kenco coffee advertisements. In these ads, he played an African coffee plantation owner. Don often provides voice-overs for BBC television and radio.

From 2003 to 2005, Don appeared in the BBC1 comedy The Crouches. He played Bailey, who was Roly's boss at a London Underground station. He also played the Hospital Chaplain in Casualty. In 2010, he starred in the film It's a Wonderful Afterlife. He also appeared in Grange Hill as Mr Peters, the father of a student.

Since 2011, Don Warrington has been playing Commissioner Selwyn Patterson in the BBC show Death in Paradise. This role has made him very popular with audiences. In 2012, he played Marcus Harding in an episode of Lewis.

His film roles include the movie version of Rising Damp (1980). He was also in the horror comedy Bloodbath at the House of ... (1983). Other films include The Lion of Africa (1987), Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet (1996), and 8½ Women (1999).

Theatre Performances

Don Warrington is also a talented theatre actor. He has performed with famous theatre companies. These include the National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company. He has also acted at the Bristol Old Vic and the Royal Exchange, Manchester.

In 2012 and 2013, he toured with Gwen Taylor in a new stage version of Driving Miss Daisy.

In 2013, Don played the main character, Joe Keller, in a play called All My Sons. This play was put on by the Talawa Theatre Company at the Royal Exchange, Manchester. Critics praised his performance, calling it "flawless."

In 2016, Don Warrington took on the challenging lead role of King Lear. This was another production by the Talawa Theatre Company and the Royal Exchange, Manchester. Reviewers said he played the role with "magnetic, majestic power."

From October 2017 to February 2018, Don appeared as George in David Mamet's play Glengarry Glenn Ross. He acted alongside other well-known actors like Christian Slater. In 2018, he played Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman at the Royal Exchange Theatre.

Strictly Come Dancing

In 2008, Don Warrington took part in the sixth series of Strictly Come Dancing. His dance partner was Lilia Kopylova, a British National Champion in Latin American dance.

Don wanted to join the show to try something new and step out of his comfort zone. He really enjoyed the chance to learn how to dance. He was eliminated in Week 5 of the competition.

Strictly Come Dancing Scores

Filmography

Don Warrington has appeared in many films and television shows throughout his career. Here are some of them:

Film Roles

Television Roles