John Simm facts for kids

Quick facts for kids John Simm
Simm in 2010
Born	John Ronald Simm (1970-07-10) 10 July 1970 (age 54) Leeds, England
Occupation	Actor director musician
Years active	1992–present
Notable work	Life on Mars, Doctor Who, Grace
Spouse(s)	Kate Magowan ​ (m. 2004)​
Children	2

John Ronald Simm (born 10 July 1970) is a talented English actor, director, and musician. He is famous for playing important roles in popular TV shows like Life on Mars, Doctor Who, and Grace.

John has also appeared in many other TV series, including State of Play and Cracker. You might have seen him in films such as Human Traffic and 24 Hour Party People. He has been nominated twice for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor, which is a big award in British television.

Early Life and Education

John Simm was born on 10 July 1970 in Leeds, England. He was the oldest of three children. His father, Ronald, was a musician from Manchester. When John was 12, he started singing and playing guitar with his dad on stage in clubs.

He grew up in many places across northwest England, including Blackpool and Manchester. John went to Edge End High School in Nelson, where his drama teacher, Brian Wellock, really inspired him.

In 1986, he studied at Blackpool and The Fylde College for three years. During this time, he acted in musicals like Guys and Dolls and West Side Story at Blackpool's Grand Theatre. However, he soon realized he preferred acting in plays over musicals.

He joined an amateur drama group and improved his acting skills. He played the main characters in plays like Billy Liar and Amadeus. At 19, he moved to London to train at the Drama Centre London. He learned a special acting method called Stanislavski's system. His teacher, Reuven Adiv, was a huge influence on him. John graduated in 1992.

Acting Career Highlights

John Simm started his professional acting career in 1992. His first role was in the TV series Rumpole of the Bailey. He then appeared in shows like The Bill and Heartbeat. From 1993, he played the main character, Kendle Bains, in the BBC sitcom Men of the World.

Early Film and TV Roles

In 1995, John played a troubled teenager named Bill Preece in the ITV police drama Cracker. He also made his first film appearance in Boston Kickout, which won an award at a film festival.

He made his stage debut in 1996 in the play Goldhawk Road. From 1997 to 1999, he starred as Danny Kavanagh in the BBC series The Lakes. In 1999, he was Jip in the popular film Human Traffic and Eddie in Wonderland.

In 2000, he worked with writer Paul Abbott on the drama Clocking Off. They worked together again in 2002 on the award-winning political thriller State of Play, where John played Cal McCaffrey.

Big Roles and Recognition

In 2002, John Simm played Bernard Sumner, the lead singer of the band New Order, in the film 24 Hour Party People. That same year, he starred as Raskolnikov in the BBC's Crime and Punishment.

One of his most famous roles came in 2006 when he played Detective Inspector Sam Tyler in the BBC series Life on Mars. In this show, his character was a police officer who traveled back in time to 1973. The show won an award, and John was nominated for Best Actor.

In 2007, John played the famous artist Vincent van Gogh in the TV drama The Yellow House. He also returned to the theatre in the play Elling, for which he was nominated for an Olivier Award.

Becoming The Master in Doctor Who

Later in 2007, John Simm was chosen to play the Master, a major enemy of the Doctor, in the popular BBC series Doctor Who. He appeared in the last three episodes of the third series. He played the role again in the 2009 special, "The End of Time", and returned for the tenth series in 2017.

Recent Work

John Simm continued to take on diverse roles. He starred in the film Everyday, which was filmed over five years. In 2011, he played Baxter in the Sky 1 series Mad Dogs, which was very popular. He also starred in Exile on BBC One, earning him another BAFTA nomination.

From 2013 to 2014, he played farmer John Middleton in The Village, a BBC drama about life during World War I. He also starred as Detective Marcus Farrow in the thriller Prey in 2014.

In 2015, John focused on theatre, appearing at The National Theatre. In 2016, he worked in the US on the ABC show The Catch. More recently, he starred in Trauma and Collateral in 2018.

In 2019, he played the main role in Macbeth at the Chichester Festival Theatre. Since 2021, he has been playing DS Roy Grace in the TV series Grace, based on popular crime novels. In 2024, he will play Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol at The Old Vic.

Music Career

In the 1990s and early 2000s, John Simm was a founding member, songwriter, and guitarist for the rock band Magic Alex. The band was named after "Magic Alex" Mardas, who worked with the Beatles. Magic Alex opened for the band Echo & the Bunnymen on two tours.

John also played guitar on the album Slideling by Ian McCulloch, the singer of Echo & the Bunnymen. In 2002, he sang the Joy Division song "Digital" on stage with New Order. He also played lead guitar for some of Ian McCulloch's solo shows. Magic Alex released one album, Dated and Sexist, before breaking up in 2005, as John decided to focus more on acting.

Personal Life

In April 2004, John Simm married actress Kate Magowan in the Forest of Dean. John and Kate have worked together in several films, including 24 Hour Party People and Tuesday, and in the BBC series Exile. They have two children, a son and a daughter.

John Simm is a big fan of the football team Manchester United FC.

Selected Filmography

Film Roles

Television Roles

Stage Roles

Music Videos

Discography

Album

Singles

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: John Simm para niños