Michael Cronin (actor) facts for kids

Michael Cronin (born 1942) is a British actor and author. He is well-known for his roles in many television shows and films. He also writes popular children's books.

About Michael Cronin

Michael Cronin was born in 1942 in Cranfield, Bedfordshire, England, during World War II. He went to school at St Brendan's College in Bristol. Later, he studied English at the University of London. He is married and has two sons.

Acting on Screen and Stage

Michael Cronin is a busy actor who has worked in both television and theatre. Many people remember him as Geoff 'Bullet' Baxter, the tough but fair PE teacher in the TV series Grange Hill. He played this role from 1979 to 1986. He even made a special appearance as Baxter in an episode of The Grimleys in 2000.

He also appeared in the famous comedy show Fawlty Towers. In this show, he played an Irish builder named Lurphy. Another notable role was Eliphaz in the 1977 TV miniseries Jesus of Nazareth.

Michael Cronin has been in many other popular TV shows, including:

• Foyle's War
• Midsomer Murders
• The Sweeney
• Bergerac
• The Bill
• Law & Order: UK

He also played important historical figures. He was Vyacheslav Molotov in the 1989 TV movie Countdown to War. In 1990, he appeared in Agatha Christie's Poirot as Alfred Inglethorp. He also played Sergei in the 2000 TV version of Anna Karenina. From 2008, he sometimes appeared in the BBC show Merlin as the character Geoffrey of Monmouth.

His film roles include:

• Hopscotch (1980)
• The Hour of the Pig (1993)
• The Grotesque (1995)
• The Wolfman (2010)
• The Raven (2012)
• In the Heart of the Sea (2015)

On stage, Michael Cronin has performed in many plays. He worked with the English Shakespeare Company from 1986 to 1991. With them, he toured the UK, Europe, Japan, the US, India, and Australia. He performed in many of William Shakespeare's famous plays, such as Richard II, Henry V, Richard III, and The Winter's Tale. He has also acted in plays like Hamlet, Hedda Gabler, and The Cherry Orchard.

Writing Books for Kids

Besides acting, Michael Cronin is also a talented screenwriter and author. He has written three children's novels. These books were published by Oxford University Press.

His first novel, Against the Day, was very popular. It was even nominated for the 1999 Angus Book Award. This story is set after Second World War in an England that has been taken over by the Nazis. It follows two boys who get involved in a secret resistance movement.

He wrote two more books that continue the story:

• Through the Night (published in 2003)
• In the Morning (published in 2005)

Michael Cronin has also written two film screenplays.

See also

In Spanish: Michael Cronin para niños