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Ricky Tomlinson
Ricky Tomlinson 2011.jpg
Tomlinson in 2011
Born
Eric Tomlinson

(1939-09-26) 26 September 1939 (age 85)
Occupation Actor
Years active 1981–present
Spouse(s)
Marlene Clifton
(m. 1962; div. 1986)
Rita Cumiskey
(m. 2003)
Children 3

Eric "Ricky" Tomlinson (born 26 September 1939) is an English actor. He is best known for his television roles as Bobby Grant in the soap opera Brookside (1982–1988), DCI Charlie Wise in Cracker (1993–2006) and Jim Royle in The Royle Family (1998–2012). He also played the titular character in the 2001 football mockumentary Mike Bassett: England Manager.

Early life

Eric Tomlinson was born on 26 September 1939 at Burleigh House in Bispham, Blackpool, Lancashire, and has lived in Liverpool nearly all his life. His father was a baker and he was born in Bispham, near Blackpool, because, just after the outbreak of World War II, his mother Peggy was evacuated there over concerns that Liverpool would be bombed. He attended Walton Technical College in Walton, after passing an exam when he was 13. His favourite subject was English.

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Tomlinson played banjo in bands known as the Guitanjos, Hobo Rick & The City Slickers, and Hobo Rick and the Hi-Free Three. For a time, the band's pianist was John "Duff" Lowe, a former member of Beatles forerunner the Quarrymen.

Career

Television

As an actor he appeared as Bobby Grant in the soap opera Brookside from the show's inception in 1982 until being written out in 1988, followed by DCI Charlie Wise in Cracker and as Jim Royle in the BBC sitcom The Royle Family in 1998.

In 2001 Tomlinson starred in the BBC Series Nice Guy Eddie playing a Liverpool private investigator. Using down-to-earth cases — actually based upon real-life ones from Liverpool private investigator Tony Smith — the show also starred Tom Ellis and John Henshaw.

Tomlinson featured heavily in series two of Paul Abbott's series Clocking Off, in a BAFTA-nominated episode written by Danny Brocklehurst.

Tomlinson has fronted a series of television adverts for the utility company British Gas. In January 2010, he began to appear in a series of advertisements for the frozen food chain Farmfoods. In 2017, he provided a voiceover for an advert for McCain Foods.

On 19 June 2006, Tomlinson made his début as the guest celebrity in Dictionary Corner on the long-running UK Channel 4 game show Countdown.

In December 2006, he presented a programme in Channel Five's Disappearing Britain series entitled "When Coal Was King".

In March 2011, Tomlinson appeared in an advertising campaign for UK retail chain The Range.

The BBC broadcast a programme in its Who Do You Think You Are? series 13 on Tomlinson's ancestors, which traced his family back through a number of carters working around Liverpool at a time when the city was a bustling port.

In 2020, Tomlinson, alongside his Royle Family co-star Ralf Little, presented a travel series called Ricky & Ralf's Very Northern Road Trip for Gold.

In 2023, Tomlinson appeared at Eurovision 2023 reciting a poem dedicated to the Beatles. He also reprised his role as the character Bobby Grant, and was seen putting up Ukrainian-themed bunting outside the Grant home on Brookside Close.

Film

Tomlinson has also starred in several films, notably Mike Bassett: England Manager, Raining Stones and Hillsborough, a made-for-TV film about the families of the victims of the Hillsborough disaster, in which he portrayed John Glover – the father of victim Ian Glover.

In 2017, Tomlinson starred in the LGBT short film Tellin' Dad (2017) (co-starring actor Carl Loughlin as his son) which was the first LGBT project he has been involved in and followed the journey of his son building up courage to come out to him. The film was released on DVD, Amazonplay and distributed by Peccadillo Pictures worldwide on several platforms and on their Boys on Film DVD collection.

Music

Tomlinson is also a keen banjo and harmonica player, and has played the instruments in many episodes of The Royle Family. In 2001 he teamed up with fellow Brookside actor Michael Starke and other friends for his own rendition of well-known folk songs including "It's a Long Way To Tipperary" and a cover of Shane MacGowan and The Popes' "Are You Lookin' at Me?" that reached No. 28 in the UK Singles Chart in 2001. A CD album entitled Music My ... was released the same year, peaking at No. 127 in the UK Albums Chart. He released a single at Christmas 2006 entitled "Christmas My A*se" which reached No. 25.

Theatre

In 2006, Tomlinson toured to theatres across the UK with his show An Evening with Ricky Tomlinson where he was interviewed about his life by Elton Welsby.

During 2008 and 2009, Tomlinson took his Laughter Show theatrical revue on a UK tour with fellow comedians Tony Barton, Duncan Norvelle and Pauline Daniels.

In 2009, he took a lead role as the Head Judge in the "VMH Club Star Talent Trail", a local talent-based competition held at the VMH Club in Garston. A large number of North West-based performers entered the competition, which was ultimately won by 14-year-old Shaun Walsh from Liverpool.

In May 2010, Tomlinson opened his own cabaret club the Green Room, in Liverpool, teaming up with brothers Richard and Simon Wallace, from Liverpool production company Red Hot Media, to open the 250-seater cabaret lounge on Duke Street.

Personal life

He had three children with his first wife.

In 2003, he published an autobiography, entitled Ricky, which spent five weeks at the top of the UK best-selling new books chart.

On 19 October 2007, Tomlinson had quadruple heart bypass surgery at Liverpool's Cardiothoracic Centre. Consultant cardiac surgeon Aung Oo said: "The operation went according to plan and he is now recovering within the hospital's critical care unit."

Tomlinson suffers from nodular prurigo, which was the subject of an interview in the Daily Mirror in October 2013.

Tomlinson still resides in Liverpool, stating "I will never, ever move away from Liverpool, I love it here."

Charity work

In 2008, Tomlinson donated £200,000 as patron of the Human Milk Bank of Cheshire and North Wales. The charity provides babies on Special Care Baby Units with milk from donor mothers, significantly improving their chances of survival and long-term development. He said: "Due to my own recent experiences with my health, I know how much hospitals and appeals appreciate help and assistance. This is such an important service which can help so many families and I'm very honoured to be the patron."

In November 2010, it was reported that Tomlinson had donated £1 million to the Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool two years previously.

Honours

In October 2014, Tomlinson was awarded the Freedom of Liverpool.

Filmography

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1981 Play for Today Dennis Episode: "United Kingdom"
1982 Crown Court Clerk of Court 3 episodes
Boys from the Blackstuff Hospital Doctor Episode: "George's Last Ride"
1982–1988 Brookside Bobby Grant 193 episodes
1989 Dear Sarah Warder #1 Television film
1993 The Bill Ray Hickey Episode: "Home to Roost"
1994 Where the Buffalo Roam Glyn Hunter Television film
1995 The All New Alexei Sayle Show Man Selling Chicken in Pub Episode: #2.2
1994–1995 Roughnecks Cinders 13 episodes
1994–1996 Cracker DCI Charlie Wise 15 episodes
1996 Hillsborough John Glover Television film
1997 The Fix Gordon Television film
10x10 Episode: "Johnny Watkins Walks on Water"
1998–2002 Playing the Field Jim Pratt 29 episodes
1998–2012 The Royle Family Jim Royle 25 episodes
1999 Dockers Macca Macaulay Television film
Cold Feet Cabbie Episode: #2.5
The Greatest Store in the World Santa Television film
Hooves of Fire Santa Claus (voice) Television film
2000 Safe as Houses Lawrence Davidson Television film
2001 Clocking Off Ronnie Anderson 4 episodes
Nice Guy Eddie Eddie McMullen Television film
My Beautiful Son Uncle Alfred Television film
2002 Nice Guy Eddie Eddie McMullen 6 episodes
2004 Dalziel and Pascoe Rowan Priestley Episode: "The Price of Fame"
Monkey Trousers Various roles Television film
2004–2005 Down to Earth Tony Murphy 18 episodes
2005 Mike Bassett: Manager Mike Bassett 6 episodes
2006 Animal Spies Ted (voice) Television series
2008 Stepdad Grandad Television film
2013 Great Night Out Warren 6 episodes
Comic Relief: Red Nose Day 2013 Jim Royle Television film
2013–2014 In the Flesh Ken Burton 4 episodes
2016 The Last Dragonslayer Moobin Television film
2019 Matopulas Terry McGlocklin Television film
2020 Ricky & Ralf's Very Northern Road Trip Himself 6 episodes. With Ralf Little
2022 The Witchfinder Crockett Episode: #1.5
2024 Ricky, Sue and a Trip or Two Himself 3 episodes. With Sue Johnston
DNA Journey With Ancestry Himself 1 episodes. With Sue Johnston

Film (selected)

Year Title Role Notes
1987 Out of Order Decorator
1991 Riff-Raff Larry
1993 Raining Stones Tommy
1995 Butterfly Kiss Robert
1996 Bob's Weekend Jack
1997 Life Is All You Get Bruno 'Buddy' Budenski aka Das Leben ist eine Baustelle
Mojo Ezra
1999 Nasty Neighbours Harold Peach
The Greatest Store in the World Santa
2000 Lounge Act (voice) Short film
2001 Mike Bassett: England Manager Mike Bassett
The 51st State Leopold Durant
2002 Once Upon a Time in the Midlands Charlie
Al's Lads Billy
Five Ways John Wayne Didn't Die Dead Man (voice)
2003 The Virgin of Liverpool Frank Conlon
2007 Learning to Walk Granddad Short film
Plenty More Fish Compere Short film
2009 Nativity! Lord Mayor
2011 Flutter Freddie
2014 Psyched Brian the Ghost Union President Short film
Northern Soul John's Grandad
2015 The Hound & the Rabbit William Short film
Him Upstairs Frank Conroy Short film
2016 Grimsby Paedo Pete
Mike Bassett: Interim Manager Mike Bassett
2017 Tellin' Dad Dad Short film
Gloves Off Mick
2018 Fighter from the Docks Grandad
The More You Ignore Me Bert Wildgoose
2022 Tales of the Creeping Death Dad
2023 Our Kid Phil Reilly

See also

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