Paul Copley
Paul is a long established and much respected British actor and voiceover artist. Born in Denby Dale, West Riding of Yorkshire, on 25th November 1944 he grew up beside a dairy farm. His father, Harold, was involved with local amateur dramatic productions, as were the rest of his family. He went to Penistone Grammar School, then the Northern Counties College of Education in Newcastle upon Tyne, where he received an Associate of the Drama Board (ADB) in Drama. He taught English and Drama in Walthamstow, before he joined the Leeds Playhouse Theatre-in-education Company in 1971. In 1976, Paul won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a New Play for his role in John Wilson's For King and Country. With many and varied roles to follow, Paul soon established himself as one of the UK's leading stage, film, television and radio actors. In 2011-2015 Paul gained worldwide recognition appearing in 16 episodes of the hugely popular television series Downton Abbey playing the popular role of farmer Mr Mason. Paul is married to the actress Natasha Pyne. They married in 1972, after both performing in a Leeds Playhouse production of Frank Wedekind's Lulu, adapted by Peter Barnes, directed by Bill Hays in 1971.
Known For
Credits
- 2025 · Downton Abbey 3 as Albert Mason
- 2023 · Ticker as Howard
- 2022 · DI Ray as Terry
- 2022 · Downton Abbey: A New Era as Mason
- 2021 · The Infectious Imagination of Henry Bramble as Great Uncle Geoffrey
- 2020 · Enola Holmes as Station Master
- 2020 · Ropeless as Larry Windsor
- 2018 · On the Edge as Ray
- 2017 · Broken as Joe Kerrigan
- 2016 · Reg as
- 2016 · The Nest Egg as
- 2015 · The Sound of Music Live! as Franz
- 2015 · The Coroner as John Roxwell
- 2015 · Code of a Killer as Sidney Jeffreys
- 2014 · Inside No. 9 as Ernie
- 2013 · Father Brown as Mr Feste
- 2013 · Carved with Love: The Genius of British Woodwork as Narrator
- 2012 · Last Tango in Halifax as
- 2012 · Last Tango in Halifax as Harry
- 2012 · First Encounter: King Lear as King Lear
- 2012 · White Heat as Alan (present day)
- 2012 · Call the Midwife as Tommy Smith
- 2011 · Vera as Malcolm Kenrich
- 2010 · Downton Abbey as Mr. Mason
- 2009 · Moving On as Ronnie
- 2008 · Survivors as Ted
- 2008 · Inspector George Gently as
- 2007 · The Shadow in the North as Paton
- 2007 · Kingdom as Vincent Straker
- 2006 · Torchwood as Clement McDonald
- 2006 · The Street as
- 2006 · Johnny and the Bomb as Sgt. Bourke
- 2006 · Life on Mars as Reg Cole
- 2005 · Marian, Again as Phillip Walsh
- 2005 · Dead Man Weds as Blind Man
- 2004 · No Angels as
- 2004 · New Tricks as
- 2003 · The Key as
- 2003 · How Clean Is Your House? as
- 2003 · How Clean Is Your House? as Self - Narrator (voice)
- 2003 · Burn It as Terry Grimshaw
- 2003 · The Royal as Nesbitt
- 2003 · Hornblower: Duty as Matthews
- 2003 · Hornblower: Loyalty as Matthews
- 2002 · Nice Guy Eddie as
- 2002 · The Many Lives of Albert Walker as Danny Peck
- 2001 · Waking the Dead as
- 2001 · Waking the Dead as Clifford Day
- 2001 · Messiah as Ian Fleet
- 2001 · Hornblower: Retribution as Matthews
- 2001 · Hornblower: Mutiny as Mathews
- 2001 · Blow Dry as Ken
- 2000 · Clocking Off as
- 1999 · Hornblower: The Frogs and the Lobsters as Mathews
- 1999 · Hornblower: The Duchess and the Devil as Matthews
- 1999 · Queer as Folk as Roy Maloney
- 1998 · Hornblower: The Examination for Lieutenant as Mathews
- 1998 · The Worst Witch as Algernon Rowan-Webb
- 1998 · The Worst Witch as Algernon Rowan Webb
- 1998 · Hornblower as Matthews
- 1998 · Hornblower: The Even Chance as Matthews
- 1998 · Written in Blood as Brian Chappel
- 1997 · The Lakes as Peter Quinlan
- 1997 · Midsomer Murders as Frank Dewar
- 1996 · This Life as Jerry Cook
- 1996 · Dalziel & Pascoe as
- 1996 · Silent Witness as
- 1996 · Jude as Mr. Willis
- 1994 · Roughnecks as Ian
- 1994 · A Pinch of Snuff as Charlie Heppelwhite
- 1993 · The Remains of the Day as Harry Smith
- 1993 · Cracker as Pathologist
- 1993 · Harry as Thomas Thomas
- 1993 · Peak Practice as Tim Shardlow
- 1993 · Peak Practice as DS Patrick Hopkins
- 1992 · Heartbeat as Dick Radcliffe
- 1992 · Heartbeat as Herbie Lloyd
- 1992 · Heartbeat as Malcolm Stainsby
- 1991 · How's Business as Jack
- 1989 · Stay Lucky as
- 1989 · The Paradise Club as Mousey Pavitt
- 1989 · Testimony of a Child as Gerry
- 1989 · Young Charlie Chaplin as Chimnery Sweep
- 1986 · Theban Plays: Oedipus at Colonus as Local Man
- 1986 · Casualty as Frederick Chambers
- 1986 · Casualty as Mick McCarthur
- 1986 · Casualty as Arthur
- 1985 · Silas Marner as William Dane
- 1985 · The Bright Side as
- 1985 · Which Side Are You On? as Narrator (voice)
- 1985 · Bird Fancier as Roy Pearson
- 1984 · The Bill as
- 1983 · Doll’s Eye as Social Worker
- 1983 · Ends and Means as
- 1982 · Ghost in the Water as Mr. Reed
- 1981 · P.Q. 17 as PO Jordan
- 1981 · A Room for the Winter as Robert
- 1981 · Tenko as POW
- 1981 · A Brush with Mr. Porter on the Road to El Dorado as Tom
- 1980 · Happy as Vernon
- 1980 · Death of a Princess as Steve Jackson
- 1979 · Minder as Palmer
- 1979 · Cries from a Watchtower as Andy
- 1979 · Black Jack as Narrator
- 1979 · Zulu Dawn as Cpl. Storey
- 1978 · On a Paving Stone Mounted as
- 1978 · Travellers as Young William/Middle William/Sales Rep
- 1978 · Mucking Out as Brian Wilson
- 1978 · The Turkey Who Lives on the Hill as Bill
- 1978 · Destiny as Paul McShane
- 1978 · Some Enchanted Evening as Peter
- 1977 · A Christmas Carol as Fred (Scrooge's Nephew)
- 1977 · Treasure Island as
- 1977 · Secret Army as Eric Finch
- 1977 · A Bridge Too Far as Pvt. Wicks
- 1976 · Arnhem: The Story of an Escape as Finnegan
- 1975 · Days of Hope as Ben Matthews
- 1975 · Alfie Darling as Bakey
- 1975 · Diane as Jim
- 1973 · Father Dear Father as Dumbo
- Future · Dangerous Journey as Narrator
- 1973 · Speech Day as Woodwork Master
- 1970 · Play for Today as
- 1970 · Play for Today as Andy
- 1965 · BBC Play of the Month as