Don Warrington
Encyclopedia
Don Warrington, MBE
(born 23 May 1951) is a Trinidadian British
actor
.
on 23 May 1951 and brought up in Newcastle upon Tyne
, England
from age five. His father was the Trinidadian
politician, Basil Kydd, who died in 1958. He has two sons.
His acting career started when he joined his local repertory theatre at age 17. He graduated from the Drama Centre London.
He was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2008 Birthday Honours.
, alongside Leonard Rossiter
and Richard Beckinsale
. He appeared in the crime drama C.A.T.S. Eyes
, as government contact Nigel Beaumont; in Impact Earth (2007) playing General Harris; and in New Street Law
as Judge Ken Winyard.
He has also had smaller roles in many programmes including: Red Dwarf
, Lovejoy
, Doctor Who
, Manchild
, and Diamond Geezer
. He portrayed Rassilon
in several Doctor Who
audio plays, and also appeared as "The President (of Great Britain)" in the Doctor Who (2006) episode "Rise of the Cybermen
". Soon after, he recorded an abridged audio book of the Doctor Who
novel The Art of Destruction
by Stephen Cole
.
Warrington has performed with the National Theatre
, the Royal Shakespeare Company
, Bristol Old Vic
.
He is one of the interviewees on the BBC 2 series Grumpy Old Men
, and he appears in a series of Kenco
coffee advertisements in the UK in which he plays an African coffee plantation owner. He regularly provides voice-overs for both BBC TV and radio.
He also starred in BBC1 black sitcom The Crouches
, which aired from the 9th of September 2003 until 2005. He played Bailey, who was Roly's boss at a London Underground station in South London. Roly was played by Robbie Gee
. He is now in the BBC drama Casualty playing Trevor. He also starred in the 2010 film It's a Wonderful Afterlife
.
He now provides voiceover links, reading out the various methods of contacting the show on the new Chris Evans Breakfast Show on BBC Radio 2 which has been broadcast since 11 January 2010.
He also appeared as a jazz musician ? Louden in a BBC radio production of 'The Devil's Music' written by Alan Plater.
In 2011, Warrington played the father of a suspected terrorist in the last series of the BBC drama Waking the Dead
. He is currently in the new BBC show Death in Paradise
.
of Strictly Come Dancing
, partnered with the 2005 and 2006 British National Champion in Latin American dance, Lilia Kopylova
. After Week 4, he was joint 7th out of the remaining 12 contestants with an average of 24.5 points. In week 5 Don was eliminated having lost the dance-off against Heather Small
, with the first three judges all voting for Heather over Don.
He joined the show in order to step out of his comfort zone, and he appreciated the opportunity to learn to dance.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 23 May 1951) is a Trinidadian British
Trinidadian British
Trinidadian and Tobagonian British people are citizens or residents of the United Kingdom whose ethnic origins lie fully or partially in the Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago.-History and settlement:...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
.
Personal life
Warrington was born in Trinidad and TobagoTrinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
on 23 May 1951 and brought up in Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
from age five. His father was the Trinidadian
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
politician, Basil Kydd, who died in 1958. He has two sons.
His acting career started when he joined his local repertory theatre at age 17. He graduated from the Drama Centre London.
He was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2008 Birthday Honours.
Career
He is chiefly known for playing Philip Smith in Rising DampRising Damp
Rising Damp is a television sitcom produced by Yorkshire Television for ITV, first broadcast from 1974 to 1978. It was adapted for television by Eric Chappell from his well-received 1971 stage play, The Banana Box The series was the highest-ranking ITV sitcom on the 100 Best Sitcoms poll run in...
, alongside Leonard Rossiter
Leonard Rossiter
Leonard Rossiter was an English actor known for his roles as Rupert Rigsby, in the British comedy television series Rising Damp , and Reginald Iolanthe Perrin, in The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin...
and Richard Beckinsale
Richard Beckinsale
Richard Arthur Beckinsale was an English actor, best known for his roles as Lennie Godber in the popular BBC sitcom Porridge and Alan Moore in the British sitcom Rising Damp....
. He appeared in the crime drama C.A.T.S. Eyes
C.A.T.S. Eyes
C.A.T.S. Eyes is a British television series made by TVS for ITV between 1985 and 1987.-Premise:The series was a spin-off from The Gentle Touch and saw Jill Gascoine reprise her role as Det. Insp. Maggie Forbes, having left the police force to join a private detective agency called "Eyes" that is...
, as government contact Nigel Beaumont; in Impact Earth (2007) playing General Harris; and in New Street Law
New Street Law
New Street Law is a British legal drama television series produced by Red Production Company in association with One-Eyed Dog Ltd for BBC One. The series was created by G. F. Newman and Matthew Hall, and starred an ensemble cast headed by John Hannah and Paul Freeman...
as Judge Ken Winyard.
He has also had smaller roles in many programmes including: Red Dwarf
Red Dwarf
Red Dwarf is a British comedy franchise which primarily comprises eight series of a television science fiction sitcom that aired on BBC Two between 1988 and 1999 and Dave from 2009–present. It gained cult following. It was created by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, who also wrote the first six series...
, Lovejoy
Lovejoy
Lovejoy is a TV series about the adventures of Lovejoy, a British antiques dealer and faker based in East Anglia, a less than scrupulous yet likeable rogue. The episodes were based on a series of picaresque novels by John Grant...
, Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
, Manchild
Manchild
Manchild is a British television comedy / drama series that ran for two series on BBC Two between February 2002 and April 2003 with seven episodes in Series 1 and eight episodes in Series 2....
, and Diamond Geezer
Diamond Geezer
Diamond Geezer is a British television comedy drama written by Caleb Ranson which stars David Jason as a jewel thief and professional con man.-Background:...
. He portrayed Rassilon
Rassilon
Rassilon is a fictional character in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. In the backstory of the programme, he was the founder of Time Lord society on the planet Gallifrey...
in several Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
audio plays, and also appeared as "The President (of Great Britain)" in the Doctor Who (2006) episode "Rise of the Cybermen
Rise of the Cybermen
"Rise of the Cybermen" is an episode in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. The episode features the return of Cybermen, where they are created on Earth itself. It is the first part of a two-part story, the concluding part being "The Age of Steel"...
". Soon after, he recorded an abridged audio book of the Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
novel The Art of Destruction
The Art of Destruction
The Art of Destruction is a BBC Books original novel written by Stephen Cole and based on the long running science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was published on September 21, 2006, alongside The Nightmare of Black Island and The Price of Paradise...
by Stephen Cole
Stephen Cole
Stephen Cole is a presenter for Al Jazeera English. Previously, he worked for the BBC.-Broadcasting career:...
.
Warrington has performed with the National Theatre
Royal National Theatre
The Royal National Theatre in London is one of the United Kingdom's two most prominent publicly funded theatre companies, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company...
, the Royal Shakespeare Company
Royal Shakespeare Company
The Royal Shakespeare Company is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs 700 staff and produces around 20 productions a year from its home in Stratford-upon-Avon and plays regularly in London, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and on tour across...
, Bristol Old Vic
Bristol Old Vic
The Bristol Old Vic is a theatre company based at the Theatre Royal, King Street, in Bristol, England. The theatre complex includes the 1766 Theatre Royal, which claims to be the oldest continually-operating theatre in England, along with a 1970s studio theatre , offices and backstage facilities...
.
He is one of the interviewees on the BBC 2 series Grumpy Old Men
Grumpy Old Men (TV series)
Grumpy Old Men is a conversational-style television programme on BBC2 which debuted in 2003, The first run of four programmes was repeated several times before a second series, also of four episodes, was shown in 2004. A third series aired in April 2006. There were also 2003 & 2004 Christmas...
, and he appears in a series of Kenco
Kenco
Kenco is a brand of instant coffee, and roast & ground coffee distributed by Kraft Foods in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. Originally known as the Kenya Coffee Company, they started distributing coffee to Britain in 1923...
coffee advertisements in the UK in which he plays an African coffee plantation owner. He regularly provides voice-overs for both BBC TV and radio.
He also starred in BBC1 black sitcom The Crouches
The Crouches
The Crouches is a sitcom which aired on BBC One between 2003 and 2005. The show stars Rudolph Walker, who played Robbie Gee's father, and Mona Hammond, who played Jo's mother. Also other main casts were Robbie Gee and Jo Martin. The show was not well received by critics and only two series were...
, which aired from the 9th of September 2003 until 2005. He played Bailey, who was Roly's boss at a London Underground station in South London. Roly was played by Robbie Gee
Robbie Gee
Robbie Gee is a British actor, best known for his Desmond's character "Lee Stanley", and for appearing in Guy Ritchie's crime caper Snatch. He also appeared in the movie Mean Machine playing "Trojan".-Hosting:...
. He is now in the BBC drama Casualty playing Trevor. He also starred in the 2010 film It's a Wonderful Afterlife
It's a Wonderful Afterlife
It's a Wonderful Afterlife is a 2010 British comedy film directed by Gurinder Chadha. The screenplay centers on an Indian mother whose obsession with marrying off her daughter leads her into the realm of serial murder. It was filmed primarily in English, with some Hindi and Punjabi dialogue...
.
He now provides voiceover links, reading out the various methods of contacting the show on the new Chris Evans Breakfast Show on BBC Radio 2 which has been broadcast since 11 January 2010.
He also appeared as a jazz musician ? Louden in a BBC radio production of 'The Devil's Music' written by Alan Plater.
In 2011, Warrington played the father of a suspected terrorist in the last series of the BBC drama Waking the Dead
Waking the Dead (TV series)
Waking the Dead is a British television police procedural crime drama series produced by the BBC featuring a fictional Cold Case Unit comprising CID police officers, a psychological profiler and a forensic scientist. A pilot episode aired in September 2000 and there have been a total of nine series...
. He is currently in the new BBC show Death in Paradise
Death in Paradise (TV series)
Death in Paradise is a crime drama/comedy joint UK/French television programme filmed in Guadeloupe, the first overseas region of France, starring Ben Miller and Sara Martins.-Synopsis:...
.
Strictly Come Dancing
Warrington competed in the sixth seriesStrictly Come Dancing (Series 6)
The sixth series of Strictly Come Dancing began on BBC One on 20 September 2008, with Bruce Forsyth and Tess Daly returning as presenters, and Craig Revel Horwood, Arlene Phillips, Len Goodman and Bruno Tonioli returning as judges....
of Strictly Come Dancing
Strictly Come Dancing
Strictly Come Dancing is a British television show, featuring celebrities with professional dance partners competing in Ballroom and Latin dances. The title of the show suggests a continuation of the long-running series Come Dancing, with an allusion to the film Strictly Ballroom...
, partnered with the 2005 and 2006 British National Champion in Latin American dance, Lilia Kopylova
Lilia Kopylova
Lilia Andreyevna Kopylova , born 18 June 1978 in Moscow, Soviet Union, is a professional dancer.With her husband Darren Bennett she has been competing as an amateur since July 1997 and as a professional since May 2003...
. After Week 4, he was joint 7th out of the remaining 12 contestants with an average of 24.5 points. In week 5 Don was eliminated having lost the dance-off against Heather Small
Heather Small
Heather Small is a British soul singer, best known for being the lead singer in the Manchester based band M People. Her debut solo album was Proud in 2000...
, with the first three judges all voting for Heather over Don.
He joined the show in order to step out of his comfort zone, and he appreciated the opportunity to learn to dance.
| Week # | Dance/Song | Judges' score | Result | ||||
| Horwood | Phillips | Goodman | Tonioli | Total | |||
| 1 | Cha-Cha-Cha Cha-cha-cha (dance) The Cha-cha-cha is the name of a dance of Cuban origin.It is danced to the music of the same name introduced by Cuban composer and violinist Enrique Jorrín in 1953... / Let's Groove Tonight |
3 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 19 | Dance Off |
| 3 | Tango Tango (dance) Tango dance originated in the area of the Rio de la Plata , and spread to the rest of the world soon after.... / Whatever Lola Wants Whatever Lola Wants "Whatever Lola Wants" is a popular song, sometimes rendered as "Whatever Lola Wants, Lola Gets". The music and words were written by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross for the 1955 musical play Damn Yankees. The song is sung by Lola, the Devil's assistant, a part originated by Gwen Verdon, who reprised... |
7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 30 | Safe |
| 5 | American Smooth / My Way My Way (song) "My Way" is a song popularized by Frank Sinatra. Its lyrics were written by Paul Anka and set to music based on the French song "Comme d'habitude" composed in 1967 by Claude François and Jacques Revaux, with lyrics by Claude François and Gilles Thibault. Anka's English lyrics are unrelated to the... |
6 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 25 | Eliminated |
Television roles
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 to 1978 | Rising Damp Rising Damp Rising Damp is a television sitcom produced by Yorkshire Television for ITV, first broadcast from 1974 to 1978. It was adapted for television by Eric Chappell from his well-received 1971 stage play, The Banana Box The series was the highest-ranking ITV sitcom on the 100 Best Sitcoms poll run in... |
Philip Smith |
| 2002 to 2003 | Manchild | Patrick |
| 2003 to 2005 | The Crouches The Crouches The Crouches is a sitcom which aired on BBC One between 2003 and 2005. The show stars Rudolph Walker, who played Robbie Gee's father, and Mona Hammond, who played Jo's mother. Also other main casts were Robbie Gee and Jo Martin. The show was not well received by critics and only two series were... |
Bailey |
| 2006 to 2007 | New Street Law | Judge Ken Winyard |
| 2006 | "Rise of the Cybermen Rise of the Cybermen "Rise of the Cybermen" is an episode in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. The episode features the return of Cybermen, where they are created on Earth itself. It is the first part of a two-part story, the concluding part being "The Age of Steel"... " |
The President |
| 2009 on | Casualty Casualty (TV series) Casualty, stylised as Casual+y, is a British weekly television show broadcast on BBC One, and the longest-running emergency medical drama television series in the world. Created by Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin, it was first broadcast on 6 September 1986, and transmitted in the UK on BBC One. The... |
Hospital Chaplain |
| 2011 on | Death In Paradise Death in Paradise (TV series) Death in Paradise is a crime drama/comedy joint UK/French television programme filmed in Guadeloupe, the first overseas region of France, starring Ben Miller and Sara Martins.-Synopsis:... |
Commisioner Selwyn Patterson |