Jimmy Nail
Encyclopedia
James Bradford "Jimmy" Nail (born 16 March 1954) is an English
singer-songwriter
, actor
, musician
, film producer
, film score composer and television writer.
He has starred in numerous roles on television
since 1983. He is 6 foot 3 inches tall and a Newcastle United F.C.
supporter
. He is most famous for his role as Leonard "Oz" Osbourne in the hit television show Auf Wiedersehen, Pet
, his title role in Spender
, and his 1992 number one single "Ain't No Doubt
".
, the son of Laura (née
Johnson) and James Bradford. He had two sisters: Shelagh (who died in June 1967) and Val McLane
, who starred with him in the second series of Auf Wiedersehen Pet playing Dennis Patterson's sister Norma.
in 1983, despite having no acting experience whatsoever (he had appeared as an extra in the movie Get Carter
). Nail has also starred in a number of films and had a long musical career, having been a singer before he was picked out at an audition to play Oz.
In 1989, he appeared as head gamekeeper Rabbetts in the film adaptation
of the Roald Dahl
book Danny, the Champion of the World
.
After the first two series of Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, Nail found himself typecast before creating the detective series Spender
, which he co-wrote with Ian La Frenais
. The show ran for three series from 1990 to 1993 and also produced a tele-film and a novel. This was followed in 1994 by Crocodile Shoes
, which he also created and starred as musician Jed Shepherd. After working with Madonna and Antonio Banderas in Alan Parker's Evita
(1996), he co-starred in Clement & La Frenais' Sony
movie 'Still Crazy' (1998). A song from the movie, The Flame Still Burns, sung by Nail, was nominated for a Golden Globe. In 1999 he began work on reviving the Auf Wiedersehen, Pet series, this time for the BBC
. It was filmed in 2001 and aired in 2002, garnering audience figures of over 12 million. Another series saw the brickies holed up in Cuba, and the final two-hour instalment, set in Thailand
, aired over Christmas 2004 attracting over 7 million viewers.
He has released a number of albums of his own compositions, the first being Take It Or Leave It in 1986, 1991's Growing Up in Public
(featuring among others Gary Moore
, David Gilmour
and George Harrison
) and the last being Tadpoles In A Jar in 1999. His Crocodile Shoes album of 1994 sold over a million copies. Mark Knopfler
plays guitar on some tracks, a compliment that was repaid with an important plot reference to Oz's being a fan of Dire Straits
in the third (revived) series of Auf Wiedersehen, Pet (2002).
In 2001 Nail released an album of cover
songs, Ten Great Songs and an OK Voice. The album contained different versions of songs such as "Walking on the Moon
" (The Police), "Something" (George Harrison
) and "Overjoyed" (Stevie Wonder
).
His work has resulted in five Bafta nominations (three in total for A.W.P., one for Spender, one for Crocodile Shoes), a Golden Globe nomination (Best Original Song - "Still Crazy
"), an Ivor Novello
nomination (for "Ain't No Doubt") and numerous other awards and nominations.
In 2004, Nail successfully sued the News of the World
for defamation (Nail v News Group Newspapers Limited, 20 December 2004) and subsequently received damages of £30,000.
In 2005, his autobiography, A Northern Soul, was published in the UK by Penguin Books
.
In 2008 Nail created and starred as Phil Parker in Parents of the Band, a 6 x 30 mins series on BBC1, broadcast between November 2008 and January 2009. The series revolves around a group of teenagers who form a band just for their own enjoyment, and their parents, who fully expect them to be nothing less than the next Led Zeppelin
. Ratings were disappointing, around the three million mark, and there are presently no plans for a second series.
Nail is currently said to be developing projects with the BBC.
Nail was actively involved in the Sammy Johnson Memorial Fund, established to help young talent in North East England. To aid this, he participated in the Sunday for Sammy
benefit concerts, until workload forced him to resign from the board.
Films in which he has appeared include:
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
, 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...
, musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, film producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
, film score composer and television writer.
He has starred in numerous roles on television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
since 1983. He is 6 foot 3 inches tall and a Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
supporter
Fan (person)
A Fan, sometimes also called aficionado or supporter, is a person with a liking and enthusiasm for something, such as a band or a sports team. Fans of a particular thing or person constitute its fanbase or fandom...
. He is most famous for his role as Leonard "Oz" Osbourne in the hit television show Auf Wiedersehen, Pet
Auf Wiedersehen, Pet
Auf Wiedersehen, Pet is a British comedy-drama television programme about seven English migrant construction workers. In the first series, the men live and work on a building site in Düsseldorf....
, his title role in Spender
Spender
Spender is a BBC television drama set in Newcastle upon Tyne, written by Ian La Frenais and Jimmy Nail, who also starred. The series was produced by Martin McKeand . The series was broadcast on BBC between 1991 and 1993...
, and his 1992 number one single "Ain't No Doubt
Ain't No Doubt
"Ain't No Doubt" is a popular song by Jimmy Nail. Composed by Nail with Guy Pratt, Danny Schogger and Charlie Dore, the song features additional vocals by Sylvia Mason-James...
".
Personal life
Nail was born James Bradford in Benton, Newcastle upon TyneBenton, Newcastle upon Tyne
Benton is a district to the north east of Newcastle upon Tyne. A section of this district is administratively part of the City, but the greater part, which lies inside the Parish of St Bartholomew, Long Benton, is within North Tyneside....
, the son of Laura (née
Married and maiden names
A married name is the family name adopted by a person upon marriage. When a person assumes the family name of her spouse, the new name replaces the maiden name....
Johnson) and James Bradford. He had two sisters: Shelagh (who died in June 1967) and Val McLane
Val McLane
Val McLane is an English actress, scriptwriter, director and teacher.She founded the Live Theatre Company in Newcastle in 1973 with director Geoff Gillham...
, who starred with him in the second series of Auf Wiedersehen Pet playing Dennis Patterson's sister Norma.
Career
Nail rose to fame playing Leonard Jeffrey 'Oz' Osborne in Auf Wiedersehen, PetAuf Wiedersehen, Pet
Auf Wiedersehen, Pet is a British comedy-drama television programme about seven English migrant construction workers. In the first series, the men live and work on a building site in Düsseldorf....
in 1983, despite having no acting experience whatsoever (he had appeared as an extra in the movie Get Carter
Get Carter
Get Carter is a 1971 British crime film directed by Mike Hodges and starring Michael Caine as Jack Carter, a gangster who sets out to avenge the death of his brother in a series of unrelenting and brutal killings played out against the grim background of derelict urban housing in the city of...
). Nail has also starred in a number of films and had a long musical career, having been a singer before he was picked out at an audition to play Oz.
In 1989, he appeared as head gamekeeper Rabbetts in the film adaptation
Danny, the Champion of the World (film)
Danny, the Champion of the World is a 1989 film starring British Oscar winning actor Jeremy Irons, with his son, Samuel Irons, in the title role. It is based on the 1975 novel of the same name by Roald Dahl, and tells of a father and son who conspire to thwart a local businessman's plans to buy...
of the Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl was a British novelist, short story writer, fighter pilot and screenwriter.Born in Wales to Norwegian parents, he served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War, in which he became a flying ace and intelligence agent, rising to the rank of Wing Commander...
book Danny, the Champion of the World
Danny, the Champion of the World
Danny, the Champion of the World is a 1975 children's book by Roald Dahl. The plot main centers on a young English boy, Danny, and his father, William, who live in a Gypsy vardo fixing cars for a living and partake in poaching pheasants. The story is based on Dahl's adult short story "Champion of...
.
After the first two series of Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, Nail found himself typecast before creating the detective series Spender
Spender
Spender is a BBC television drama set in Newcastle upon Tyne, written by Ian La Frenais and Jimmy Nail, who also starred. The series was produced by Martin McKeand . The series was broadcast on BBC between 1991 and 1993...
, which he co-wrote with Ian La Frenais
Ian La Frenais
Ian La Frenais, OBE, , is an English writer best known for his creative partnership with Dick Clement. They are most famous for television series including, The Likely Lads, Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?, Porridge, Lovejoy and Auf Wiedersehen, Pet.They have also written various other work...
. The show ran for three series from 1990 to 1993 and also produced a tele-film and a novel. This was followed in 1994 by Crocodile Shoes
Crocodile Shoes
Crocodile Shoes is a British 7-part television series made by the BBC and screened on BBC One in 1994.The series was written by and starred Jimmy Nail as a factory worker who becomes a country and western singer...
, which he also created and starred as musician Jed Shepherd. After working with Madonna and Antonio Banderas in Alan Parker's Evita
Evita (film)
Evita is the 1996 film adaptation of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical of the same name based on the life of Eva Perón. It was directed by Alan Parker and written by Parker and Oliver Stone. It starred Madonna, Antonio Banderas, and Jonathan Pryce...
(1996), he co-starred in Clement & La Frenais' Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
movie 'Still Crazy' (1998). A song from the movie, The Flame Still Burns, sung by Nail, was nominated for a Golden Globe. In 1999 he began work on reviving the Auf Wiedersehen, Pet series, this time for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
. It was filmed in 2001 and aired in 2002, garnering audience figures of over 12 million. Another series saw the brickies holed up in Cuba, and the final two-hour instalment, set in Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, aired over Christmas 2004 attracting over 7 million viewers.
He has released a number of albums of his own compositions, the first being Take It Or Leave It in 1986, 1991's Growing Up in Public
Growing Up in Public (Jimmy Nail album)
Growing Up in Public is the second album by English actor and singer Jimmy Nail, produced by Nail, Guy Pratt and Danny Schogger and released in 1992 on the Warner Music UK label. Included is the single "Ain't No Doubt", a UK chart topper for three weeks in July 1992. Three further singles were...
(featuring among others Gary Moore
Gary Moore
Robert William Gary Moore , better known simply as Gary Moore, was a Northern Irish musician from Belfast, best recognised as a blues rock guitarist and singer....
, David Gilmour
David Gilmour
David Jon Gilmour, CBE, D.M. is an English rock musician and multi-instrumentalist who is best known as the guitarist, one of the lead singers and main songwriters in the progressive rock band Pink Floyd. In addition to his work with Pink Floyd, Gilmour has worked as a producer for a variety of...
and George Harrison
George Harrison
George Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
) and the last being Tadpoles In A Jar in 1999. His Crocodile Shoes album of 1994 sold over a million copies. Mark Knopfler
Mark Knopfler
Mark Freuder Knopfler, OBE is a Scottish-born British guitarist, singer, songwriter, record producer and film score composer. He is best known as the lead guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter for the British rock band Dire Straits, which he co-founded in 1977...
plays guitar on some tracks, a compliment that was repaid with an important plot reference to Oz's being a fan of Dire Straits
Dire Straits
Dire Straits were a British rock band active from 1977 to 1995, composed of Mark Knopfler , his younger brother David Knopfler , John Illsley , and Pick Withers .Dire Straits' sound drew from a variety of musical influences, including jazz, folk, blues, and came closest...
in the third (revived) series of Auf Wiedersehen, Pet (2002).
In 2001 Nail released an album of cover
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
songs, Ten Great Songs and an OK Voice. The album contained different versions of songs such as "Walking on the Moon
Walking on the Moon
"Walking on the Moon" is a 1979 song by The Police, from their second album, Reggatta de Blanc. The song was The Police's second number-one hit single in the United Kingdom. It reached number nine in Australia but did not chart in the United States...
" (The Police), "Something" (George Harrison
George Harrison
George Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
) and "Overjoyed" (Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
).
His work has resulted in five Bafta nominations (three in total for A.W.P., one for Spender, one for Crocodile Shoes), a Golden Globe nomination (Best Original Song - "Still Crazy
Still Crazy
Still Crazy is a 1998 comedy film about a fictional 1970s rock band named "Strange Fruit", who, after being split up for several decades, are persuaded to get back together to perform at a reunion of the same concert venue where they played their last gig...
"), an Ivor Novello
Ivor Novello
David Ivor Davies , better known as Ivor Novello, was a Welsh composer, singer and actor who became one of the most popular British entertainers of the first half of the 20th century. Born into a musical family, his first successes were as a songwriter...
nomination (for "Ain't No Doubt") and numerous other awards and nominations.
In 2004, Nail successfully sued the News of the World
News of the World
The News of the World was a national red top newspaper published in the United Kingdom from 1843 to 2011. It was at one time the biggest selling English language newspaper in the world, and at closure still had one of the highest English language circulations...
for defamation (Nail v News Group Newspapers Limited, 20 December 2004) and subsequently received damages of £30,000.
In 2005, his autobiography, A Northern Soul, was published in the UK by Penguin Books
Penguin Books
Penguin Books is a publisher founded in 1935 by Sir Allen Lane and V.K. Krishna Menon. Penguin revolutionised publishing in the 1930s through its high quality, inexpensive paperbacks, sold through Woolworths and other high street stores for sixpence. Penguin's success demonstrated that large...
.
In 2008 Nail created and starred as Phil Parker in Parents of the Band, a 6 x 30 mins series on BBC1, broadcast between November 2008 and January 2009. The series revolves around a group of teenagers who form a band just for their own enjoyment, and their parents, who fully expect them to be nothing less than the next Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
. Ratings were disappointing, around the three million mark, and there are presently no plans for a second series.
Nail is currently said to be developing projects with the BBC.
Nail was actively involved in the Sammy Johnson Memorial Fund, established to help young talent in North East England. To aid this, he participated in the Sunday for Sammy
Sunday for Sammy
Sunday for Sammy is a series of biannual charity concerts held in aid of the Sammy Johnson Memorial Fund, which benefits young performers. The concerts have been held at Newcastle City Hall, with the exception of 2006, when the show has hosted at The Sage Gateshead...
benefit concerts, until workload forced him to resign from the board.
Filmography
Television Shows in which he has appeared include:- MinderMinder (TV series)Minder is a British comedy-drama about the London criminal underworld. Initially produced by Verity Lambert, it was made by Euston Films, a subsidiary of Thames Television and shown on ITV...
- (1984)... as Nathan Loveridge in the episode "The Car Lot Baggers" - Auf Wiedersehen Pet - (1983–2004)... as Leonard Jeffrey "Oz" Ozbourne
- Spyship - (1983) ... as Metcalfe
- Blott on the LandscapeBlott on the LandscapeBlott on the Landscape is a novel written in 1975 by Tom Sharpe. It was adapted into a 6-part television series for the BBC in 1985.-Plot:The story revolves around the proposed construction of a motorway through Cleene Gorge in rural South Worfordshire...
(1985)... as Edwards - Master Of The GameMaster of the GameMaster of the Game is a novel by Sidney Sheldon, first published in hardback format in 1982. Spanning six generations in the lives of the fictional MacGregor/Blackwell family, the critically acclaimed novel debuted at number one on the New York Times Bestseller List...
(1985)... as Schmidt - Raoul WallenbergWallenberg: A Hero's StoryWallenberg: A Hero's Story is a 1985 NBC made-for-television movie starring Richard Chamberlain as Raoul Wallenberg, a Swedish diplomat instrumental in saving thousands of Hungarian Jews from the Holocaust....
(1986)... as Vilmos Langfelder - Nicking Kids (1986)...as Criminal 1
- Lenny Henry Tonite (1986) as Guest Star
- Shoot For The Sun (1986)... as Geordie
- SpenderSpenderSpender is a BBC television drama set in Newcastle upon Tyne, written by Ian La Frenais and Jimmy Nail, who also starred. The series was produced by Martin McKeand . The series was broadcast on BBC between 1991 and 1993...
(1991–93)... as Freddie Spender - Crocodile ShoesCrocodile ShoesCrocodile Shoes is a British 7-part television series made by the BBC and screened on BBC One in 1994.The series was written by and starred Jimmy Nail as a factory worker who becomes a country and western singer...
(1994, 1996)... as Jed Shepperd - Parents of the BandParents of the BandParents of the Band is a 2008 British comedy television series, shown on BBC One. The show stars Jimmy Nail, and is set around a teenage musical band, which each band member's parents are trying to manage.- Airing :...
(2008) ... as Phil Parker
Films in which he has appeared include:
- Get CarterGet CarterGet Carter is a 1971 British crime film directed by Mike Hodges and starring Michael Caine as Jack Carter, a gangster who sets out to avenge the death of his brother in a series of unrelenting and brutal killings played out against the grim background of derelict urban housing in the city of...
(1971)... (uncredited extra) - Morons from Outer SpaceMorons from Outer SpaceMorons from Outer Space is a 1985 comedy/science-fiction film directed by Mike Hodges.-Plot:The story begins on a small spaceship docking with a refueling station. On board are a group of four aliens, Bernard, Sandra, Desmond, and Julian...
(1985)... as Desmond - Howling II: Stirba - Werewolf BitchHowling II: Stirba - Werewolf BitchHowling II: Stirba – Werewolf Bitch is a 1985 horror film directed by Philippe Mora...
(1985)...as "Punk" - Dream DemonDream DemonDream Demon is a British horror film, released in 1988, starring Jimmy Nail, Timothy Spall and Jemma Redgrave , who is on the verge of marrying caddish Mark Greenstreet . Spending the night in her spooky old family mansion, Jemma stares into a mirror and begins experiencing terrifying dreams. She...
(1987)... as Paul - Just Ask for DiamondJust Ask for DiamondJust Ask for Diamond is a 1988 British comedy crime film directed by Stephen Bayly and starring Colin Dale, Saeed Jaffrey and Dursley McLinden. A pair of brothers are paid to take care of a confectionary box, but soon come under pressure from various people seeking its contents...
(1988)... as Boyle - CrusoeCrusoe (1989 film)Crusoe is a 1989 film directed by Caleb Deschanel. It is a variation on the story told in the novel Robinson Crusoe, written by author Daniel Defoe. The film stars Aidan Quinn as Crusoe.-Plot:...
(1989)... as Tarik - Danny, the Champion of the World (1990)... as Rabbets
- EvitaEvita (film)Evita is the 1996 film adaptation of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical of the same name based on the life of Eva Perón. It was directed by Alan Parker and written by Parker and Oliver Stone. It starred Madonna, Antonio Banderas, and Jonathan Pryce...
(1996)... as Agustín MagaldiAgustín MagaldiAgustín Magaldi was a tango and milonga singer. His nickname was The sentimental voice of Buenos Aires.Magaldi took part in the opening broadcasts of Argentina's LOY Radio Nacional in July 1924.... - Still CrazyStill CrazyStill Crazy is a 1998 comedy film about a fictional 1970s rock band named "Strange Fruit", who, after being split up for several decades, are persuaded to get back together to perform at a reunion of the same concert venue where they played their last gig...
(1998)... as Les Wickes - The 10th KingdomThe 10th KingdomThe 10th Kingdom is an American epic fantasy miniseries written by Simon Moore and produced by Britain's Carnival Films, Germany's Babelsberg Film und Fernsehen, and the USA's Hallmark Entertainment...
(2000)... as Clayface the Goblin
Own projects
- SpenderSpenderSpender is a BBC television drama set in Newcastle upon Tyne, written by Ian La Frenais and Jimmy Nail, who also starred. The series was produced by Martin McKeand . The series was broadcast on BBC between 1991 and 1993...
(1991–93)... Actor, writer, producer, creator. - Crocodile ShoesCrocodile ShoesCrocodile Shoes is a British 7-part television series made by the BBC and screened on BBC One in 1994.The series was written by and starred Jimmy Nail as a factory worker who becomes a country and western singer...
(1994)... Actor, writer, executive producer, creator. - Crocodile Shoes IICrocodile Shoes IICrocodile Shoes II is a British six part television series made by the BBC and screened on BBC One in 1996. The follow-up to Crocodile Shoes, it was written by Jimmy Nail with Nick Mead as script associate....
(1996)... Actor, writer, executive producer, title music composer, creator - Parents of the BandParents of the BandParents of the Band is a 2008 British comedy television series, shown on BBC One. The show stars Jimmy Nail, and is set around a teenage musical band, which each band member's parents are trying to manage.- Airing :...
(2008–9)... Actor, creator, executive producer, title music composer.