Kent Riley
Encyclopedia
Kentigan Peter "Kent" Riley (born 9 April 1984) is an English
actor
, born in Fazakerley
, Liverpool
, & brought up in Lydiate
, where he attended St Gregory's Junior School, where he caught the bug for acting, starring in many of the schools performing arts projects. He went on to attend Maricourt Catholic High School in nearby Maghull
.
He began his acting career in a number of musical theatre productions. At the age of 12, he performed at the world famous Edinburgh festival starring in the title role of Bugsy Malone
for the world famous NYMT (National Youth Music Theatre). He also went on to do more projects for the NYMT, Aurelius & Creation. At 13 he won a prestigious audition for Lionel Bart
's stage production of Oliver!
, landing the part of the street urchin, The Artful Dodger performing for a 3 month stint at the London Palladium
starring alongside Barry Humphries
(Fagan), where he won rave reviews.
Following on from this stint Riley was spotted by a Hollywood agent who invited him over for a round of auditions. It was in his second visit that he landed a role in a film re-make of the Patty Duke Show. Riley went to Montreal
, Canada
to star opposite the Oscar-winning American actress Patty Duke
where he starred as her son, "Liam McAllister". He then went on to college to study drama but also staying active on screen starring in Weirdsister College
as Tim Wraithewright. He also starred in Footballers' Wives
(Kevin Donnelly) & Family Affairs
(Josh Tyler). Riley starred as Zak Ramsey
, a sports science student, in the British soap Hollyoaks
from 2004 to 2010.
Kent will be returning to the stage in 2011 starring in "Our Style is Legendary", a new play about 1980's Nottingham, where he plays the role of Stone and will premiere in March 2011 at the Tristan Bates Theatre.
He has a BA in acting from Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts.
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...
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...
, born in Fazakerley
Fazakerley
Fazakerley is a suburb of north Liverpool, Merseyside, England, and a Liverpool City Council Ward. At the 2001 Census it had a population of 15,062...
, Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, & brought up in Lydiate
Lydiate
-Future:In 2009 planning permission was sought to be a marina on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal by Bells Lane.-Notable residents:*Ian Callaghan, former professional footballer, owned an insurance agency near the Weld Blundell....
, where he attended St Gregory's Junior School, where he caught the bug for acting, starring in many of the schools performing arts projects. He went on to attend Maricourt Catholic High School in nearby Maghull
Maghull
Maghull is a town and civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, in Merseyside, England. The town is located eight miles north of the City of Liverpool and south of Ormskirk in West Lancashire. The area of Moss Side also contains HM Prison Kennet and Ashworth Hospital. Maghull had a...
.
He began his acting career in a number of musical theatre productions. At the age of 12, he performed at the world famous Edinburgh festival starring in the title role of Bugsy Malone
Bugsy Malone
Bugsy Malone is a 1976 musical film, very loosely based on events in New York City in the Prohibition era, specifically the exploits of gangsters like Al Capone and Bugs Moran, as dramatized in cinema...
for the world famous NYMT (National Youth Music Theatre). He also went on to do more projects for the NYMT, Aurelius & Creation. At 13 he won a prestigious audition for Lionel Bart
Lionel Bart
Lionel Bart was a writer and composer of British pop music and musicals, best known for creating the book, music and lyrics for Oliver!-Early life:...
's stage production of Oliver!
Oliver!
Oliver! is a British musical, with script, music and lyrics by Lionel Bart. The musical is based upon the novel Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens....
, landing the part of the street urchin, The Artful Dodger performing for a 3 month stint at the London Palladium
London Palladium
The London Palladium is a 2,286 seat West End theatre located off Oxford Street in the City of Westminster. From the roster of stars who have played there and many televised performances, it is arguably the most famous theatre in London and the United Kingdom, especially for musical variety...
starring alongside Barry Humphries
Barry Humphries
John Barry Humphries, AO, CBE is an Australian comedian, satirist, dadaist, artist, author and character actor, best known for his on-stage and television alter egos Dame Edna Everage, a Melbourne housewife and "gigastar", and Sir Les Patterson, Australia's foul-mouthed cultural attaché to the...
(Fagan), where he won rave reviews.
Following on from this stint Riley was spotted by a Hollywood agent who invited him over for a round of auditions. It was in his second visit that he landed a role in a film re-make of the Patty Duke Show. Riley went to Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
to star opposite the Oscar-winning American actress Patty Duke
Patty Duke
Anna Marie "Patty" Duke is an American actress of stage, film, and television. First becoming famous as a child star, winning an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress at age 16, and later starring in her eponymous sitcom for three years, she progressed to more mature roles upon playing Neely...
where he starred as her son, "Liam McAllister". He then went on to college to study drama but also staying active on screen starring in Weirdsister College
Weirdsister College
Weirdsister College is the sequel to successful British children's television series The Worst Witch . Weirdsister College ran for only 13 episodes and there have been no publicised talks for a returning series....
as Tim Wraithewright. He also starred in Footballers' Wives
Footballers' Wives
Footballers' Wives is a British television drama surrounding the fictional Premier League Association football club Earls Park F.C., its players, and their wives. It was broadcast on the ITV network from 8 January 2002 to 14 April 2006...
(Kevin Donnelly) & Family Affairs
Family Affairs
Family Affairs was a British soap opera broadcast on Five, from 1997 to 2005. It was the second programme to be broadcast on the channel on 30 March 1997, the channel's launch night...
(Josh Tyler). Riley starred as Zak Ramsey
Zak Ramsey
Zak Timothy Ramsey is a fictional character from the long-running Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Kent Riley. Zak first appeared in 2004, when he was credited as 'Zak Barnes'. After only four months, Riley was dropped from the programme. The character received a revival 18 months later...
, a sports science student, in the British soap Hollyoaks
Hollyoaks
Hollyoaks is a long-running British television soap opera, first broadcast on Channel 4 on 23 October 1995. It was originally devised by Phil Redmond, who has also devised shows including Brookside and Grange Hill...
from 2004 to 2010.
Kent will be returning to the stage in 2011 starring in "Our Style is Legendary", a new play about 1980's Nottingham, where he plays the role of Stone and will premiere in March 2011 at the Tristan Bates Theatre.
He has a BA in acting from Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts.