Paul Nicholls
Encyclopedia
Paul Nicholls is an English
actor.
children's drama Earthfasts
and The Biz
, a teenage performing arts drama filmed at Hampton Court. However, it was his character of Joe Wicks
in BBC's long-running soap series EastEnders
which earned him national attention. He made his first appearance in the series in February 1996 and soon attracted a large fanbase of female teenage viewers, reportedly receiving more mail than all other cast members combined. In 1997 the BBC initiated a fan club to which mail could be directed; membership reached 3500 with newsletters and photo packs provided to subscribers.
Throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s, he was being widely featured in numerous posters, pin-ups, and teen/television/pop culture magazines including Attitude, BIG!, Bliss, Gay Times, Heat, Just Seventeen, Live & Kicking, MIZZ, My Guy, Now, OK, Radio Times, Shout, Sky International, Sky magazine, Smash Hits, Sneak, Sugar, TV Hits, TV Times, and What's on TV. Nicholls won the BBC's "Top Man" award (Live and Kicking) and Inside Soap's "Most Fanciable Male" award (1997), and was nominated as "Most Popular Actor" in the UK's National Television Awards (1997). Although he was offered a lucrative long-term Eastenders
contract by the BBC and was reportedly the highest-paid teen actor in the United Kingdom at the time, he did not wish to be typecast and left the series in September 1997. Subsequently, the BBC created a role for him as PC Terry Sydenham in the police series City Central which he played from 1998 to 1999, when the character was killed off in a murder storyline.
In 1999, he portrayed Christ in the 3-part BBC contemporary Easter production of The Passion, and in 2008 he portrayed Judas in another BBC Easter series of the same title, for which he grew a full beard. Later television appearances included acting alongside Julie Walters
in the 2003 BBC
adaptations of The Canterbury Tales
(The Wife of Bath), as notorious art thief Adam Rice in the final episode in series 3 of Hustle
, as romantic young idealist Gary Scant in the lead role of the 2004 6-part BBC miniseries
A Thing Called Love, and as boy band singer Connor Gruff in the Billy Goat episode of the BBC series Fairy Tales (2007). In July 2007, he played the part of Terry in Channel 4's Clapham Junction
. This drama depicted 36 hours in the life of several gay men and was amongst several programmes commemorating the 40th anniversary of the decriminalisation of homosexual practices in England & Wales. He appeared as the character Robert Fielding in Harley Street
alongside Suranne Jones in July and August 2008, and was recently cast as DS Sam Casey in ITV1
detective series Law & Order UK, replacing Jamie Bamber
.
drama The Trench
(1999), Trevor Bentham's 1999 adaptation of the 1776 romantic comedy play The Clandestine Marriage
for which he grew very long hair, Nick Love's Goodbye Charlie Bright
(2001), If Only (2004) and a cameo role in Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason
(2004). He appeared briefly as a street boxer in Nick Love's 1999 short film Love Story. In 2010, he starred in UK feature film Life Just Is, due for release in 2011 (playing 'Bobby' who is in a relationship with 'Jay', played by Jayne Wisener
).
at the Bush Theatre
, London. His West End
debut was in 2000 as Edmund Tyrone in Eugene O'Neill
's adaptation of Long Day's Journey Into Night
at the Lyric. Other London stage appearances include Mrs Steinberg and the Byker Boy at the Bush Theatre
(2000), Vincent in Brixton at the Royal National Theatre
(2002) and a return to the Lyric in Festen in 2005. He was due to play a leading role in the Donmar Warehouse
's 2006 production of Phaedra, but withdrew with a severe throat condition.
, Greater Manchester
, and is the son of Paul and Julie Greenhalgh. He attended Church Road County Primary School and Smithills Secondary School in Bolton, where he achieved seven GCSE passes including an 'A' in Drama. His early acting experience included roles at the Bolton Little Theatre and he also attended the prestigious Sylvia Young acting school in London for a period.
His teenage sporting and other physical activities included skateboarding, surfing, swimming, basketball and football (soccer). He was an accomplished teenage kickboxer and has more recently taken up regular boxing and skydiving. He is a supporter of Bolton Wanderers and played in TV celebrity football matches as a teenager.
On 2 August 2008, Nicholls married his girlfriend of three years, model Chantal Brown, in a ceremony near their home in Hampstead
, north London.
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...
actor.
Career in TV
Nicholls made his TV debut in 1989, at the age of 10, in Children's Ward. In 1994 he appeared in the BBCBBC
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...
children's drama Earthfasts
Earthfasts (TV series)
Earthfasts is a BBC children's drama series based upon the 1966 book of the same title by William Mayne. It was filmed on location in Richmond and Wensleydale, North Yorkshire, and was aired in 1994.-Plot summary:...
and The Biz
The Biz (TV series)
The Biz was a BBC children's television drama series about a group of teenagers at a fictional stage school.The series was written by Chris Ellis and Sarah-Louise Hawkins. The director was Nigel Douglas. It ran for three series, from 1994 to 1996....
, a teenage performing arts drama filmed at Hampton Court. However, it was his character of Joe Wicks
Joe Wicks
Joe Wicks is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Paul Nicholls. He appeared on screen between 25 March 1996 and 14 November 1997. EastEnders was praised for the character's portrayal of schizophrenia.-Storylines:...
in BBC's long-running soap series EastEnders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
which earned him national attention. He made his first appearance in the series in February 1996 and soon attracted a large fanbase of female teenage viewers, reportedly receiving more mail than all other cast members combined. In 1997 the BBC initiated a fan club to which mail could be directed; membership reached 3500 with newsletters and photo packs provided to subscribers.
Throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s, he was being widely featured in numerous posters, pin-ups, and teen/television/pop culture magazines including Attitude, BIG!, Bliss, Gay Times, Heat, Just Seventeen, Live & Kicking, MIZZ, My Guy, Now, OK, Radio Times, Shout, Sky International, Sky magazine, Smash Hits, Sneak, Sugar, TV Hits, TV Times, and What's on TV. Nicholls won the BBC's "Top Man" award (Live and Kicking) and Inside Soap's "Most Fanciable Male" award (1997), and was nominated as "Most Popular Actor" in the UK's National Television Awards (1997). Although he was offered a lucrative long-term Eastenders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
contract by the BBC and was reportedly the highest-paid teen actor in the United Kingdom at the time, he did not wish to be typecast and left the series in September 1997. Subsequently, the BBC created a role for him as PC Terry Sydenham in the police series City Central which he played from 1998 to 1999, when the character was killed off in a murder storyline.
In 1999, he portrayed Christ in the 3-part BBC contemporary Easter production of The Passion, and in 2008 he portrayed Judas in another BBC Easter series of the same title, for which he grew a full beard. Later television appearances included acting alongside Julie Walters
Julie Walters
Julie Walters, CBE is an English actress and novelist. She came to international prominence in 1983 for Educating Rita, performing in the title role opposite Michael Caine. It was a role she had created on the West End stage and it won her BAFTA and Golden Globe awards for Best Actress...
in the 2003 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...
adaptations of The Canterbury Tales
The Canterbury Tales
The Canterbury Tales is a collection of stories written in Middle English by Geoffrey Chaucer at the end of the 14th century. The tales are told as part of a story-telling contest by a group of pilgrims as they travel together on a journey from Southwark to the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket at...
(The Wife of Bath), as notorious art thief Adam Rice in the final episode in series 3 of Hustle
Hustle (TV series)
Hustle is a British television drama series made by Kudos Film and Television for BBC One in the United Kingdom. Created by Tony Jordan and first broadcast in 2004, the series follows a group of con artists who specialise in "long cons" – extended deceptions which require greater commitment, but...
, as romantic young idealist Gary Scant in the lead role of the 2004 6-part BBC miniseries
A Thing Called Love, and as boy band singer Connor Gruff in the Billy Goat episode of the BBC series Fairy Tales (2007). In July 2007, he played the part of Terry in Channel 4's Clapham Junction
Clapham Junction (film)
Clapham Junction is a 2007 British television film, written by Kevin Elyot. Directed by Adrian Shergold, the film centers on the experiences of several gay men during a 36 hour period in the Clapham area of London and the consequences when their lives collide...
. This drama depicted 36 hours in the life of several gay men and was amongst several programmes commemorating the 40th anniversary of the decriminalisation of homosexual practices in England & Wales. He appeared as the character Robert Fielding in Harley Street
Harley Street (TV series)
Harley Street is a British television medical drama shown on ITV in 2008.The series was made by Carnival Films and was set in Harley Street, London...
alongside Suranne Jones in July and August 2008, and was recently cast as DS Sam Casey in ITV1
ITV1
ITV1 is a generic brand that is used by twelve franchises of the British ITV Network in the English regions, Wales, southern Scotland , the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey. The ITV1 brand was introduced by Carlton and Granada in 2001, alongside the regional identities of their...
detective series Law & Order UK, replacing Jamie Bamber
Jamie Bamber
Jamie Bamber is the stage name of Jamie St. John Bamber Griffith , a British actor known most widely for his roles as Lee Adama on Battlestar Galactica and Detective Sergeant Matt Devlin on the ITV series Law & Order: UK...
.
Film
Nicholls' film appearances include World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
drama The Trench
The Trench (film)
The Trench is a 1999 film directed by William Boyd that portrays a group of young British soldiers on the eve of the Battle of the Somme in the last 48 hours.-Synopsis:...
(1999), Trevor Bentham's 1999 adaptation of the 1776 romantic comedy play The Clandestine Marriage
The Clandestine Marriage
The Clandestine Marriage is a comedy by George Colman the Elder and David Garrick, first performed in 1766 at Drury Lane. The idea came from one of William Hogarth's engravings.-Plot summary:...
for which he grew very long hair, Nick Love's Goodbye Charlie Bright
Goodbye Charlie Bright
Goodbye Charlie Bright is a 2001 film directed by Nick Love and starring Paul Nicholls, Roland Manookian and Danny Dyer. The film is also known by the U.S. title Strong Boys.-Plot:...
(2001), If Only (2004) and a cameo role in Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (film)
# Will Young - "Your Love Is King"# Jamelia - "Stop"# Kylie Minogue - "Can't Get You Out of My Head"# Joss Stone - "Super Duper Love Pt. 1"# Mary J...
(2004). He appeared briefly as a street boxer in Nick Love's 1999 short film Love Story. In 2010, he starred in UK feature film Life Just Is, due for release in 2011 (playing 'Bobby' who is in a relationship with 'Jay', played by Jayne Wisener
Jayne Wisener
Jayne Wisener is a Northern Irish actress and singer. She is best known for playing Johanna in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.-Background:...
).
Stage
Nicholls appeared in several teenage stage roles, notably as Aladdin in Aladdin - Genie of the Ring at the Central Theatre, Chatham (1996/97) and as Billy Fisher in the 1998 production of Billy LiarBilly Liar
Billy Liar is a 1959 novel by Keith Waterhouse, which was later adapted into a play, a film, a musical and a TV series. The work has inspired and featured in a number of popular songs....
at the Bush Theatre
Bush Theatre
The Bush Theatre is based in Shepherd's Bush, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. It was established in 1972 above The Bush public house by Brian McDermott, and has since become one of the most celebrated new writing theatres in the world. An intimate venue renowned for its close-up...
, London. His West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
debut was in 2000 as Edmund Tyrone in Eugene O'Neill
Eugene O'Neill
Eugene Gladstone O'Neill was an American playwright and Nobel laureate in Literature. His poetically titled plays were among the first to introduce into American drama techniques of realism earlier associated with Russian playwright Anton Chekhov, Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen, and Swedish...
's adaptation of Long Day's Journey Into Night
Long Day's Journey Into Night
Long Day's Journey Into Night is a 1956 drama in four acts written by American playwright Eugene O'Neill. The play is widely considered to be his masterwork...
at the Lyric. Other London stage appearances include Mrs Steinberg and the Byker Boy at the Bush Theatre
Bush Theatre
The Bush Theatre is based in Shepherd's Bush, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. It was established in 1972 above The Bush public house by Brian McDermott, and has since become one of the most celebrated new writing theatres in the world. An intimate venue renowned for its close-up...
(2000), Vincent in Brixton at the Royal 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...
(2002) and a return to the Lyric in Festen in 2005. He was due to play a leading role in the Donmar Warehouse
Donmar Warehouse
Donmar Warehouse is a small not-for-profit theatre in the Covent Garden area of London, with a capacity of 251.-About:Under the artistic leadership of Michael Grandage, the theatre has presented some of London’s most memorable award-winning theatrical experiences, as well as garnered critical...
's 2006 production of Phaedra, but withdrew with a severe throat condition.
Personal life
Nicholls is from BoltonBolton
Bolton is a town in Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. Close to the West Pennine Moors, it is north west of the city of Manchester. Bolton is surrounded by several smaller towns and villages which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, of which Bolton is the...
, Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
, and is the son of Paul and Julie Greenhalgh. He attended Church Road County Primary School and Smithills Secondary School in Bolton, where he achieved seven GCSE passes including an 'A' in Drama. His early acting experience included roles at the Bolton Little Theatre and he also attended the prestigious Sylvia Young acting school in London for a period.
His teenage sporting and other physical activities included skateboarding, surfing, swimming, basketball and football (soccer). He was an accomplished teenage kickboxer and has more recently taken up regular boxing and skydiving. He is a supporter of Bolton Wanderers and played in TV celebrity football matches as a teenager.
On 2 August 2008, Nicholls married his girlfriend of three years, model Chantal Brown, in a ceremony near their home in Hampstead
Hampstead
Hampstead is an area of London, England, north-west of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Camden in Inner London, it is known for its intellectual, liberal, artistic, musical and literary associations and for Hampstead Heath, a large, hilly expanse of parkland...
, north London.
Films
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | The Trench The Trench The Trench is a 1999 science fiction novel by author Steve Alten. The book continues the adventure of Jonas Taylor, a paleobiologist, studying the megalodon.- Plot summary :... |
Pte. Billy Macfarlane | |
| The Clandestine Marriage The Clandestine Marriage (film) The Clandestine Marriage is a 1999 British comedy film directed by Christopher Miles and starring Nigel Hawthorne, Joan Collins, Timothy Spall and Tom Hollander. It is based on the 1766 play The Clandestine Marriage by David Garrick and George Colman.... |
Richard Lovewell | ||
| 2000 | Self Help | Greene | Short Film |
| 2001 | Goodbye Charlie Bright Goodbye Charlie Bright Goodbye Charlie Bright is a 2001 film directed by Nick Love and starring Paul Nicholls, Roland Manookian and Danny Dyer. The film is also known by the U.S. title Strong Boys.-Plot:... |
Charlie Bright | |
| 2002 | High Speed | Ruben | Also known as The Ride and Joy-Rider |
| 2004 | If Only | Ian Wyndham | |
| Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason is a 1999 novel by Helen Fielding, a sequel to her popular Bridget Jones's Diary. It chronicles Bridget Jones's adventures after she begins to suspect that her boyfriend, Mark Darcy, is falling for a rich young solicitor who works in the same firm as him, a woman... |
Jed | ||
| 2008 | Daylight Robbery Daylight Robbery (2008 film) Daylight Robbery is a 2008 English film directed by Paris Leonti and stars Paul Nicholls and Geoff Bell.-Plot:Alex masterminds an ambitious plan to steal millions of untraceable cash that is stacked in the underground vaults of The London Exchange Bank, waiting for its last journey, Incineration.... |
Chubby | |
| Faintheart Faintheart Faintheart is a 2008 film, the first to be created using input from an online site.The film was a result of a collaborative effort from Myspace, Vertigo films and Film4. The resulting group, MyMovieMashUp, sought to harness the talents of the online community and to enable them to be involved in... |
Gary | ||
| 2011 | Life Just Is | Bobby | |
TV
| Year | Show | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Earthfasts Earthfasts (TV series) Earthfasts is a BBC children's drama series based upon the 1966 book of the same title by William Mayne. It was filmed on location in Richmond and Wensleydale, North Yorkshire, and was aired in 1994.-Plot summary:... |
David | Series regular |
| 1995 | The Biz The Biz (TV series) The Biz was a BBC children's television drama series about a group of teenagers at a fictional stage school.The series was written by Chris Ellis and Sarah-Louise Hawkins. The director was Nigel Douglas. It ran for three series, from 1994 to 1996.... |
Tim Marshall | Series regular |
| 1996 | Out of the Blue Out of the Blue (1995 TV series) Out of the Blue was a hard-hitting BBC police drama, set and filmed in Sheffield. It was described by series script editor Claire Elliot as "contemporary, gritty, urban reality".... |
Matt Pearson | 1 episode: 2.1 |
| 1996–1997 | EastEnders EastEnders EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End... |
Joe Wicks Joe Wicks Joe Wicks is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Paul Nicholls. He appeared on screen between 25 March 1996 and 14 November 1997. EastEnders was praised for the character's portrayal of schizophrenia.-Storylines:... |
Series regular |
| 1998–1999 | City Central | PC Terry Sydenham | Series regular |
| 1999 | Love Story | Seth | |
| The Passion | Daniel | ||
| 2001 | Table 12 | Ol | 1 episode: "Settling Up" |
| 2003 | The Canterbury Tales The Canterbury Tales (TV Series) The Canterbury Tales is a series of six single dramas that originally aired on BBC One in 2003. Each story is an adaptation of one of Geoffrey Chaucer's 14th century Canterbury Tales which are transferred to a modern, 21st century setting, but still set along the traditional Pilgrims' route to... |
Jerome | 1 episode: "The Wife of Bath" |
| Blue Dove | Nick Weston | 8 part series | |
| 2004 | Gunpowder, Treason & Plot Gunpowder, Treason & Plot Gunpowder, Treason & Plot was a 2004 BBC miniseries loosely based upon the lives of Mary, Queen of Scots, and her son James I of England. The writer Jimmy McGovern tells the story behind the Gunpowder Plot in two parts, each centred on one of the monarchs.... |
Lord Darnley | |
| A Thing Called Love | Gary Scant | 6 part series | |
| 2006 | Hustle Hustle (TV series) Hustle is a British television drama series made by Kudos Film and Television for BBC One in the United Kingdom. Created by Tony Jordan and first broadcast in 2004, the series follows a group of con artists who specialise in "long cons" – extended deceptions which require greater commitment, but... |
Adam Rice | 1 episode: "Law and Corruption" |
| 2007 | Agatha Christie's Marple | Ted Latimer | 1 episode: "Towards Zero Towards Zero Towards Zero is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie first published in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company in June 1944 and in the UK by the Collins Crime Club in July of the same year... " |
| Clapham Junction Clapham Junction (film) Clapham Junction is a 2007 British television film, written by Kevin Elyot. Directed by Adrian Shergold, the film centers on the experiences of several gay men during a 36 hour period in the Clapham area of London and the consequences when their lives collide... |
Terry | TV Film | |
| 2008 | Fairy Tales Fairy Tales (TV series) Fairy Tales is a British television drama anthology series produced by Hat Trick Productions for BBC Northern Ireland and broadcast on BBC One. Traditional fairy tales are adapted into modern settings, after the model of ShakespeaRe-Told and The Canterbury Tales... |
Connor Gruff | 1 episode: "Billy Goat" |
| The Passion The Passion (TV serial) The Passion is a television drama serial produced by the BBC and HBO Films in association with Deep Indigo Productions. It tells the story of the last week in the life of Jesus. The serial was first proposed by Peter Fincham in 2006, on the success of the contemporary-set Manchester Passion... |
Judas | 4 part series | |
| Bonekickers Bonekickers Bonekickers was a BBC drama about a team of archaeologists, set at the fictional Wessex University. It debuted on 8 July 2008 and ran for one series.... |
James | 1 episode: "Army of God Army of God (Bonekickers) Army of God is the first episode of the BBC archaeology drama, Bonekickers, airing on July 8 2008. It was written by Life on Mars creator Matthew Graham, and filmed in the City of Bath. A small amount of the episode, as with the following episodes, relies on a flashback to the time that the... " |
|
| Harley Street Harley Street (TV series) Harley Street is a British television medical drama shown on ITV in 2008.The series was made by Carnival Films and was set in Harley Street, London... |
Dr. Robert Fielding | 6 part series | |
| 2011 | Secret Diary Of A Call Girl Secret Diary of a Call Girl Secret Diary of a Call Girl is a British television drama broadcast on ITV2 from 2007-2011 based on the blog and books by the pseudonymous "Belle de Jour," starring Billie Piper as Belle, a high-class London call girl. The series was written by Lucy Prebble, who is also known as the author of The... |
Harry | 3 episodes |
| Candy Cabs Candy Cabs Candy Cabs is a comedy drama series shown on BBC One in April 2011. The plot revolves around a group of friends who set up a female-only taxi company in a seaside town in Northern England... |
Tony | 3 part series | |
| 2011–present | Law & Order UK | DS Sam Casey | Series Regular |
| 2012 | Midsomer Murders Midsomer Murders Midsomer Murders is a British television detective drama that has aired on ITV since 1997. The show is based on the books by Caroline Graham, as originally adapted by Anthony Horowitz. The lead character is DCI Tom Barnaby who works for Causton CID. When Nettles left the show in 2011 he was... |
1 episode: "The Rare Bird" | |