Ray Fearon
Encyclopedia
Fitzroy Raymond "Ray" Fearon (born 1 June 1967 in London
, England
) is a British actor who has worked extensively in theatre, and is known for playing garage mechanic Nathan Harding on ITV
's long-running soap opera
Coronation Street
.
and Europe
and the far east.
His early stage roles included Othello in Othello — opposite Gillian Kearney
's Desdemona — in Liverpool at the age of 24; Charles Surface in The School for Scandal; Betty/Martin in Cloud Nine; Longaville in Love's Labour's Lost; Ferdinand in The Tempest; and Pete in Blues for Mr Charlie.
His early theatre work in London
included Hugo/Frederick in Ring Round the Moon at the Lilian Baylis Theatre; the title role in The Invisible Man (his one-man show) at the Bridewell Theatre; and Pierre in Venice Preserv'd at the Almeida.
He has worked extensively with the Royal Shakespeare Company in their Stratford and London theatres and on tour. He was the first black actor to play the title role in "Othello" in the main Royal Shakespeare theatre (director Michael Attenborough, 1999) giving a powerful and sexy performance alongside Richard McCabe's strong and repressed Iago. They also played opposite one another in 1996's The White Devil (Deborah Warner, Swan theatre) where he played Brachiano and McCabe the villain Flamineo. Fearon was directed by Attenborough also as Romeo in Romeo and Juliet (RSC, Swan Theatre, 1997) alongside Zoe Waites as Juliet.
Other RSC roles have included the First Knight and First Tempter in Murder in the Cathedral (Swan, 1993), Stubb in Moby Dick (TOP, 1993), the Prince of Morocco in The Merchant of Venice (RST, 1994), Paris in Troilus and Cressida (Ian Judge, RST, 1996), the Marquis of Posa in Don Carlos (1999) and Pericles in Adrian Noble
's Pericles, Prince of Tyre
(RST and Roundhouse, 2002).
In 2003 he made a notable Oberon in A Midsummer Night's Dream
at Sheffield's
Crucible Theatre
. In 2004 he appeared in as Jean Kiyabe in World Music by Steve Waters
at the Donmar Warehouse, and in the same year at the National Theatre as Mark in Sing Yer Hearts Out for the Lads by Roy Williams.
and appeared in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
(as Firenze the centaur). He was in the 2006 series of Strictly Come Dancing
, partnered by Camilla Dallerup
, and was voted out in Week 6.
}
| Brush
|
|-
| 2000
|
| Jacob Marley
| TV film
|-
| 2001
| Eastenders
| Lennie
| 1 episode
|-
| 2001
| Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
| Firenze
| Voice
|-
| 2002
|
| Paul Sharpe
| 1 episode
|-
| 2002
| As If
| Riggs
| 10 episodes
|-
| 2003
| Keen Eddie
| Georgie Pendergast
| 1 episode
|-
| 2003
| Waking the Dead
| Miles Patterson
| 1 episode
|-
| 2003–
2006
| Doctors
| Malcolm Tumelo
| 19 episodes
|-
| 2004
| In Search of Shakespeare
| various characters
| 4 episodes
|-
| 2005
| Revelations
| Benjamin
| 1 episode
|-
| 2005
| Coronation Street
| Nathan Cooper
| 75 episodes
|-
| 2005
| This Morning
| Himself
| 1 episode
|-
| 2006
| Strictly Come Dancing
| Himself
| 6 episodes
|-
| 2006
| Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two
| Himself
| 6 episodes
|-
| 2006
| Children in Need
| Himself
| 1 episode
|-
| 2006
| Loose Women
| Himself
| 1 episode
|-
| 2006
| Breakfast
| Himself
| 1 episode
|-
| 2006
|
| Himself
| 1 episode
|-
| 2006
| Coronation Street
|| Himself/performer
| 1 episode
|-
| 2008
|
| The Sous Chef
|
|-
| 2009
| Lulu and Jimi
| Jimi
|
|-
| 2009
| Missing
| Karl Hughes
| 1 episode
|-
| 2010
| Raw
| Paul
| 3 episodes
|-
| 2010
|
| Gabriel Swat
| TV film
|-
| 2010
| Morlocks
| Tyrell
| Post-production
|-
| 2011
| Beate Uhse - Ich will Freiheit für die Liebe
| Jeff
| Filming
|}
----
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, 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...
) is a British actor who has worked extensively in theatre, and is known for playing garage mechanic Nathan Harding on ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
's long-running soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
.
Early life
The son of West Indian parents, with 7 brothers and sisters He was a promising junior tennis player in his early teens.Theatre
After studying drama at Rose Bruford College of speech and drama, Fearon went on to make his reputation as a stage actor, working at Liverpool Everyman Theatre; Manchester Contact Theatre; Manchester Royal Exchange; Oxford Playhouse; Barn Theatre, Kent; The Almeida; The Crucible, Sheffield; The Donmar Warehouse; The Royal Shakespeare Theatres in Stratford and the National Theatre. He has also toured in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and the far east.
His early stage roles included Othello in Othello — opposite Gillian Kearney
Gillian Kearney
Gillian Louise Kearney is an English actress best known for playing Jessica Harrison in the long-running BBC television medical drama series Casualty, and her early role as Debbie McGrath in Channel 4's Liverpool-based soap opera Brookside and the spin-off mini-series Damon and Debbie.-Early...
's Desdemona — in Liverpool at the age of 24; Charles Surface in The School for Scandal; Betty/Martin in Cloud Nine; Longaville in Love's Labour's Lost; Ferdinand in The Tempest; and Pete in Blues for Mr Charlie.
His early theatre work in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
included Hugo/Frederick in Ring Round the Moon at the Lilian Baylis Theatre; the title role in The Invisible Man (his one-man show) at the Bridewell Theatre; and Pierre in Venice Preserv'd at the Almeida.
He has worked extensively with the Royal Shakespeare Company in their Stratford and London theatres and on tour. He was the first black actor to play the title role in "Othello" in the main Royal Shakespeare theatre (director Michael Attenborough, 1999) giving a powerful and sexy performance alongside Richard McCabe's strong and repressed Iago. They also played opposite one another in 1996's The White Devil (Deborah Warner, Swan theatre) where he played Brachiano and McCabe the villain Flamineo. Fearon was directed by Attenborough also as Romeo in Romeo and Juliet (RSC, Swan Theatre, 1997) alongside Zoe Waites as Juliet.
Other RSC roles have included the First Knight and First Tempter in Murder in the Cathedral (Swan, 1993), Stubb in Moby Dick (TOP, 1993), the Prince of Morocco in The Merchant of Venice (RST, 1994), Paris in Troilus and Cressida (Ian Judge, RST, 1996), the Marquis of Posa in Don Carlos (1999) and Pericles in Adrian Noble
Adrian Noble
Adrian Keith Noble is a theatre director, and was also the artistic director and chief executive of the Royal Shakespeare Company from 1990 to 2003.-Education and career:...
's Pericles, Prince of Tyre
Pericles, Prince of Tyre
Pericles, Prince of Tyre is a Jacobean play written at least in part by William Shakespeare and included in modern editions of his collected works despite questions over its authorship, as it was not included in the First Folio...
(RST and Roundhouse, 2002).
In 2003 he made a notable Oberon in A Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night's Dream is a play that was written by William Shakespeare. It is believed to have been written between 1590 and 1596. It portrays the events surrounding the marriage of the Duke of Athens, Theseus, and the Queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta...
at Sheffield's
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
Crucible Theatre
Crucible Theatre
The Crucible Theatre is a theatre built in 1971 and located in the city centre of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. As well as theatrical performances, it is home to the most important event in professional snooker, the World Snooker Championship....
. In 2004 he appeared in as Jean Kiyabe in World Music by Steve Waters
Steve Waters
Steve Waters is a British playwright. His work includes World Music and The Contingency Plan . He will also be partaking in the Bush Theatre's 2011 project Sixty Six where he has written a piece based upon a chapter of the King James...
at the Donmar Warehouse, and in the same year at the National Theatre as Mark in Sing Yer Hearts Out for the Lads by Roy Williams.
Television and film
Fearon played Nathan Harding in Coronation StreetCoronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
and appeared in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, released in the United States and India as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, is a 2001 fantasy film directed by Chris Columbus and based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. The film is the first instalment in the Harry Potter film series,...
(as Firenze the centaur). He was in the 2006 series 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 by Camilla Dallerup
Camilla Dallerup
Camilla Dallerup is a British-based Danish ballroom dancer, dance teacher and model.-Dance career:Dallerup started dancing at the age of two and a half when her mother took her to her first class in Aalborg. She won the Danish Junior Championships at the age of 12...
, and was voted out in Week 6.
Film and television credits
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Prime Suspect | Mark Whitehouse | "Scent of Darkness" |
| 1996 | Hamlet Hamlet (1996 film) Hamlet is a 1996 film version of William Shakespeare's classic play of the same name, adapted and directed by Kenneth Branagh, who also stars in the title role as Prince Hamlet... |
Francisco | |
| 1997 | Band of Gold Band of Gold (TV series) Band of Gold is a television drama series written by Kay Mellor and produced by Granada Television. It wasoriginally shown on ITV between 1995 and 1997... |
Paul | 2 episodes |
| 1997 | Foley Marsh | 1 episode | |
| 1999 |
| Brush
|
|-
| 2000
|
| Jacob Marley
Jacob Marley
Jacob Marley is a fictional character who appears in Charles Dickens' 1843 novella A Christmas Carol.- Relationship with Scrooge:In life, Marley was the business partner of Ebenezer Scrooge. As teenagers, both men had been apprenticed in business and met as clerks in another business...
| TV film
|-
| 2001
| 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...
| Lennie
| 1 episode
|-
| 2001
| Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, released in the United States and India as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, is a 2001 fantasy film directed by Chris Columbus and based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. The film is the first instalment in the Harry Potter film series,...
| Firenze
| Voice
|-
| 2002
|
| Paul Sharpe
| 1 episode
|-
| 2002
| As If
As If
As If is a British comedy-drama series broadcast on Channel 4. There were 76 episodes across four series, the first broadcast on January 22, 2001 and the last on July 31, 2004.-Premise & Facts:...
| Riggs
| 10 episodes
|-
| 2003
| Keen Eddie
Keen Eddie
Keen Eddie is an American action, comedy-drama television series that aired in 2003 on the Fox Network. The series follows a brash NYPD detective who goes to London when one of his cases goes sour and remains to work with New Scotland Yard...
| Georgie Pendergast
| 1 episode
|-
| 2003
| 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...
| Miles Patterson
| 1 episode
|-
| 2003–
2006
| Doctors
| Malcolm Tumelo
| 19 episodes
|-
| 2004
| In Search of Shakespeare
| various characters
| 4 episodes
|-
| 2005
| Revelations
Revelations (TV miniseries)
Revelations is a six episode television miniseries that began airing on April 13, 2005 on NBC. Taking place in the modern day, the show explores the End of Days as well as prophecies relating to them.-Synopsis:...
| Benjamin
| 1 episode
|-
| 2005
| Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
| Nathan Cooper
| 75 episodes
|-
| 2005
| This Morning
This Morning (TV series)
This Morning is a British daytime television programme broadcast on ITV. As of September 2011, its main presenters are Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby, and Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes, with various other presenters standing in for illness or contributing to sections of the programme.The...
| Himself
| 1 episode
|-
| 2006
| 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...
| Himself
| 6 episodes
|-
| 2006
| Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two
Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two
Strictly: It Takes Two is a British television programme, the companion show to the popular BBC One programme Strictly Come Dancing. It airs on weeknights during the run of the main show on BBC Two at 6:30pm...
| Himself
| 6 episodes
|-
| 2006
| Children in Need
Children in Need
Children in Need is an annual British charity appeal organised by the BBC. Since 1980 it has raised over £500 million. The highlight of the Children in Need appeal is an annual telethon, held in November. A teddy bear named "Pudsey Bear" fronts the campaign, while Terry Wogan is a long...
| Himself
| 1 episode
|-
| 2006
| Loose Women
Loose Women
Loose Women is a British lunchtime television programme, first broadcast in 1999 on ITV. It consists of a panel of four women who interview celebrities and discuss topical issues, ranging from daily politics and current affairs, to celebrity gossip...
| Himself
| 1 episode
|-
| 2006
| Breakfast
Breakfast (TV show)
Breakfast is the longest running morning show on Studio 23. It was originally aired on ANC from 1999 to 2001. It is hosted by Atom Araullo, Patty Laurel, Asia Agcaoili and JC Cuadrado. It is also the Morning Show for the Filipino Youth. It airs from 6:00 am to 7:30 am, Mondays to Fridays...
| Himself
| 1 episode
|-
| 2006
|
| Himself
| 1 episode
|-
| 2006
| Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
|| Himself/performer
| 1 episode
|-
| 2008
|
| The Sous Chef
|
|-
| 2009
| Lulu and Jimi
Lulu and Jimi
Lulu and Jimi is a 2009 drama film directed by Oskar Roehler. It is about the relationship between Lulu, a rich German girl and Jimi, a black man, happened in the German 50's.- Plot :...
| Jimi
|
|-
| 2009
| Missing
Missing (2009 TV series)
Missing is a British daytime television drama series starring Pauline Quirke and Mark Wingett. The series is set in a busy, under-resourced missing persons unit, and follows the team led by DS Mary Jane "MJ" Croft . The first series of five episodes aired on BBC One in 2009, with a second series of...
| Karl Hughes
| 1 episode
|-
| 2010
| Raw
Raw (television series)
Raw, an Irish drama television series for RTÉ. The show focuses on the staff at a Dublin restaurant. The first season featured six episodes shown on RTÉ Two in September 2008 and the second season of six episodes was shown on RTÉ One from 10 January 2010...
| Paul
| 3 episodes
|-
| 2010
|
| Gabriel Swat
| TV film
|-
| 2010
| Morlocks
| Tyrell
| Post-production
|-
| 2011
| Beate Uhse - Ich will Freiheit für die Liebe
| Jeff
| Filming
|}
External links
- MarkhamFroggatt.com — listing on agent's website
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