Ricky Tomlinson

Infobox actor
name = Ricky Tomlinson


caption= Tomlinson in 2008.
birthname = Eric Tomlinson
birthdate = birth date and age|1939|09|26
location = Bispham, Blackpool, England
deathdate =
deathplace =
othername =
occupation = Actor
yearsactive = 1982–present
spouse = Rita Cumiskey (2003—)
homepage =

Eric Tomlinson, (better known as Ricky Tomlinson), (born 26 September 1939 in Bispham, Blackpool) is an English actor.

Early life

Tomlinson was born Eric Tomlinson in Bispham, Blackpool, but has lived in Liverpool for most of his life.

Before turning to acting, he worked as a building site plasterer for many years, becoming involved in trade union politics and activism. In 1972, he joined the flying pickets in a building workers dispute in Shrewsbury. He was sentenced to two years in prison after being found guilty of 'conspiracy to intimidate' as one of the so-called Shrewsbury Two, and in 1975 disrupted the TUC conference by shouting from the wings after he had been prevented from speaking from the stage. It was revealed in 2002 that MI5 had monitored him during the 1970s.

In his 2003 autobiography, he revealed that between 1968 and 1972, prior to his involvement with trade union politics, he was a member of the National Front, [ [http://observer.guardian.co.uk/review/story/0,,1055902,00.html His Royle shyness] , "The Observer", October 5 2003] which he now bitterly regrets and puts down to being "politically naive and poorly educated".

Career highlights

As an actor he has found considerable success, appearing as Bobby Grant in the soap opera "Brookside", as DCI Charlie Wise in "Cracker" and as Jim Royle in the sitcom "The Royle Family".

In 2002 Tomlinson starred in the BBC TV Series "Nice Guy Eddie" playing a Liverpool private investigator. Using down-to-earth cases - actually based upon real life cases by Liverpool private investigator Tony Smith - the show also starred Tom Ellis and John Henshaw.

He has also starred in several films, notably "", "Raining Stones" and "Hillsborough", a made-for-TV film about the families' of the victims of the Hillsborough stadium disaster.

Tomlinson has fronted a series of commercials for privatised former nationalised utility British Gas. In 2003 he published an autobiography, entitled "Ricky".

Tomlinson is also a keen banjo player, and has played the instrument in many episodes of "The Royle Family". In 2001 he teamed up with fellow Brookside actor, Michael Starke and other friends for his own rendition of well-known folk songs including "It's A Long Way To Tipperary" and a cover of The Pogues' "Are You Lookin' At Me?". A CD album entitled "Music My Arse" was released the same year. He released a single at Christmas 2006 entitled "Christmas My Arse" which reached #25 in the UK Singles Chart.

On 19 June 2006 Tomlinson made his debut as the guest celebrity in Dictionary Corner on the popular and long-running UK Channel 4 game show Countdown.

In the summer of 2006, Tomlinson toured at theatres across the UK with his show "An Evening with Ricky Tomlinson" where he was interviewed about his life by Elton Welsby.

In December 2006 he presented a programme in Five's Disappearing Britain series entitled "When Coal was King", in which he made controversial comments about Margaret Thatcher's potential death.

In March 2007, Tomlinson presented BBC's " [http://blogs.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/ianwylie/2007/03/ricky_tomlinson_guilty_my.html One Life: Guilty My Arse] ", detailing his version of the Shrewsbury Two case, in which he compared his political activism as a trade unionist to the work of the suffragettes.

On 19 October, 2007 Tomlinson had a major heart operation and underwent a quadruple heart bypass at Liverpool's Cardiothoracic Centre. Consultant cardiac surgeon Aung Oo said: "The operation went according to plan and he is now recovering within the hospital's critical care unit." [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/merseyside/7053221.stm "Actor Tomlinson has heart surgery"] , "BBC News", 19 October 2007]

2008 see's Tomlinson taking his "Laughter Show" on the road with fellow comedians Tony Barton, Duncan Norvelle and Pauline Daniels.

Politics

Ricky Tomlinson has been involved with both the far-left and far-right. More recent events has shown his support for the Campaign for a New Workers' Party. A public meeting was hosted by the CNWP in Liverpool on Monday 12th February 2007 which was addressed by Ricky Tomlinson alongside Tommy Sheridan (Solidarity MSP) and Tony Mulhearn in which he uses the slogan "New Labour my arse".

Filmography

*(1990) Riff-Raff
*(1993) Raining Stones
*(1995) Butterfly Kiss
*(1996) Bob's Weekend
*(1997) Das Leben ist eine Baustelle
*(1997) Preaching to the Perverted
*(1997) Mojo
*(1999) The Greatest Store in the World
*(2000) Nasty Neighbours
*(2001)
*(2001) The 51st State
*(2002) Once Upon a Time in the Midlands
*(2002) Al's Lads
*(2003) The Virgin of Liverpool
*(2007) Stepdad
*(2007)

References

External links

* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/northeast/guides/halloffame/showbiz/ricky_tomlinson.shtml BBC profile] , retrieved December 14, 2007
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/uk/2000/newsmakers/1569062.stm "Ricky Tomlinson: Royle Rebel"] , "BBC", 28 September 2001
*imdb name|id=0866870|name=Ricky Tomlinson
* [http://www.marxist.com/hbtu/chapter_21.html Detailed account of Ricky Tomlinson's involvement in trade union politics and activism] , marxist.com
* [http://www.catalystmedia.org.uk/issues/nerve10/shrewsbury_pickets.php Article on Shrewsbury case] , "Nerve", Spring 2007