- Todd Carty
Infobox actor
imagesize = 150px
name = Todd Carty
| birthdate = birth date and age|1963|8|31
location =Limerick City ,Munster , Ireland
homepage =
notable role = Tucker Jenkins in "Grange Hill " and "Tucker's Luck ",Mark Fowler in "EastEnders ", PCGabriel Kent in "The Bill "Todd Carty (born
31 August 1963 ,Limerick City ,Munster , Ireland) [ [http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-97359622.html Celeb CV: Todd Carty] ] is an Irish-born British-based actor and director, who has grown up on television screens in a variety of roles in the UK. His stage work has varied from pantomime to serious drama, as well as radio plays, voice overs, commercials, and narrations.He is best known for his roles as schoolboy Peter "
Tucker " Jenkins in "Grange Hill ", market traderMark Fowler in "EastEnders ", and villainous policemanGabriel Kent in "The Bill ".Personal life
Born in
Limerick City ,Munster , Ireland in 1963, his family emigrated toEngland , so Carty spent his early years in Kilburn,North London , before moving to Harrow in NW London when he was 8 years old. [ [http://www.irishabroad.com/news/irishpost/news/IrishIdentityImportant211107.ASP Irish identity is so important to Todd] ] As of 2008, Carty lives inMuswell Hill , North London. [ [http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/home/article-911247-details/Mackenzie+takes+the+Highbury+road/article.do Mackenzie takes the Highbury road] ] He has been in a relationship since1992 with his childhood sweetheart and business partner, actress/writer and film producer Dina Clarkin - the daughter of Irish actor Tony Clarkin. The couple have two sons, James and Thomas. In an interview with the "Daily Mirror ", Carty explained how he first met Clarkin when she was a 5-year-old child actress and him a 14-year-old, through their parents. Carty describes Dina as his soul mate. [ [http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/tm_objectid=16233726&method=full&siteid=94762&headline=todd-carty--day-2--dina-was-five-when-we-met--we-re-soul-mates--name_page.html TODD CARTY: DAY 2: DINA WAS FIVE WHEN WE MET..WE'RE SOUL MATES] ]He is a
West Ham United supporter, the West Ham team appearing as guests on the "This is Your Life " tribute to Todd Carty in the year 2000. Todd follows the fortunes of the Republic of Ireland, along with the Ireland rugby team, and theMunster Rugby team.It was reported on "
BBC World News " on16 February 2008 that Todd Carty had collapsed on stage while performing in "The Business of Murder", at The Gordon Craig Theatre, Stevenage. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7249040.stm Actor Carty collapses during play] ] Some newspapers claimed that Carty had suffered a heart attack, though his agent strenuously denied this on "BBC News ", claiming the collapse was caused by a middle ear infection, and that the actor had run out of medication. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7250585.stm Actor Carty rests after collapse] ] Carty confirmed this while being interviewed on ITV's "Loose Women ", shortly after the event.Career
Early career
His first television appearance in the UK was in an advertisement for Woolworths at the age of four. He also had other advertising roles, including one with "
Doctor Who " actorJon Pertwee and the "Green Cross Code ".He made his first stage appearance at the New London Theatre, Drury Lane, as the young Lionel in
Lionel Bart 's autobiographical musical "Lionel "; however, his television career in his youth was mostly defined by his role as Tucker Jenkins inPhil Redmond 's popularBBC drama, "Grange Hill" (1978-1982), and the subsequent spin off series, "Tucker's Luck " (1983-1985).During the 1970s and 1980s, Carty also appeared in "
Z Cars " (1976), "Our Mutual Friend ", "Drummer", and "Headmaster", all for the BBC. And for German TV, "Focus on Britain", and "The Idle Bunch". His film work at the time included "Professor Popper's Problems" and "Please Sir! ". In 1983, he landed the role of Oswyn in the fantasy film "Krull" opposite Ken Marshall, Lysette Anthony, Liam Neeson, and Alun Armstrong, amongst others."EastEnders"
Carty took over the role of original character
Mark Fowler in BBC's "EastEnders " in 1990, following the death of the original actor,David Scarboro . Carty's character was notable for being the first mainstream soap protagonist to be diagnosed as HIV-positive. Carty played the role for 13 years, becoming one of the longest-running male cast-members. In July 2002, the BBC announced that Mark Fowler was being written out of the serial, a mutual decision between the producers and Carty. Executive producerLouise Berridge said that Carty had made a "fantastic contribution" to the soap and Mark had been a "pivotal figure", but the character had finally run its course: "Todd and I have discussed this at some length and agreed that it was time for Mark to hang up his leather jacket for the last time. We will all miss Todd, who is one of our best-loved actors, and wish him every success in the future." [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/2091882.stm EastEnders' Mark axed from square] ] Carty made his final appearance as Mark in February 2003. The character was subsequently killed off-screen in 2004, dying of an AIDS-related illness. Carty has since revealed that he broke his "EastEnders" contract a year earlier than planned to take another role, which resulted in Mark's off-screen death. [ [http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/tm_objectid=16233726&method=full&siteid=94762&headline=todd-carty--day-2--dina-was-five-when-we-met--we-re-soul-mates--name_page.html DINA WAS FIVE WHEN WE MET..WE'RE SOUL MATES] ]Other television and film appearances
Whilst still in "EastEnders" in 1997, Carty appeared with his friend and former "EastEnders" co-star
Nick Berry in the Victorian period adventure film "The Black Velvet Band", aspaghetti western -style drama. Carty was the subject of a "This Is Your Life " tribute in 2000. Guests includedWendy Richard ,Norman Wisdom ,Nick Berry , his partner Dina Clarkin, sons James and Thomas, and his father-in-law, actor Tony Clarkin.After leaving "EastEnders" in 2003, Carty went on to play "bent copper", PC
Gabriel Kent , inITV 's "The Bill ". After leaving "The Bill" in 2005, he returned to the big screen as the aristocrat Harvey Van Bollingbroke in the movie "The Treasure of Albion". Carty acted in "The School That Roared" as the eccentric Mr. Haig, for which he was also second unit director.He has guest-starred as Ray Hallam in the Christmas special of the TV series "Heartbeat", and in BBC's "
Holby City ", as villain Cameron Cooke. In 2008, he guest-starred in BBC's "Doctors", playing the part of Kev Blake.In 2003, Carty reprised the role of Tucker Jenkins in "Grange Hill", as the uncle of one the pupils, Patrick "Togger" Johnson. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/2144505.stm Tucker goes back to Grange Hill] ] He appeared in just this one episode, but he was brought back once again to film for "Grange Hill's" last ever series, broadcast in 2008 — a one-off special episode to celebrate the 30th birthday of the long-running BBC TV show. A movie of "Grange Hill", which will star Todd Carty, has been announced, and is in the early stages of development. [ [http://www.timeout.com/film/news/883/ 'Grange Hill: The Movie'] ]
Carty was a guest on the BBC1 show "I'd Do Anything", in May 2008, with
Cameron Mackintosh , helping to choose one of the selected boys to playOliver Twist , for the new West End production ofOliver! Radio, presenting and stage
Carty's radio work includes such dramas as "
Les Misérables "; "The Three Loves of Ida Bliss"; "We Are Happy"; "Wavelength"; "Midweek"; "Jellybones";"The London Particulars"; and "The Chocolate Frigate". Narration work includes "Paddington Green "; the story of New York subway's Guardian Angels,"Scene in New York"; "The Fame Game"; "Driving Mum Crazy"; "Snapshot-Eddie Kidd"; "The Jungle Creatures"; and many more.Carty has played Ali Baba in the BBC Christmas pantomime "
Aladdin ", and later starred withBarbara Windsor as the captain's mate inDick Whittington at The Orchard Theatre, Dartford. He also appeared as "King Rat", withBasil Brush in the pantomime "Dick Whittington " at The Wycombe Swan Theatre, between 2005 and 2006. [ [http://www.bbc.co.uk/threecounties/content/articles/2005/11/16/todd_carty_interview_feature.shtml What a King Rat?!] ] He reprised the role of King Rat in a new version of "Dick Whittington", at The Capital Theatre,Horsham , which ran from13 December 2007 to6 January 2008 .In 1989, Carty reprised the role of Tucker in the musical stage version of the TV series "Grange Hill", "Grange Hill: Tucker's Return", at the Queen's Theatre, Hornchurch. Between 2007 and 2008, he toured the UK with the
Richard Harris stage play, "The Business of Murder", as Police Detective Hallett.Todd Carty and
Wendy Richard (who famously played his screen mother Pauline in "EastEnders") presented "50 Greatest Families" onSky One in March 2008.Most recently, Todd Carty was interviewed on
BBC News and various radio shows, as well as in newspapers, to talk about his guest-star appearance as the legendaryTucker , in the last ever televised episode ofGrange Hill , which was screened on Monday, 15th September, 2008 onBBC1 Todd will soon be seen with his eldest son, 11-year-old James Carty, in a factual television series for
Channel Five , "Dangerous Adventures For Boys", based on the book written by Conn and Hal Iggulden, "The Dangerous Book for Boys ".Directing and producing
Carty and his partner, actress/writer and film producer Dina Clarkin, set up a film production company, Swordfish Productions. [ [http://www.mirror.co.uk/showbiz/2007/12/03/todd-s-back-as-tucker-89520-20194758/ Grange Hill: Todd Carty returns to kid's show as Tucker Jenkins] ] In July 2007, Carty made his directorial debut as director of several episodes of the BBC's daytime soap opera, "Doctors".
References
External links
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