George Costigan

George Costigan
Born
George J. Costigan

(1947-08-08) 8 August 1947 (age 76)
NationalityEnglish
OccupationActor
Years active1975–present

George J. Costigan (born 8 August 1947) is an English actor who is best known for portraying Bob in the 1987 film Rita, Sue and Bob Too and for roles in TV series such as Happy Valley and So Haunt Me.

Early life

Born in Portsmouth, Hampshire, Costigan grew up in Salford, Greater Manchester. After attending St Augustine's C of E Primary School on Bolton Road in Pendlebury, he went to Wardley Grammar School on Mardale Avenue in Wardley near Swinton.

Career

Costigan has appeared regularly on television since 1978. He played Tom Towers in the 1982 series of The Barchester Chronicles, an adaption of the novels by Anthony Trollope, and in the same year starred as Tom Hannaway in a BBC adaptation of Fame is the Spur.

In 1984, he appeared as lead guest actor playing Wilson Kemp in The Greek Interpreter, an episode of the successful Granada TV series The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, and, in the same year, also played Philip the Bastard in the BBC Television Shakespeare production of The Life and Death of King John (alongside Leonard Rossiter in the title role).

In 1986, he played the lead role of Bob, an adulterous businessman in the small independent comedy film Rita, Sue and Bob Too, which has since achieved cult status. He has since starred or featured in many television productions, including The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (channelling Peter Lorre) Kavanagh QC, Coogan's Run, Connie, A Touch of Frost, Inspector Morse, Murder Most Horrid, London's Burning, The Bill, Holby City, The Long Firm, City Central, Vera, Dalziel and Pascoe, The Ruth Rendell Mysteries, The Inspector Lynley Mysteries, The Beiderbecke Connection, New Tricks, Linda Green and Casualty. His film work includes Calendar Girls and Shirley Valentine.

He appeared in the role of Max Capricorn in the 2007 Doctor Who Christmas special, Voyage of the Damned.

In 1974, he joined the Liverpool Everyman Theatre Company, where he met his second wife, Jooles, remaining with the company for eight years. Whilst at the Everyman he appeared as Bert in the Willy Russell musical John, Paul, George, Ringo and Bert alongside Trevor Eve, Anthony Sher, and Bernard Hill.

In the theatre, he created the role of Mickey Johnstone in Willy Russell's musical Blood Brothers, originally at the Liverpool Playhouse, and later at the Lyric Theatre, London. He then played the role of Estragon in Samuel Beckett's play Waiting for Godot at the Manchester Library Theatre for three weeks from 16 February to 8 March 2008, and played Willy Loman in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman at York Theatre Royal in November 2008. In December 2009, it was announced that he is to join Emmerdale as a friend of Rodney Blackstock. He made his debut in the soap in March 2010 and his last appearance was shown on 23 July 2010. In April 2010, he starred as Alan, the ex-husband of Christine, Inspector Frost's new love interest in A Touch of Frost. In 2012, he appeared in William Shakespeare's King Lear at the Citizens Theatre, Glasgow, alongside David Hayman. In 2014, he appeared in Happy Valley. He resumed the role, Nevison Gallagher, in the 2016 series. He also starred in the hit TV series Line of Duty as Patrick Fairbank.

In July 2016, he played Sir Ethelred in the BBC's 3-part television adaptation of Joseph Conrad's 1907 novel The Secret Agent.

His first novel The Single Soldier was published in Spring 2017. The second and third parts of the trilogy, The Soldier's Home are also published via Urbane Publishers.[citation needed]

Personal life

His partner is the writer Julia North, with whom he wrote a 1990 episode of Birds of a Feather. They have three sons. He supports Everton FC.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1975 Jenny Can't Work Any Faster Brian TV film
1978 The Sailor's Return Harry Targett
1980 Bloody Kids School Master 2 TV film
1981 Somewhere More Central Hotel Manager TV film
1983 Red Monarch Projectionist TV film
1984 The Life and Death of King John Philip TV film
1986 The Great Paper Chase Sargeant Jones TV film
1987 Rita, Sue and Bob Too Bob
1989 Shirley Valentine Dougie
1993 The Hawk Stephen Marsh
1995 A Mind to Murder Robin Cheeseman TV film
1998 Girls' Night Steve
The Tribe Micky
2000 Paranoid Bryan Uncredited
2001 Love or Money Ted TV film
2002 Stranded Quirk TV film
2003 Calendar Girls Eddie
2005 Frozen P.C. Pike
2007 The Good Samaritan Ralph Mayhew TV film
Garage Dan
2008 Hancock and Joan George TV film
Summer Mr. Tanner
2010 The Arbor Jimmy 'The Wig'
Hereafter Foster Father

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1977 Second City Firsts Trevor Episode: "Fattening Frogs for Snakes"
1978 Pickersgill People Duggie Butterworth Episode: "The Sheik of Pickersgill"
1981 Screenplay Ted Episode: "Happy Since I Met You"
1982 Play for Today Nolan Episode: "Under the Skin"
Fame Is the Spur Tom Hannaway Mini-series, 5 episodes
The Barchester Chronicles Tom Towers Mini-series, 2 episodes
1983 Widows Charlie Mini-series, 4 episodes
1985 Connie Arnie Series regular
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Wilson Kemp Episode: "The Greek Interpreter"
1988 Rockliffe's Babies Johnny Wilshire Episode: "Top Man"
The Beiderbecke Connection D.C. Ben Mini-series, 4 episodes
London's Burning David 2 episodes
1989 Bergerac Oliver Sutton Episode: "Trenchard's Last Case"
The Jim Henson Hour Father Episode: "Monster Maker"
1990 Inspector Morse Ron Garrett Episode: "The Infernal Serpent"
Stolen Terry 3 episodes
Casualty Robert Episode: "Results"
London's Burning Michael 2 episodes
1991 Chimera Schaffer Mini-series, 3 episodes
Minder Billy 2 episodes
1992–1994 So Haunt Me Peter Rokeby Series regular
1993 The Riff Raff Element Vincent 3 episodes
Screenplay Sean Episode: "Safe"
1994 Screen Two Don Episode: "Sin Bin"
The Ruth Rendell Mysteries Det. Insp. Manciple Episode: "Master of the Moor"
1995 Kavanagh QC Michael Duggan Episode: "A Family Affair"
Coogan's Run Barry Parry Episode: "Get Calf"
1996 Madson George Dartnell Episode: #1.2
Murder Most Horrid Dave Jones Episode: "Confess"
1997 Hetty Wainthropp Investigates Wallace Pickering Episode: "Fisticuffs"
Casualty Martin Gregory Episode: "Always on My Mind"
1999 Badger Moncur Episode: "The World According to Carp"
2000 City Central DI Jack Carter Series regular
The Bill Roxanne 2 episodes: "Old Enemies" & "New Friends"
2001 Peak Practice Roy Telford Episode: "Win Some, Lose Some"
Holby City James Campbell 3 episodes
2002 Dinotopia Georgio Episode: "Making Good"
Linda Green Brian Episode: "Like Father"
Stan the Man Deakin Episode: #1.5
2004 The Long Firm DI George Mooney Mini-series, 4 episodes
2005 Down to Earth Ken Ferris Episode: "Cowboys"
Where the Heart Is Ralph Episode: "Together"
Rose and Maloney Marcus Roche Episode: "Alan Richmond"
2006 Dalziel and Pascoe Barry Bendelow Episode: "Glory Days"
The Inspector Lynley Mysteries Owen Harcourt-Baines Episode: "Natural Causes"
See No Evil: The Moors Murders DCI Joe Mounsey Mini-series, 2 episodes
Casualty Stephen Gregory MP 2 episodes: "The Edge of Fear" & "In Good Faith"
2007 The Royal Hugh Etheridge Episode: "Scabs"
The Whistleblowers David Durrell Episode: "No Child Left Behind"
Doctor Who Max Capricorn Episode: "Voyage of the Damned"
2008 New Tricks Dave Dalston Episode: "Loyalties and Royalties"
2009 Unforgiven Eddie Ackroyd Mini-series, 2 episodes
Midsomer Murders Jack Filby Episode: "The Creeper"
2010 A Touch of Frost Allen Moorhead Episode: "If Dogs Run Free"
Emmerdale Charlie Haynes Series regular
2011 Casualty Father Vincent McConnell Episode: "Mea Culpa"
2012 Homefront Sgt. Howard Raveley Mini-series, 6 episodes
2013 Scott & Bailey Joe Bevan 3 episodes
The Great Train Robbery DCS Ernie Millen Mini-series, 1 episode
2014–2023 Happy Valley Nevison Gallagher Series regular
2015 Vera Bill Telling Episode: "Old Wounds"
2016 The Secret Agent Sir Ethelred Mini-series, 3 episodes
2016, 2021 Line of Duty Patrick Fairbank 6 episodes
2019, 2022 Gentleman Jack James Holt 7 episodes
2022 Ridley Ray Trevice Episode: "Swansong"
2023 Maryland Richard Mini-series, 3 episodes

This page was last updated at 2023-12-07 00:17 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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