Paul Copley
Paul is a long established and much respected British actor and voiceover artist.
Born in Denby Dale, West Riding of Yorkshire, on 25th November 1944 he grew up beside a dairy farm. His father, Harold, was involved with local amateur dramatic productions, as were the rest of his family. He went to Penistone Grammar School, then the Northern Counties College of Education in Newcastle upon Tyne, where he received an Associate of the Drama Board (ADB) in Drama. He taught English and Drama in Walthamstow, before he joined the Leeds Playhouse Theatre-in-education Company in 1971.
In 1976, Paul won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a New Play for his role in John Wilson's For King and Country.
With many and varied roles to follow, Paul soon established himself as one of the UK's leading stage, film, television and radio actors.
In 2011-2015 Paul gained worldwide recognition appearing in 16 episodes of the hugely popular television series Downton Abbey playing the popular role of farmer Mr Mason.
Paul is married to the actress Natasha Pyne. They married in 1972, after both performing in a Leeds Playhouse production of Frank Wedekind's Lulu, adapted by Peter Barnes, directed by Bill Hays in 1971.
Known for
Midsomer Murders
Frank Dewar
Vera
Malcolm Kenrich
Downton Abbey
Mr. Mason
Father Brown
Mr Feste
Call the Midwife
Tommy Smith
Silent Witness
Minder
Palmer
Casualty
Frederick Chambers
Casualty
Mick McCarthur
Casualty
Arthur
Shameless
Norman Owens
Heartbeat
Dick Radcliffe
Heartbeat
Herbie Lloyd
Heartbeat
Malcolm Stainsby
Play for Today
Play for Today
Andy
Torchwood
Clement McDonald
New Tricks
Pat the Rat
Waking the Dead
Waking the Dead
Clifford Day
Inside No. 9
Ernie
Peak Practice
Tim Shardlow
Peak Practice
DS Patrick Hopkins
BBC Play of the Month
The Bill
The Remains of the Day
Harry Smith
Hornblower: The Examination for Lieutenant
Mathews
Secret Army
Eric Finch
Playhouse
Jim
Playhouse
Vernon
Enola Holmes
Station Master
A Pinch of Snuff
Charlie Heppelwhite
Cracker
Pathologist
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale
Albert Mason
The Many Lives of Albert Walker
Danny Peck
A Bridge Too Far
Pvt. Wicks
Dalziel & Pascoe
Arnhem: The Story of an Escape
Finnegan
Hornblower
Matthews
BBC2 Play of the Week
Finnegan
BBC2 Play of the Week
Bill
The Shadow in the North
Paton
Downton Abbey: A New Era
Mason
A Brush with Mr. Porter on the Road to El Dorado
Tom
The Worst Witch
Algernon Rowan-Webb
The Worst Witch
Algernon Rowan Webb
Life on Mars
Reg Cole
Inspector George Gently
Moving On
Ronnie
Queer as Folk
Roy Maloney
Written in Blood
Brian Chappel
Cries from a Watchtower
Andy
Hornblower: The Frogs and the Lobsters
Mathews
How's Business
Jack
Kingdom
Vincent Straker
Hornblower: The Duchess and the Devil
Matthews
Ghost in the Water
Mr. Reed
Born and Bred
Hubert Gough
Churchill's People
Viventius
The Street
The Coroner
John Roxwell
The Paradise Club
Mousey Pavitt
This Life
Jerry Cook
Zulu Dawn
Cpl. Storey
DI Ray
Terry Hunter
The Afternoon Play
Dave
A Christmas Carol
Fred (Scrooge's Nephew)
Tenko
POW
The Sound of Music Live!
Franz
Black Jack
Narrator
Last Tango in Halifax
Last Tango in Halifax
Harry
The Turkey Who Lives on the Hill
Bill
Father Dear Father
Dumbo
A Room for the Winter
Robert
No Angels
Messiah
Ian Fleet
Destiny
Paul McShane
Survivors
Ted
Harry
Thomas Thomas
Testimony of a Child
Gerry
Death of a Princess
Steve Jackson
White Heat
Alan (present day)
The Key
Code of a Killer
Sidney Jeffreys
The Nest Egg
Hornblower: Duty
Matthews
Broken
Joe Kerrigan
Alfie Darling
Bakey
Stay Lucky
The Infectious Imagination of Henry Bramble
Great Uncle Geoffrey
The Lakes
Peter Quinlan
Bird Fancier
Roy Pearson
Hornblower: Mutiny
Mathews
Roughnecks
Ian
Hornblower: Loyalty
Matthews
Burn It
Terry Grimshaw
On the Edge
Ray
Silas Marner
William Dane
Jude
Mr. Willis
Ropeless
Larry Windsor
Reg
Man 2
Hornblower: The Even Chance
Matthews
Happy
Vernon
Young Charlie Chaplin
Chimnery Sweep
How Clean Is Your House?
How Clean Is Your House?
Self - Narrator (voice)
Blow Dry
Ken
The Gathering Seed
Bob Henshaw
Johnny and the Bomb
Sgt. Bourke
Days of Hope
Ben Matthews
On a Paving Stone Mounted
Which Side Are You On?
Narrator (voice)
Mucking Out
Brian Wilson
Dead Man Weds
Blind Man
Big Winners
Arthur Thistle
West End Tales
Herbert
Rose Ayling-Ellis: Old Hands, New Tricks
Narrator (voice)
The Royal
Nesbitt
Some Enchanted Evening
Peter
The Bright Side
Nice Guy Eddie
Marian, Again
Phillip Walsh
P.Q. 17
PO Jordan
Treasure Island
Carved with Love: The Genius of British Woodwork
Narrator
Hornblower: Retribution
Matthews
Theban Plays: Oedipus at Colonus
Local Man
Diane
Jim
Doll’s Eye
Social Worker
Speech Day
Woodwork Master
Dangerous Journey
Narrator
Ends and Means
First Encounter: King Lear
King Lear
Travellers
Young William/Middle William/Sales Rep
Ticker
Howard
When Kim & Aggie Went To Hospital
Self - Narrator (voice)