McDonald & Dodds - The Man Who Wasn't There - 10:00 pm Wednesday, April 8 on ITV3

Jason Watkins (Actor) .. DS Dodds

Born: July 30, 1963 in Albrighton near Wolverhampton

Best Known For: Trollied, and The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies.

Early-life: Jason Barrington Watkins was born in Albrighton near Wolverhampton on July 30th, 1963 to Alan and Avis. His father is from Cleethorpes and his mother is from Manchester. Jason was brought up in London. Drama teachers at his Hounslow comprehensive encouraged him to pursue a career in acting. He was accepted into Rada at the same time as Ralph Fiennes, Jane Horrocks and Neil Dudgeon.

Career: Watkins has played supporting roles for most of his career. He has made guest appearances in Soldier Soldier, Casualty, The Bill, William and Mary, Life on Mars, and Lewis among many others. In 2011, he began playing store manager Gavin Strong in Sky1 sitcom Trollied. In 2014, he played his first lead role in The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies. His film credits include Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), Onegin (1999), Confetti (2006), The Golden Compass (2007), Wild Child (2008), Lost Christmas (2011), and Nativity 3: Dude, Where's My Donkey?! (2014).

Quote: 'I got quite close to the world record, when I was about 12 or 13, of running the length of a basketball court on my hands.'

Trivia: Watkins was nominated for an Olivier award in 2001 for his performance in A Servant for Two Masters.

Tala Gouveia (Actor) .. DCI Lauren McDonald

James Murray (Actor) .. Chief Supt John Houseman

Jack Riddiford (Actor) .. DC Darren Craig

Lily Sacofsky (Actor) .. DC Milena Paciorkowski

Rob Brydon (Actor) .. Roy Gilbert

Born: May 03, 1965 in Swansea

Best Known For: His chat show and Gavin & Stacey.

Early-life: Born Robert Brydon Jones in Swansea, South Wales, on May 3, 1965. His early years were spent in Baglan near Port Talbot before he and his family moved to Porthcawl. He attended two secondary schools, one alongside Catherine Zeta-Jones, the other with Ruth Jones. Under the guidance of his drama teacher at the local comprehensive school, his interest in acting grew, leading to him attending The Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff. During the second year of his course, he quit to work for BBC Wales and enjoyed six years of presenting work on local TV and radio stations.

Career: While still presenting, Brydon ventured into comedy, and made ends meet by providing voices for adverts and animations. A small role in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels inspired him to make a short film of his comic characters; series of Marion & Geoff, A Small Summer Party and The Keith Barret Show followed. Other credits include Director's Commentary, Human Remains, Supernova, A Cock and Bull Story, Little Britain, Annually Retentive and Gavin & Stacey. He's also hosted his own BBC chat show and has chaired the comedy panel show Would I Lie to You? since 2009. In 2010, he starred alongside Steve Coogan in the partially improvised BBC Two sitcom The Trip and has since appeared in its follow-up.

Quote: 'I was always very good with girls, I could talk to them no problem at all. But I could never close the deal. You need Dutch courage to do that, to kiss them.'

Trivia: He released an autobiography, Small Man in a Book, in 2011.

Rupert Graves (Actor) .. Gordon Elmwood

Born: June 30, 1963 in Weston-super-Mare

Best Known For: Appearing in period dramas.

Early-life: Rupert Graves was born June 30, 1963, in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset. The acting bug bit while performing in Victorian musical nights at the town's Birbeck Pier. Unhappy at school, he left at 15 to become a circus clown. He made his TV debut in 1978 in The Return Of The Saint and had small roles in various other productions. He later entertained children at holiday camps as part of Silly Billy Pickles And The Peanut Street Gang before his big break in Merchant Ivory's 1985 movie A Room With A View.

Career: Rejoined Merchant Ivory in 1987 to play a homosexual in Maurice, alongside James Wilby and Hugh Grant. The controversial role gained him fans of both sexes. He has tackled numerous challenging parts since, including a transvestite villain in Open Fire and the lover of a sex-change male in Different For Girls. He won the Best Actor award at the Montreal Film Festival for his part as a naive young man seduced by an older woman in Intimate Relations. Other notable productions include The Madness of King George, Mrs Dalloway, The Blonde Bombshell, Take A Girl Like You and Fortunes Of War. Graves has appeared on Broadway in Closer, and The Elephant Man. Has become a regular in a raft of top-notch detective shows, including Wallander, Lewis, and Sherlock and is very much in-demand.

Quote: 'I'm really pleased with myself. I've not had any training. I knew nothing about acting except that early on I knew I wanted to do it, and I've managed for years to do things without doing them just for the money.'

Trivia: He enjoys playing football.

Martin Kemp (Actor) .. Mick Elkins

Born: October 10, 1961 in Islington, London

Best Known For: Playing Steve Owen in EastEnders and being the bass guitarist in Spandau Ballet.

Early-life: Martin John Kemp was born in Islington, London, on October 10, 1961. He was a shy child until, at the age of seven, his mother started taking him and older brother Gary to acting classes run by Anna Scher, which boosted his confidence. By the time he was 10 he'd appeared in Jackanory, Rumpole Of The Bailey, and Dixon Of Dock Green. He left school at 16 and planned to become a printer, but gave up an apprenticeship to join brother Gary's band The Gentry, who were later renamed Spandau Ballet.

Career: Spandau Ballet became hugely successful, scoring numerous hits. When they split in 1990, Martin and Gary returned to acting, and surprised many critics with their performances as gangster twins Ronnie and Reggie in The Krays. Martin then tried his luck in Hollywood, but his career was put on hold in 1995 when he was diagnosed with a brain tumour. In 1998, fully recovered, he accepted the role of Steve Owen in EastEnders, but quit four years later. He has since appeared in Daddy's Girl, Serious and Organised, Family, Brides in the Bath, Love Lies Bleeding and Waterloo Road. Spandau Ballet reformed in 2009 and Kemp came third in Celebrity Big Brother in 2012. He's also turned to directing with the film Stalker.

Quote: 'I don't agree with all those entertainers that say they would never let their children anywhere near entertainment. I've had such a fantastic time in this business that I would never stop them doing it.'

Patsy Kensit (Actor) .. Barbara Graham

Born: March 04, 1968 in London

Best Known For: Her colourful love life.

Early-life: Patricia Jude Francis Kensit was born in London on March 4, 1968. Her father, nicknamed Jimmy the Dip, was an associate of the Krays. Reggie Kray was her older brother Jamie's godfather. Jimmy spent time in prison before she was born, and as a child she believed he was an antiques dealer. Patsy attended Corona Theatre School and the Italia Conti Academy. She is a Catholic and began attending church after her mother Margaret died of breast cancer in 1993.

Career: At the age of four, Kensit starred in an advert for frozen peas and in the film For the Love of Ada. Two years later, she played Mia Farrow's daughter in The Great Gatsby (she later played Farrow in a biopic based on her life). Pop stardom beckoned when she joined the band Eighth Wonder in the mid-1980s. She returned to film with Absolute Beginners (1986) and Lethal Weapon 2 (1989), her biggest movie to date. A series of forgettable projects followed, but Kensit became a familiar face again thanks to a two-year stint in Emmerdale. She followed that with four years in Holby City. She also appeared in the 2010 series of Strictly Come Dancing. In early 2015, she entered the Celebrity Big Brother house.

Quote: 'Mum was my best friend. When she died it was like having a vital organ removed. If I'm half the mother that she was, I've done a great job.'

Trivia: Kensit published her autobiography in 2013.

Cathy Tyson (Actor) .. Jackie Somner

Victor Oshin (Actor) .. Jason Greaves

Femi Nylander (Actor) .. Ollie Greaves

Vince Leigh (Actor) .. Frankie Marsh

Jonty Stephens (Actor) .. Caretaker

Mia McCallum (Actor) .. Journalist

Robert Murphy (Writer)

Alex Pillai (Director)

Sarah Lewis (Producer)

Preethi Mavahalli (Executive producer)

Damien Timmer (Executive producer)

McDonald & Dodds: The Man Who Wasn't There

10:00 pm - 11:50 pm, Wednesday, April 8 on ITV3 (10)

About this Broadcast

The Man Who Wasn't There
Season 2, Episode 1

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