McDonald & Dodds - The Rule of Three - 10:00 pm Thursday, April 16 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

Claire Skinner (Actor) .. Chief Supt Mary Ormond

Charlie Chambers (Actor) .. DC Samuel Goldie

Bhavik C Pankhania (Actor) .. DC Lee

Ace Bhatti (Actor) .. George Sharma

Daniel Lapaine (Actor) .. Brad Coleman

Born: April 16, 1970 in Sydney

Best Known For: Being the bridegroom in Muriel's Wedding.

Early-life: Daniel Lapaine was born in Sydney on April 16, 1970. His father originally came from Italy, but emigrated to Australia following the Second World War. Daniel trained to be an actor at the Australian National Institute of Dramatic Art, and graduated in 1992. Shortly afterwards, he began acting on stage, working with the Sydney Theatre and Bell Shakespeare companies, and made his TV debut the following year in The Feds: Deception.

Career: Lapaine first came to international attention when he appeared as a South African swimmer in Muriel's Wedding in 1994. Since then, he's cropped up in numerous American, British and Australian movies, including Polish Wedding (1998), 54 (1998), Brokedown Palace (1999), Double Jeopardy (1999) and The Abduction Club (2002). He's also become a familiar face on British TV thanks to roles in dramas such as Red Cap, Poirot , Jane Hall, Hotel Babylon, Waking the Dead, Vera, Death in Paradise and Inspector George Gently.

Quote: 'I usually play roles that seem like nice charming guys on the outside but are in fact dirty, horrible drug-pushing murderers.'

Trivia: Lapaine married actress Fay Ripley in 2001.

Lydia Leonard (Actor) .. Lucy Holgate

Pixie Lott (Actor) .. Lola Baker

Born: January 12, 1991 in Bromley, London

Best Known For: Her singles Mama Do and Boys and Girls.

Early-life: Born Victoria Louise Lott in Bromley, London, on January 12, 1991. Her mother nicknamed her Pixie because, as a baby, she was very cute. Her first performances as a singer came as a member of her church choir. By the time she was five she was attending the Italia Conti Associates Saturday School; at 11, she won a scholarship that allowed her to train at the main school - the famous Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts. She went on to win roles in the West End production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and appeared on BBC One's Celebrate the Sound of Music.

Career: At 14, Lott recorded vocals on Roger Waters' Ca Ira and a year later was signed by LA Reid. In 2007, she signed a publishing deal as a songwriter, penning tunes for Alexandra Burke and Girls Can't Catch. Her debut single, Mama Do, hit the number one spot in the UK in 2009, and did well across Europe too. The follow-up, Boys and Girls, did the same; her debut album, Turn It Up, was also a major success. She made her film debut in 2010's Fred: The Movie, and a year later released her second album, Young Foolish Happy. Her third album, simply titled Pixie Lott, was released in August 2014. Lott has also been the face of several marketing campaigns and co-designed a fashion range. She was a contestant in series 12 of Strictly Come Dancing and made it through to week 11.

Quote: 'I know so many talented people who are amazing, a lot better than some people who are working. It can be who you know not what you know.'

Trivia: Lott's songs have featured on the soundtracks of the movie Streetdance 3D and US medical drama Private Practice. She cites Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston as major influences.

Dipo Ola (Actor) .. Cal Baker

John Gordon Sinclair (Actor) .. Nevis McLintock

Toby Stephens (Actor) .. Mark Holgate

Born: March 21, 1969 in London

Best Known For: Being a Bond villain.

Early-life: Toby Stephens was born on April 21, 1969, at the Middlesex Hospital, London. He is the son of actors Robert Stephens and Maggie Smith. They divorced in the mid-1970s and Toby didn't see his father for 10 years, although they later became close and stayed friends until Robert's death in 1995. Toby and his brother Christopher (also an actor, using the stage name Chris Larkin) were raised by Smith and her second husband Beverley Cross. Stephens trained at the London Academy of Dramatic Art.

Career: Stevens first professional work came as a stage hand at the Chichester Festival Theatre, where he eventually won small roles. In 1992 he got his big break in TV series The Camomile Lawn and made his film debut in Orlando. He spent the next four years gaining rave reviews in theatre. Since then, he's appeared in Twelfth Night, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, Photographing Fairies, Poirot, The Great Gatsby, and Cambridge Spies. He also played the young Clint Eastwood in Space Cowboys. His biggest role to date was as the villain in the James Bond movie Die Another Day. He also played the super spy himself in radio productions of Dr No and Goldfinger. He was an acclaimed Mr Rochester in an adaptation of Jane Eyre, played Prince John in the third series of Robin Hood, and has an acclaimed stage career.

Quote: 'If I ever read that actors know what they're doing, they are either immensely successful movie stars or they are just lying.'

Rico Canadinhas (Actor) .. Luke Hegarty

Siobhan O'Carroll (Actor) .. Social worker

Robert Murphy (Writer)

Khurrum M Sultan (Director)

Joseph Shrubb (Producer)

Damien Timmer (Executive producer)

Charlotte Webber (Executive producer)

McDonald & Dodds: The Rule of Three

10:00 pm - 11:50 pm, Thursday, April 16 on ITV3 (10)

About this Broadcast

The Rule of Three
Season 4, Episode 1

Cast & Crew

More Information

Did You Know..

Before / After