New Tricks - Body of Evidence - 11:40 pm Saturday, May 16 on U&Drama

Alun Armstrong (Actor) .. Brian Lane

Born: July 17, 1946 in Annfield Plain, near Stanley, Co Durham

Best Known For: New Tricks.

Early-life: Alun Armstrong was born in Annfield Plain, near Stanley, Co Durham, on July 17, 1946. His father was from Cumberland and his mother was from Co Durham. He attended Consett Grammar School before going to Newcastle University. Unhappy in academia, he took a job as a gravedigger, where a colleague managed to get him an interview for a behind-the-scenes job with a theatre company. That in turn led to acting work.

Career: Armstrong's screen debut came in the classic Michael Caine gangster movie Get Carter in 1971. Other early roles included parts in Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?, Softly, Softly and The Sweeney. His many other TV roles include Austin Donaghue in Our Friends in the North, Detective Chief Inspector Frank Jefferson in In the Red, and George Mole in Adrian Mole: The Cappucino Years, alongside Alison Steadman. Film credits include The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981), Krull (1983), American Friends (1991), Patriot Games (1992) and Braveheart (1995). He has won countless accolades for his classic stage roles. He is currently best known for playing the role of Brian Lane in popular BBC series New Tricks, a part he played for 10 series.

Quote: 'I'm more concerned about losing my marbles than losing parts - especially when it comes to learning lines!'

Trivia: Armstrong originated the role of Thénardier in the London production of Les Misérables and won an Olivier Award for playing the title role in Sweeney Todd.

Amanda Redman (Actor) .. Sandra Pullman

Born: August 12, 1957 in Brighton

Best Known For: At Home with the Braithwaites and New Tricks.

Early-life: Amanda Jacqueline Redman was born in Brighton on August 12, 1957, the eldest of two children. She poured a saucepan of boiling soup over her torso and left arm when she was 18 months old and needed regular skin grafts until she was five. She studied at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. She was shattered after her father died suddenly when she was 20.

Career: Redman first attracted attention in 1981 with her steamy film debut in Richard's Things. Roles proved sporadic in that decade, but her career took off in 1991 when she played Roberta in Spender, and Sally in The Men's Room. Bigger roles followed, such as Dr Joanna Stevens in Dangerfield in 1995. She hit the headlines in 1998, first with Close Relations which featured a ménage à trois, then as Diana Dors for glossy drama The Blonde Bombshell. Her small-screen success was consolidated with roles as a teacher in Hope and Glory and as lottery winner Alison in At Home with the Braithwaites - but she has also appeared in the films Sexy Beast (2000) and Mike Bassett: England Manager (2005). She starred in popular BBC drama New Tricks between 2003 and 2013. More recently, she starred in TV movie Tommy Cooper: Not Like That, Like This.

Quote: 'If you're seen as a strong woman, men think you don't need protecting. Yet, underneath it all, I'm quite vulnerable.'

Trivia: Redman received an MBE in 2012.

Dennis Waterman (Actor) .. Gerry Standing

Born: February 24, 1948 in Clapham

Best Known For: The Sweeney, Minder, and New Tricks.

Early-life: Born February 24, 1948, in Clapham, south London, the youngest of nine children, the son of a British Rail ticket collector. As a child he attended the Corona Theatre School and began his professional career with a role in Snowball, a 1960 Children's Film Foundation production. The same year he made Night Train to Inverness, and was asked to join the Royal Shakespeare Company. Playing William in a TV series based on the Just William books made him a star. He then tried to break into Hollywood.

Career: At 16, Waterman returned to Britain and concentrated on stage work until an acclaimed performance in 1968's Up the Junction led to more film roles. Low-budget movies (such as Scars of Dracula) and TV shows (including Colditz) followed until, in 1974, he co-starred with John Thaw in Regan, the pilot episode of iconic series The Sweeney, which became a major TV hit. A 10-year stint in comedy drama Minder followed. Other projects include TV shows On the Up, Stay Lucky, and Circles of Deceit. He's also worked on the stage, most notably in Jeffrey Bernard is Unwell, and My Fair Lady. As Gerry Standing, in BBC drama New Tricks, he has introduced himself to a new generation of fans.

Quote: 'If I am not such a hell-raiser any more, it isn't because I've given up. It's just that my energy levels have fallen. I haven't stopped looking at women. I'm not blind.'

Trivia: He has made several records, including, famously, the theme tunes of several of his TV shows.

Denis Lawson (Actor) .. Steve McAndrew

Born: September 27, 1947 in Perthshire, Scotland

Best Known For: Being Ewan McGregor's uncle.

Early-life: Denis Stamper Lawson was born on September 27, 1947, in Perthshire, Scotland. His sister, Carol, is the mother of actor Ewan McGregor. Their parents hailed from Glasgow, but moved to Crieff to escape the poverty-stricken city. They later owned a watchmaker and jeweller's store. He remains very close to his family, and inspired Ewan to become an actor. Lawson left Crieff in the early 1970s to pursue his career in London.

Career: Lawson's first big success was in West End musical Pal Joey. He also appeared in such memorable TV productions as The Merchant of Venice, Rock Follies and The Man in the Iron Mask. He had a small role in the original Star Wars trilogy, was in the acclaimed Local Hero in 1983, and took the lead in sitcom The Kit Curran Radio Show. He has rarely been out of work since, whether it's on stage, film or TV. Among his other projects are The Ambassador, Bob Martin, Hornblower, Holby City, Bleak House, Robin Hood, Enid, Just William, Marchlands and New Tricks. He's also a director and has worked with his nephew on the theatre production Little Malcolm and his Struggle Against the Eunuchs, and short film Solid Geometry.

Quote: 'The Star Wars films were one of the least important jobs I've ever done.'

Trivia: He voiced a character in the video game Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader.

Anthony Calf (Actor) .. DAC Robert Strickland

Susan Jameson (Actor) .. Esther Lane

Lorraine Ashbourne (Actor) .. Moira Wright

Best Known For: Her role as philandering female footballer Geraldine in TV's Playing The Field.

Early-life: Born in Manchester in 1961, Ashbourne always dreamed of being an actress and on leaving school joined a local theatre. Her sister, Jayne, is also an actress who appeared in Coronation Street and New Street Law. While at drama school, Lorraine contacted Debbie Horsfield to say she would love to work with her. Her first acting job was in the Red Devils, a trilogy of plays by Horsfield, which formed the inspiration for new BBC One drama, True Dare Kiss.

Career: After years of working in theatre, plus character roles in TV shows like The Bill, Casualty and London's Burning, she landed a part as the mother in Colin Firth movie Fever Pitch. She went on to star as Yvonne Mackey in City Central and as the fiery Geraldine Powell in the soccer drama Playing The Field. Other projects have included The Martins, King Kong, Jayne Eyre and Housewife, 49, True Dare Kiss, and The Street.

Quote: 'People think I just came from nowhere. But I've worked hard over the years and now it's all happening.'

Trivia: Her stage credits include Fool For Love, Othello and The Three Sisters.

Alex Jennings (Actor) .. Prof Blake

Sarah Smart (Actor) .. Catherine Green

Born: March 03, 1977 in Birmingham

Best Known For: At Home with the Braithwaites

Early-life: Born March 3, 1977, in Birmingham. Her mum is Pat Smart, who writes for daytime drama Doctors. Sarah's siblings Donna, Suzie and Stephen were all born on July 24, albeit in different years. Sarah made her TV debut in childrens' series Woof at the age of 10. A year later, she featured in TV movie Ball-Trap on the Cote Sauvage. She spent her teenage years appearing in TV shows Bliss, Backup, Deadly Summer, A Touch Of Frost and Soldier Soldier.

Career: In 2000, she landed the part of Virginia in At Home with the Braithwaites. That ran for four successful series. She also appeared in Casualty, David Copperfield, Sweet Revenge, Dalziel and Pascoe and Urban Gothic. While working on Sparkhouse with writer Sally Wainwright, Sarah became fascinated by her script about bus drivers, and eventually landed the eponymous role in Jane Hall. Her other projects have included Love Again, Murder Prevention, Funland, Wallander, Doctor Who, Fast Freddie, The Widow and Me, Death in Paradise and The Secret of Crickley Hall.

Quote: "I used to think that work was the be all and end all and it isn't. Family and friends are the most important."

Trivia: At the age of 18 she had a health scare when the left side of her face was paralysed. She was prescribed steroids and after a week or two she returned to normal.

Andy Rush (Actor) .. Xander Levine

Tom Fisher (Actor) .. Colin Henry

Chris Ashby (Actor) .. Jake Bentley

Carrie Quinlan (Actor) .. Michaela

Robin Sheppard (Director)

Tom Mullens (Producer)

Lisa Holdsworth (Writer)

Julian Simpson (Writer)

New Tricks: Body of Evidence

11:40 pm - 01:00 am, Saturday, May 16 on U&Drama (20)

About this Broadcast

Body of Evidence
Season 9, Episode 5

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