Waking the Dead - Undertow: Part One - 12:20 am Saturday, December 27 on U&Drama +1

Sue Johnston (Actor) .. Dr Grace Foley

Born: December 07, 1943 in Warrington, Cheshire

Best Known For: The Royle Family and Brookside.

Early-life: Born Susan Johnston on December 7, 1943, in Warrington, Cheshire. Her mother was a housewife, and her father was a plumber who worked his way up to become a clerk of works. While employed at a tax office, Johnston would visit the Cavern in Liverpool during her lunch break. She used to hang around with Paul McCartney, and went to his 21st birthday party. They lost touch until a few years ago when they met during a visit by the Queen to Liverpool. She eventually quit her job and studied at London's Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Arts.

Career: On leaving drama school, Johnston began landing roles in fringe theatre, school workshops and occasional TV appearances in shows such as Coronation Street. She didn't become a famous face until her eight-year stint in Brookside as long-suffering Sheila Grant. She went on to star in Medics, hit comedy The Royle Family (alongside Brookie co-star Ricky Tomlinson), and The Things You Do for Love, in which the actress played former Corrie actress Pat Phoenix. Among her film credits are the award-winning Brassed Off, and crime drama Face, starring Robert Carlyle. Other projects include Sex, Chips and Rock 'n' Roll, Score, My Uncle Silas, Jam & Jerusalem, Waking the Dead and Being Eileen.

Quote: "I'm a character actress, not a glamour one. I like playing a dried-up old stick."

Trivia: Her memoir, Things I Couldn't Tell My Mother, was published in 2011.

Trevor Eve (Actor) .. Det Supt Peter Boyd

Born: July 01, 1951 in Birmingham

Best Known For: Playing 1970s detective Shoestring.

Early-life: Trevor John Eve was born on July 1, 1951, in Birmingham, but was raised in Wales. His father was a drinks wholesaler who was 50 when Eve was born. His mother was 15 years younger. He describes his dad as the most frugal man he's ever met, who saved hard to pay for his education. Eve was disappointed to miss out on being captain of his school cricket team, but knew he was never good enough to turn professional. Instead, he decided to become an artist, but later trained as an architect. He never acted until applying to Rada, and to his surprise, they accepted him.

Career: Eve made his professional debut at the Liverpool Playhouse as Paul McCartney in Willy Russell's John, Paul, George, Ringo - and Bert. Singled out for praise, it demonstrated his early promise. He then appeared in West End production Filumena before playing the roguish private eye Shoestring on TV in 1979, the part that made him a household name and a heart-throb. Laurence Olivier was a fan, and hired Eve to star in his TV series Best Plays. Memorable work since includes The Politician's Wife, A Sense of Guilt, Troy, The Family Man and the brilliant BBC drama Waking the Dead, which ended in 2011 after nine series. His other notable work includes playing game show host Hughie Green in Hughie Green, Most Sincerely, the 2010 ITV remake of Bouquet of Barbed Wire, and three-part drama Kidnap and Ransom. He has also worked and lived in the US, but is now settled in London.

Quote: "It's astonishing that people connected to solving crime do the job day after day. I don't know how they escape or where they go for rest and relaxation."

Wil Johnson (Actor) .. DI Spencer Jordan

Best Known For: Waking the Dead and Emmerdale.

Early-life: Wilbert Johnson was born in London in 1965. His acting training came courtesy of the Mount View theatre drama group in Crouch End, The Haringey Theatre and three years spent at the National Youth Theatre. He made his professional acting debut in the play Four Seasons at the 1985 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. He followed this up with guest appearances on TV in Casualty, London's Burning, Dramarama and Mr Don & Mr George.

Career: During the 1990s, Johnson landed recurring roles on Anna Lee and Cracker and starred in the TV movie Babymother. His big break came in 2000 when he was cast in Waking the Dead as Detective Sergeant Spencer Jordan. He remained on the show until it ended in 2011. In 2000, he also landed a recurring role in Paul Abbott's drama Clocking Off. His other TV credits include guest appearances in The Bill and recurring roles on Babyfather, Waterloo Road and Holby City. In 2012, he began playing Dom Andrews in Emmerdale. He left the soap in 2014. His film credits include Adulthood (2008), In a Better World (2010) and Anuvahood (2011).

Quote: "I don't set parameters for myself. I just try to keep myself open to what the next challenge is going to be."

Trivia: To make ends meet between roles, Johnson once worked for an undertaker.

Esther Hall (Actor) .. Dr Felix Gibson

Felicite du Jeu (Actor) .. DC Stella Goodman

Stephen Moyer (Actor) .. Steven Hunt

Born: October 11, 1969 in Brentwood, Essex

Best Known For: True Blood.

Early-life: Born Stephen John Emery on October 11, 1969, in Brentwood, Essex. The acting bug bit him when he was a youngster, and he proved just how talented he was during performances with local theatre groups; he later formed his own company, The Reject Society. He then studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and spent the next five years tackling stage roles with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Oxford Stage Company.

Career: Moyer's TV debut came with a regular role in the ITV sitcom Conjugal Rites. He also had a recurring part in miniseries Castles and acclaimed drama The Grand. He also turned up in episodes of Casualty, Waking the Dead, Cadfael, A Touch of Frost, Midsomer Murders and Sunburn. His first film part was the title role in 1997's Prince Valiant. He's since appeared in Quills, Trinity and Perfect. Arguably his biggest British TV role came in NY-LON. He began to get noticed in Hollywood thanks to the miniseries The Starter Wife. He's played vampire Bill in American drama True Blood since 2008, although he's no stranger to televisual vampires having appeared in two episodes of Ultraviolet in 1998.

Quote: "I'll get 10 or 11-year-olds coming up and asking for my autograph, and I say, ‘Have you seen that show?' and they go, ‘Yeah, love it.' I couldn't sit in the same room as my mother and watch that show. I mean, it's seriously racy!"

Cheryl Campbell (Actor) .. Maureen Hunt

Peter Wight (Actor) .. Donald Hunt

Daniel Fredenburgh (Actor) .. Ben Elwes

Sharon Duncan-Brewster (Actor) .. Sarah Baker

Sohm Kapila (Actor) .. Chloe Martin

Elaine Symons (Actor) .. Bryony Watts

Peter Hamilton Dyer (Actor) .. Chris Wright

Alison Jiear (Actor) .. Jacqueline Wright

Dimitri Andreas (Actor) .. Routsis

Flaminia Cinque (Actor) .. Rebecca Fairclough

Laura Cox (Actor) .. Landlady

Ruta Gedmintas (Actor) .. Shelly Martin

Paul Boyd (Actor) .. Martin Nichol

Brian Lowe (Actor) .. Willis

Sabina Cameron (Actor) .. Angela Worthing

Annemarie Gaillard (Actor) .. Suzy Jenkins

Kathryn Georghiou (Actor) .. Philippa Carrington

Kate Braithwaite (Actor) .. Julia Macey

Poppy Jakra (Actor) .. Samantha Taylor

Michelle Edwards (Actor) .. Sophie Raikes

Anna Westford (Actor) .. Laila Powell

Tom Tyler (Actor) .. Chloe's Boyfriend

Richard Burrell (Producer)

David Thacker (Director)

Oliver Brown (Writer)

Waking the Dead: Undertow: Part One

12:20 am - 01:40 am, Saturday, December 27 on U&Drama +1 (60)

About this Broadcast

Undertow: Part One
Season 5, Episode 9

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