Born:
April 26, 1947
in
Oldham
Best Known For:
Dalziel & Pascoe (he played Dalziel).
Early-life:
Born Alan Clarke on April 26, 1947, in Oldham, where his father's job involved putting stained glass in church windows. He left school at 15 and became a runner at the Manchester Evening News while doing amateur dramatics in his spare time. He changed his first name to Warren because a girlfriend admired Warren Beatty. After realising he wanted to act, he got his first break in a radio play for BBC Manchester.
Career:
Clarke made his TV debut in the late 1960s, and went on to appear in episodes of Coronation Street, The Avengers, Callan, and The Virgin Soldiers before getting his big break with a prominent role in the controversial A Clockwork Orange in 1971. A variety of TV and movie work followed, including Shelley, SOS Titanic, Ishtar (alongside his namesake, Beatty) and Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. High-profile roles later came in The Manageress, ID, The Mystery of Men, The Deputy, and Down to Earth. He became a household name thanks to a starring role in Dalziel & Pascoe, which first aired in 1996. He also appeared in Bleak House, Christmas at the Riviera, The Invisibles, Red Riding, Just William, and In with the Flynns. He died peacefully in his sleep on November 12, 2014 at the age of 67.
Quote:
"My headmaster told me: 'Don't become an actor. It's a ridiculous job. Anyway, you can't even speak properly. Why don't you become a bus driver or something?'"
Trivia:
He supported Manchester City.