Born:
December 12, 1944
in
Dunfermline
Best Known For:
Being a star of stage, TV and film.
Early-life:
Kenneth was born in Dunfermline on December 12, 1944 to Margaret and Ronald. He trained to be an actor at the National Youth Theatre of Great Britain and Rada. His breakthrough as an actor came in the 1960s when he starred in Joe Orton's Loot in the West End and on Broadway. He made his TV debut in an episode of City 68' in 1967.
Career:
Cranham's long career has seen him switch effortlessly between roles on TV, film and in the theatre. On the small screen, he is best known for playing the lead role in popular 1980s comedy drama Shine On, Harvey Moon! but he has numerous TV credits to his name. He has starred in Danger UXB, Brideshead Revisited, Inspector Morse, Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit, El C.I.D., Minder, Our Mutual Friend, Rome, and Doc Martin among many others. On the big screen, he has starred in Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988), Kevin & Perry Go Large (2000), Born Romantic (2000), Layer Cake (2004), A Good Year (2006), Hot Fuzz (2007), Valkyrie (2008), Made in Dagenham (2010), and Maleficent (2014). He continues to be heavily in demand. On the stage, he is best known for playing Inspector Goole in An Inspector Calls, a play he performed in the West End and on Broadway.
Quote:
On Shine on Harvey Moon: "It was very popular in Scotland. I always thought it was because it was very like The Broons."
Trivia:
On the stage, he has a long association with the work of Harold Pinter.