Death Valley

Timothy Spall (Actor) .. John Chapel

Born: February 27, 1957 in London

Best Known For: Playing Barry in Auf Wiedersehen, Pet.

Early-life: Timothy Leonard Spall was born on February 27, 1957, in London, and brought up on a Battersea council estate. As a teenager, he considered joining the Army, but changed his mind after playing the Cowardly Lion in his school's version of The Wizard of Oz. He applied for Rada because his drama teacher - on whom he had a secret crush - suggested he should become an actor. He was named the most promising actor of 1978 when he left the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (Rada).

Career: Spall appeared on stage with Birmingham Rep and the Royal Shakespeare Company before his movie debut in 1979's Quadrophenia. His big break came playing Barry in Auf Wiedersehen, Pet in 1983. He received Bafta TV nominations for Our Mutual Friend, Shooting The Past and Vacuuming Completely Nude In Paradise. Other memorable projects include Secrets and Lies, Life Is Sweet, Topsy-Turvy, Vanilla Sky, Still Crazy, Frank Stubbs Promotes and several of the Harry Potter movies. He received an OBE in 1999. Always in demand, more recent work includes Pierrepoint, The Street, Enchanted, Oliver Twist, The Damned United, The Fattest Man in Britain, The King's Speech, The Syndicate, and Mr Turner.

Quote: 'I'm a decent, jolly, fat guy.'

Gwyneth Keyworth (Actor) .. DS Janie Mallowan

Steffan Rhodri (Actor) .. DCI Barry Clarke

Alexandria Riley (Actor) .. Helen Baxter

Rithvik Andugula (Actor) .. DC Evan Chaudhry

Colin McFarlane (Actor) .. Bill Marcus

Charlotte O'Leary (Actor) .. Izzy Eldwick

Patricia Hodge (Actor) .. Helena Hart

Born: September 29, 1946 in Cleethorpes

Best Known For: Playing a string of stand-offish, English upper-crust characters.

Early-life: Patricia Ann Hodge was born in Cleethorpes on September 29, 1946. She was brought up in a hotel in nearby Grimsby, where her father was the manager. She got fed up with eating posh food, when all she wanted was bangers and mash. She spent rainy Sundays roller skating in the hotel's empty ballroom. Acting was not her first love. She trained to be a teacher and taught for a while before treading the boards.

Career: Hodge's first acting job was playing a 37-year-old tart and old-age pensioner in alternate scenes of the same play. She is one of the few actresses to win critical regard, despite spending the bulk of her career in commercial theatre and TV. She played a ballet teacher in acclaimed Quentin Crisp biopic The Naked Civil Servant and also appeared in The Elephant Man. Other memorable TV roles include Rumpole of the Bailey, Jemima Short Investigates, The Life and Loves of a She Devil, and Rich Tea and Sympathy. Film roles include the Harold Pinter drama Betrayal, Bruce Willis flop Sunset and Julie Walters drama Before You Go. She played Margaret Thatcher in controversial drama The Falklands Play and stripped to the basics in the hit West End production of Calendar Girls. Her recent work has included playing Miranda Hart's mother in the comedienne's hit sitcom Miranda.

Quote: 'I didn't choose late motherhood: it chose me. The best time to have children is in your thirties. The only good thing about doing it in your forties is that by then you know yourself, have nothing to prove, and you've come to terms with your shortcomings.'

Trivia: Hodge is joint president of Grimsby's Caxton Theatre.

Karl Johnson (Actor) .. Dennis Williams

Wendy Mae Brown (Actor) .. Patty Marcus

Nathan Foad (Actor) .. Owen Hart

Paul Doolan (Writer)

Josh Cole (Executive producer)

Madeline Addy (Executive producer)

Nikki Wilson (Producer)

Simon Hynd (Director)

10:00 pm - 10:45 pm, Friday, May 8 on BBC Three (23)

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Season 1, Episode 5

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