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Raffey began acting aged 7 with roles in the BBC series 32 Brinkburn Street (2011) and ITV's Mr Selfridge (2013) starring Jeremy Piven. At aged 11 she was the youngest ever actor to be named in Screen International's Stars of Tomorrow. After early film roles in Tim Burton's Dark Shadows (2012) and then Snow White and the Huntsman (2012), Cassidy went on to star opposite George Clooney in Brad Bird's Disney tent pole Tomorrowland (2015), winning critical acclaim and Best Leading Young Actress and Best Youth Performance nominations (Young Entertainer Awards and Film Critics Association Awards) for her performance as child animatronic Athena. Next up was Yorgos Lanthimos's Cannes Film Festival Palm d'Or Contender and Best Screenplay winner The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017) opposite Nicole Kidman and Colin Farrell. Developing a reputation for challenging roles, Cassidy next appeared in Brady Corbet's Vox Lux (2018), taking on dual roles opposite Natalie Portman and Jude Law and earning a Young British/Irish Performer of the Year nomination at the London Critics Circle Film Awards. After starring in Malgorzata Szumowska's English language debut The Other Lamb (2019), which tells the story of an all-female cult, Cassidy next appeared in Noah Baumbach's adaptation of the Don DeLillo novel White Noise (2022) alongside Adam Driver, Greta Gerwig, and Don Cheadle. A second collaboration with filmmaker Brady Corbet followed, starring in The Brutalist (2024) opposite Adrien Brody, Guy Pearce, and Felicity Jones.

British-born actress Joanne Whalley has graced the big and small screens for decades. Known for such films as Scandal and Willow, she was a firm fixture on British TV screens including the hit series, The Singing Detective and nuclear industry drama The Edge Of Darkness, for which she received a BAFTA nomination. Her debut Hollywood film was break out hit Willow and in 2005, Joanne returned to UK television with the BBC thriller Child of Mine, before going on to film roles including Queen Mary in The Virgin Queen, and a starring role in tragic love drama Life Line. She appeared as Lorelei in the comedy The Man Who Knew Too Little, A Texas Funeral, The Guilty and played Jackie Kennedy in the miniseries Jackie Bouvier Kennedy Onassis. Her more recent film roles include 44 Inch Chest with Ray Winstone and Tom Wilkinson and Francis Ford Coppola's Twixt. Other recent television credits include Gossip Girl, The Borgias for Showtime, Jamaica Inn with Sean Harris, Wolf Hall for the BBC and ITV's rendition of Beowulf. Joanne also starred as The Duchess of Burgundy in Starz series The White Princess. Other feature releases include Muse and the Untitled Apostle Paul project, directed by Andrew Hyatt.

The son of a Lancashire bookmaker, Albert Finney came to motion pictures via the theatre. In 1956, he won a scholarship to RADA where his fellow alumni included Peter O'Toole and Alan Bates. He joined the Birmingham Repertory where he excelled in plays by William Shakespeare. A member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, Finney understudied Laurence Olivier at Stratford-upon-Avon, eventually acquiring a reputation as 'the new Olivier'. He first came to critical attention by creating the title role in Keith Waterhouse's "Billy Liar" on the London stage. His film debut soon followed with The Entertainer (1960) by Tony Richardson with whom had earlier worked in the theatre. With the changing emphasis in 60s British cinema towards gritty realism and working-class milieus, Finney's typical screen personae became good-looking, often brooding proletarian types and rebellious anti-heroes as personified by his Arthur Seaton in Karel Reisz's Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (1960). His exuberant defining role, however, was in the bawdy period romp Tom Jones (1963) in which Finney revealed a substantial talent for comedy. In the same vein, he scored another hit opposite Audrey Hepburn in the charming marital comedy Two for the Road (1967).

By 1965, Finney had branched out into production, setting up Memorial Enterprises in conjunction with Michael Medwin. In 1968, he directed himself in Charlie Bubbles (1968) and three years later produced the Chandleresque homage Gumshoe (1971), in which he also starred as Eddie Ginley, a bingo-caller with delusions of becoming a private eye. From 1972 to 1975, Finney served as artistic director of the Royal Court Theatre. His intermittent forays to the screen confirmed him as a versatile international actor of note, though not what one might describe as a mainstream star. His roles have ranged from Ebenezer Scrooge in the musical version of Scrooge (1970) to Daddy Warbucks in Annie (1982) and (in flamboyant over-the-top make-up) Hercule Poirot in Murder on the Orient Express (1974). He appeared as Minister of Police Joseph Fouché in Ridley Scott's superb period drama The Duellists (1977) and as a grandiloquent Shakespearean actor in The Dresser (1983) for which he received an Oscar nomination. For the small screen Finney essayed Pope John Paul II (1984) and was a totally believable Winston Churchill in the acclaimed The Gathering Storm (2002). His final movie credit was in the James Bond thriller Skyfall (2012).

Finney was five-times nominated for Academy Awards in 1964, 1975, 1984, 1985 and 2001. He won two BAFTA Awards in 1961 and 2004. True to his working-class roots, he spurned a CBE in 1980 and a knighthood in 2000, later explaining his decision by stating that the 'Sir thing' "slightly perpetuates one of our diseases in England, which is snobbery". Albert Finney was diagnosed with kidney cancer in 2011. He died on February 7 2019 at a London hospital from a chest infection at the age of 82. Upon his death, John Cleese described him as "the best" and "our greatest actor".

Christopher Eccleston trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama and first came to public attention as Derek Bentley in Let Him Have It (1991). However, it was a regular role in the television series Cracker (1993) that made him a recognizable figure in the United Kingdom. He appeared in the low-budget thriller Shallow Grave (1994), and in the same year, won the part of Nicky Hutchinson in the epic BBC drama serial Our Friends in the North (1996). It was the transmission of the latter series on BBC Two that really made him into a household name in the United Kingdom. In his film career, he has starred as a leading man alongside a number of major actresses, such as Renée Zellweger in A Price Above Rubies (1998), Cate Blanchett in Elizabeth (1998), and Cameron Diaz and Jordana Brewster in The Invisible Circus (2001), and Nicole Kidman in The Others (2001).

In addition to his successful film career, he has continued to work in television, appearing in some of the most challenging and thought-provoking British dramas. These have included Clocking Off (2000) and Flesh and Blood (2002) for the BBC and Hillsborough (1996), the Iago character in a modern adaptation of Shakespeare's "Othello", and the religious epic The Second Coming (2003), playing Steve Baxter, the son of God. His stage career, while not as extensive as his screen credits, has nevertheless shown him to be a formidable actor. He has given intense, focused performances in such plays as "Hamlet", "Electricity" and "Miss Julie", for which he received excellent reviews.

A very highly regarded actor, Eccleston has twice been nominated in the Best Actor category at the BAFTA Television Awards, the British premiere television awards ceremony. His first nomination came in 1997 for Our Friends in the North (1996). Although he didn't win those awards, however, he did triumph in the Best Actor categories at the 1997 Broadcasting Press Guild Awards and the Royal Television Society Awards, winning for Our Friends in the North (1996). He won the RTS Best Actor award for a second time in 2003, this time for his performance in "Flesh and Blood". In 2005, he received the Most Popular Actor award in the National Television Awards for starring in Russell T. Davies's re-imagining of Doctor Who (2005).

Tom Glynn-Carney was born on 7 February 1995 in Salford, Greater Manchester, England, UK. Tom is an actor, known for Dunkirk (2017), Tolkien (2019) and The King (2019).

Mike Leigh is an English film and theatre director, screenwriter and playwright. He studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and further at the Camberwell School of Art, the Central School of Art and Design and the London School of Film Technique. He began his career as a theatre director and playwright in the mid-1960s, before transitioning to making televised plays and films for BBC Television in the 1970s and '80s. Leigh is known for his lengthy rehearsal and improvisation techniques with actors to build characters and narrative for his films. His purpose is to capture reality and present "emotional, subjective, intuitive, instinctive, vulnerable films." His films and stage plays, according to critic Michael Coveney, "comprise a distinctive, homogenous body of work which stands comparison with anyone's in the British theatre and cinema over the same period."

Leigh's most notable works include the black comedy-drama Naked (1993), for which he won the Best Director Award at Cannes, the Oscar-nominated, BAFTA- and Palme d'Or-winning drama Secrets & Lies (1996), the Golden Lion-winning working-class drama Vera Drake (2004), and the Palme d'Or-nominated biopic Mr. Turner (2014). Other well-known films include the comedy-dramas Life Is Sweet (1990) Meantime (1983) and Career Girls (1997), the Gilbert and Sullivan biographical film Topsy-Turvy (1999) and the bleak working-class drama All or Nothing (2002). He won great success with American audiences with the female led films, Vera Drake (2004) starring Imelda Staunton, Happy-Go-Lucky (2008) with Sally Hawkins, the family drama Another Year (2010), and the historical drama Peterloo (2018). His stage plays include Smelling A Rat, It's A Great Big Shame, Greek Tragedy, Goose-Pimples, Ecstasy and Abigail's Party.

Leigh has helped to create stars - Liz Smith in Hard Labour, Alison Steadman in Abigail's Party, Brenda Blethyn in Grown-Ups, Antony Sher in Goose-Pimples, Gary Oldman and Tim Roth in Meantime, Jane Horrocks in Life is Sweet, David Thewlis in Naked - and remarked that the list of actors who have worked with him over the years - including Paul Jesson, Phil Daniels, Lindsay Duncan, Lesley Sharp, Kathy Burke, Stephen Rea, Julie Walters - "comprises an impressive, almost representative, nucleus of outstanding British acting talent." His aesthetic has been compared to the sensibility of the Japanese director Yasujiro Ozu and the Italian Federico Fellini. Ian Buruma, writing in The New York Review of Books in January 1994, commented: "It is hard to get on a London bus or listen to the people at the next table in a cafeteria without thinking of Mike Leigh. Like other original artists, he has staked out his own territory. Leigh's London is as distinctive as Fellini's Rome or Ozu's Tokyo."

Leigh was born to Phyllis Pauline (née Cousin) and Alfred Abraham Leigh, a doctor. Leigh was born at Brocket Hall in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, which was at that time a maternity home. His mother, in her confinement, went to stay with her parents in Hertfordshire for comfort and support while her husband was serving as a captain in the Royal Army Medical Corps. Leigh was brought up in the Broughton area of Salford, Lancashire. He attended North Grecian Street Junior School. He is from a Jewish family; his paternal grandparents were Russian-Jewish immigrants who settled in Manchester. The family name, originally Lieberman, had been anglicised in 1939 "for obvious reasons". When the war ended, Leigh's father began his career as a general practitioner in Higher Broughton, "the epicentre of Leigh's youngest years and the area memorialised in Hard Labour." Leigh went to Salford Grammar School, as did the director Les Blair, his friend, who produced Leigh's first feature film Bleak Moments (1971). There was a strong tradition of drama in the all-boys school, and an English master, Mr Nutter, supplied the library with newly published plays.

Outside school Leigh thrived in the Manchester branch of Labour Zionist youth movement Habonim. In the late 1950s he attended summer camps and winter activities over the Christmas break all-round the country. Throughout this time the most important part of his artistic consumption was cinema, although this was supplemented by his discovery of Picasso, Surrealism, The Goon Show, and even family visits to the Hallé Orchestra and the D'Oyly Carte. His father, however, was deeply opposed to the idea that Leigh might become an artist or an actor. He forbade him his frequent habit of sketching visitors who came to the house and regarded him as a problem child because of his creative interests. In 1960, "to his utter astonishment", he won a scholarship to RADA. Initially trained as an actor at RADA, Leigh started to hone his directing skills at East 15 Acting School where he met the actress, Alison Steadman.

Leigh responded negatively to RADA's agenda, found himself being taught how to "laugh, cry and snog" for weekly rep purposes and so became a sullen student. He later attended Camberwell School of Arts and Crafts (in 1963), the Central School of Art and Design and the London School of Film Technique on Charlotte Street. When he had arrived in London, one of the first films he had seen was Shadows (1959), an improvised film by John Cassavetes, in which a cast of unknowns was observed 'living, loving and bickering' on the streets of New York and Leigh had "felt it might be possible to create complete plays from scratch with a group of actors." Other influences from this time included Harold Pinter's The Caretaker-"Leigh was mesmerised by the play and the (Arts Theatre) production"- Samuel Beckett, whose novels he read avidly, and the writing of Flann O'Brien, whose "tragi-comedy" Leigh found particularly appealing. Influential and important productions he saw in this period included Beckett's Endgame, Peter Brook's King Lear and in 1965 Peter Weiss's Marat/Sade, a production developed through improvisations, the actors having based their characterisations on people they had visited in a mental hospital. The visual worlds of Ronald Searle, George Grosz, Picasso, and William Hogarth exerted another kind of influence. He played small roles in several British films in the early 1960s, (West 11, Two Left Feet) and played a young deaf-mute, interrogated by Rupert Davies, in the BBC Television series Maigret. In 1964-65, he collaborated with David Halliwell, and designed and directed the first production of Little Malcolm and his Struggle Against the Eunuchs at the Unity Theatre.

Leigh has been described as "a gifted cartoonist ... a northerner who came south, slightly chippy, fiercely proud (and critical) of his roots and Jewish background; and he is a child of the 1960s and of the explosion of interest in the European cinema and the possibilities of television."

Leigh has cited Jean Renoir and Satyajit Ray among his favourite film makers. In addition to those two, in an interview recorded at the National Film Theatre at the BFI on 17 March 1991; Leigh also cited Frank Capra, Fritz Lang, Yasujiro Ozu and even Jean-Luc Godard, "...until the late 60s." When pressed for British influences, in that interview, he referred to the Ealing comedies "...despite their unconsciously patronizing way of portraying working-class people" and the early 60s British New Wave films. When asked for his favorite comedies, he replied, One, Two, Three, La règle du jeu and "any Keaton". The critic David Thomson has written that, with the camera work in his films characterised by 'a detached, medical watchfulness', Leigh's aesthetic may justly be compared to the sensibility of the Japanese director Yasujiro Ozu. Michael Coveney: "The cramped domestic interiors of Ozu find many echoes in Leigh's scenes on stairways and in corridors and on landings, especially in Grown-Ups, Meantime and Naked. And two wonderful little episodes in Ozu's Tokyo Story, in a hairdressing salon and a bar, must have been in Leigh's subconscious memory when he made The Short and Curlie's (1987), one of his most devastatingly funny pieces of work and the pub scene in Life is Sweet..."

Robert Powell was born on Thursday, June 1st, 1944, five days before D-Day, on Tuesday, June 6th, 1944, in Salford, Greater Manchester, England. In 1964, he started his acting career while attending Manchester University. In 1967, he made his film debut, and later landed his first starring role in The Italian Job (1969). Some of his well-known movies include Franco Zeffirelli's Jesus of Nazareth (1977), Ken Russell's Tommy (1975) and Mahler (1974), the sequel or remake of The Thirty Nine Steps (1978), and the popular TV series, Doomwatch (1970). Robert ended his bachelor life, when he married Barbara "Babs" Lord, on Friday, August, 29th, 1975. They are parents of two children (1 son & 1 daughter). In 1982, Robert won the Best Actor award at the Venice Film Festival for his performance in Imperative (1982). He won the best actor award at the Paris Film Festival for Harlequin (1980). For his portrayal of Jesus in Jesus of Nazareth he received best actor awards from TV Times and Italian TV Times, the international arts prize at the Fiuggi Film Festival, grand prize at the Saint-Vincent Film Festival, and a nomination as best actor from The Irish Academy of Film and Television arts. In reference to his role as Jesus in Jesus of Nazareth, Robert said, "I hope Jesus Christ will be the last in my line of sensitive young men for quite a while."

Andrew Knott was born on the 22nd of November 1979 in Salford, Greater Manchester, England. He started acting at a young age appearing in various British TV and radio programs. Throughout his younger years he trained at The Oldham Theater Workshop. His first big screen appearance was in The Secret Garden (1993) starring opposite Maggie Smith. Another Warner Brothers big screen adaptation was his next venture starring in Black Beauty (1994). A return to the theater in 2004 saw Andrew appear in "The History Boys". The National Theater production later toured the world giving Andrew his first appearance on Broadway. Alan Bennett has also adapted his hit play for the big screen The History Boys (2006), directed by the National's own Nicholas Hytner.

Pearce Quigley was born in Salford, Greater Manchester, England, UK. He is known for The Way Back (2010), You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger (2010) and Hereafter (2010).

Steve Evets was born on 26 July 1960 in Salford, Lancashire, England, UK. He is an actor, known for Looking for Eric (2009), Robin Hood (2010) and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011).

Pooky Quesnel was born on 30 April 1966 in Eccles, Salford, Greater Manchester, England, UK. She is an actress and writer, known for Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (2016), Doctors (2000) and Great Expectations (2012).

Rebecca Atkinson was born on 22 September 1983 in Salford, Greater Manchester, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Shameless (2004), Ideal (2005) and Life on Mars (2006).

John Thomson was born on 2 April 1969 in Salford, Lancashire, England, UK. He is an actor and writer, known for Inkheart (2008), 24 Hour Party People (2002) and The Fast Show (1994). He was previously married to Samantha Sharp.

Linzey Cocker was born on 19 May 1987 in Eccles, Salford, Greater Manchester, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Wild Child (2008), 4.3.2.1. (2010) and Waterloo Road (2006).

Born in Salford in 1975 Emma Lowndes was bitten by the acting bug at the age of eight when her school class was invited to take part in Opera North's production of 'Carmen'. Having been head girl at school and an English graduate from York University she managed to get a place at RADA thanks to Richard Attenborough, who championed her audition, and also to another Salfordian, Albert Finney, who helped set up the Salford Sport and Arts Fund which paid for her three-year course. Since graduation she has appeared on stage at the Manchester Exchange Theatre, where her performance in 'The Seagull' saw her nominated for an Ian Charleson award, and as the lead in 'The Rise and Fall of Little Voice'. For the Royal Shakespeare Company she was in 'Great Expectations, 'Therese Raquin' for the National and in the West End revival of 'Whose Life Is It Anyway?'. In 2009 she reprised her role as Bella Gregson' from the first series of television costume drama 'Cranford', where one of her many co-stars was Lisa Dillon, the actress who pipped Emma to winning the Ian Charleson award.

Jason Done was born and raised in Salford, England. His love for acting began at an early age after watching the Ken Loach film, Kes. Aged eight, he entered a talent competition, and won first prize for his stand up comedy.

At sixteen Jason won his schools drama prize, and was awarded a place at the National Youth Theatre's summer school, where he worked with acclaimed playwright John Burrows. Jason gained a Foundation Diploma in Performing Arts with distinction from Salford University, whilst studying he co-wrote comedy sketches inspired by Monty Python and performed them in venues around the North of England. He made his professional stage debut in Hull Trucks production of A Hard Days Night, and soon after began work on ITV's _"Mothers Ruin" (1994)_, a six part comedy series. He followed this with Martin Sadofski's drama Blood and Peaches, a gritty tale of four young people growing up in Bradford, England against a backdrop of racial unrest.

It was at this time that Jason realized his passion for dramatic work. This led him back to the theatre for his role as Stubbs in the London premiere of Sam Shepherds play, States of Shock, where he debuted his American accent. Jason received outstanding notices, and followed the play with a role in Anthony Minghella's The English Patient (1996), opposite Academy Award winner Juliette Binoche. Jason returned to the small screen for Wokenwell (1997) where he played PC Brian Rainford, in England's answer to Northern Exposure. The show gained a cult following.

Next came The Barber of Siberia directed by Oscar winner Nikita Mikhalkov, where he played an American army cadet stationed at West Point. Described as "deliciously evil" for his role as Mordred in NBC's Merlin (1998), Jason worked alongside a star studded ensemble including Sam Neill, Isabella Rossellini and Helena Bonham Carter, in what was NBC's highest rating drama in twelve years.

Always willing to try new accents, Jason played a tormented student from Cornwall in The Passion (1999) (BBC 1). He then joined the cast of the popular ITV series, Where the Heart Is (1997) for two years. The Emmy award winning Dreamworks/HBO production Band of Brothers saw Jason's return to US television. His role of BAFTA winner Julie Walters' son in BBC's critically acclaimed Murder, had Jason working with director Beeban Kidron and writer Abi Morgan. Having earlier worked on the short film the King and Us, Jason spread his wings to write, produce and star in his own short film Shooting from the Lip, a commentary on lost love. Jason most recently starred as Sean Denning, a malevolent gangster manipulating the police, in a two part TV film of the popular series In Deep.

British actor James Hazeldine was a well-known face both on British television and on the stage. Best known for his role as Mike "Bayleaf" Wilson in the ITV drama, London's Burning (1988), many real-life firefighters thought Bayleaf was the character who closely and accurately portrayed your average real-life firefighter, a credit to his acting abilities. A meticulous performer, he was well-known for researching every part he played, and firmly believed that by accurately portraying a character the audience would feel much more involved in and enveloped by the performance. He played the role continuously for seven years from the serial's inception in 1988. (The character's sobriquet stemmed from a culinary bent for complex recipes).

In a career spanning three decades, he also guested in such series as 'Boon' and 'Miss Marple', and, in the late 1980s, played the manager of the electrics company in Central's early-evening situation comedy, Young, Gifted and Broke (1989). In 1995, Hazeldine's character was written out of London's Burning of the actor's own volition, but he remained with the programme as a director. In years to come, he expanded his directing talents to encompass other UK drama serials, among them TV's The Knock (1994) and Heartbeat (1992). His acting CV also included sporadic film appearances, such as Pink Floyd: The Wall (1982). Although renowned as a television performer, he was also a respected stage actor, having trained with the Royal Shakespeare Company and, at one time, acted on Broadway alongside Glenda Jackson. He was rehearsing for his role as Sigmund Freud in a new stage play, 'The Talking Cure', when he became ill. In 2002 he appeared in the controversial drama, Shipman, which re-enacted events surrounding the murderous killing spree of Dr Harold Shipman, Britain's most prolific serial killer. Hazeldine assumed the role of Detective Inspector Stan Egerton, the man charged with leading the investigation into the deranged doctor's crimes.

Determined that the dramatization should be as authentic as possible, Hazeldine even met with the retired policeman to ensure a realistic portrayal of the diligent law enforcer. Ironically, while the Shipman drama was in production, the real-life Mr. Egerton died suddenly and prematurely of a coronary disorder. James Hazeldine died on 17 December 2002, aged 55. There will never be anyone quite like him again, British Television mourned the loss of a truly great actor, director and personality.

His son is actor Sam Hazeldine.

Born in Salford 1974. Hitchen trained in ballet, musical theatre and played numerous stage roles at his local youth theatre group. He returned to acting aged 41 after working as a plumber for over 20 years. He finally got his big break when he played the lead role in Ken Loach's BAFTA nominated " Sorry We Missed You" which earned Hitchen a BIFA nomination for best actor. He has since gone on to star in numerous leading roles on TV and Film.

Stephen trained at Salford College of Music and Drama and graduated with the highest Grade A Distinction.

Stephen's love affair for film and TV soon began with his debut role in Cannes winner, Raining Stones (1993), a Ken Loach film and then the lead as "Jonno Fox" in the award-winning "Common As Muck" (1994), for the BBC, which led him to BAFTA recognition.

His solid performances as "Darwin Craven" in two series of Carla Lane's comedy for the BBC Luv (1993), Into the Fire (1996) by award-winning writer, Tony Marchant, led to 2 series of City Central (1998), for the BBC, playing rookie cop, "PC Steve Jackson."

Stephen's next job was the hard-hitting drama, Real Men (2003), by Frank Deasy, playing the sexually abused and abuser, "Alex Collins", directed by Sallie Aprahamian for David Snodin, at the BBC, which created much controversy, whilst receiving great reviews. His talent also led him to play the guest lead in the popular TV series, Sea of Souls (2004), for the BBC.

A familiar face on the small screen, Stephen lit up the big screen with his performances in The Bullion Boys (1993), which picked up the Emmy award, directed by Christopher Morahan. Judge Dredd (1995), Giving Tongue (1996) and "Prince of Denmark Hill" (1999) followed. With a filmography that many actors dream of, Stephen also played a mad anarchist, "Fazer," in South West 9 (2001), for Fruit Salad Films and Capone's Boys (2002), opposite Ricky Tomlinson and Richard Roundtree, which was directed by "Cracker" (1993)'s original director, Richard Standeven. As well as Octane (2003), with Madeleine Stowe, for Random Harvest and Four Horseman Films and the leading role of "Spook", a psychotic marine in Random Harvest and Four Horseman's LD 50 Lethal Dose (2003) opposite Tom Hardy. Stephen also enjoyed filming Reverb (2008), a psychological thriller with Leo Gregory and Eva Birthistle, and he played opposite the much-loved Stephen Rea and Jean-Claude Van Damme in the new action film, Until Death (2007). One of his many amazing short films was an adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe's The Tell-Tale Heart (2004), working with Oscar-winner Jack Cardiff. He also worked on the small micro-budget film, The Truth (2006), with Elaine Cassidy and Elizabeth McGovern, and again with Jean-Claude Van Damme, playing an American bad guy, "Benjamin Myers", in the $12 million action film, The Shepherd (2008).

As well as an amazing acting career, Stephen has been writing and producing inspired by his working class roots in Salford, Greater Manchester and his time travelling back and forth to Ireland. Stephen has written and directed 2 short films, Untitled (2000) and In Loving Memory (2000).

Stephen produced an animated pilot "Gettin On" with the award-winning Slinky Pictures. Stephen wrote, directed and produced his 1st doc feature film, It's Not the End of the World (2000), which played at various film festivals. He also created, wrote, directed and produced a pilot webisode/mobisode, "Dr Hoo," starring Ian Hart and Elaine Cassidy, which was the first ever original drama on Virgin1 (now known as Channel One). His production company, Lord Entertainment Group, is based in London.

Stephen continues to choose amazing projects, having played the explosive role of football hooligan and devoted father, "Jase Dyer," in EastEnders (1985), for 1 year before making one of the most dramatic exits on British TV, which caused a huge reaction in the National Press as his character was stabbed to death in front of his 12-year-old son at the time when knife crime hit a peak in the UK.

Stephen has gone on to film Jackboots on Whitehall (2010), starring alongside Ewan McGregor, Timothy Spall and Richard E. Grant. He also took a trip back to his roots, by working with the much-loved director, Ken Loach, in his latest film, Route Irish (2010), and worked with the 3-times Oscar DOP whose films include "The Killing Fields" (2000).

In 2012 Stephen filmed the controversial film "Default" by Colombian filmmaker Simon Brand which is about the kidnapping of CNN journalists by Somalian Pirates. The film got picked up by Wildbunch and CAA.

In 2012 Stephen played the guest lead in the hit comedy show "PhoneShop" for the Channel 4 channel E4, and then went on to do another comedy pilot "Meet The Police".

From 2012 to 2013 Stephen played the alcoholic priest and sexual deviant Dominic Meak in 3 series of the hit series "Shameless" for Channel 4.

2013 marked the debut of Stephen breaking into the US with a guest starring arc over multiple episodes, in the hit show for ABC "Once Upon A Time."

2014 kicked off with a role in John Logan's "Penny Dreadful" executive produced by Sam Mendes for Showtime and Sky playing American bounty hunter Mr Roper.

Stephen takes on his most demanding film and role to date in the prolific writer, and now director Helen Walsh's 1st feature film "Violators" playing Mickey Finnaghan.

Stephen reunites with Tom Hardy in Brian Hegeland's "Legend."

"Default" is released on the 17th of October 2014.

Stephen returns to play Warren Roper in the second series of "Penny Dreadful."

Collateral Films is set up in the UK with investment secured for a slate of films.

"Strangeways Here We Come" gets green lit and starts filming, and Stephen plays Nolan the infamous debt collector.

"Violators" premieres at the Edinburgh Festival and is nominated for The Best Of British award. "Violators" continues to play film festivals all over the world and a general release is set for 2016.

"Legend" is released in the UK and is released in the USA on the 20th of November 2015.

In 2016 Stephen joins the cast of "Marcella" by Hans Rosenfeldt (Bron/The Bridge) and Nicola Larder, which is swiftly transmitted, grabbing high ratings for ITV.

In 2016 Stephen appeared in the Anthony Harrowitz 7 part crime drama "New Blood" for the BBC.

"Violators" is released in the UK and Eire, on online platforms and to very positive reviews, and personal mentions for his standout performance.

In 2017 Stephen filmed series 1 of the hard hitting "Safe House" for ITV.

In 2017 Stephen returned to "Once Upon A Time" for ABC playing the role of Malcom.

In 2018 Stephen joined an award winning cast, in the feature film "Mrs Lowry and Son" for Genesius Pictures, acting opposite Tim Spall and Venessa Redgrave.

In 2020 Stephen filmed the comedy drama series 'The South Westerlies' in Ireland playing Teddy lawson for Deadpan Pictures.

He has recently co-created and co-wrote "The Bullring" with Michael Hoffman for All 3 Media and Seven Stories.

Two other feature films and multiple TV series are in development and placed with award winning production companies.

He is married to Elaine Cassidy, and they have 2 children Kíla and Lynott.

Samia Longchambon was born on 13 July 1982 in Eccles, Salford, Greater Manchester, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Coronation Street (1960), Heartbeat (1992) and Adam's Family Tree (1997). She has been married to Sylvain Longchambon since 20 August 2016. They have one child. She was previously married to Matthew Smith.

Sacha Parkinson was born in Manchester, England as Sacha Louise Parkinson to an English mother and a Scottish Father. Sacha began her acting career at the age of just 11 in channel 4's adaptation of The Illustrated Mum (2003). She is an actress best known for Awaydays (2009), A Boy Called Dad (2009), Coronation Street (1960), The Crash (2013), The Mill (2013), My Mad Fat Diary (2014), The Driver (2014) and Mr Selfridge (2015).

Chelsee Healey was born on 6 August 1988 in Eccles, Salford, Greater Manchester, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Burn It (2003), Waterloo Road (2006) and Hollyoaks (1995).

Jason Manford was born on 26 May 1981 in Salford, Lancashire, England, UK. He is an actor and writer, known for Ordinary Lies (2015), Ideal (2005) and Little Crackers (2010). He has been married to Lucy Dyke since 23 December 2017. They have one child. He was previously married to Catherine.

Joe Gladwin was born on 22 January 1906 in Salford, Lancashire, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Last of the Summer Wine (1973), Nearest and Dearest (1972) and Nearest and Dearest (1968). He was married to Lily Anne Wynne. He died on 11 March 1987 in Manchester, England, UK.

British-born American actor. Born December 16th 1976 in Eccles, Manchester to Brian Ashworth, a cabinetmaker, and his wife Elaine, a hard-working housewife. Mark worked at Manchester United's 'Theatre Of Dreams', until he and his family moved to Tennessee in summer of 1992 where the long hot days working as a brick layer inspired him to build his own dreams. After a ligament accident ended his amateur football playing days in 2005, he began attending drama school under the tutelage of Michael H Cole and has been enjoying the journey of self knowledge and collaboration of creating images just as much as he enjoyed the days on the football field.