Tony Garnett

Tony Garnett (born 3 April 1936) is a British film and television producer. Best known for his thirteen-year association with director Ken Loach, his work as producer has continued into the present century.

Early life and career

Born in Birmingham, Garnett lost his parents when young; his mother died when he was five from the after effects of a back-street abortion, and his father committed suicide nineteen days later. Garnett was raised by an aunt and uncle. He attended the Central Grammar School in Birmingham and read Psychology at University College, London, a constituent part of London University. By his own admission, he spent most of his time acting in the Drama Society and on television.

Beginning as an actor, Garnett appeared in An Age of Kings (1960), the BBC's mounting of Shakespeare's eight contiguous history plays, several television plays by David Mercer, and an episode Catherine (1964) in the Teletale series, significant for his career because it led to his first meeting with its director, Kenneth Loach.