John Thomson (actor)

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John Thomson

Birth name	Patrick Francis McAleer
Born	April 2, 1969 (age 37) Salford, United Kingdom
Spouse(s)	Samantha Sharp (2005 - present)
Notable roles	Various roles in The Fast Show Pete Gifford in Cold Feet

John Patrick Thomson (born Patrick Francis McAleer, April 2, 1969) is an English actor and stand-up comedian, known for his roles in The Fast Show and Cold Feet.

1 Biography
2 Selected filmography
3 References
4 External links

[edit] Biography

[edit] Early life

Thomson was born in 1969 in Salford to Mary McAleer, who would give him up six weeks later. He was adopted from a Catholic Rescue Centre by Andrew and Marita Thomson, a businessman and a bookseller from Didsbury.^[1]^[2] He has one younger brother, Ben (born to his adoptive parents).^[3] He attended a Catholic school near Preston, leaving with three O-levels. He then attended Runshaw College between 1985 and 1987, studying for four A-levels, including theatre studies. He was described as "clearly [having] a talent for comedy".^[4]

Following this, he turned down a scholarship in America to study drama at Manchester Polytechnic.

[edit] Career

While at university, Thomson met Steve Coogan, who secured him a job on Spitting Image.^[3] They would continue to collaborate on such programmes as Coogan's Run , the Paul and Pauline Calf video diaries and Knowing Me, Knowing You... with Alan Partridge, which he also contributed to writing. He also appeared in Coogan's live shows as compere Bernard Righton and the two would be reunited in the 2002 film 24 Hour Party People. The two won the Perrier Comedy Award in 1992 for their act at the Edinburgh Fringe.^[3]

In 1994 Thomson appeared in the BBC sketch series The Fast Show, remaining with it until it ended in 2001. Thomson played memorable characters such as Chip Cobb, the deaf stuntman, and Roger the Nouveau football fan but it is "Jazz Club" host Louis Balfour that he is most remembered for, with the catchphrase, "Nice!"^[3]^[5] He also appeared in The Fast Show Live and the spin-off Ted & Ralph.

In 1996 he appeared opposite Maureen Lipman as Bob Acres in The Rivals at the Royal Exchange, Manchester.^[6]^[7]

He made guest appearances on various series such as Soldier Soldier and Men Behaving Badly in the 1990s before being cast as Pete Gifford in the ITV comedy drama Cold Feet. Thomson was known to the producers, who had previously cast him in a one-off drama called My Perfect Match. The series ran until 2003 and earned him a nomination for Best TV Comedy Actor at the British Comedy Awards 2001.

After Cold Feet wrapped, Thomson auditioned for the David E. Kelley series The Brotherhood of Poland, New Hampshire^[8] before returning to the Royal Exchange to appear in Hobson's Choice (helped by his acclaimed perfomance in The Rivals^[7]). The Independent described his performance as Willie as "an extremely well-judged performance. With the slightest physical gesture and merest facial expression he conveys disbelief, reluctance, panic, and finally acceptance of his fate at the hands of manipulative Maggie".^[9] His performance led to a Manchester Evening News Award nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role.^[10]

That same year he participated in the BBC series Comic Relief does Fame Academy. He was the fourth "student" to be "expelled".^[11]^[12]

Thomson lent his voice to the revived BBC children's series Bill and Ben and a character in Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit.

His latest series, New Street Law, about a Manchester chambers, started in 2006. Thomson plays "lovable rogue" barrister Charlie Darling alongside co-star John Hannah. The second series began in January 2007.^[13]

In February 2007 he played 'Sir Alan Prentice', in Kombat Opera Presents... The Applicants, a spoof opera of BBC hit series The Apprentice.

In March 2007 he appears as hypnotherapist Ray Bould in the three-part ITV thriller, Mobile. The producers had Thomson lined up for the role of "DI Fleming", but he wanted to read for Bould because he "was up against a friend for the same part".^[14]