Paul Copley
Known for: Acting
Born: November 25, 1944
Place of birth: Denby Dale, West Yorkshire, England, UK
Paul is a long established and much respected British actor and voiceover artist. Born in Denby Dale, West Riding of Yorkshire, on 25th November 1944 he grew up beside a dairy farm. His father, Harold, was involved with local amateur dramatic productions, as were the rest of his family. He went to Penistone Grammar School, then the Northern Counties College of Education in Newcastle upon Tyne, where he received an Associate of the Drama Board (ADB) in Drama. He taught English and Drama in Walthamstow, before he joined the Leeds Playhouse Theatre-in-education Company in 1971. In 1976, Paul won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a New Play for his role in John Wilson's For King and Country. With many and varied roles to follow, Paul soon established himself as one of the UK's leading stage, film, television and radio actors. In 2011-2015 Paul gained worldwide recognition appearing in 16 episodes of the hugely popular television series Downton Abbey playing the popular role of farmer Mr Mason. Paul is married to the actress Natasha Pyne. They married in 1972, after both performing in a Leeds Playhouse production of Frank Wedekind's Lulu, adapted by Peter Barnes, directed by Bill Hays in 1971.
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Filmography
63 movies · 74 TV shows, newest first
NR
Big Winners
2025
NR
Play for Today
2025
7.1
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale
2025
NR
Rose Ayling-Ellis: Old Hands, New Tricks
2025
NR
Ticker
2023
6.9
DI Ray
2022
7.2
Downton Abbey: A New Era
2022
NR
The Infectious Imagination of Henry Bramble
2021
7.2
Enola Holmes
2020
6.0
Ropeless
2020
3.0
On the Edge
2018
6.7
Trust Me
2017
6.9
Broken
2017
5.0
Reg
2016
7.0
The Nest Egg
2016
7.7
The Sound of Music Live!
2015
6.3
The Coroner
2015
7.2
Code of a Killer
2015
NR
The 12 Days of Christine
2015
8.1
Inside No. 9
2014
7.6
Father Brown
2013
NR
Carved with Love: The Genius of British Woodwork
2013
7.1
Last Tango in Halifax
2012
NR
First Encounter: King Lear
2012
6.0
White Heat
2012
7.6
Call the Midwife
2012
7.4
Vera
2011
8.1
Downton Abbey
2010
7.3
Moving On
2009
7.1
Survivors
2008
7.9
Inspector George Gently
2008
6.6
The Shadow in the North
2007
7.1
Kingdom
2007
7.3
Torchwood
2006
NR
When Kim & Aggie Went To Hospital
2006
7.6
The Street
2006
6.7
Johnny and the Bomb
2006
7.8
Life on Mars
2006
4.6
Marian, Again
2005
7.0
Dead Man Weds
2005
7.5
Shameless
2004
7.3
New Tricks
2004
8.0
The Key
2003
6.3
How Clean Is Your House?
2003
6.0
Burn It
2003
6.5
The Afternoon Play
2003
7.8
The Royal
2003
7.3
Hornblower: Duty
2003
7.3
Hornblower: Loyalty
200310.0
Nice Guy Eddie
2002
9.0
Born and Bred
2002
10.0
The Many Lives of Albert Walker
2002
7.2
Waking the Dead
2001
7.4
Messiah
2001
7.3
Hornblower: Retribution
2001
7.4
Hornblower: Mutiny
2001
5.9
Blow Dry
2001
7.2
Hornblower: The Frogs and the Lobsters
1999
7.2
Hornblower: The Duchess and the Devil
1999
7.8
Queer as Folk
1999
7.5
Hornblower: The Examination for Lieutenant
1998
7.8
The Worst Witch
1998
7.5
Hornblower: The Even Chance
1998
7.8
Hornblower
1998
9.3
Written in Blood
1998
7.0
The Lakes
1997
7.5
Midsomer Murders
1997
7.3
This Life
1996
6.4
Dalziel and Pascoe
1996
7.6
Silent Witness
1996
6.3
Jude
1996
7.3
Roughnecks
1994
NR
A Pinch of Snuff
1994
7.4
The Remains of the Day
1993
6.6
Cracker
19935.3
Harry
1993
6.5
Peak Practice
1993
7.2
Heartbeat
19929.0
How's Business
1991
7.0
Stay Lucky
1989
6.2
The Paradise Club
1989
9.0
Testimony of a Child
1989
10.0
Young Charlie Chaplin
1989
8.0
Theban Plays: Oedipus at Colonus
1986
6.2
Casualty
1986
5.9
Silas Marner
19857.0
The Bright Side
1985
6.6
Which Side Are You On?
1985
NR
Bird Fancier
1985
6.8
The Bill
1984
7.3
Big Deal
1984
10.0
The Gathering Seed
1983
3.3
Doll’s Eye
1983NR
Ends and Means
1983
6.7
Ghost in the Water
1982
NR
P.Q. 17
19813.3
A Room for the Winter
1981
8.3
Tenko
19818.0
West End Tales
1981
8.0
A Brush with Mr. Porter on the Road to El Dorado
1981
NR
Happy
1980
7.8
Death of a Princess
1980
7.1
Minder
1979
NR
Cries from a Watchtower
1979
7.0
Black Jack
1979NR
Turning Year Tales
1979
6.1
Zulu Dawn
1979NR
After Julius
1979
NR
Pillion
1979
9.0
On a Paving Stone Mounted
1978
NR
Travellers
1978
7.3
Strangers
1978
NR
Mucking Out
1978
NR
The Turkey Who Lives on the Hill
1978
8.0
Destiny
1978NR
Some Enchanted Evening
1978
6.7
A Christmas Carol
1977
6.7
Treasure Island
19777.0
Premiere
1977
7.0
BBC2 Play of the Week
1977
7.8
Secret Army
1977
7.2
A Bridge Too Far
1977
6.5
Arnhem: The Story of an Escape
1976
NR
The Chester Mystery Plays
1976
NR
Trinity Tales
1975
7.0
Days of Hope
1975
4.5
Alfie Darling
1975
7.0
Diane
1975
5.0
Churchill's People
1974
7.0
Playhouse
1974NR
Second City Firsts
1973
5.3
Father Dear Father
1973
9.0
Speech Day
1973
6.6
Play for Today
1970
7.0
ITV Playhouse
1967
5.2
BBC Play of the Month
1965
9.0
Dangerous Journey
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