Jason Done

Jason Done (born 5 April 1973) is an English actor best known for his role as the idealistic English teacher Tom Clarkson in the long-running BBC One school drama series Waterloo Road, which he portrayed from 2006 to 2013.^[1][2][3] Born in Walkden, Lancashire, and raised in nearby Salford, Done developed an early interest in performing arts inspired by Ken Loach's film Kes.^[4][3] At age eight, he won a talent competition for stand-up comedy, and by sixteen, he had earned his school's drama prize along with a place at the National Youth Theatre's summer school.^[4] Done began his professional career on stage with Hull Truck Theatre Company's production of A Hard Day's Night, making his television debut shortly thereafter in the 1994 ITV miniseries Mothers Ruin.^[4] He gained wider recognition in 1998 for playing the treacherous Mordred in the NBC/ Hallmark miniseries Merlin, starring opposite Sam Neill as King Arthur.^[4][2][3] In the early 2000s, Done appeared as the aspiring musician Stephen Snow in the ITV family drama Where the Heart Is across three seasons from 1999 to 2001.^[2] His tenure on Waterloo Road established him as a prominent figure in British television, where his character evolved from a dedicated educator to deputy head, navigating personal and professional challenges over multiple series.^[1][4] Beyond these highlights, Done has taken on supporting roles in series such as The Bill and Casualty, as well as feature films including All in the Game (2002) and The Waiting Room (2015). In recent years, he has appeared in the comedy film Old Guy (2024) and the series The Hack (2025).^[4][4]

Early life and education

Early life

Jason Done was born on 5 April 1973 in Walkden, Lancashire, England.^[5] He was raised in Salford, where his childhood was shaped by the local environment of this northern English town.^[6] His early interest in acting was ignited at a young age after watching the Ken Loach film Kes, a gritty portrayal of working-class life in a Yorkshire mining community that resonated with his own regional background.^[6] At the age of eight, Done entered a talent competition and won first prize for his stand-up comedy routine, an experience that marked his initial foray into public performance and further fueled his passion for the stage.^[6][7] This early milestone highlighted his natural comedic timing and set the foundation for his future pursuits in acting.

Education and training

Done developed a keen interest in drama during his school years in Salford, where he actively participated in theatrical activities and ultimately won his school's drama prize at the age of sixteen.^[6] This accomplishment earned him a coveted spot at the National Youth Theatre's summer school, providing early hands-on training in performance and collaboration with established professionals, including acclaimed playwright Alan Bleasdale.^[6] Building on this foundation, Done pursued formal education by earning a Foundation Diploma in Performing Arts with distinction from Salford University, now known as the University of Salford.^[6] During his time there, he co-wrote comedy sketches drawing inspiration from Monty Python, honing his skills in writing and improvisation alongside acting.^[6] These structured experiences in youth programs and academic training not only refined his performative abilities but also solidified his commitment to a professional career in the arts.^[6]

Career

Early career

Done began his professional acting career in 1994 at the age of 21 with a small role as a policeman in the BBC sitcom Once Upon a Time in the North, appearing in the episode "The Time Morris Launched His Boat."^[8] This marked his screen debut following youth theatre training in Salford.^[6] Later that year, he secured his first recurring television role as Clive Watson in the ITV comedy series Mother's Ruin, a six-episode production centered on family dynamics in a northern English town. In the same period, Done made his professional stage debut with Hull Truck Theatre Company in their 1994 adaptation of A Hard Day's Night, a musical inspired by the Beatles' film, which helped build his experience in live performance.^[6] He continued with early television guest spots, including the role of Gary in the BBC miniseries Blood and Peaches (1995), a drama exploring youth and cultural tensions in Bradford. In 1996, he appeared as Mark Davies in an episode of the long-running police procedural The Bill and had a minor part as "Kiss Me Soldier" in Anthony Minghella's Oscar-winning film The English Patient.^[9][10] Done's early career progressed with supporting roles in series like Wokenwell (1997), where he played PC Brian Rainford in the BBC's quirky rural comedy. His breakthrough in the fantasy genre came in 1998 with the portrayal of the villainous Mordred in the NBC/ Hallmark miniseries Merlin, opposite Sam Neill as the titular wizard; the role earned praise for its "deliciously evil" intensity and showcased his ability to handle complex antagonists.^[11] These 1990s appearances in guest spots on shows like The Bill and other period dramas established Done's versatility in British television before his transition to leading roles in the early 2000s.^[12]

Major television roles

Jason Done's breakthrough in television came with his portrayal of Stephen Snow in the ITV drama Where the Heart Is, where he assumed the role starting in the third series in 1999, succeeding William Ash, and continued through series five in 2001.^[2] As the son of the central character Peggy Snow, a district nurse in a Yorkshire village, Done depicted Stephen as a devoted family man grappling with personal relationships and community pressures amid the show's focus on rural life and family dynamics. His performance contributed to the series' exploration of generational conflicts and emotional resilience, earning him early recognition for nuanced dramatic work. Done's most defining television role was as Tom Clarkson, the idealistic English teacher in the BBC's long-running school drama Waterloo Road, which he played from 2006 to 2013 across seven series. Clarkson served as a moral anchor at the underfunded comprehensive school, navigating turbulent storylines including a series one love triangle with colleagues Lorna and Izzie Redpath, which highlighted his internal conflicts between duty and desire.^[13] Later arcs delved into his role as an overprotective father to son Josh, whose schizophrenia diagnosis intensified Clarkson's protective instincts and strained family bonds, underscoring themes of mental health support within the education system. Done's tenure, marked by a dramatic exit in 2013, solidified his reputation for portraying relatable, flawed authority figures in socially conscious narratives.^[14] In addition to these lead roles, Done has taken on notable recurring and guest parts that showcase his range in genre television. He appeared as Dr. Mark Ashcroft, a medical consultant entangled in corporate and political intrigue, across four episodes of the 2012 Channel 4 thriller Secret State.^[15] In the 2021 BBC prison drama Time, he recurred as P.O. Banks, a prison officer involved in the facility's tense daily operations, over two episodes.^[2] Done portrayed Connor Faircroft, the suspicious husband and business partner in a golf club murder investigation, in the 2022 episode "A Double Bogey" of BBC's Death in Paradise.^[16] His recent work includes DS Des O'Boyle, a detective sergeant aiding the hunt for the Yorkshire Ripper, in one episode of the 2023 ITV true-crime miniseries The Long Shadow, and Greek Keith, a charismatic local figure, in series six of Sky's comedy-drama Brassic in 2024.^[17][18] In 2025, Done portrayed Philip Davies, a key figure in the phone-hacking scandal narrative, across three episodes of the ITV miniseries The Hack, starring alongside David Tennant and Robert Carlyle.^[19] These performances have further established Done as a versatile actor adept at dramatic intensity and subtle character work across crime, thriller, and ensemble formats.^[12]

Film and theatre work

Jason Done's film career features a series of supporting roles in independent and short films, often portraying complex characters grappling with personal or societal tensions. In the 2015 short film Closets, directed by Lloyd Eyre-Morgan, he portrayed Henry Clever, a father figure in a sci-fi drama exploring themes of sexuality and time travel set against the backdrop of 1980s homophobia. This role marked an early foray into genre storytelling for Done, contributing to the film's recognition at festivals for its emotional depth.^[20] By the late 2010s, Done's film work shifted toward more introspective narratives. He appeared as Mr. Lawlor in the 2019 short Underwater, directed by Michael Keogh, where he played a coach navigating the pressures of youth sports and hidden family dynamics. That same year, in Keogh's The Road to Gehenna, Done took on the role of Father Tom, a priest confronting moral reckonings in a thriller about clerical crimes and retribution. These performances highlighted his ability to convey quiet intensity in ensemble-driven shorts, often produced on modest budgets but praised for their atmospheric tension.^[21] Done's transition to more prominent screen roles culminated in 2024 with his portrayal of Milo in the action-comedy Old Guy, directed by Simon West.^[22] In this feature, he supported a narrative about an aging hitman mentoring a young recruit, bringing nuance to a character entangled in the film's generational clashes and high-stakes humor. This credit represented a step up from earlier supporting parts, showcasing Done's versatility in larger productions while maintaining his focus on character-driven arcs. On stage, Done has balanced dramatic intensity with classical demands, beginning with his professional debut in a 1990s production of A Hard Day's Night. He gained attention for his role as Stubbs in the London premiere of Sam Shepard's States of Shock at Battersea Arts Centre, where he debuted an American accent to embody the play's surreal critique of war and consumerism. This performance underscored his adaptability across dialects and styles. Done later took the role of Macduff in a production of Shakespeare's Macbeth at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester, delivering a commanding interpretation that emphasized psychological depth over spectacle. These theatre credits illustrate his evolution from ensemble player to lead in live performance, prioritizing raw emotional delivery in intimate venues.

Narration and voice acting

Jason Done has established a notable presence in narration and voice-over work, leveraging his distinctive Manchester accent and versatile vocal delivery to bring authority and engagement to factual programming and audio literature. His career in this field expanded significantly in the late 2000s, allowing him to diversify beyond on-screen roles by focusing on audio-based projects that highlight his storytelling prowess.^[23] One of his most prominent narration assignments was for the Animal Planet documentary series Monsters Inside Me, where he provided the voice-over for 70 episodes from 2009 to 2017. The series explores harrowing real-life stories of parasitic infections and rare diseases, with Done's measured, dramatic narration guiding viewers through medical mysteries and survival tales.^[24][25][26] Done's documentary narration extends to high-stakes emergency and rescue series, including Helicopter ER (2016–present), where he narrates the intense operations of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance team responding to life-threatening incidents across northern England. He has also lent his voice to other factual programs such as Paddington Station 24/7 (2017–), detailing the daily operations and emergencies at London's busiest rail hub; Junior Doctors: Blood, Sweat and Tears (2015), following the challenges faced by new medical professionals; The Secret Life of the Cruise (2018), uncovering behind-the-scenes aspects of luxury ocean voyages; and a special edition of Can't Pay? We'll Take It Away! (2017), which examines debt enforcement processes. Additionally, he narrated segments for Shark Week specials, contributing to Discovery Channel's iconic ocean wildlife programming. These projects underscore his ability to convey urgency and empathy in non-fiction contexts, often drawing on his theatre-honed accent versatility for authentic regional flavor.^{[27][28][29][12][30][31][12]} In the realm of audiobooks, Done has narrated several titles across genres including thriller, historical fiction, and memoir, enhancing listener immersion through his clear and expressive reading style. Notable examples include Cut-Throat Defence (2022) by Olly Jarvis, a legal thriller; Opening the Gates of Hell (2024) by Mark Hodkinson, a World War II memoir recounting the liberation of Belsen concentration camp; Unconvicted (2021) by Jenny Friel, a true-crime account; and Once We Had the Arctic (2023) by Chris Pearson, an environmental history. These narrations, available on platforms like Audible and Kobo, demonstrate his skill in sustaining narrative tension over extended formats.^{[32][33][34][35][36]} Done's shift toward voice specialization post-2013, following the conclusion of his long-running television commitments, has allowed him to maintain a steady workflow in audio production while balancing family life, as represented by his agency Yakety Yak All Mouth Ltd. This evolution has solidified his reputation as a reliable voice for educational and dramatic content, with no major credits in video games or animations identified.^[23]

Personal life

Marriage and family

Jason Done married Anoushka Done in Florence, Italy, in September 2009.^[37] The couple has one son.^[1] Done has discussed balancing his demanding acting schedule with family life, emphasizing the importance of quality time together; for instance, he noted that whenever not filming, he and his family would jump in the car to explore new areas.^[38]

Interests and residence

Done resides in a semi-rural area of England with his family, providing convenient access to open countryside for outdoor activities.^[39] Among his personal interests, Done enjoys long walks, which he frequently undertook during the COVID-19 lockdown to appreciate the reduced traffic and serene environment. He also developed a hobby in baking during this time, successfully experimenting with banana bread recipes at home.^[39] In terms of creative pursuits, Done co-wrote comedy sketches inspired by Monty Python while studying for his Foundation Diploma in Performing Arts at Salford University, highlighting an early extension of his humorous side beyond formal training.^[6] Done has spoken positively about achieving work-life balance through voiceover narration, noting that remote setups enable more integrated family time without extensive travel.^[39]

Filmography

Film

Television

Done's television career spans several decades, encompassing lead roles in long-running dramas, guest appearances in popular series, and contributions to mini-series. His credits are cataloged below in chronological order, highlighting key series, characters, episode counts where applicable, and broadcast years.