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Nicholas Gleaves
Nicholas Gleaves
Nicholas Gleaves
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Nicholas Gleaves (born 2 January 1969) is an English actor and playwright.

Key Information

Career

[edit]

Gleaves's first theatre part was as an extra in Don Carlos at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester. He did several plays there including the lead in Macbeth. When interviewed about this play, he said he never had the superstition that surrounded it, "...all that spitting and spinning round — it all seems like quite hard work".[1]

He has been in many television shows since 1992;[2] Gleaves was Rick Powell in the television drama series Playing the Field. He had the role of Ray Fairburn in Conviction. Conviction was filmed at Salford Lads' Club which delighted Gleaves because of the building's connection to The Smiths.[3] In The Chase, he was the father Tom Bedford. In 2009, he said the idea for Survivors, in which he played the scientist Whitaker, was "great".[1] He played DS Andy Roper in the first two series of Scott & Bailey. Of this role, he said, "I've done quite a few cop shows and as much as I enjoy testosterone, shouting at villains and all that, I really fell in love with this. As soon as I read it I saw something new and original. That was one of the reasons why I wanted to be involved because it was so different and very believable."[4]

In 2019, Gleaves played the title role in the 2019 revival of the classic CBBC series The Demon Headmaster.

Gleaves has also started to write shows for radio.[5]

Personal life

[edit]

Originally from the Halliwell area of Bolton, Lancashire, England, Gleaves attended Sharples School from 1980 to 1985.[1][6] After completing his schooling, his mother made him attend a play and this sparked his interest in acting.[1] He is a fan of The Smiths and long time supporter of Bolton Wanderers.[3] Gleaves is married to actress Lesley Sharp. They have two sons and reside in London.[3][7]

Filmography

[edit]

Film

[edit]
Year Title Role Notes
1993 Century Daniel
1994 Fever Jo Short film
1999 Safer (unknown) Short film
2006 Half Light Dr. Robert Freedman
Starter for 10 Speaker for Nuclear Disarmament
2007 Mary and Mick Mick Short film. Also writer
2008 Incendiary Lenny
2009 A Congregation of Ghosts Ellis Baxter
2010 Chatroom Paul
2011 Captain America: The First Avenger Hydra agent
2014 United Passions Henri Delaunay
2015 Nightstand Rob Short film
2019 Spider-Man: Far From Home Guterman

Television

[edit]
Year Title Role Network Notes
1992 Boon Carl ITV Series 7, Episode 5: "Away from It All"
Casualty George Reynolds BBC One Series 7, Episode 6: "Profit and Loss"
1993 Heartbeat Eric Doubleday ITV Series 2, Episode 8: "Baby Blues"
1994 Fair Game Nigel BBC One Television film
Faith Andy Morgan ITV Mini-series, Episodes 1–4
Soldier Soldier Nicholas Pope ITV Series 4, Episode 4: "Second Sight"
1995 99-1 PC ITV Series 2, Episode 6: "The Lost Ones"
Harry Dean Hawkins BBC One Series 2, Episode 7: "A Question of Truth"
Moving Story Sam ITV Series 2, Episode 6: "Superstition"
Capital Lives Phil ITV Series 2, Episode 3: "In Cahoots"
1996 Ellington Bradley Stokes ITV Episode 5: "Getting Rid"
Madson Phil Hartigan BBC One Series 1, Episode 6
Screen Two Daniel BBC Two Series 13, Episode 6: "Century"
Poldark Stephen Cravenson ITV Television film
1997 Wokenwell PC Rudy Whiteside ITV Episodes 1–6
Lloyds Bank Channel 4 Film Challenge Chalky Channel 4 Series 4, Episode 1: "Nurse Ajax"
1998 Out of Hours Mr. Russell BBC One Mini-series, Episode 4
The Bill Danny Charlton ITV Series 14, Episodes 79–81: "Tainted Love: Parts 1–3"
1998–2002 Playing the Field Rick Powell BBC One Series 1–5; 23 episodes
2000 My Fragile Heart Joe Macavoy ITV 2-part television film
2001 In Deep Bradley Sullivan BBC One Series 1, Episodes 3 & 4: "Romeo Trap: Parts 1 & 2"
Perfect Mike ITV Television film
Now You See Her Paul Sky One Television film
Linda Green Carl Williamson BBC One Series 1, Episode 8: "Fitness Freak"
2002 Being April Eddie BBC One Episodes 1–6
2003 The Queen's Nose Duncan CBBC Series 7, Episodes 2–6
2004 Dalziel and Pascoe Sam Mattis BBC One Series 8, Episode 4: "Soft Touch"
Down to Earth Steve Benson BBC One Series 4, Episodes 7 & 8: "First Love" & "Unfinished Business"
Doctors Pete Preston BBC One Series 6, Episode 1: "Two's Company"
Conviction Ray Fairburn BBC Three Mini-series, 6 episodes
2005 Heartbeat Barry Calder ITV Series 14, Episode 15: "Icon"
Silent Witness DSI Phil Elliott BBC One Series 9, Episodes 1 & 2: "Ghosts: Parts 1 & 2"
2006 Bombshell Sean Collins TV One Episode 4
The Inspector Lynley Mysteries Dr. Simon Wilson BBC One Series 5, Episode 1: "Natural Causes"
Mysterious Creatures Richard Nicholas ITV Television film
2006–2007 The Chase Tom Bedford BBC One Series 1 & 2; 20 episodes
2007 City Lights DS Gary Tate ITV Episodes 1–6
2008 Fallout DS Matt Ryder Channel 4 Television film
2008–2010 Survivors James Whitaker BBC One Series 1 & 2; 9 episodes
2009 Robin Hood Thornton BBC One Series 3, Episode 9: "A Dangerous Deal"
Murderland Oliver ITV Mini-series, Episodes 1–3
2010 Foyle's War Larry Hains ITV Series 6, Episode 2: "Killing Time"
Ashes to Ashes DI Geoff Bevan BBC One Series 3, Episode 5
Reunited Andrew BBC One Television pilot
2011 Twenty Twelve Anthony Preston BBC Four Series 1, Episode 1: "Countdown"
Waterloo Road Richard Whitman BBC One Series 7, Episodes 5–10
2011–2012 Scott & Bailey DS Andy Roper ITV Series 1 & 2; 14 episodes
2012 Public Enemies Trevor Brotherton BBC One Mini-series, Episodes 1–3
2013 Jo Maurice Langlois TF1 Mini-series, Episode 1: "Notre Dame"
Vera Tim Hopkins ITV Series 3, Episode 1: "Castles in the Air"
2014 Marvellous Rev Mark BBC Two Television film
Chasing Shadows Alex Wernley ITV Mini-series, Episodes 3 & 4: "Off Radar: Parts 1 & 2"
2015 DCI Banks Gerald Foster ITV Series 4, Episodes 5 & 6: "Ghosts: Parts 1 & 2"
Not Safe for Work Minister Channel 4 Mini-series, Episode 5. Series originally called Cut
2016 Cold Feet Trevor Green ITV Series 6, Episodes 2 & 3
2017 Death in Paradise Peter Baxter BBC One Series 6, Episode 8: "Murder in the Polls"
2018 Midsomer Murders Ray Fryer ITV Series 19, Episode 5: "Death by Persuasion"
The Split Bill Graham BBC One Series 1, Episode 4
Married to a Paedophile Alex Channel 4 Television film
Bodyguard Roger Penhaligon MP BBC One Episodes 1–5
2018–2019 Coronation Street Duncan Radfield ITV Regular role; 22 episodes
2019 The Demon Headmaster The Headmaster CBBC Main role, Episodes 1–10
Bike Gangs: The Hunters & The Hunted Himself - Narrator Channel 5 Television documentary film
2022 The Rising William Wyatt Sky Max Episodes 1–8
The Crown John Birt Netflix Series 5, Episode 8: "Gunpowder"
2023 Silent Witness Bob Stratton BBC One Series 26, Episodes 7 & 8: "Hearts of Darkness: Parts 1 & 2"
2024 After the Flood Sergeant Phil Mackie ITV Episodes 1–6
2025 The Bombing of Pan Am 103 Allen Feraday BBC One Mini-series, Episodes 1–6
2025 Riot Women Tony Gaskell BBC One Episode 1. Post-production

Theatre

[edit]

His theatre credits include:

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Nicholas Gleaves

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Nicholas Gleaves (born 2 January 1969) is an English and , best known for his extensive work in British television dramas and occasional film appearances. Originally from the Halliwell area of , , he attended Sharples School from 1980 to 1985 before training at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama on a three-year course, encouraged by his mother. Gleaves began his career in the early 1990s, gaining prominence with roles such as Rick Powell in the sports drama Playing the Field (1999–2000) and Tom Bedford in the family thriller The Chase (2006–2007). His television credits also include DS Andy Medford in the crime series (2011–2016), Richard Whitman in Waterloo Road (2011–2012), and the titular villain in the 2019 revival of . More recently, he appeared as PC Taggart in the 2024 ITV disaster drama After the Flood, Allen Feraday in the miniseries The Bombing of Pan Am 103 (2025), and guest-starred in . In film, Gleaves has supporting roles in like Guterman in (2019) and an agent in : The First Avenger (2011), alongside earlier works such as Starter for 10 (2006) and Half Light (2006). As a and writer, he penned the Radio 4 drama Another Life (2015), starring and , which explores family dynamics and infidelity. Gleaves has been married to actress since 1994, and they have two sons.

Early life and education

Upbringing

Nicholas Gleaves was born in 1969 in the Halliwell area of , (then part of ), . He grew up in during the 1970s and early 1980s. This early environment in the industrial town of provided the backdrop for his formative years, before transitioning to formal education at Sharples School in 1980.

Schooling

Nicholas Gleaves attended Sharples School in Bolton, where he completed his secondary education between 1980 and 1985. At the school, there were no drama productions or clubs available, and Gleaves expressed no early interest in acting during this period. He later reflected, "We didn’t do any of that at Sharples—school wasn’t like it is now where you’re encouraged to try things like drama." Gleaves left school at age 16 without immediately pursuing higher education, instead taking on various jobs including retail and roles in the area. His interest in theatre was sparked soon after when his mother took him to a production at the Royal Exchange Theatre in , an experience he described as transformative: "it was like a bolt from the blue... it just turned my brain on." This newfound passion prompted him to attend the Royal Exchange summer school for young people. He later became a founder member of the Octagon Theatre’s Young Company in the late and trained at the School of Music and Drama.

Career

Theatre

Gleaves began his professional theatre career at the Royal Exchange Theatre in , where he made his debut in Friedrich Schiller's in the late 1980s. In 1996, he took on a leading role as Alan Jeffcote in Stanley Houghton's Hindle Wakes at the Royal Exchange Theatre, directed by Helena Kaut-Howson. The following year, Gleaves appeared in Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur's The Front Page at the Donmar Warehouse, directed by Sam Mendes. In 2005, he portrayed the father figure Peter Holmes in Simon Stephens' On the Shore of the Wide World, which premiered at the Royal Exchange Theatre before transferring to the Royal National Theatre's Cottesloe Theatre. Gleaves played the title role in William Shakespeare's Macbeth at the Royal Exchange Theatre in 2009, directed by Matthew Dunster. In 2010, he performed as Mephistophilis in Christopher Marlowe's Doctor Faustus. Gleaves starred as Pierre in Florian Zeller's The Father (translated by ) at the Ustinov Studio, Theatre Royal Bath, in 2015, directed by James Macdonald. Later that year, the production transferred to the Theatre and subsequently to in London's West End. In 2017, he appeared as Boris Trigorin in Simon Stephens' adaptation of Anton Chekhov's The Seagull at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre.

Television

Gleaves made his television debut in the 1996 ITV adaptation of Poldark, portraying the minor role of Stephen Cravenson. From 1998 to 2002, he played the recurring role of Rick Powell in the BBC sports drama Playing the Field, appearing in 23 episodes across five series. In the 2006–2007 BBC drama The Chase, Gleaves starred as the main character Tom Bedford, the patriarch of a family-run veterinary practice. He made a in the 2009 episode "Spies and Lies" of the BBC spy thriller Spooks (series 8, episode 2), playing James Ellis. Gleaves portrayed the recurring role of Duncan Radfield in from 2018 to 2019, appearing in 22 episodes of the long-running ITV soap. In the ITV police procedural Scott & Bailey, he played the recurring role of DS Andy Roper from 2011 to 2016, featuring in 14 episodes over the first two series. He starred as Mark Meacham in the 2015 ITV miniseries Safe House, a four-part thriller. In the 2018 BBC political thriller Bodyguard, Gleaves appeared in a recurring role as Stephen Hunter-Dunn, the head of the Security Services. Gleaves played the title role in the 2019 CBBC reboot of The Demon Headmaster. In 2022, he played John Birt in one episode of the series . That same year, Gleaves starred as William "Billy" Jackson, Neve's father, in the main cast of the supernatural drama The Rising. He appeared as Bob Stratton in two episodes of the series in 2023. In the 2024 ITV crime drama After the Flood, Gleaves played the main role of Sergeant Phil Mackie. He made a as Ray Fryer in in 2018. In 2025, Gleaves appeared as Allen Feraday in the BBC miniseries The Bombing of Pan Am 103. In 2025, he played Tony Gaskell in the series Riot Women.

Film

Nicholas Gleaves has appeared in a variety of feature films throughout his career, including a supporting role in the production .
YearTitleRole
1993CenturyDaniel
2006Half LightDr. Robert Freedman
2006Starter for 10Speaker for Nuclear Disarmament
2008IncendiaryLenny
2009A Congregation of GhostsEllis Baxter
2010ChatroomPaul
2011Captain America: The First AvengerHydra Agent
2014United PassionsHenri Delaunay
2019Spider-Man: Far from HomeGuterman
2024Marriage UnpluggedAndrew

Personal life

Marriage

Nicholas Gleaves met actress in the early while both were establishing their careers in the British acting industry. Their relationship developed amid shared experiences in theatre and television, leading to a partnership built on mutual understanding of the profession's demands. The couple married in February 1994, celebrating 31 years of marriage by 2025. Their union has remained notably private, with Gleaves and Sharp prioritizing discretion away from public scrutiny while offering quiet support for each other's artistic pursuits. Professionally, their paths intersected in the ITV series (2011–2016), where Sharp portrayed Detective Constable Janet Scott and Gleaves played Detective Sergeant Andy Roper, allowing them to collaborate on screen during the show's run. This overlap highlighted the compatibility of their careers, reinforcing the foundation of respect that defines their longstanding marriage.

Family

Nicholas Gleaves and his wife, actress , have built their family around their shared life in the entertainment industry, with Gleaves taking an active role as a father to their two sons. The couple welcomed their first son, Zachary, in September 1994, shortly after their marriage, followed by Gabriel in March 1998. Both sons have been influenced by their parents' careers in acting and production, pursuing related paths while maintaining a low public profile. and serve as directors at Prim and Proper Productions, the family-run company established by Gleaves and Sharp, reflecting an early immersion in the creative world without seeking the spotlight themselves. The family resides primarily in , where they prioritize a private life amid the demands of professional schedules. Gleaves has emphasized the importance of work-life balance, particularly in navigating long acting commitments such as extended television shoots, by shielding time from public scrutiny and ensuring presence during key moments like the , when the family remained together in their home. This approach underscores their commitment to fostering a stable, low-key environment for their sons despite the challenges of high-profile careers.

Filmography

Film

Nicholas Gleaves has appeared in a variety of feature films throughout his career, including a supporting role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe production Spider-Man: Far from Home.
YearTitleRole
1993CenturyDaniel
2006Half LightDr. Robert Freedman
2006Starter for 10Speaker for Nuclear Disarmament
2008IncendiaryLenny
2009A Congregation of GhostsEllis Baxter
2010ChatroomPaul
2011Captain America: The First AvengerHydra Agent
2014United PassionsHenri Delaunay
2015NightstandRob
2019Spider-Man: Far from HomeGuterman
2024Marriage UnpluggedAndrew

Television

Gleaves made his television debut in the 1996 ITV adaptation of Poldark, portraying the minor role of Stephen Cravenson. From 1998 to 2002, he played the recurring role of Rick Powell in the BBC sports drama Playing the Field, appearing in 23 episodes across five series. In the 2006–2007 BBC drama The Chase, Gleaves starred as the main character Tom Bedford, the patriarch of a family-run veterinary practice. Gleaves portrayed DS Duncan Radfield in a recurring capacity in from 2018 to 2019, appearing in 22 episodes of the long-running ITV soap. In the ITV police procedural , he played the recurring role of DC Andy Roper from 2011 to 2016, featuring in 14 episodes over the first two series. In Waterloo Road, Gleaves portrayed Richard Whitman from 2011 to 2012, appearing in 20 episodes of the school drama. He starred as Mark Meacham in the 2015 ITV miniseries Safe House, a four-part thriller. In the 2018 BBC political thriller Bodyguard, Gleaves appeared in a recurring role as Stephen Hunter-Dunn, the head of the Security Services. Gleaves starred as the titular Demon Headmaster in the 2019 CBBC reboot, appearing in all 10 episodes. In 2022, he played John Birt in one episode of the Netflix series The Crown. That same year, Gleaves starred as William Wyatt, Neve's father, in all 8 episodes of the main cast of the Sky Atlantic supernatural drama The Rising. He appeared as Bob Stratton in two episodes of the series in 2023. In the 2024 ITV crime drama After the Flood, Gleaves played the main role of Sergeant Phil Mackie. He made a guest appearance in in 2024. In 2025, Gleaves appeared as Allen Feraday in the miniseries The Bombing of 103.

Theatre

Gleaves began his professional theatre career at the Royal Exchange Theatre in , where he made his debut in Friedrich Schiller's in the late . In 1996, he took on a leading role as Alan Jeffcote in Stanley Houghton's Hindle Wakes at the Royal Exchange Theatre, directed by Helena Kaut-Howson. The following year, Gleaves appeared in Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur's The Front Page at the Donmar Warehouse, directed by Sam Mendes. In 2005, he portrayed the father figure Peter Holmes in Simon Stephens' On the Shore of the Wide World, which premiered at the Royal Exchange Theatre before transferring to the Royal National Theatre's Cottesloe Theatre. Gleaves played the title role in William Shakespeare's at the Royal Exchange Theatre in 2009, directed by . In 2010, he performed as Mephistophilis in Christopher Marlowe's Doctor Faustus. Gleaves starred as Pierre in Florian Zeller's The Father (translated by ) at the Ustinov Studio, Theatre Royal Bath, in 2015, directed by James Macdonald. Later that year, the production transferred to the Tricycle Theatre and subsequently to in London's West End. In 2017, he appeared as Boris Trigorin in Simon Stephens' adaptation of Anton Chekhov's at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre.

References

  1. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0322366/
  2. https://www.themoviedb.org/person/58915-nicholas-gleaves
  3. https://www.bbc.co.uk/drama/chase/nicholas_gleaves.shtml
  4. https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2019/demon-headmaster
  5. https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/jan/10/after-the-flood-review-an-unexpectedly-riveting-disaster-drama
  6. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13592494/
  7. https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/proginfo/2020/11/another-life
  8. https://www.hellomagazine.com/film/20210609114995/before-we-die-meet-lesley-sharps-husband-nicholas-gleaves/
  9. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0322366/bio/
  10. https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/4147489.nicholas-exchange-homecoming/
  11. https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/5788354.no-place-like-home/
  12. https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/6203895.hypocrisy-still-alive-and-kicking/
  13. https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2005/apr/19/theatre
  14. https://www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/macbeth-review-at-royal-exchange-theatre-manchester
  15. https://liverpoolbuzz.co.uk/nicholas-gleaves/
  16. https://www.britishtheatreguide.info/reviews/the-12124
  17. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b095q2xj
  18. https://www.whatsonstage.com/news/the-father-wyndhams-theatre_38875/
  19. https://lyric.co.uk/shows/the-seagull/
  20. https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2017/oct/12/the-seagull-review-lesley-sharp-chekhov-lyric-hammersmith
  21. https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/127963-poldark/cast
  22. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1843678/fullcredits
  23. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7715892/
  24. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt32315888/
  25. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6320628/
  26. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106537/fullcredits/
  27. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0477095/fullcredits/
  28. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1367171/fullcredits/
  29. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2814362/fullcredits/
  30. https://www.entertainmentdaily.com/tv/red-eye-lesley-sharp-scott-bailey-husband-nicholas-gleaves/
  31. https://www.express.co.uk/celebrity-news/1890113/red-eye-Lesley-Sharp-Nicholas-Gleavesand-sons
  32. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1843678/trivia/
  33. https://www.entertainmentdaily.com/tv/nicholas-gleaves-after-the-flood-star-celebrates-special-anniversary-with-his-famous-wife/
  34. https://www.scotsman.com/arts-and-culture/film-and-tv/lesley-sharp-talks-about-her-edinburgh-roots-and-new-channel-4-drama-before-we-die-3243426
  35. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4844184/
  36. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068326/characters/nm0322366
  37. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0381398/characters/nm0322366
  38. https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/the-critics-theatre-peter-pan-really-takes-off-1289984.html
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