Paul Copley
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.
Available on CineVibes
Full Filmography
All Credits (135)
Dangerous Journey
as Narrator
Big Winners
as Arthur Thistle
Play for Today
as Arthur Thistle
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale
as Albert Mason
Rose Ayling-Ellis: Old Hands, New Tricks
as Narrator (voice)
Ticker
as Howard
DI Ray
as Terry Hunter
Downton Abbey: A New Era
as Mason
The Infectious Imagination of Henry Bramble
as Great Uncle Geoffrey
Ropeless
as Larry Windsor
On the Edge
as Ray
Trust Me
as Arthur Hardacre
Broken
as Joe Kerrigan
Reg
as Man 2
The Nest Egg
as Unknown
The Sound of Music Live!
as Franz
The Coroner
as John Roxwell
Code of a Killer
as Sidney Jeffreys
The 12 Days of Christine
as Ernie
Inside No. 9
as Ernie
Father Brown
as Mr Feste
Carved with Love: The Genius of British Woodwork
as Narrator
Last Tango in Halifax
as Unknown
Last Tango in Halifax
as Harry
First Encounter: King Lear
as King Lear
White Heat
as Alan (present day)
Call the Midwife
as Tommy Smith
Vera
as Malcolm Kenrich
Downton Abbey
as Mr. Mason
Moving On
as Ronnie
Survivors
as Ted
Inspector George Gently
as Unknown
The Shadow in the North
as Paton
Kingdom
as Vincent Straker
Torchwood
as Clement McDonald
When Kim & Aggie Went To Hospital
as Self - Narrator (voice)
The Street
as Unknown
Johnny and the Bomb
as Sgt. Bourke
Life on Mars
as Reg Cole
Marian, Again
as Phillip Walsh
Dead Man Weds
as Blind Man
Shameless
as Norman Owens
New Tricks
as Pat the Rat
The Key
as Unknown
How Clean Is Your House?
as Unknown
How Clean Is Your House?
as Self - Narrator (voice)
Burn It
as Terry Grimshaw
The Afternoon Play
as Dave
The Royal
as Nesbitt
Hornblower: Duty
as Matthews
Hornblower: Loyalty
as Matthews
Born and Bred
as Hubert Gough
The Many Lives of Albert Walker
as Danny Peck
Waking the Dead
as Unknown
Waking the Dead
as Clifford Day
Messiah
as Ian Fleet
Hornblower: Retribution
as Matthews
Hornblower: Mutiny
as Mathews
Blow Dry
as Ken
Hornblower: The Frogs and the Lobsters
as Mathews
Hornblower: The Duchess and the Devil
as Matthews
Queer as Folk
as Roy Maloney
Hornblower: The Examination for Lieutenant
as Mathews
The Worst Witch
as Algernon Rowan-Webb
The Worst Witch
as Algernon Rowan Webb
Hornblower: The Even Chance
as Matthews
Hornblower
as Matthews
Written in Blood
as Brian Chappel
The Lakes
as Peter Quinlan
Midsomer Murders
as Frank Dewar
This Life
as Jerry Cook
Dalziel and Pascoe
as Jack Henslowe
Silent Witness
as Unknown
Jude
as Mr. Willis
Roughnecks
as Ian
A Pinch of Snuff
as Charlie Heppelwhite
The Remains of the Day
as Harry Smith
Cracker
as Pathologist
Peak Practice
as Tim Shardlow
Peak Practice
as DS Patrick Hopkins
Heartbeat
as Dick Radcliffe
Heartbeat
as Herbie Lloyd
Heartbeat
as Malcolm Stainsby
Stay Lucky
as Unknown
The Paradise Club
as Mousey Pavitt
Testimony of a Child
as Gerry
Young Charlie Chaplin
as Chimnery Sweep
Theban Plays: Oedipus at Colonus
as Local Man
Casualty
as Frederick Chambers
Casualty
as Mick McCarthur
Casualty
as Arthur
Silas Marner
as William Dane
Which Side Are You On?
as Narrator (voice)
Bird Fancier
as Roy Pearson
The Bill
as Unknown
Big Deal
as Max
The Gathering Seed
as Bob Henshaw
Doll’s Eye
as Social Worker
Ghost in the Water
as Mr. Reed
P.Q. 17
as PO Jordan
Tenko
as POW
A Brush with Mr. Porter on the Road to El Dorado
as Tom
Happy
as Vernon
Death of a Princess
as Steve Jackson
Minder
as Palmer
Cries from a Watchtower
as Andy
Black Jack
as Narrator
Zulu Dawn
as Cpl. Storey
On a Paving Stone Mounted
as Unknown
Travellers
as Young William/Middle William/Sales Rep
Strangers
as Des White
Mucking Out
as Brian Wilson
The Turkey Who Lives on the Hill
as Bill
Destiny
as Paul McShane
A Christmas Carol
as Fred (Scrooge's Nephew)
Treasure Island
as Unknown
BBC2 Play of the Week
as Finnegan
BBC2 Play of the Week
as Bill
Secret Army
as Eric Finch
A Bridge Too Far
as Pvt. Wicks
Arnhem: The Story of an Escape
as Finnegan
The Chester Mystery Plays
as Unknown
Trinity Tales
as Dave the Joiner
Days of Hope
as Ben Matthews
Alfie Darling
as Bakey
Diane
as Jim
Churchill's People
as Viventius
Playhouse
as Jim
Playhouse
as Vernon
Father Dear Father
as Dumbo
Speech Day
as Woodwork Master
Play for Today
as Unknown
Play for Today
as Andy
ITV Playhouse
as Peter
BBC Play of the Month
as Unknown