Ian Mercer

Mercer was born in Oldham, Lancashire. On leaving school, Mercer trained as an electrical engineer but decided to become an actor when he became an assistant stage manager at the Oldham Coliseum Theatre in 1979.

His first television appearance was as Mile in Starting Out (1982), a series made by ATV for schools and written by Grazyna Monvid.

Mercer went on to work in such stage productions as Bent, Spend Spend Spend, Saturday Night, Sunday Morning, Billy Liar, Stop The Children's Laughter, Welcome Home, Romeo and Juliet, The Fancy Man, The York Realist, Beauty and the Beast and Revengers Tragedy.[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0580270/ Mercer] on the Internet Movie Database

His television and film acting credits include leading roles as a butcher in Blue Money (1985), Coronation Street (as Gary Mallett and in 1987, Pete Jackson), Shackleton (with Kenneth Branagh), Heartbeat, The Monocled Mutineer, A Touch of Frost, Cracker, Common As Muck, Peak Practice, New Tricks and Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (with Russell Crowe). In 2009 he appeared in an episode of Doctors and two episodes of Waking the Dead. He appeared as Blackbeard's chief zombie henchman in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. During August and September 2015 he returned to Doctors playing the recurring role of Andy Weston in an ongoing sub-plot.

In 2018, Mercer appeared in the Mike Leigh film, Peterloo, playing the "buffoonish" Dr Healey.{{cite web|url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/peterloo-mike-leigh-cudgel-massacre|title=Peterloo first look: Mike Leigh's cudgel for a massacre|author=John Bleasdale|website=BFI|access-date=3 March 2019}}

In 2007, Mercer completed three years of study at Northumbria University, gaining a degree in English and Art History.[http://www.bbc.co.uk/nottingham/content/articles/2007/09/28/ian_mercer_the_changeling_feature.shtml 'Street' star's times are a-Changeling – BBC Nottingham website 3 October 2007]

In May 2011, he was convicted of benefit fraud, having falsely claimed £2,300 in council tax benefit despite being in work at the time. He was fined £165 with a £15 victim surcharge and £100 costs.[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/film-news/8540317/Pirates-of-the-Caribbean-actor-convicted-of-benefit-fraud.html 'Pirates of the Caribbean star convicted of benefit fraud'], The Daily Telegraph – 27 May 2011

He lives in Northumberland with his two daughters, Scarlett Rae (b. 1997) and Ruby Mae (b. 2000).

{{Reflist}}

• {{IMDb name|0580270}}
• [http://www.corrie.net/profiles/actors/mercer_ian.html Mercer on Corrie.net]
• [http://www.tv.com/ian-mercer/person/147006/summary.html Mercer on tv.com]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20080117092456/http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/town/parade/abj76/PG/works/reviews/york_realist_01/ian_mercer.shtml Interview with Mercer]
• [http://www.filmbug.com/db/343889 Mercer on Filmbug.com]

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Category:1961 births

Category:Living people

Category:20th-century English male actors

Category:21st-century English male actors

Category:Alumni of Northumbria University

Category:British people convicted of fraud

Category:English male film actors

Category:English male soap opera actors

Category:English male stage actors

Category:English male television actors

Category:Male actors from Oldham