Paul Higgins (actor)

{{Short description|Scottish actor}}

{{Use British English|date=May 2015}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2021}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Paul Higgins

| image =

| caption =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1964|12|3|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Wishaw, Lanarkshire, Scotland

| occupation = Actor, Writer

| yearsactive =

| spouse = {{marriage|Amelia Bullmore|1993}}

| children = 2

}}

Paul Higgins is a Scottish actor, best known for appearing in the British television series The Thick of It, Utopia and Line of Duty.

Early life

Higgins was born in Wishaw, Lanarkshire, Scotland. He was raised as a Roman Catholic, but now he considers himself a lapsed Catholic.{{cite news|url=http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/showbiz/showbiz-news/celebrity-interviews/2008/11/27/paul-higgins-priesthood-just-wasn-t-for-me-so-i-chose-acting-86908-20928110/|title=Paul Higgins: Priesthood just wasn't for me – so I chose acting|publisher=Daily Record|location=Glasgow|date=27 November 2008|accessdate=19 September 2010|first=Paul|last=English}} As a teenager, he trained to be a priest, but gave his training up aged 17 when he began dating.{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2007/aug/15/edinburghfestival2007.edinburghfestival1 | location=London | work=The Guardian | first=Paul | last=Higgins | title=Stuart Jeffries meets The Thick of It actor Paul Higgins | date=15 August 2007}}

Career

Higgins has appeared onstage in Paul and Black Watch, and in the film Complicity. He played Alan in Staying Alive, a hospital drama on ITV. He has also played Jamie McDonald, an aggressive press officer, in the BBC show The Thick of It and its spin-off feature-length film, In the Loop. In 2009, he appeared as Gil Cameron on the BBC drama Hope Springs. He played Michael Dugdale in Channel 4's acclaimed conspiracy thriller Utopia. In 2013 he appeared in series 1 of the BBC series Line of Duty and returned for season 4 in 2017. He wrote a play titled Nobody Will Ever Forgive Us, which was performed at the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh in a co-production with the National Theatre of Scotland in November 2008.{{cite web |url=https://www.nationaltheatrescotland.com/content/default.asp?page=home_NobodyWillEverForgiveUs |title=No One Will Ever Forgive Us |author= |website=National Theatre of Scotland |access-date=13 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117033817/https://www.nationaltheatrescotland.com/content/default.asp?page=home_NobodyWillEverForgiveUs |archive-date=17 November 2015 |url-status=dead }}

Personal life

Higgins is married to actress Amelia Bullmore, whom he met in 1992 while co-starring with her in A View from the Bridge in Manchester. Since December 2019 he has been Chair of ACT, the Actors' Children's Trust, and since September 2021 a Trustee of The Vegan Society.

Filmography

class="wikitable"

! Year

! Film

! Role

! Notes

1986-90TaggartAlastair Finn/ David CrawfordTV series: 4 episodes
1988The Play on OneMurdo CaldwellTV series: 1 Episode ("A Wholly Healthy Glasgow")
1990BoonSimonTV series: 1 Episode
1994Being HumanSoldier
1996-1997Staying AliveAlan McPhersonTV series: 12 episodes
1998Bedrooms and HallwaysJohn
rowspan=2|2000ComplicityAndy
Beautiful CreaturesAidan
2005-2007The Thick of ItJamie McDonaldTV series: 3 episodes
2006Red RoadAvery
2008The Last EnemyProfessor Lawrence CooperTV series: 3 episodes
rowspan=3|2009Hope SpringsGil CameronTV series: 8 episodes
In the LoopJamie McDonald
Silent WitnessDS Nick WallaceTV series: 2 episodes ("Safe")
2011VeraClive StringerTV series: 1 Episode
2013The Wrong MansPC HennessyTV series: 1 Episode
2012-2017Line of DutyACC Derek HiltonTV series: 11 episodes
2013-2014UtopiaMichael DugdaleTV series: 11 episodes
2015Couple in a HoleJohn
2016Raised by WolvesSeanTV series: 4 episodes
rowspan=2|2017Victoria & AbdulSir James Reid
Decline and FallPrison OfficerTV series: 1 Episode
rowspan=2|2018ApostleFrank
The Party's Just BeginningLiusaidh's Dad
rowspan=2|2019Cold CallKirk WileyTV series: 4 episodes
GreedJim McBride
2021BeepFather SydneyTV movie
2022 Slow HorsesStruan LoyTV series: 3 episodes
2025Brian and MaggieGeoffrey HoweTV series: 2 episodes{{cite web|website=Channel 4|date=21 January 2025|title=Brian and Maggie Press Pack|url=https://www.channel4.com/press/press-pack/brian-and-maggie-press-pack|archive-date=24 January 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250124122218/https://www.channel4.com/press/press-pack/brian-and-maggie-press-pack|access-date=12 February 2025}}

References

{{reflist}}