Tony O'Callaghan
{{Short description|English actor (born 1956)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2019}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Tony O'Callaghan
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| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1956|6|16}}
| birth_place = London, United Kingdom
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| occupation = Actor
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| spouse = {{marriage|Siobhan Gallagher|1999}}
| children = 1
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Tony O'Callaghan (born 16 June 1956) is a British television actor from London, known for his role of Sergeant Matt Boyden in the ITV police procedural drama The Bill from 1991 to 2003. After leaving The Bill, O'Callaghan played Father Thaddeus in Fair City and Ollie Walters in EastEnders.
Career
O'Callaghan previously appeared as a villain in the fifth series of The Bill in 1989.{{cite news|url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Marching+to+a+different+BEAT.-a099158462|title=Marching to a different beat|last=Driscoll|first=Rob|date=24 March 2003|work=Western Mail|access-date=26 January 2024}} O'Callaghan played the "flawed", yet popular Sergeant Matthew Boyden in The Bill until 2003. His character's death led to big ratings for the show.{{cite news|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001730/20071110/017/0003|title=Bless me Father|last=Taylor|first=Richie|date=10 November 2007|work=Evening Herald|page=3|access-date=26 January 2024|via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription}}
In addition to his role on The Bill, he has also appeared in the television series The Magnificent Evans, Family Affairs, Holby City, Doctors, Shameless, Three Up, Two Down, The Upper Hand and The Coven (in 2014).{{cite web|title=Tony O'Callaghan Biography|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0639974/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm|publisher=IMDB|accessdate=8 May 2014}}
In 2007, O'Callaghan appeared in the UK "Let It Out" Kleenex television advertisement.{{cite web|title=Other works for Tony O'Callaghan|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0639974/otherworks?ref_=nmbio_ql_2|publisher=IMDB|accessdate=8 May 2014}}
He also appeared in the Irish television soap opera Fair City on RTÉ One, where he played the character Father Thaddeus, a British priest living in Dublin, Ireland, and who is having a relationship with a female character. In 2013, he joined the cast of EastEnders, playing Ollie Walters. O'Callaghan said of his casting: "I am very excited to be joining a show with as much prestige as EastEnders and I'm looking forward to portraying the nice side and humour of Ollie".{{cite news|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s2/eastenders/news/a489626/eastenders-unveils-new-characters-ollie-and-betty.html|title='EastEnders' unveils new characters Ollie and Betty|last=Kilkelly|first=Daniel|date=13 June 2013|work=Digital Spy|publisher=Hearst Magazines UK|accessdate=13 June 2013}} He played the role on a recurring basis until 2016. On 10 June 2018, it was announced that O'Callaghan would make a "brief return" to EastEnders.{{cite tweet|user=bbceastenders|number=1005736328502349824|author=EastEnders|author-link=EastEnders|date=10 June 2018|title=Tony O’Callaghan will be reprising his role as Ollie Walters when the character makes a brief return to the Square later this month. With Jean returning to Walford earlier this year, alone, and avoiding any questions about her marriage, are we about to learn the truth?}}
Personal life
O'Callaghan is the son of Irish immigrants. He married his partner Siobhan Gallagher in Gougane Barra, West Cork in May 1999.{{cite news|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001715/19990531/108/0008|title=Irish wedding for 'Bill' star|last=Roche|first=Barry|date=31 May 1999|work=Irish Independent|page=8|access-date=26 January 2024|via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription}} The couple have one child, a daughter, born in 2002.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|0639974}}
{{Authority control}}
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Category:British male soap opera actors
Category:English people of Irish descent
Category:Male actors from London
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