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Mark Christopher Wingett (born 1 January 1961) is an English actor.
Mark Wingett | |
|---|---|
| Born | Mark Christopher Wingett 1 January 1961 Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, England, UK |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1979–present |
| Partner | Sharon Martin |
| Children | 2 |
He is best known for his roles as PC/DC Jim Carver in The Bill and EastEnders as Mike Swann, Hollyoaks as Frank Symons and Heartbeat as Terry Molloy.
Wingett was born in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire.[1] His father was an officer in the Royal Navy, and the family moved to wherever he was stationed, including Malta and Singapore, but mostly in Portsmouth.[2] He attended Padnell Junior School in Cowplain, followed by Horndean Technology College (then known as Horndean Bilateral School).
Wingett wanted to act from his youth and joined the National Youth Theatre. His film debut came in 1979 when he played Dave, a reckless and rebellious mod, in Quadrophenia. Because the film was X-rated, he was too young to watch it legally.[2]
In 1983 he took a minor role as a local press reporter in Channel 4's Brookside before making his first appearance as PC Jim Carver in "Woodentop", which became the pilot episode for The Bill. He was one of four actors in "Woodentop" who returned in the series' first complete season. He played Jim Carver in around 780 episodes, from 1984 until his departure in 2005 which ended 21 years on The Bill.[3] Jim Carver was central to several major plotlines on The Bill, including the character's struggles with alcoholism, gambling and as a victim of domestic violence.[4] Wingett made a brief return in March 2007 to coincide with the departure of Trudie Goodwin, then the only other remaining original cast member.[5]
In 2005 he appeared in the BBC One soap opera EastEnders as Mike Swann, the father of Mickey Miller and Dawn Swann, initially for a week-long stint.[6] He returned to the soap in late 2005, leaving in March 2006. Also in 2005 he appeared as Terry Molloy, a London gangster who had turned Queen's evidence on his cohorts following a robbery in the Heartbeat episode A Fresh Start.
Wingett provides the voiceover for the British television version of the hit American TV series American Chopper aired on the Discovery Channel. He also appeared in the "Spartacus" episode of the BBC's Heroes and Villains as the gladiator trainer Lentulus Batiatus.[7]
In 2009, he appeared in the BBC daytime series Missing as Danny Hayworth alongside Pauline Quirke, returning to the programme for its second series in 2010.[8]
In 2018, he issued a privately-printed pamphlet 'Tattered Troubadour', a 36 page disquisition on the musician GG Allin at his own publishing house Nantz Press.
In addition to acting, Wingett has directed several stage productions. In 2010, he directed the play Good to Firm by Ed Waugh and Trevor Wood at the Customs House, South Shields.[3] In 2000, Wingett directed the play Lone Star by James McLure, in a production which toured Australia and starred his fellow Bill cast members Russell Boulter and Huw Higginson.[9]
Wingett's partner is Sharon Martin,[10] a makeup artist. They have a daughter, Jamila, and a stepson Benny from Martin's previous relationship.[11] The couple separated in 2000 after Yvonne Williams, a fire-eater who had appeared on The Bill as an extra, went to the press detailing her affair with Wingett over a number of years,[12] but had reconciled by 2003 after a two-year separation.[11] They both worked on the 2012 film Snow White and the Huntsman, with Martin as head of the makeup department and Wingett playing the character of Thomas.[13]
Wingett is a keen scuba diver, fisherman, skier and wreck hunter. He started diving in 1984 at a sub-aqua club for London black cab drivers.[14]
Wingett's sister, Fiona Wingett, is a magazine editor. She was the editor of New Idea magazine in Australia in the mid-1990s, then returned to Britain to edit the Personal magazine for the Sunday Mirror.[15] His brother, Matthew Wingett, wrote several episodes of The Bill in the 1990s.[16] His first episode, "Thicker than Water" was submitted under the false name "Matthew Brothers", so that it would not receive favourable treatment because of their relationship.[17]
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Quadrophenia | Dave | |
| The Music Machine | 2nd Heavy | ||
| 1980 | Breaking Glass | Tony | |
| 1983 | Fords on Water | Eddie | |
| 1996 | The Bill: Target | DC Carver | Video |
| 2008 | Jump | Oscar Reeve | Short film |
| Beyond the Rave | Ed's Dad | Video | |
| Franklyn | Frank Grant | ||
| 2009 | Jenny & the Worm | Mr. Tulse | Short film |
| 2010 | Rough Cut | Man with dog | Short film |
| 2011 | Intruders | Dave | |
| War of the Dead | David Selzman | ||
| 2012 | Snow White and the Huntsman | Thomas | |
| Run for Your Wife | Man outside café | ||
| 2013 | Dom Hemingway | Man outside pub 2 | |
| Walking with the Enemy | Sorenzi | ||
| Green Street 3: Never Back Down | Pistol Pete | Video | |
| 2014 | Mr. Turner | Mariner | |
| The Lost Choices | Dave | ||
| 2015 | Dragonfly | Francis Grosvenor | |
| Far from the Madding Crowd | Bailiff No. 1 | ||
| 2016 | I Am Hooligan | Ray - Justin's Father | |
| Eliminators | Police Sergeant | ||
| A Reason to Believe | Harry | ||
| 2017 | Gypsy's Kiss | Ron | Short film |
| Being | Doley | Short film | |
| 2018 | Dark Ditties Presents 'Finders Keepers' | Frank Hardy | |
| God's Kingdom | Simon | Short film | |
| Been So Long | Mark - Bailiff | ||
| King of Crime | Marcus King | ||
| 2019 | Mash | Tony | Short film |
| Break Clause | Giles Davis | ||
| Beautiful in the Morning | Roland | ||
| Dark Ditties Presents 'The Witching Hour' | George Sinclair | ||
| 2020 | Doll House | James | |
| To Be Someone | Tommy | ||
| The Invisible Collection | Oscar Swindon | Short film | |
| 2021 | The Interlopers | Ulrich | Short film |
| Dead Again | Bob | ||
| Navigator | Gary | Short film | |
| Dark Ditties Presents 'Dad' | Reverend Alistair O'Brian | ||
| Dark Ditties Presents 'Stained' | Frank Hardy | ||
| 2023 | Mercy | Slaughterman |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979–1980 | The Ravelled Thread | Billyboy | 6 episodes |
| 1980 | Fox | Lee | Episode: "Stick or Twist" |
| The Professionals | Big Punk | Episode: "Mixed Doubles" | |
| Caleb Williams | Farmer | Mini-series, episode: "#1.2" | |
| Play for Today | 3rd Youth | Episode: "The Flipside of Dominick Hide" | |
| 1981 | Private Schulz | Walter Schmidt | 2 episodes: "#1.4" and "#1.5" |
| Ladykillers | Alfred | Episode: "Miss Elmore" | |
| BBC2 Playhouse | Johnny | Episode: "The Grudge Fight" | |
| 1982 | The World Cup: A Captain's Tale | Deane | Television film |
| Take Three Women | Kenneth | 2 episodes: "Avril" and "Kate, Avril and Victoria" | |
| 1983 | Storyboard | Jimmy Carver | Episode: "Woodentop" (Pilot for The Bill) |
| Brookside | Reporter | 2 episodes: "Fundraising" and "Jeans" | |
| 1983–2007 | The Bill | PC/DC/DS Jim Carver | Main role, 792 episodes |
| 1986 | C.A.T.S. Eyes | Rider | Episode: "Honeytrap" |
| 1990 | Vic Reeves Big Night Out | Episode: "New Year's Eve Big Night Out" | |
| 1999 | Operation Good Guys | The Corpse | Episode: "Forensics" |
| 2005 | The Bill Uncovered: Jim's Story | DC Jim Carver | Television film |
| Heartbeat | Terry Molloy | Episode: "A Fresh Start" | |
| 2005–2006 | EastEnders | Mike Swann | 27 episodes |
| 2008 | Heroes and Villains | Batiatus | Episode: "Spartacus" |
| Walter's War | Team Manager | Television film | |
| 2009 | The All Star Impressions Show | Marco Pierre White | TV Special |
| 2009–2010 | Missing | Danny Hayworth | 13 episodes |
| 2010 | Doctors | Martin Proudfoot | Episode: "Finding the Words" |
| 2011 | Banged Up Abroad | Chris Chance | Episode: "Daredevil Drug Runner" |
| 2013 | Hollyoaks [18] | Frank Symes | 2 episodes |
| 2014 | Salting the Battlefield | Football Supporter | Television film |
| 2016 | The Tunnel | Marty | Episode: "#2.5" |
| 2017 | Ransom's Law | DI Buttler | 13 episodes |
| 2019 | Vera | John Brace | Episode: "The Seagull" |
| Call the Midwife | Peter Jessop | Episode: "#8.6" | |
| 2022 | Royal Autopsy | Charles II | Mini-series, Episode: "Charles II" |
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