James Ellis (actor) - Television Career in England

Television Career in England

Ellis soon left Northern Ireland for London, where his first break came when he was cast as Dandy Jordan in the BBC TV production of Stewart Love's Randy Dandy, which aired on 14 September 1961, an "Angry" play that was deemed so controversial and sexually charged that the BBC gave a warning before the transmission that it was "unsuitable for people of a nervous disposition". In a 2008 interview with the theatre historian Scott Boltwood, Ellis remembered being stopped in the streets regularly and for several years afterwards, by working-class men who strongly identified with his character. His success as Dandy made him a sought-after actor and led to subsequent roles with the BBC and ITV, including as Philip in the BBC production of Stewart Love's The Sugar Cube (transmitted 21 June 1961) and ultimately his role as Bert Lynch in Z-Cars (1962-78). In this police series, set in the fictional Newtown in Merseyside, his character rose from the rank of PC to Inspector over the series run. The impact of Z-Cars was such that he became a household name in this era.

From 1982, he portrayed Norman Martin, the violent and troubled father, in the "Billy" trilogy of plays by Graham Reid, all of which were broadcast as part of the Play for Today series. The first of plays, Too Late to Talk to Billy, was followed by A Matter of Choice for Billy (1983), A Coming to Terms for Billy (1984). A postscript to the trilogy, Lorna, was broadcast in 1987).

He has also appeared in Doctor Who, In Sickness and in Health, Ballykissangel, Playing the Field, One By One, the cult sitcom Nightingales, with Robert Lindsay and David Threlfall. In Antonia Bird's Priest (1994), from a screenplay by Jimmy McGovern, he played Father Ellerton. Ellis has also contributed cameos to popular series such as Boys from the Blackstuff by Alan Bleasdale, Only Fools and Horses, The Bill, Casualty, Birds of a Feather, Lovejoy, Boon, Common as Muck and Heartbeat.

Ellis is also a writer of poems and prose and a translator. The BBC broadcast a selection of his adaptations from French in 2007.