Of course I must include Rowan Atkinson. Most well known for his roles in Mr Bean (1990) and Blackadder (1983), the comic has an extensive portfolio dating from 1978. Born in Consett in County Durham, Atkinson also attended Newcastle University where he received a degree in Electrical Engineering. In 1979 he appeared on Not the Nine O’Clock News (1979), for which he received a BAFTA, kickstarting his career and resulting in him taking the lead role of Edmund Blackadder in Blackadder (1983). Across his career he has racked up 8 BAFTA nominations (winning 2 of them), created the iconic British character Mr Bean, and even appeared at the opening ceremony for the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Born in Benwell (Newcastle) in 1952, Tim Healy first worked as a Welder and then served in the British Army before moving into acting in 1973 at the Northern Arts School. Healy’s first notable role was in Coronation Street (1960) as a bingo caller, but he is much more famously known for his part as Les Conroy in Benidorm (2007). Despite not winning any awards, Healy is infamous in British culture and continues to support various North East based charities including Children North East and the Sammy Johnson Memorial Fund.
Anne Reid is most well known for her roles as Valerie in Coronation Street (1960), Jean in Dinnerladies (1998), and Celia in Last Tango in Halifax (2012). Reid was born in Newcastle in 1935 with her breakthrough performance being that of Valerie Tatlock in Corrie. In later life, Reid received two BAFTA TV nominations for her roles in Last Tango in Halifax and The Sixth Commandment (2023).
There are hundreds more talented actors from across the North East deserving of a spot in this list, but I think the three I’ve mentioned are some of the most influential on British culture and perhaps the most well-known. I’m really looking forward to seeing which actors are the next up and comers and what they can bring to the industry