Paul Copley
Paul is a long established and much respected British actor and voiceover artist.
Born in Denby Dale, West Riding of Yorkshire, on 25th November 1944 he grew up beside a dairy farm. His father, Harold, was involved with local amateur dramatic productions, as were the rest of his family. He went to Penistone Grammar School, then the Northern Counties College of Education in Newcastle upon Tyne, where he received an Associate of the Drama Board (ADB) in Drama. He taught English and Drama in Walthamstow, before he joined the Leeds Playhouse Theatre-in-education Company in 1971.
In 1976, Paul won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a New Play for his role in John Wilson's For King and Country.
With many and varied roles to follow, Paul soon established himself as one of the UK's leading stage, film, television and radio actors.
In 2011-2015 Paul gained worldwide recognition appearing in 16 episodes of the hugely popular television series Downton Abbey playing the popular role of farmer Mr Mason.
Paul is married to the actress Natasha Pyne. They married in 1972, after both performing in a Leeds Playhouse production of Frank Wedekind's Lulu, adapted by Peter Barnes, directed by Bill Hays in 1971.
Acting
Movie
Enola Holmes
as Station Master
2020
Movie
The Remains of the Day
as Harry Smith
1993
TV
Downton Abbey
as Mr. Mason
2010
Movie
A Bridge Too Far
as Pvt. Wicks
1977
Movie
Downton Abbey: A New Era
as Mason
2022
TV
Torchwood
as Clement McDonald
2006
TV
Midsomer Murders
as Frank Dewar
1997
TV
Life on Mars
as Reg Cole
2006
TV
Inside No. 9
as Ernie
2014
Movie
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale
as Albert Mason
2025
TV
Call the Midwife
as Tommy Smith
2012
TV
Vera
as Malcolm Kenrich
2011
TV
Shameless
as Norman Owens
2004
TV
Queer as Folk
as Roy Maloney
1999
Movie
Blow Dry
as Ken
2001
Movie
Jude
as Mr. Willis
1996
TV
Father Brown
as Mr Feste
2013
TV
Cracker
as Pathologist
1993
Movie
Zulu Dawn
as Cpl. Storey
1979
TV
Silent Witness
1996
TV
Survivors
as Ted
2008
TV
Casualty
as Frederick Chambers
1986
TV
Casualty
as Mick McCarthur
1986
TV
Casualty
as Arthur
1986