
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, directe…
Acting
- 2025Play for TodayArthur Thistle1 ep.
- 2025Rose Ayling-Ellis: Old Hands, New TricksNarrator (voice)2 ep.
- 2022DI RayTerry Hunter1 ep.
- 2018On the EdgeRay1 ep.
- 2017Trust MeArthur Hardacre3 ep.
- 2017BrokenJoe Kerrigan6 ep.
- 2015The CoronerJohn Roxwell1 ep.
- 2015Code of a KillerSidney Jeffreys2 ep.
- 2014Inside No. 9Ernie1 ep.
- 2013Father BrownMr Feste1 ep.
- 2013Carved with Love: The Genius of British WoodworkNarrator3 ep.
- 2012Last Tango in HalifaxHarry24 ep.
- 2012White HeatAlan (present day)6 ep.
- 2011VeraMalcolm Kenrich1 ep.
- 2010Downton AbbeyMr. Mason11 ep.
- 2008SurvivorsTed1 ep.
- 2008Inspector George Gently1 ep.
- 2007KingdomVincent Straker1 ep.
- 2006TorchwoodClement McDonald4 ep.
- 2006The Street1 ep.
- 2006Johnny and the BombSgt. Bourke3 ep.
- 2006Life on MarsReg Cole1 ep.
- 2005Dead Man WedsBlind Man6 ep.
- 2003How Clean Is Your House?Self - Narrator (voice)74 ep.
- 2003Burn ItTerry Grimshaw10 ep.
- 2003The Afternoon PlayDave1 ep.
- 2002Nice Guy Eddie1 ep.
- 2002Born and BredHubert Gough1 ep.
- 2001MessiahIan Fleet2 ep.
- 1999Queer as FolkRoy Maloney2 ep.
- 1998The Worst WitchAlgernon Rowan Webb5 ep.
- 1998HornblowerMatthews8 ep.
- 1997The LakesPeter Quinlan14 ep.
- 1996This LifeJerry Cook6 ep.
- 1996Silent Witness3 ep.
- 1994RoughnecksIan13 ep.
- 1993CrackerPathologist5 ep.
- 1993HarryThomas Thomas1 ep.
- 1993Peak PracticeDS Patrick Hopkins3 ep.
- 1992HeartbeatMalcolm Stainsby3 ep.
- 1989Stay Lucky1 ep.
- 1989Young Charlie ChaplinChimnery Sweep1 ep.
- 1988GrueyMr. Grucock12 ep.
- 1985The Bright Side6 ep.
- 1984Big DealMax1 ep.
- 1983The Gathering SeedBob Henshaw6 ep.
- 1981TenkoPOW1 ep.
- 1981West End TalesHerbert1 ep.
- 1979Turning Year TalesTim1 ep.
- 1979After JuliusDan3 ep.
- 1978StrangersDes White1 ep.
- 1977Treasure Island4 ep.
- 1977PremiereYoung William1 ep.
- 1977BBC2 Play of the WeekFinnegan2 ep.
- 1977Secret ArmyEric Finch1 ep.
- 1975Trinity TalesDave the Joiner6 ep.
- 1975Days of HopeBen Matthews4 ep.
- 1974Churchill's PeopleViventius1 ep.
- 1974PlayhouseJim2 ep.
- 1973Second City FirstsBrian Wilson1 ep.
- 1970Play for Today3 ep.
Guest appearances
- 2025Play for TodayArthur Thistle1 ep.
- 2024On the EdgeRay1 ep.
- 2022DI RayTerry Hunter1 ep.
- 2020Father BrownMr Feste1 ep.
- 2017Trust MeArthur Hardacre3 ep.
- 2016The CoronerJohn Roxwell1 ep.
- 2016Moving OnRonnie1 ep.
- 2016Call the MidwifeTommy Smith1 ep.
- 2011Downton AbbeyMr. Mason12 ep.
- 2015Inside No. 9Ernie1 ep.
- 2014VeraMalcolm Kenrich1 ep.
- 2014Midsomer MurdersFrank Dewar1 ep.
- 2013Last Tango in Halifax5 ep.
- 2011The RoyalNesbitt1 ep.
- 1995CasualtyArthur, Frederick Chambers, Mick McCarthur6 ep.
- 2010SurvivorsTed1 ep.
- 2009TorchwoodClement McDonald4 ep.
- 2009Inspector George Gently1 ep.
- 2008KingdomVincent Straker1 ep.
- 2006The Street1 ep.
- 1992HeartbeatDick Radcliffe, Herbie Lloyd, Malcolm Stainsby3 ep.
- 2006Life on MarsReg Cole1 ep.
- 2006ShamelessNorman Owens1 ep.
- 2006The Afternoon PlayDave1 ep.
- 2005Waking the DeadClifford Day2 ep.
- 2004MessiahIan Fleet2 ep.
- 2004New TricksPat the Rat1 ep.
- 2004Born and BredHubert Gough1 ep.
- 1999Silent Witness3 ep.
- 2002Dalziel and PascoeJack Henslowe1 ep.
- 2002Nice Guy Eddie1 ep.
- 1995Peak PracticeDS Patrick Hopkins, Tim Shardlow3 ep.
- 1999The Worst WitchAlgernon Rowan Webb, Algernon Rowan-Webb5 ep.
- 1999Queer as FolkRoy Maloney2 ep.
- 1996This LifeJerry Cook6 ep.
- 1993CrackerPathologist5 ep.
- 1993HarryThomas Thomas1 ep.
- 1991Stay Lucky1 ep.
- 1990The Paradise ClubMousey Pavitt1 ep.
- 1990The Bill1 ep.
- 1989Young Charlie ChaplinChimnery Sweep1 ep.
- 1984Big DealMax1 ep.
- 1984TenkoPOW1 ep.
- 1978Play for TodayAndy3 ep.
- 1981West End TalesHerbert1 ep.
- 1980MinderPalmer1 ep.
- 1975PlayhouseJim, Vernon2 ep.
- 1979Turning Year TalesTim1 ep.
- 1979StrangersDes White1 ep.
- 1978PremiereYoung William1 ep.
- 1978Second City FirstsBrian Wilson1 ep.
- 1977BBC2 Play of the WeekBill, Finnegan2 ep.
- 1978ITV PlayhousePeter1 ep.
- 1977Secret ArmyEric Finch1 ep.
- 1976BBC Play of the Month1 ep.
- 1975Churchill's PeopleViventius1 ep.