Lee David Ingleby (born 28 January 1976) is an English actor who first gained attention with his leading role in the BBC Two miniseries Nature Boy (2000).[1] His other notable roles include Detective Insp. John Bacchus on the BBC's Inspector George Gently (2007–2017), Paul Hughes in The A Word (2016–2020), Det. Tony Myerscough on Netflix's Criminal: UK (2019–2020), and DCS Jim Hobson in ITV's The Long Shadow (2023). Ingleby was the voice of Bob the Builder in the show of the same name from 2015 to 2018. His film credits include Ever After (1998), Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003), and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004).

Lee Ingleby
Born
Lee David Ingleby

(1976-01-28) 28 January 1976 (age 48)
Alma materLondon Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
OccupationActor
Years active1997–present

Early life edit

Ingleby was born in Burnley, Lancashire, son of Gordon Ingleby and Susan M Hoggarth, and lived in nearby Brierfield during the early part of his life, attending Edge End High School, as did fellow actor John Simm. Both were taught by the same drama teacher, Brian Wellock, [2] who encouraged them to enter professional theatre.[3][4] He then studied at Accrington and Rossendale College before progressing to LAMDA in London.

Career edit

Ingleby's first major role was as the young lead in the 2000 BBC miniseries Nature Boy alongside Paul McGann. He played Smike in a 2001 television film version of The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby. Also in 2001, he starred in and wrote the screenplay for the short film Cracks in the Ceiling, which he appeared in with his father, Gordon Ingleby. In the 2002 theatrical release Borstal Boy, based very loosely on the life of Irish poet-activist Brendan Behan, Ingleby played a bully in an English boarding school for juvenile offenders.

Ingleby has also made one-off appearances in television programmes such as Hustle, Clocking Off, No Angels, Fat Friends, Jonathan Creek, Spaced, Dalziel and Pascoe, Cadfael (Pilgrim of Hate) and The Bill. He has had supporting roles in films such as Gustave in Ever After alongside Drew Barrymore and as Hollom in the 2003 Peter Weir film Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World.

In 2004, Ingleby had a small role in the Orlando Bloom vehicle Haven, which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival but was not commercially released until 2006 following heavy re-editing. He also guest-starred in the Doctor Who audio adventure Terror Firma.

In 2006 Ingleby appeared in Jimmy McGovern BBC TV series The Street, where he played abusive husband Sean O'Neill alongside Christine Bottomley. Another project during 2006 was the television adaptation of The Wind in the Willows, in which he played Mole. It also starred Bob Hoskins as Badger, Matt Lucas as Toad and Mark Gatiss as Ratty. He also appeared in a modernised BBC adaptation of Rapunzel for the Fairy Tales series.[citation needed] Ingleby also played the important role of Vic Tyler, the father of John Simm's character Sam Tyler, in an episode of Life on Mars.

In 2007 Ingleby was cast as DS John Bacchus (later promoted to inspector in series 7, 2015) in the BBC police drama Inspector George Gently.[5]

Ingleby headed the cast of the 2008 three-part television crime drama A Place of Execution as DI George Bennett as he was in the 1960s determined to close the case of a missing girl. When not working in films and television, Ingleby remains active on the stage, where his credits include Puck in Midsummer Night's Dream, Alexander in Nicholas Wright's Cressida and Katurian in Martin McDonagh's The Pillowman. He performed in the play Our Class by Tadeusz Slobodzianek at the Cottesloe Theatre from September 2009 to January 2010 as Zygmunt.[6]

In 2011, Ingleby appeared in the television series Being Human as Edgar Wyndham, a menacing vampire elder, and also in Luther as serial killer Cameron Pell.

In 2013, Ingleby took on the voice role of Phillip De Nicholay, the Sheriff of Nottingham, in a new audio production of the Robin Hood legend, produced by Spiteful Puppet. He returned to the role in the follow-up "HOOD – The Scribe of Sherwood". In the same year, two more feature length audio stories (Warriors' Harvest and King's Command) have been produced by Spiteful Puppet with Ingleby once again playing the role of "De Nicholay".[7]

In 2015 Ingleby first played Bob in the UK version of the new computer-generated series Bob The Builder - a role that continued until 2018.[citation needed] That same year he provided spoken word narration on the progressive rock album Please Come Home which the British musician John Mitchell released under the project name Lonely Robot.

In 2016 Ingleby first appeared in the role of Paul Hughes, father of autistic child Joe, in BBC drama series The A Word, which ran until 2020.[8]

Filmography edit

Film edit

Year Title Role Notes
1998 Ever After Gustave
2000 Borstal Boy Dale
2001 Cracks in the Ceiling Lad
The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby Smike
2003 Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World Midshipman Hollom
2004 Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban Stan Shunpike
Haven Patrick
2005 The Headsman Bernhard
2006 The Wind in the Willows Mole
2007 The Last Legion Germanus
2008 Post-It Love Boy
2009 Doghouse Matt
2012 Best Laid Plans Deano
2013 The Arbiter John
2017 Bob the Builder: Mega Machines Bob (voice) UK version

Television edit

Year Title Role Notes
1997 Soldier Soldier Kevin Fitzpatrick
1998 Killer Net Gordon
In the Red Paul
The Bill Ian Episode: "Puzzled"
Cadfael Walter
1999 Junk Rob
The Dark Room Bobby Franklyn
Dalziel and Pascoe Kieron Cumming Episode: "The British Grenadier"
2000 Jonathan Creek Derek Spratley Episode: "The Three Gamblers"
Nature Boy David
2001 Spaced Romford Thug Leader Episode: "Gone"
2002 Impact Peter Stamford
2002 Clocking Off Steven Dugdale
Fat Friends Craig Episode: "Sticky fingers"
2004 No Angels Nurse Carl Jenkins
Blue Murder Roger Boersma Episode: "Up in Smoke"
Early Doors Dean
2005 Hustle Trevor Speed Episode: "The Lesson"
Coming Up Gabriel Episode "Karma Cowboys"
2006 Life on Mars Vic Tyler
The Street Sean O'Neill
2007–2017 Inspector George Gently Detective Sergeant John Bacchus
2007 The Worst Journey in the World Birdie Bowers Docudrama
2008 Fairy Tales Jimmy Stojkovic Episode: "Rapunzel"
Place of Execution Detective Inspector George Bennett 1960s scenes
Agatha Christie's Marple Colin Hards Episode: "Nemesis"
Crooked House Ben
2011 Being Human Edgar Wyndham
Luther Cameron Pell
2012 White Heat Alan
Sinbad Riff
2014 Quirke Leslie White
Our Zoo George Mottershead Main cast
The Crimson Field Pte Wilfred 'Dad' Tyrell Episode #1.4
2015–2018 Bob the Builder Bob (UK) Main role, succeeding Neil Morrissey
2016–2020 The A Word Paul Hughes Main cast
2016 The Five Slade
2017 Line of Duty Nick Huntley Series 4
Warship Narrator
2018 Innocent David Collins
Pilgrimage: The Road to Santiago Narrator
Watership Down Campion
2019–2020 Criminal: UK Detective Tony Myerscough
2022 Crossfire Jason
The Serpent Queen Henri II (older)
2023 The Hunt For Raoul Moat Neil Adamson Main role
Screw Patrick Morgan Series 2
The Long Shadow DCS Jim Hobson
2024 The Cuckoo Nick Main role

Radio edit

  • Cry Hungary (as Peter Kovacs), BBC Radio 4, 2006
  • Radio Head, Up and Down the Dial of British Radio by John Osborne, Book of the Week, BBC Radio 4, 2009
  • A Kind of Loving (as Vic Brown), BBC Radio 4, 2010
  • Boots on the Ground (as Marks), BBC Radio 4, 2013
  • Hood: Noble Secrets (as Phillip De Nicholay – Sheriff of Nottingham), Spiteful Puppet, 2013
  • House of Ghosts: A Case for Inspector Morse (as Inspector Lewis), BBC Radio 4, 2017
  • Morse: In The Shallows (as Inspector Lewis), BBC Radio 4, BBC Radio Programmes, 2018

References edit

  1. ^ "A word with Lee". essence. December 2017. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
  2. ^ Brian Wellock obituary, Lancashire Telegraph, 2 December 2006
  3. ^ 'John Simm proved to me I could do it' – Lee Ingleby reveals how he broke into acting, Radio Times, 14 May 2018
  4. ^ "Pendle actor to be star of Del Boy's first film". Lancashire Telegraph. 16 April 2010. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
  5. ^ "Inspector George Gently is back for four new single dramas for BBC One – Lee Ingleby as John Bacchus". BBC Press Office. 7 April 2009. Retrieved 13 May 2016.
  6. ^ Review, timesonline.co.uk; accessed 5 January 2016.
  7. ^ "Hood". BBC Media Centre. Retrieved 13 May 2016.
  8. ^ Delgado, Kasia (22 March 2016). "Meet the cast of The A Word". Radio Times. Retrieved 13 May 2016.

External links edit