Paul Ready

Acting

Paul Ready

Born

1977-06-23 (49)

Place of birth

Birmingham, England, UK

Known for

Acting

Credits

45 titles

Paul John Ready (born 23 June 1977) is a British actor known for portraying Kevin Brady in Motherland (2016-2022), Lee in Utopia (2013–2014), Rob MacDonald in Bodyguard (2018), and Henry Goodsir in The Terror (2018). His film credits include The Death of Stalin (2017), The Dig (2021), Heart of Stone (2023), and Bring Them Down (2025). He is recognised for his ability to take on diverse roles and bring depth to his characters in different genres. Paul was born in Birmingham and, growing up in the town of Harborne, he attended King Edward VI Five Ways school. He went on to train at London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and, at the age of 17, he played Romeo in the National Youth Theatre pr…

Known for

Film credits

2020s · 8 titles

Heart of Stone poster
6.7

An intelligence operative for a shadowy global peacekeeping agency races to stop a hacker from stealing its most valuable — and dangerous — weapon.

Heart of Stone

2023

The Dig poster
6.8

As WWII looms, a wealthy widow hires an amateur archaeologist to excavate the burial mounds on her estate. When they make a historic discovery, the echoes of Britain's past resonate in the face of its uncertain future‎.

The Dig

2021

Bring Them Down poster
6.7

When the ongoing rivalry between farmers Michael and Jack suddenly escalates, it triggers a chain of events that take increasingly violent and devastating turns, leaving both families permanently altered.

Bring Them Down

2025

Capture poster
6.3

The search for their missing son leads a mother and father to a tech company, and a digital gatekeeper who seems to have all the answers.

Capture

2023

All That Glitters poster
NR

After accidentally summoning the ghost of William Shakespeare, an insecure teenager tries to land the role of Romeo in his school play and win over the girl playing Juliet, with the Bard as his guide.

All That Glitters

2026

National Theatre at Home: Summerfolk poster
NR

It's a hot, beautiful summer in 1905, and Russia's elite retreat to the countryside to swim, sip champagne and start affairs. When they're having this much fun, why care about anything else? But Varvara just can't shake the feeling that their holiday idyll is built on borrowed time. As the party continues, how long can they ignore the storm on the horizon? Deputy Artistic Director Robert Hastie (Standing at the Sky's Edge) directs Maxim Gorky's razor-sharp portrait of class, privilege and denial, revived for 2026 in a new adaptation from Nina Raine (Consent) and Moses Raine (Donkey Heart).

National Theatre at Home: Summerfolk

2026

Motherland: Last Christmas poster
NR

School's out for the festive season, so the mums (and Kevin) host the ultimate blended celebrations, but the big day takes a shocking turn at Julia's.

Motherland: Last Christmas

2022

Muse poster
8.0

An artist turns to his android muse for help when trying to sell his newest paintings, but events take a dark and disturbing turn when the android learns what has inspired the work.

Muse

2020

2010s · 7 titles

The Death of Stalin poster
7.0

When dictator Joseph Stalin dies, his parasitic cronies square off in a frantic power struggle to become the next Soviet leader. As they bumble, brawl and back-stab their way to the top, the question remains — just who is running the government?

The Death of Stalin

2017

Beside Himself poster
NR

It’s the middle of the night, and local eccentric Kevin Devlin arrives at a Belfast police station with an urgent confession to make. Only problem is, he’s one hundred percent innocent. He might just be the last innocent soul in the city. But when Constable Beattie, the only officer still on duty, tries to send him away, matters take a dangerous turn for both herself and Devlin. Just how far will Devlin go to find absolution? And what is it he really wants to confess anyway?

Beside Himself

2016

Private Peaceful poster
6.6

Set in the fields of Devon and the WW1 battlefields of Flanders, two brothers fall for the same girl while contending with the pressures of their feudal family life, the war, and the price of courage and cowardice.

Private Peaceful

2012

Love's Labour's Lost - Live at Shakespeare's Globe poster
NR

A scholarly king and his three companions swear off the society of women for three years, only to have a diplomatic visit from a French princess and her three ladies-in-waiting thwart their intentions.

Love's Labour's Lost - Live at Shakespeare's Globe

2010

National Theatre Live: London Assurance poster
7.0

Grace has agreed to marry Sir Harcourt in return for his financial support of her family. At a house party in her father's place, Harcourt's son Charles also falls in love with Grace. When his father appears on the scene, he has to convince him that there is a case of mistaken identity and he is somebody else. Then Lady Gay Spanker, a married woman also visiting at the house, is persuaded by Charles to seduce his father and thus divert his attention from Grace. Much confusion and scheming ensues. One of the first five episodes also released on terrestrial TV on a 2009 BBC TV series titled "National Theatre Live".

National Theatre Live: London Assurance

2010

The Circuit poster
6.8

Newly arrived in town Nat and Gabe accept a dinner invitation from the volatile Hungarian Helene and her boorish husband Sasha. Whilst the other guests, ex-Bananarama member Marty, Angie, who 'makes bullets' and the supposedly suicidal Danny are affable enough, Nat and Gabe are shocked by their hosts' very public rows and Gabe's attempt at peace-making is awkwardly received. Nat is taken aback when virtual stranger Helene confides in her about Sasha's suspected infidelity and Gabe is rudely rebuffed when he tries to have a heart to heart with Sasha. After Helene physically attacks her husband the newcomers are desperate to leave but when Danny drops a bombshell Gabe is torn between responsibility and the easy way out.

The Circuit

2016

One Wrong Word poster
NR

Novelist Tony faces the most difficult obstacle yet to publishing his magnum opus: his publishers.

One Wrong Word

2013

2000s · 5 titles

Series credits

Agatha Christie's Poirot poster
8.2

From England to Egypt, accompanied by his elegant and trustworthy sidekicks, the intelligent yet eccentrically-refined Belgian detective Hercule Poirot pits his wits against a collection of first class deceptions.

Agatha Christie's Poirot

1989

American Playhouse poster
6.6

American Playhouse is an anthology television series periodically broadcast by Public Broadcasting Service in the United States.

American Playhouse

1982

Heartbeat poster
7.1

Set during the 1960s in the fictional North Yorkshire village of Aidensfield, this enduringly popular series interweaves crime and medical storylines.

Heartbeat

1992

The Terror poster
7.4

A chilling anthology series featuring stories of people in terrifying situations inspired by true historical events.

The Terror

2018

Ripper Street poster
7.4

A drama set in the East End of London in 1889, during the aftermath of the "Ripper" murders. The action centres around the notorious H Division – the police precinct from hell – which is charged with keeping order in the chaotic streets of Whitechapel. Ripper Street explores the lives of characters trying to recover from the Ripper's legacy, from crimes that have not only irretrievably altered their lives, but the very fabric of their city. At the drama's heart our detectives try to bring a little light into the dark world they inhabit.

Ripper Street

2012

Ripper Street poster
7.4

A drama set in the East End of London in 1889, during the aftermath of the "Ripper" murders. The action centres around the notorious H Division – the police precinct from hell – which is charged with keeping order in the chaotic streets of Whitechapel. Ripper Street explores the lives of characters trying to recover from the Ripper's legacy, from crimes that have not only irretrievably altered their lives, but the very fabric of their city. At the drama's heart our detectives try to bring a little light into the dark world they inhabit.

Ripper Street

2012

Utopia poster
7.9

The Utopia Experiments is a legendary graphic novel shrouded in mystery. When a group of strangers find themselves in possession of an original manuscript, their lives suddenly and brutally implode.

Utopia

2013

Silk poster
7.5

Passionate defence barrister Martha Costello faces challenging cases and surprising clients, which test her faith in the criminal justice system. Gifted colleague Clive Reader is called to the bar with her. They work hard with pupils, Nick Slade and Niamh Cranitch, but ultimately only one can eventually be taken on as a member of chambers.

Silk

2011

Rob & Romesh Vs poster
6.3

After the success of their 2017 show with heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua, funny men Rob Beckett and Romesh Ranganathan are back to interview more celebrities from the worlds of sport, entertainment, fashion, and more.

Rob & Romesh Vs

2019

Bodyguard poster
7.8

A troubled war veteran is assigned to protect a controversial politician who may be the target of a terror plot.

Bodyguard

2018

Flack poster
6.8

Robyn, the sharp and witty publicity maven, is an expert at her craft but a complete self-saboteur when it comes to her personal life. Robyn’s work as a crisis PR strategist is fast-paced and unpredictable, as she counsels high-profile personalities in entertainment, fashion and sports.

Flack

2019

Motherland poster
7.2

Sitcom about navigating the trials and traumas of middle-class motherhood, looking at the competitive and unromantic side of parenting.

Motherland

2017

Born and Bred poster
9.0

In the 1950s at the fictional Lancashire village of Ormston, a father and son, both doctors, navigate the challenges of running a cottage hospital under the newly established National Health Service.

Born and Bred

2002

Ann Droid poster
6.7

It’s Sue’s worst nightmare - an overly attentive, socially inept, second-hand robot carer. But maybe this droid has its uses...

Ann Droid

2026

The Bastard Son & the Devil Himself poster
7.3

Caught between two warring clans, the son of a notorious witch responsible for a deadly massacre tries to find his place in the world — and his powers.

The Bastard Son & the Devil Himself

2022

Mandy poster
7.5

Mandy is a woman with dreams. Big dreams. Most of all she dreams of breeding Doberman Pinchers. But there are hurdles to overcome before that dream can become a reality. In the series we'll see her go on a health kick, rent out her small back bedroom on Airbnb and attempt a series of short-lived jobs in the modern gig economy.

Mandy

2020

Pulling poster
7.6

Donna narrowly escapes making a huge mistake by marrying Karl and instead opts for moving in with her friends Karen and Louise in South London. The three girls learn about life and love in this funny and modern comedy.

Pulling

2006

Blackpool poster
6.9

Ripley Holden is a small-time entrepreneur desperate to make it big with his new state-of-the-art amusement arcade. The opening extravaganza is overshadowed by the find of a dead body on the premises. DI Carlisle is called in and quickly finds he has more on his mind than murder, when he falls in love with Ripley's long-suffering wife.

Blackpool

2004

The Witness for the Prosecution poster
6.9

The hunt is on to find the murderer of a wealthy glamorous heiress who is found dead in her London townhouse. Based on the short story by Agatha Christie.

The Witness for the Prosecution

2016

Tipping the Velvet poster
6.9

A tempestuous tale of love and life as a naïve girl discovers both romance and pain in the hidden, decadent world of bohemian London in the 1890s. Nan Astley embarks on a voyage of emotional and sexual discovery with Kitty Butler, a music hall male impersonator.

Tipping the Velvet

2002

Cuffs poster
6.7

Explores the day-to-day work of police officers, from high-stakes situations like drug busts and kidnappings to mundane incidents like shoplifting and public disturbances, while also delving into their personal lives and internal conflicts.

Cuffs

2015

Twisted Tales poster
7.7

Twisted Tales is a dark and stylish comedy drama series. With intense scripts written by a mix of established writers and upcoming talent, each story is a self-contained episode with a mysterious twist. The tales set out to spook the brain and tickle the funny bone, so be prepared to expect the unexpected. The series is very closely related to Spine Chillers, an earlier BBC Three series. In effect, Twisted Tales is a rebranded second series of the earlier successful production.

Twisted Tales

2005

MotherFatherSon poster
6.8

Max is a charismatic self-made American businessman with media outlets in London and around the world. When the self-destructive lifestyle of his 30 year-old son, Caden, spirals out of control, the devastating consequences threaten the future of the family, its empire, and a country on the brink of change.

MotherFatherSon

2019

Life Begins poster
8.0

Life Begins is a British television drama first broadcast on ITV between February 2004 and October 2006, starring Caroline Quentin and Alexander Armstrong, Anne Reid and Frank Finlay.

Life Begins

2004