
Acting
John Simm
Born
1970-07-10 (56)
Place of birth
Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, UK
Known for
Acting
Credits
80 titles
John Simm grew up in Nelson, Lancashire. He attended Edge End High School, Nelson, Lancashire followed by Blackpool Drama College at 16 and the Drama Centre, London at 19. He lives with his wife, actress Kate Magowan, and their children Ryan (born 13th August 2001) and Molly (born February 2007). Simm won the best actor award at the Valencia Film Festival for his film debut in "Boston Kickout" (1996).
Known for
7.6The Doctor is a Time Lord: a 900 year old alien with 2 hearts, part of a gifted civilization who mastered time travel. The Doctor saves planets for a living—more of a hobby actually, and the Doctor's very, very good at it.
Doctor Who
2005
4.3A topical magazine-style daily television programme broadcast live on BBC One.
The One Show
2006
7.1Set during the 1960s in the fictional North Yorkshire village of Aidensfield, this enduringly popular series interweaves crime and medical storylines.
Heartbeat
1992
7.8A comedic panel show featuring team captains Lee Mack and David Mitchell plus two guests per side, hosted by Rob Brydon (formerly Angus Deayton). Each person must reveal embarrassing facts and outrageous lies during a series of different rounds including "Home Truths", "This Is My..." and "Quickfire Lies". It is up to the opposing team to tell tall tales from fantastic facts.
Would I Lie to You?
2007
6.0Celebrities are given a unique insight into their lives using innovative DNA science and technology to trace their ancestors.
DNA Journey
2019
6.8Brighton based Detective Superintendent Roy Grace is a hard-working police officer who has given his life to the job, but his career is currently at rock bottom. He’s fixated by the disappearance of his beloved wife, Sandy, and running enquiries into long forgotten cold cases with little prospect of success. Following another reprimand for his unorthodox police methods, Grace is walking a career tightrope and risks being moved from the job he loves most.
Grace
2021
Film credits
2020s · 2 titles
6.2On July 13, 2002, Fatboy Slim, real name Norman Cook, performed the second of his free open-air concerts, The Big Beach Boutique II, in front of a record-breaking crowd, making history – both good and bad. Organisers and police were expecting forty thousand people but more than a quarter of a million turned up on Brighton Beach for the free event, changing the way UK events were run forever. Now, 20 years on, Norman, and those who were on the front line of this seismic historical moment talk us through the process and the obstacles; The immense difficulties and struggles that the local police faced with such an unexpected amount of descendants on the city, the councillors and residents that opposed the controversial event and many of those who participated in what Norman has described as a “Woodstock moment”.
Right Here, Right Now
2023
8.0A lonely clown working in a forgotten seaside resort falls in love and is forced to confront a terrible secret he's been hiding.
Joey
2020
2010s · 5 titles
5.5Joe wants out but the Don won't take no for an answer. Carl lays a plan to use Alison as the bait. Will it work, or will Joe walk away?
Father's Day
2013
7.5Journey into "Hamlet"-the play and the man-through the experiences of some of the major actors and directors who have brought Shakespeare's great tragedy to life. Christopher Plummer, David Tennant, John Nettles, John Simm, Sir Trevor Nunn, Franco Zeffirelli, Philip Saville, and others explore the enduring appeal of the Prince of Denmark more than 400 years after his stage debut.
Discovering Hamlet
2011
8.5The Doctor finally faces his destiny as both his home planet and old foe reappears.
Doctor Who: The End of Time
2010
5.5This film charts the relationship between a man imprisoned for drug smuggling and his wife and is being shot over the course of five years, a few weeks at a time.
Everyday
2012
NRThe film explores the high rate of property crime in Leeds—one of Britain's most burgled cities—and tracks West Yorkshire Police's targeted rehabilitative and preventative initiatives to stop offenders
Burgled
2013
2000s · 22 titles
7.0Manchester, 1976. Tony Wilson is an ambitious but frustrated local TV news reporter looking for a way to make his mark. After witnessing a life-changing concert by a band known as the Sex Pistols, he persuades his station to televise one of their performances, and soon Manchester's punk groups are clamoring for him to manage them. Riding the wave of a musical revolution, Wilson and his friends create the legendary Factory Records label and The Hacienda club.
24 Hour Party People
2002
5.5A librarian begins a passionate affair with a mysterious woman who walks into his library. When she suddenly disappears he travels down to London to search for her only to discover that she has three identities - dancer, dominatrix and con-woman. But which one is the real Miranda?
Miranda
2002
6.2An ordinary boy named Michael is going through some extraordinary changes in his life. His family has just moved into an unfamiliar house, and his brand new baby sister has fallen ill. One day, while cleaning out the garden shed, he stumbles across something mysterious, a strange creature huddled in the corner; weak of body but strong of will. This is Skellig.
Skellig
2009
8.3A look at the story behind the bestiality tape ANIMAL FARM. From its production in early 70's Denmark, to when it was smuggled to the UK and distributed in 1981.
The Dark Side of Porn: The Real Animal Farm
2006
6.7Former student Raskolnikov is pushed to murder when struggling to pay the rent on his apartment. When the murder is being investigated by the police, Raskolnikov struggles between trying to hide his guilt and the pressure to confess.
Crime and Punishment
2002
5.5In the 1970s a music promoter plucks Siamese twins from obscurity and grooms them into a freakish rock'n'roll act. A dark tale of sex, strangeness and rock music.
Brothers of the Head
2006
NRBoasting an amazing selection of the most watched, most influential and most highly acclaimed programmes ever made, The 50 Greatest Television Dramas presents a long overdue assessment of the rich heritage television drama has to offer. Channel 4 invited over 200 of Britain's top television drama professionals – writers, directors, producers and commissioners – to take part in an exclusive poll to discover what they consider the finest dramas ever produced.
The 50 Greatest Television Dramas
2007
6.0As a young boy, future emperor Nero witnesses the mad Emperor Caligula kill his father and exile his mother. While in exile in the pontine islands, Agrippina, his mother, sees a vision telling her that her son can become emperor, but she will have to die first. She accepts the proposal. Back in Rome, Nero, now being raised by emperor Claudius after Caligula's death, Agrippina returns. She poisons Claudius' food and Nero becomes emperor. At first, Nero cuts taxes and introduces successful programs and invades Brittania. Soon he meets a beautiful slave named Claudia Acte, and marries her, throwing off his engagement with Claudius' daughter, Claudia Octavia, telling her she can marry someone she will be happy with. Heartbroken, she arrives at an island and kills herself. Nero enjoys being married to Claudia Acte, but soon he gradually goes mad with power and sets fire to Rome.
Nero
2004
8.5A look at Alain Robert, dubbed the Human Spider, who scales some of the world's tallest buildings without the aid of ropes or safety equipment, despite suffering with epilepsy.
The Human Spider
2008
6.0Take ten boys aged 11 and 12. A variety of backgrounds. Put them together in a house, with no adult control. Followed by a camera crew, the boys form hierarchies, rarely organise meals, and argue about where to sleep.
Boys Alone
2002
5.5David O'Neil, a plasterer and mature student Theo have been best mates for fourteen years and are practically inseparable. However, their friendship has become strained as Theo is about to move in with his long-term girlfriend, photographer Hannah. A raging jealousy awakes in David and he starts scheming to break up the loving couple using Hannah's insecurities against them. When the couple eventually separate David is in a quandary about his next move and is forced to confront his long-hidden homosexuality and feelings towards Theo. Eventually, David decides to reveal his sexual orientation and deep love for Theo very publicly by arranging for them both to appear as guests on Judith Adams' talk-show, "forgive and forget", with tragic consequences for their friendship and David's family.
Forgive and Forget
2000
4.9On Ibiza, tour rep Brad is determined to win the informal competition among the male reps to sleep with the most female clients, while his friend Mikey is looking for true love.
Is Harry on the Boat?
2001
NRA look at the subtle (and not so subtle!) links to the show's past and future contained within the story of The Five Doctors.
The Ties That Bind Us
2008
7.0A lowly extra gets a shot at stardom. Now the glory, and the girl, are at Sam's fingertips. But suddenly his best friend is packing heat and his femme has gone all fatale. Sam's got ten minutes to stop the plot twisting out of control.
Ten Minute Movie
2004
7.4John Simm stars as Vincent Van Gogh in The Yellow House, a feature-length drama that tells the moving human story of the most influential and explosive housemates in art history. For just nine weeks, in late 1888, Van Gogh and Gauguin share a home, The Yellow House, in Arles, southern France.
The Yellow House
2007
NRA look at three typical employees on Indian Railways as they fight the annual battle to keep the railway service running during the monsoon season.
Monsoon Railway
2005
A documentary about the conclusion of Life on Mars
The End of 'Life on Mars'
2007
5.5Four career criminals, two glamorous bank workers and one over-the-hill has-been all happen to be planning a robbery on a London bank on the same day, by sheer coincidence. The two investigating detectives must try and deduce how these seemingly unrelated people came to be in the area and which were responsible for the lifting a priceless emerald.
Tu£sday
2008
7.7Documentary celebrating the triumph, tragedy and human comedy that was Manchester record company, Factory. Started by the late Tony Wilson, Alan Erasmus, Peter Saville and Martin Hannett in the late 1970s, it became known as the home of Joy Divsion, New Order and Happy Mondays and for creating the Hacienda club. The label pioneered Britain's independent pop culture, creating a new Manchester and blowing a shed-load of money. Includes interviews with all the main players in the Factory story.
Factory: Manchester from Joy Division to Happy Mondays
2007
6.7In a psychiatric hospital, a junior doctor is treating a young black man diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder. The patient is having a final interview with the doctor, who has invited his mentor to sit in on the session. He is concerned that the diagnosis is inaccurate and would like the patient hospitalised for longer. The senior doctor, however, disagrees.
Blue/Orange
2005
7.0In a lawless outpost in 17th Century England, the people have ceased to be God-fearing but learn to fear the Devil instead.
Devilwood
2006
NRAnchorage capital city of Alaska is the wildest city on Earth thanks to its dramatic wildlife. Alongside 260,000 people are up to 1,000 moose, 200 black bears and 60 grizzlies as well as large numbers of beavers, ravens and eagles. Managing this urban menagerie is all in a day's work for rangers Rick and Jesse. They believe that people and large dangerous animals can live in one city and through the groundbreaking Alaska Fish and Game project they're determined to prove it.
Moose on the Loose
2007
1990s · 9 titles
6.8For Jip, Lulu, Koop, Nina, and Moff, the dead-end jobs they endure during the week just kill the time until Friday night. That's when they cut very loose and get on the rollercoaster ride that takes them right through to Monday morning.
Human Traffic
1999
6.6Living in working-class London, Bill, Eileen, and their three grown daughters navigate quiet lives of loneliness: cafe waitress Nadia searches for love through personal ads, hairdresser and single mother Debbie balances casual romance with co-parenting alongside her volatile ex, and expectant mother Molly copes with a partner overwhelmed by impending fatherhood.
Wonderland
1999
6.0Frank and his brother Len meet on the day of their father's funeral. Together, with the help of Len's son Sean and Jean, a mysterious woman connected to the deceased, they will set off on a rather peculiar journey.
Carrying Dad
1995
NRReceiving a tip from his dentist Jack Shorter, policeman Peter Pascoe takes a closer look at the Calliope Kinema Club, a film club notorious for showing adult entertainment movies. Shorter is convinced that one particular scene in a movie he recently saw was too realistic to have been staged with fake blood, but when Pascoe and his bluff superior Andy Dalziel starts investigating, they soon comes across the actress in question, Linda Abbott, who obviously didn't suffer from any harm and assures Pascoe that the concerns are unnecessary.
A Pinch of Snuff
1994
When the schizophrenic Gary Kingston murders his social worker, his case is handed over to the unsuspecting Anna Spalinsky. Social Services know that when Gary doesn't take his medication his friend Michael can exert an undue influence over him. But who is Michael?
Mirror Man
1995
6.8In desperation Elliot and Oz decide to reply to a telephone dating ad to kickstart their non-existent love lives. Their Prayers are answered when two gorgeous girls agree to meet them on a blind date. Whilst fanning the flames of passion the two boys find themselves playing with fire! A fun filled roller coaster ride begins as the boys get more than they bargained for in their search for love.
Understanding Jane
1998
6.3School leaver Phil moves with his father from inner-city London to the satellite Hertfordshire New Town of Stevenage, where they are promised a brighter future...but all Phil finds there is a bleak, cultural wilderness; a world of unemployment, violence, alcoholism and drug abuse in 90s Britain
Boston Kickout
1995
6.0Australian Diana Spencer wins a competition in a women's magazine, and as a prize gets a trip for two to London, where she wants to meet her idol and namesake, Princess Diana. She goes there with her fiance, Mark, but during the garden party the Princess plans to attend, things get mixed up and Aussie Diana gets arrested with Paparazzi photographer Rob. Diana really wants to meet the Princess and follows Rob as he searches for Princess Di to take some photos.
Diana & Me
1997
4.5Brilliant, brutal and shocking drama starring Jonny Lee Miller and John Simm, following an ex-convict who falls for a prostitute, but makes a dangerous enemy of her pimp.
Meat
1994
Undated · 2 titles
When the Wolves Came follows the day leading up to a devastating village raid. Caught in the chaos are Alfred, a village head facing ruin; Aemma, a woman ensnared in forbidden ties; Sebastian, a disillusioned warrior; and Kira and Jason, siblings thrust into a brutal fight for survival.
When the Wolves Came
—
Behind the scenes of Paul Hills' 1995 feature film, Boston Kickout.
Do You Wanna Wrap Here?: The Making of Boston Kickout
—
Series credits
7.6The Doctor is a Time Lord: a 900 year old alien with 2 hearts, part of a gifted civilization who mastered time travel. The Doctor saves planets for a living—more of a hobby actually, and the Doctor's very, very good at it.
Doctor Who
2005
4.3A topical magazine-style daily television programme broadcast live on BBC One.
The One Show
2006
7.1Set during the 1960s in the fictional North Yorkshire village of Aidensfield, this enduringly popular series interweaves crime and medical storylines.
Heartbeat
1992
7.8A comedic panel show featuring team captains Lee Mack and David Mitchell plus two guests per side, hosted by Rob Brydon (formerly Angus Deayton). Each person must reveal embarrassing facts and outrageous lies during a series of different rounds including "Home Truths", "This Is My..." and "Quickfire Lies". It is up to the opposing team to tell tall tales from fantastic facts.
Would I Lie to You?
2007
6.0Celebrities are given a unique insight into their lives using innovative DNA science and technology to trace their ancestors.
DNA Journey
2019
6.8Brighton based Detective Superintendent Roy Grace is a hard-working police officer who has given his life to the job, but his career is currently at rock bottom. He’s fixated by the disappearance of his beloved wife, Sandy, and running enquiries into long forgotten cold cases with little prospect of success. Following another reprimand for his unorthodox police methods, Grace is walking a career tightrope and risks being moved from the job he loves most.
Grace
2021
7.1Rumpole of the Bailey is a British television series created and written by the British writer and barrister John Mortimer. It stars Leo McKern as Horace Rumpole, an aging London barrister who defends any and all clients, and has been spun off into a series of short stories, novels, and radio programmes.
Rumpole of the Bailey
1975
8.0Doctor Who Confidential is a documentary to complement the revival of the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Each episode was broadcast on BBC Three on Saturdays, immediately after the broadcast of the weekly television episode on BBC One. The running time of the first two series was 30 minutes, being extended to 45 minutes in the third. BBC Three also broadcast a cut-down edition of the programme, lasting 15 minutes, shown after the repeats on Sundays and Fridays and after the weekday evening repeats of earlier seasons.
Doctor Who Confidential
2005
7.3Moving On is a British television series set in contemporary Britain consisting of standalone dramas all sharing the theme of someone going through some kind of change in their life and moving on.
Moving On
2009
6.6The wise-cracking Edward 'Fitz' Fitzgerald is a brilliant but flawed criminal psychologist with a remarkable insight into the criminal mind.
Cracker
1993
6.6Strong and successful Alice Martin is a fraud investigator who's about to be the victim of fraud by her fiancé. Between her cases, she is determined to find him before it ruins her career.
The Catch
2016
6.6Strong and successful Alice Martin is a fraud investigator who's about to be the victim of fraud by her fiancé. Between her cases, she is determined to find him before it ruins her career.
The Catch
2016
6.7A weekly BBC Two magazine programme focusing on the best of the week's arts and culture news, covering books, art, film, architecture and more.
The Culture Show
2004
7.7A detective chief inspector from 2006 is investigating a serial killer when he is knocked over by a speeding car. Waking up, he finds himself mysteriously transported back in time to 1973. Initially struggling to come to terms with his situation, he has to come to terms with the old-fashioned technology and attitude of the day, while figuring out how he came to be trapped in the past.
Life on Mars
2006
7.2Anthology drama series.
Screen One
1989
7.5Steven Toast, an eccentric middle-aged actor with a chequered past, spends more time dealing with his problems off stage than performing on it.
Toast of London
2013
7.3The Village is a BBC television drama created and written by Peter Moffat. Consisting of two six-episode series—the project intended as a 42-hour televised epic—the first series covers 1914 to 1920; the second continued the story into the 1920s. However, it was not commissioned for a third series. An epic drama charting the turbulent times experienced by one English village throughout the 20th century; births, deaths, political events and rebellions are among the events that occur during the time. Bert Middleton lives across the entire 100-year period, and his story from boyhood to old age forms the crux of the story, seen via flashbacks as Bert is interviewed in the present day by a documentarian working on a project about the second eldest man in the United Kingdom and his village.
The Village
2013
7.0The flagship documentary series show distinctive, compelling films that offer a snapshot of life in Britain today.
Cutting Edge
1990
6.0The series is mainly focused on social issues and current affairs stories around the world. International current affairs documentaries, replacing "Correspondent".
This World
2004
6.5Detective Inspector Ray Lennox investigates the disappearance of a schoolgirl while battling cocaine addiction and a mental breakdown.
Crime
2021
6.5Detective Inspector Ray Lennox investigates the disappearance of a schoolgirl while battling cocaine addiction and a mental breakdown.
Crime
2021
5.3Explosive events unfold after Wright family patriarch Jack is discovered dead from a supposed suicide, leaving his immediate family utterly devastated.
I, Jack Wright
2025
7.0The Lakes is a mystery drama created and written by Jimmy McGovern for BBC1. The first series – comprised of four episodes – broadcast from 14 September to 5 October 1997. A second series of ten episodes ran from 10 January to 14 March 1999. Danny Kavanagh leaves Liverpool for the Lake District, finding work at a hotel and love with a local girl named Emma. Yet Danny remains an outsider in the close-knit community, and through the machinations of fate, he finds himself implicated in a tragedy. The secrets, lies, and crimes, of the seemingly tranquil community continue to be revealed.
The Lakes
1997
6.6A drunken New Year's Eve hook-up becomes far more complicated for Jessie when she discovers her one night stand is actually a film star.
Starstruck
2021
7.9Spaced: the anti-Friends, in that it examines the lives of common 20 somethings, but in a way that is more down to earth and realistic. Here we have Daisy and Tim; two 'young' adults with big dreams just trying to get by in this crazy world. They are thrown together in a common pursuit of tenancy, which they find by posing as a couple. The house has a landlady and an oddball artist living there. The series explores the ins and outs of London living.
Spaced
1999
7.5The murder of Sonia Baker, a young political researcher, leads journalist Cal McCaffrey to uncover complex links between government and big business.
State of Play
2003
7.6Clocking Off is a British television drama series broadcast on BBC One for four series from 2000 to 2003. It was produced by Red Production Company, and created by Paul Abbott. Effectively an anthology programme that followed the lives of a group of workers at a Manchester textile factory, with each episode focusing on the private life of a different character. How much do you know about the person working next to you? From the outside, life at Mackintosh Textiles appears to run smoothly, but in a community with so many secrets to hide, things are far from straightforward. In six powerful, self-contained dramas, everyday life is fractured by tumultuous marriages, snatched passions, disappearing spouses, and gang harassment.
Clocking Off
2000
6.4Six single dramas adapted from six of Geoffrey Chaucer's 14th century Canterbury Tales, transferred to a modern, 21st century setting, but still set along the traditional Pilgrims' route to Canterbury.
Canterbury Tales
2003
7.2Based on the extraordinary true story of Alec Jeffreys' discovery of DNA fingerprinting and its first use by Detective Chief Superintendent David Baker in catching a double murderer.
Code of a Killer
2015
6.4When a pizza delivery driver is shot dead in south London, a tenacious detective goes after the people traffickers behind his murder and unravels a conspiracy that goes to the top.
Collateral
2018
6.8Three-part crime thriller. When detective Marcus Farrow looks into a seemingly forgotten case, he has no idea of the chaos and heartache that will soon follow. He is found at the scene of a murder, and with all the evidence pointing towards him, he is arrested and charged.
Prey
2014
One life is a BBC ONE's documentary programme. Each episode is a high quality and compelling film which reflects life in contemporary Britain.
One Life
2003
5.7Two young Finnish women in London are drawn inexorably together via the Studio - a clandestine group dedicated to bringing justice to those beyond the law. But, as their battle against exploitation, violence and corporate greed intensifies, will the Studio's ends continue to justify its means?
Cold Courage
2020
7.2Exile is a British psychological thriller television series created by Paul Abbott and Danny Brocklehurst for BBC One. The three-part serial stars John Simm as London journalist Tom Ronstadt, whose world falls apart as a result of his own actions. Upon returning to his Lancashire hometown after 18 years, he finds his father, Sam, in the grips of Alzheimer's disease. During the course of the series, Tom begins to unravel the mystery of his childhood that drove him away many years earlier. Trying to extract information from Sam causes Tom to grow frustrated with his father's inability to remember. Tom continues on his quest for the truth, unaware he is unearthing a devastating crime that will reveal unimaginable secrets. The series received varying reviews, with praise for the script and performances but criticism for the clichés. Simm received a BAFTA nomination for his lead role, as did director John Alexander.
Exile
2011
6.5Members of a secret society chase immortality by seeking refuge in the bodies of others.
Intruders
2014
6.2Chiller is a five-part British horror anthology television series, produced by Yorkshire Television, broadcast on ITV from 9 March to 27 April 1995. Described by The Guardian as ITV's 'answer to The X Files', the series is inspired by, but unconnected to, the 1991 Channel 4 thriller Gray Cray Dolls, which broadcast under the Chiller banner. The series featured writing contributions from renowned playwrights Stephen Gallagher, Glenn Chandler and Anthony Horowitz.
Chiller
1995
6.8The Devil's Whore is a four-part television drama serial produced by Company Pictures for Channel 4, broadcast from 19 November to 10 December 2008. As the English Civil War rages, when both politics and religion divide the nation, spirited aristocrat Angelica Fanshawe is drawn to the anti-monarchist cause. She tells the story as England dares to execute its king and search for an alternative means of government.
The Devil's Whore
2008
6.7The wrenching plight of two Bosnian sisters and their descent into the dark world of enforced prostitution. Their journey is intersected by a British journalist struggling to uncover a conspiracy by American peacekeepers and the machinations of an international charity organisation.
Sex Traffic
2004
6.5A sheltered London professor attempts to uncover the cause of his wife’s mysterious death in Hong Kong, traveling there after discovering she died in a car accident on the mountain roads of Tai Po.
Strangers
2018
5.2This documentary series examines the adult entertainment industry.
The Dark Side of Porn
2005
