Jay Simpson

Acting

Jay Simpson

Born

1966-01-01 (60)

Place of birth

London, England, UK

Known for

Acting

Credits

92 titles

Jay Simpson is a prolific English film, television and stage actor. Most recently, he has appeared in Chernobyl and Frontier. Simpson is perhaps best known in television for portraying cockney desk sergeant Ian 'Brookie' Brooke in Foyle's War, and he has also appeared on television in Recovery with David Tennant and Sarah Parish, Hot Money, Bad Crowd, A Touch of Frost, Casualty, Primeval, The Bill, Peep Show, Rome, Ashes to Ashes, Murder in Suburbia and Soundproof. Jay also uses his charm and voice skills as he is the voice of 'The Tree of Temptation' in Big Brother. His films include Hush Your Mouth, The Holiday, Pride and Prejudice and Erik the Viking and the 1988 TV film The Firm with G…

Known for

Film credits

2020s · 11 titles

Blitz poster
6.0

In World War II London, nine-year-old George is evacuated to the countryside by his mother, Rita, to escape the bombings. Defiant and determined to return to his family, George embarks on an epic, perilous journey back home as Rita searches for him.

Blitz

2024

Enola Holmes poster
7.2

While searching for her missing mother, intrepid teen Enola Holmes uses her sleuthing skills to outsmart big brother Sherlock and help a runaway lord.

Enola Holmes

2020

Bull poster
6.4

Ten years after he was last seen, a vicious mob enforcer returns home to find his son and methodically track down the gang that double-crossed him. His quest for revenge soon leads to a savage showdown between his wife and her mob boss father.

Bull

2021

The Critic poster
5.8

Jimmy Erskine is the most feared theatre critic of the age. He lives as flamboyantly as he writes and takes pleasure in savagely taking down any actor who fails to meet his standards. When the owner of the Daily Chronicle dies, and his son takes over, Jimmy quickly finds himself at odds with his new boss and his position under threat. In an attempt to preserve the power and influence he holds so sacred, Jimmy strikes a Faustian pact with a struggling actress, entangling them and the boss in a thrilling but deadly web of desire, blackmail, and betrayal.

The Critic

2024

Tuesday poster
6.8

A mother and her teenage daughter must confront Death when it arrives in the form of an astonishing talking bird.

Tuesday

2024

Sitting in Limbo poster
6.9

Anthony Bryan and his personal struggle to be accepted as a British Citizen during the Windrush immigration scandal.

Sitting in Limbo

2020

National Theatre at Home: The Story poster
NR

When a white teacher is killed in a black neighbourhood, four journalists race to get the headline – at any cost. But when shocking new evidence pulls them into the dark heart of the case, they are each forced to confront what they're prepared to risk to tell their version of the truth. Gripping and adrenaline-fuelled, Tracey Scott Wilson's seminal newsroom thriller is directed by Clint Dyer, with a cast including BAFTA Award-winner Letitia Wright, Ashley Thomas, Lorraine Toussaint, and Wilf Scolding.

National Theatre at Home: The Story

2026

Sherbet poster
NR

Set entirely inside the confines of an taxi cab, on what seems like just another late-night taxi fare, this particular trip is anything but, altering the course of the lives of both driver and rider forever. One evening 15-year-old Isa enters Rene's cab and his life. At first, he perceives her as just another annoying 'woke' teenager on what he hoped was another simple and quiet journey, but as a revelation about Isa's situation comes to light, this goes from a dime-a-dozen taxi fare to a life-changing experience that forces Rene to confront things in his life that he has been running from for the longest time.

Sherbet

2024

National Theatre Live: Othello poster
7.7

Farewell the tranquil mind. A bright, headstrong daughter of a senator; elevated by her status but stifled by its expectations. A refugee of slavery; having risen to the top of a white world, he finds that love across racial lines has a cost. Wed in secret, Desdemona and Othello crave a new life together. But as unseen forces conspire against them, they find their future is not theirs to decide.

National Theatre Live: Othello

2023

Ferryman poster
6.0

A beautiful, reckless woman joins a secret club whose sinister but brilliant premise seems to provide the solution to her problem. But when she falls for a haunted young soldier, his desperation to keep her alive pulls him deeper into his own demons and threatens to destroy their relationship. A dark, poignant love story where every moment matters.

Ferryman

2022

King Gary Christmas Special poster
NR

Gary vows to save Christmas when the residents of Butterchurn Crescent can't afford the Christmas lights display this year. Terri learns that Teddy has fallen out of love with Christmas. The King's host the festive house guests from hell.

King Gary Christmas Special

2020

2010s · 19 titles

Rush poster
7.7

In the 1970s, a rivalry propels race car drivers Niki Lauda and James Hunt to fame and glory — until a horrible accident threatens to end it all.

Rush

2013

Their Finest poster
6.6

During the Blitz of World War II, a female screenwriter works on a film celebrating England's resilience as a way to buoy a weary populace's spirits. Her efforts to dramatise the true story of two sisters who undertook their own maritime mission to rescue wounded soldiers are met with mixed feelings by a dismissive all-male staff.

Their Finest

2017

Terminal poster
5.5

In the dark heart of a sprawling, anonymous city, two assassins carry out a sinister mission, a teacher battles a fatal illness, and an enigmatic janitor and a curious waitress lead dangerous double lives. Murderous consequences unravel in the dead of night, as their lives intertwine at the hands of a mysterious criminal mastermind who is hell-bent on revenge.

Terminal

2018

Brexit: The Uncivil War poster
6.6

Political strategist Dominic Cummings leads a popular but controversial campaign to convince British voters to leave the European Union from 2015 up until the present day.

Brexit: The Uncivil War

2019

Age of Heroes poster
5.4

The true story of the formation of Ian Fleming's 30 Commando unit, a precursor for the elite forces in the U.K.

Age of Heroes

2011

The 101-Year-Old Man Who Skipped Out on the Bill and Disappeared poster
6.4

Drinking the tasty Folk Soda puts a spring in the 101 Year Old Man’s step and his next adventure takes him around the World and back to Sweden, during which time he is chased by the CIA, a Balinese debt collector and becomes an executive at a soft drink company.

The 101-Year-Old Man Who Skipped Out on the Bill and Disappeared

2016

The Murder at Road Hill House poster
6.2

In 1860, Inspector Jack Whicher of Scotland Yard is sent to rural Wiltshire to investigate the murder of the three-year-old boy Saville Kent, who was snatched from his bed at night and murdered.

The Murder at Road Hill House

2011

Wild Bill poster
6.8

Out on parole after 8 years inside Bill Hayward returns home to find his now 11 and 15 year old sons abandoned by their mother and fending for themselves. Unwilling to play Dad, an uncaring Bill is determined to move on.

Wild Bill

2011

The Magnificent Eleven poster
2.6

A modernization of the classic western in which the Cowboys are a struggling local amateur soccer team, the Indians run a nearby Tandoori restaurant and the bandits are a group of menacing thugs led by a maniac known simply as 'American Bob'.

The Magnificent Eleven

2013

The Guvnors poster
5.3

A violent thriller set amongst the clans and firms of South-East London, bringing two generations together in brutal conflict.

The Guvnors

2014

Alan Clarke: Out of His Own Light poster
NR

A multi-part documentary about Alan Clarke, featuring interviews with various actors, writers and producers.

Alan Clarke: Out of His Own Light

2016

Acts of Godfrey poster
NR

At a two-day business conference, God decides to romantically pair Terry, a moral crusader, with his "win-at-all-cost" antithesis, Mary. However, fate, assisted by unique and corrupt characters, attempt to beset God's arrangements.

Acts of Godfrey

2012

Hattie poster
5.7

Reveals how the home life of the larger-than-life Carry On actress Hattie Jacque was blown apart by a secret sexual liaison with her handsome young driver while she was married to Dad's Army star John Le Mesurier.

Hattie

2011

Dreams of a Life poster
6.5

A filmmaker sets out to discover the life of Joyce Vincent, who died in her bedsit in North London in 2003. Her body wasn't discovered for three years, and newspaper reports offered few details of her life - not even a photograph.

Dreams of a Life

2011

Round Ireland with a Fridge poster
5.3

The movie tells the story of a disillusioned television personality whose career has stalled and who is looking for answers but doesn't know the questions. When his best friend taunts him for losing his sense of adventure Tony accepts a drunken £100 bet and sets off with his unconventional traveling companion for an adventure that proved to be entertaining, educational, challenging and at times downright silly.

Round Ireland with a Fridge

2010

The Great Train Robbery poster
6.7

It was one of the greatest heists in British history. £3 million – worth over £40 million today – stolen from a moving train by a gang of thieves who almost got away with it.

The Great Train Robbery

2012

No artwork available
NR

When Zoe sees Mortimer for the first time her heart skips a beat. The love that stirs within her is reminiscent of a previous unrequited affair and she begins a relationship with Mortimer that is full of love and lust. But when the burning passion fades and Zoe's subconscious intentions begin to show their devilish faces, will the couple make it out unscathed?

This Little Death

2018

Shifter poster
NR

A young woman, trapped inside a dark building, tries to evade capture from shadowed soldiers and save the life of her husband and child, held hostage. She is the live bait in a game to entrap her mentor, a man of special ability, by an old nemesis, with similar skills.

Shifter

2011

Rearview poster
4.0

Based on a true events a girl fights for her live on the Road - Tears Of Souls -chased by a gang of slave traffickers.

Rearview

2017

2000s · 12 titles

Pride & Prejudice poster
8.1

A story of love and life among the landed English gentry during the Georgian era. Mr. Bennet is a gentleman living in Hertfordshire with his overbearing wife and five daughters, but if he dies their house will be inherited by a distant cousin whom they have never met, so the family's future happiness and security is dependent on the daughters making good marriages.

Pride & Prejudice

2005

The Holiday poster
7.1

Two women, one American and one British, swap homes at Christmastime following bad breakups. Each woman finds romance with a local man but realizes that the imminent return home may end the relationship.

The Holiday

2006

The I Inside poster
5.9

When Simon awakens in the hospital after surviving a near-fatal accident, amnesia has erased the last two years from his memory. He learns that his brother was killed, he has married a woman he doesn't remember and he's haunted by strange visions of the woman he loved.

The I Inside

2004

Shifty poster
5.8

Shifty, a young crack cocaine dealer in London, sees his life quickly spiral out of control when his best friend returns home. Stalked by a customer desperate to score at all costs, and with his family about to turn their back on him for good, Shifty must out-run and out-smart a rival drug dealer, intent on setting him up for a big fall.

Shifty

2008

Mrs In-Betweeny poster
7.0

After the death of their parents, three children are put into the care of their aunt Brandon - unaware of the fact she is a transgender woman. Over time, as they get used to the idea, the kids use Mrs In-Betweeny to their advantage - with disastrous results and comical laughter.

Mrs In-Betweeny

2008

South West 9 poster
4.7

Five very different characters are thrown together in one weird, mashed up day. It started out like any other, but 24 hours later everything had changed. South West 9 takes you through the windscreen of the new millenium. The death of idealism, capitalism, religion and hippies. Even the drugs don't work anymore. The 'summer of love' generation have come down and they're ready to riot. Seattle. Stockholm. Paris. Genoa. May Day riots.

South West 9

2001

Recovery poster
6.4

Alan and Tricia Hamilton are blissfully happy. Until one day their perfect life is torn apart when Alan steps in front of a passing car, and he is left with a brain injury that completely transforms his personality.

Recovery

2007

Wall of Silence poster
8.3

The tale of a gang killing near a south-east London council estate.

Wall of Silence

2004

No artwork available
7.0

A man signs up as a driver for a group of criminals on a dangerous job. On the way to the hit the man hears the lottery numbers and realises he's got the winning ticket on him. However the job goes badly and the lottery ticket is collected as litter by a street cleaner. The leader of the gang goes after the cleaner while on a picnic with his daughter to get the ticket back.

Occasional, Strong

2002

Hot Money poster
7.2

Three women, Bridget, Liz and Jackie, embark on a plan to steal thousands of pounds of banknotes that were due to be destroyed at the Bank of England's incinerating plant in Essex. Fictionalised account of a real-life case.

Hot Money

2001

Club Le Monde poster
4.6

London, 1993: a wild range of clubbers get together to drink, drug, dance and waste the night away at one of city's most happening underground venues...Club Le Monde.

Club Le Monde

2002

No artwork available
3.5

A young man is killed for trying to stop what he sees as evil and his friends seen as fun. Whilst his sister starts an unwitting relationship with the killer and his mother sinks deeper into grief, it is left to his younger brother, seventeen Leo to avoid easy revenge and uncover the uncomfortable truth.

Hush Your Mouth

2007

1980s · 6 titles

Series credits

Black Mirror poster
8.3

Twisted tales run wild in this mind-bending anthology series that reveals humanity's worst traits, greatest innovations and more.

Black Mirror

2011

Black Mirror poster
8.3

Twisted tales run wild in this mind-bending anthology series that reveals humanity's worst traits, greatest innovations and more.

Black Mirror

2011

Call the Midwife poster
7.6

Drama following the lives of a group of midwives working in the poverty-stricken East End of London during the 1950s, based on the best-selling memoirs of Jennifer Worth.

Call the Midwife

2012

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 Day of the Jackal poster
8.2

An unrivalled and highly elusive lone assassin, the Jackal, makes his living carrying out hits for the highest fee. But following his latest kill, he meets his match in a tenacious British intelligence officer who starts to track down the Jackal in a thrilling cat-and-mouse chase across Europe, leaving destruction in its wake.

The Day of the Jackal

2024

A Touch of Frost poster
7.6

Jack Frost is a gritty, dogged and unconventional detective with sympathy for the underdog and an instinct for moral justice who attracts trouble like a magnet. Despite some animosity with his superintendent, Norman “Horn-rimmed Harry” Mullett, Frost and his ever-changing roster of assistants manage to solve cases via his clever mind, good heart, and cool touch.

A Touch of Frost

1992

Chernobyl poster
8.7

The true story of one of the worst man-made catastrophes in history: the catastrophic nuclear accident at Chernobyl. A tale of the brave men and women who sacrificed to save Europe from unimaginable disaster.

Chernobyl

2019

Screen Two poster
7.1

Series of single made-for-television dramas.

Screen Two

1985

Screen Two poster
7.1

Series of single made-for-television dramas.

Screen Two

1985

Not Going Out poster
7.5

Lee is a childish northerner who lives in a fancy penthouse apartment in London who goes through a variety of jobs such as a janitor and ice cream man, as well as attempting relationships with female flatmates. His best mate, Daily Mail reading, middle-class citizen Tim is always there to stop Lee from getting in trouble, or not? Mayhem is never far away with cleaner Barbara who has never done an honest day's work in her life.

Not Going Out

2006

Foyle's War poster
7.9

As WW2 rages around the world, DCS Foyle fights his own war on the home-front as he investigates crimes on the south coast of England. Foyle's War opens in southern England in the year 1940. Later series sees the retired detective working as an MI5 agent operating in the aftermath of the war.

Foyle's War

2002

Foyle's War poster
7.9

As WW2 rages around the world, DCS Foyle fights his own war on the home-front as he investigates crimes on the south coast of England. Foyle's War opens in southern England in the year 1940. Later series sees the retired detective working as an MI5 agent operating in the aftermath of the war.

Foyle's War

2002

Sister Boniface Mysteries poster
6.5

First there was Father Brown. Now, say hello to Sister Boniface. This clever, moped-riding nun is the police's secret weapon for solving murders in this divine Father Brown spin-off.

Sister Boniface Mysteries

2022

Peep Show poster
8.0

Two dysfunctional flatmates reveal all their inner thoughts - whether dark, stupid or embarrassing. Or, occasionally, all three...

Peep Show

2003

The Sarah Jane Adventures poster
7.1

Sarah Jane Smith is a truly remarkable woman who inhabits a world of mystery, danger and wonder; a world where aliens are commonplace and the Earth is under constant threat. A world that Maria Jackson, a seemingly ordinary girl, can only dream of – until she moves in next door. Nothing will ever be ordinary again.

The Sarah Jane Adventures

2007

The Nevers poster
7.9

In the last years of Victoria's reign, London is beset by the "Touched": people — mostly women — who suddenly manifest abnormal abilities, some charming, some very disturbing. Among them are Amalia True, a mysterious, quick-fisted widow, and Penance Adair, a brilliant young inventor. They are the champions of this new underclass, making a home for the Touched, while fighting the forces of… well, pretty much all the forces — to make room for those whom history as we know it has no place.

The Nevers

2021

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

A Spy Among Friends poster
6.5

Follow the defection of notorious British intelligence officer and KGB double agent, Kim Philby, through the lens of his complex relationship with MI6 colleague and close friend, Nicholas Elliott.

A Spy Among Friends

2022

The Hack poster
6.6

Set between 2002 and 2012, the drama deftly interweaves two real life stories, the uncovering of phone hacking at the News of the World, and running parallel, the investigation into the unsolved murder of private investigator Daniel Morgan.

The Hack

2025

Secret Diary of a Call Girl poster
6.8

It's her business doing pleasure with you. A witty and provocative series based on the real-life adventures of a high-class escort. Juggling her own reality with her clients' fantasies can be difficult, but this savvy sweetheart knows every trick in the book, and she's doing it in style.

Secret Diary of a Call Girl

2007

No artwork available
NR

Comedy Blaps is Channel 4's vehicle for piloting comedy online. Some pilots consist of a single short, whereas others consist of a few shorts.

Comedy Blaps

2011

Ashes to Ashes poster
7.7

Crime drama series featuring Life On Mars' DCI Gene Hunt. After being shot in 2008, DI Alex Drake lands in 1981, where she finds herself in familiar company.

Ashes to Ashes

2008

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

Press Gang poster
7.5

The activities of the staff at The Junior Gazette, a children's weekly newspaper produced by a group of school pupils.

Press Gang

1989

The Thin Blue Line poster
7.1

The Thin Blue Line is a British sitcom starring Rowan Atkinson set in a police station that ran for two series on the BBC from 1995 to 1996. It was written by Ben Elton.

The Thin Blue Line

1995

Murphy's Law poster
7.6

Detective Sergeant Tommy Murphy is a maverick cop with a dark past. After failing a psychiatric assessment, he's given one last chance by his boss and given a dangerous undercover assignment. A loner with little to lose and dealing with everything on his own terms, this time around, however, Murphy has an ally in Detective Inspector Annie Guthrie.

Murphy's Law

2001

Dramarama poster
7.2

Dramarama is the name of a British children's anthology series broadcast on ITV between 1983 and 1989. It tended to feature drama of a science fiction or supernatural bent. The series was created by Anna Home, then head of children's and youth programming at TVS, however production responsibilities were divided amongst most of the regional ITV franchise holders. Thus, each episode was in practice a one-off production with its own cast and crew, up to and including the executive producer. Dramarama was largely a place for new talent to prove themselves and was a launching pad for the likes of Anthony Horowitz, Paul Abbott, Kay Mellor, Janice Hally, Tony Kearney, David Tennant and Ann Marie Di Mambro. It was one of Dennis Spooner's last credits. One of Dramarama's episodes, "Dodger, Bonzo And The Rest", gained so much popularity that it was turned in to its own series the following year. It starred Lee Ross and was based around a large foster home. The episode "Blackbird Singing In The Dead of Night" was developed by Granada into the TV series Children's Ward. It was also repeated for the first time since its original broadcast on 5 January 2013, during CITV's 30th anniversary Old Skool Weekend. The Series 7 episode "Back To Front" – notable for featuring a mirror image of the Yorkshire Television logo card at the end – was repeated on 6 January 2013, again as part of CITV's 30th anniversary Old Skool Weekend.

Dramarama

1983

Small Axe poster
6.9

An anthology series of five stories looking at the lives of a group of friends and their families in London’s West Indian community from the late 1960s to the early 80s.

Small Axe

2020

The Game poster
7.3

"The Game" is a 1970s Cold War spy thriller set in the world of espionage. It tells the story of the invisible war fought by MI5 as it battles to protect the nation from the threats of the Cold War.

The Game

2014

Babies poster
3.3

Lisa and Stephen are dealing with the painful struggle of pregnancy loss while life continues around them. However, despite facing dark times of grief and loneliness, they are finding their way through it with a burning sense of hope, humour, and love, realising the strength of their relationship, which will ultimately bring them closer than ever.

Babies

2026

Murder in Suburbia poster
7.5

Murder in Suburbia was a British detective drama that ran for two series in 2004 and 2005. Detective Inspector Kate Ashurst, a graduate of a posh girls' academy, has a sharp, analytical mind; her working-class partner, Detective Sergeant Emma Scribbins, relies on her instincts. Together this sassy, sexy investigative team uncovers the dark urges behind suburban Middleford's placid façade.

Murder in Suburbia

2004

Pistol poster
7.6

The story of a band of spotty, noisy, working-class kids with “no future,” who shook the boring, corrupt Establishment to its core, threatened to bring down the government and changed music and culture forever.

Pistol

2022

Des poster
7.2

The story of one of the most infamous cases in UK criminal history, that of serial killer Dennis Nilsen. Told through the prism of three men, the series explores the personal and professional consequences of coming into contact with a man like Nilsen.

Des

2020

Cradle to Grave poster
7.7

Cradle to Grave is a British autobiographical miniseries created by Danny Baker, about his formative years in the 1970s. Produced by ITV Studios for BBC Two, it stars Laurie Kynaston as Danny, with Peter Kay and Lucy Speed as his parents Spud and Bet. In 1974, 15-year-old Danny is our guide through the ups and downs of the Baker family. With eldest daughter Sharon's impending wedding and the docks facing closure, times are challenging. So too are Danny's attempts to get closer to the opposite sex.

Cradle to Grave

2015

Run poster
6.7

Four Londoners face life-altering decisions: a single mother whose sons commit a violent crime; an illegal immigrant in debt to a gang, a recovering addict trying to reconnect with his daughter; and a cleaner who uncovers a dangerous secret.

Run

2013

Mrs Biggs poster
8.0

The true story of Charmian Brent (née Powell), the rebellious product of a strict 1950s upbringing, and her whirlwind romance with Ronald Biggs leading to a descent into crime, most infamously 1963's Great Train Robbery.

Mrs Biggs

2012

Stephen poster
6.8

Follows the ongoing struggle by Doreen and Neville Lawrence to achieve justice and how a detective, DCI Clive Driscoll - working closely with the Lawrences - puts together an investigation that finally - more than 18 years after his death - secures the convictions of two of the gang who committed the murder of Stephen.

Stephen

2021

The Fear poster
5.0

The Fear is a five-part television drama produced by Thames Television subsidiary Euston Films for ITV. Broadcast from 17 February to 16 March 1988, the serial follows Carl Galton, the enterprising leader of a criminal gang running a protection racket in North London. Young and ambitious, Galton represents a new breed of criminal who seeks to expand his underworld empire and takes on the old East End firms. 1980s materialism clashes with old school London villainy as Galton rises to power, yet his ruthlessness carries a personal cost, especially on his wife Linda and best friend Marty.

The Fear

1988

Bodily Harm poster
5.3

Bodily Harm is a two-part British miniseries written by Tony Grounds, and produced by Tiger Aspect Productions for Channel 4. Airing in June 2002, it stars Timothy Spall, Lesley Manville, Annette Crosbie, and George Cole. On the eve of his 44th birthday, mild-mannered suburban stockbroker Mitchel Greenfield spirals out of control after losing his job, finding his wife in flagrante with a sleazy neighbour, and discovering his father is dying of cancer.

Bodily Harm

2002

The Baker Street Boys poster
5.0

The adventures of a gang of street urchins living in Victorian London, who assist legendary detective Sherlock Holmes in solving crimes and find themselves tackling cases of their own.

The Baker Street Boys

1983