Gray O'Brien

Gray O'Brien (born Gerard O'Brien; 11 August 1968) is a Scottish television and film actor, best known for his portrayal of the villainous Weatherfield businessman Tony Gordon in the popular ITV soap opera Coronation Street from 2007–2010, and as Richard McCaig on the BBC medical drama Casualty from 1996–1998.

Biography O'Brien was born in Glasgow, the second youngest of seven children, and is a graduate of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. Resident for a time in Cumbernauld, Asked about female reaction to his character's on-screen conspiracy to murder love rival Liam Connor, played by pin-up Rob James-Collier, O'Brien joked: "I'm sure most viewers believe that it's just a story." O'Brien won Villain of the Year for the role at the 2009 British Soap Awards. Professing surprise at the outcry, the star said: "I'm a Celtic supporter but I need to be clear that I certainly wasn't going out of my way to antagonise any Rangers supporters."

In May 2009 Coronation Street producers announced that O'Brien's contract with the show had been extended to 2010. Gray left Coronation Street when his character was killed off at the end of a storyline, in which Tony Gordon held Hayley Cropper (Julie Hesmondhalgh) and Carla Connor (Alison King) hostage in the Underworld factory, which he sets ablaze; although his prisoners manage to escape alive.

He played Abanazar in the pantomime Aladdin at the Opera House, Manchester from 5 December 2009 to 3 January 2010. Between 4 December 2010 and 16 January 2011 he played the role again at the Theatre Royal, Nottingham.

O'Brien was judged Scotland's eleventh most eligible man in February 2009 by a Scotland on Sunday panel.

In 2017, he appeared in ITV drama The Loch.

Personal life O'Brien is divorced from his wife Lynn, whom he married on 9 May 1996. They have a son together called Conor (b. 2000), His father died of a heart attack. In 2019 O'Brien was diagnosed with stage 4 tonsil cancer. He has since made a full recovery.

Filmography

Films

TV