John Simm

John Ronald Simm (born 10 July 1970) is an English actor, producer, and musician. He is best known for playing Sam Tyler in Life on Mars, the Master in Doctor Who, and Det Supt Roy Grace in Grace. His other television credits include State of Play, The Lakes, Crime and Punishment, Exile, Prey, and Cracker. His film roles include Wonderland, Everyday, Boston Kickout, Human Traffic and 24 Hour Party People. He has twice been nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor and has won the 2014 Royal Television Society award in the Best Performance in a Single Drama or Drama Series (Male) category for his work on the crime thriller series Prey. .

Early life John Ronald Simm was born on 10 July 1970 in Leeds, the eldest of three children. In 2024, he discovered that the man he had always thought of as his father, Manchester musician Ronald Simm, was not his biological parent, and that it was a man called Terry Smith. From the age of 12, Simm sang and played guitar with Ronald on stage in working men's clubs. In 1986, he enrolled in a three-year performing arts course at Blackpool and The Fylde College in Blackpool. He starred in Guys and Dolls and West Side Story at Blackpool's Grand Theatre. After appearing in the next college musical, The Boyfriend, he decided that musical theatre did not interest him, and joined an amateur dramatic group, Fylde Coast Players, to hone his skills in his spare time, playing the titular roles in Billy Liar and Amadeus.

Career In 1992, Simm made his professional acting debut playing the role of Joby Johnson in an episode of the TV series Rumpole of the Bailey. He appeared as a psycho in The Bill,

In 1995, Simm played the troubled teenager Bill Preece in ITV police drama Cracker. He also made his feature film debut in Boston Kickout, which won the Palmarés (Best) Feature Film award at the 11th Cinema Jove - Valencia International Film Festival 1996. In 1996, he made his professional stage debut in the Simon Bent play Goldhawk Road at the Bush Theatre, directed by Paul Miller. In 1997 - 1999, he played lead role of Danny Kavanagh in The Lakes, Simm played Ace in The Knight's Tale, one of a series of modern reworkings of The Canterbury Tales, the production is based on Martin Gayford's book, also titled The Yellow House. In the same year, Simm returned to the theatre as the title character in Paul Miller's acclaimed Bush Theatre staging of Simon Bent's version of Elling, a comedy about two men just out of a psychiatric hospital adjusting to normal life and to each other. Following positive press reviews and an extended, sell-out run, the production was transferred to the Trafalgar Studios in July 2007 and Simm was nominated for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor for his performance. He reprised the role in the 2009 two-part special, "The End of Time". In 2008, he played Edward Sexby in The Devil's Whore, a four-part English Civil War epic for Channel 4. He performed at the Royal Variety Performance with Alexander Armstrong and Ben Miller, and starred in the film Skellig, in 2009.

In 2011, Simm starred in Mad Dogs on Sky 1. in a revival of Harold Pinter's Betrayal at the Crucible Theatre. From 2013 to 2014 he played the farmer John Middleton in The Village, a six-part BBC drama which portrayed life in a Derbyshire village during World War I. From May to August 2013, he returned to Trafalgar Studios in London's West End to star opposite Simon Russell Beale in a new production of Harold Pinter's The Hothouse, directed by Jamie Lloyd. He then completed work on the three-part thriller, Prey, in which he plays detective Marcus Farrow. The mini-series began airing on 28 April 2014 on ITV. The second series starred Philip Glenister in the leading role. Simm won the 2014 Royal Television Society award in the Best Performance in a Single Drama or Drama Series (Male) category for his portrayal of Marcus Farrow. In 2018, he starred as Dan Bowker opposite Adrian Lester in Mike Bartlett's Trauma on ITV. In 2019, he played the title role of Macbeth at the Chichester Festival Theatre. later that year it was announced he would be reprising his role as the Master again in Masterful, an audio drama from Big Finish Productions.

In 2020, Simm starred in the political drama series Cold Courage as right-wing politician Arthur Fried. In 2021 and 2022 he played the more sinister role of Gareth Horsborough in Irvine Welch's Crime. In 2021, Simm took on the title role of Det Supt Roy Grace in Grace, , which is now running in its sixth series. In 2024, Simm played Ebenezer Scrooge in Jack Thorne's adaptation of A Christmas Carol at The Old Vic, directed by Matthew Warchus and filmed the UKTV series I, Jack Wright where he played washed up music producer Gray Wright. The series was broadcast on U&Alibi in the UK in 2025, a second series has been commissioned.

Music Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, Simm was a founding member, songwriter, and guitarist with the rock band Magic Alex; the band was named after "Magic Alex" Mardas, a Greek electronics engineer best known for his work with the Beatles. The group played support on two British tours with Echo & the Bunnymen.

In 2024, Simm agreed to appear on the British TV series DNA Journey together with fellow actor and friend Philip Glenister, with the intent to learn more about his ancestry. Through the DNA test Simm took for the series, he discovered that his dad, Ronald Simm, is not his biological father. Despite the somewhat shocking revelation, Simm decided to allow the episode to be broadcast.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1995 Boston Kickout Phil Carrying Dad Sean Short film 1999 Diana & Me Neil Human Traffic Jip Wonderland Eddie 2001 Understanding Jane Oz / Party Stonehead 2 2002 24 Hour Party People Bernard Sumner Miranda Frank Magic HourAlexShort film 2004 Ten Minute Movie Nick Short film 2005 Brothers of the Head Boatman 2006 Devilwood Gabriel Short film 2008 Tu£sday Silver 2012 Everyday Ian Ferguson Filmed in real-time over five years 2020 Joey Joey Short film

Television

Music videos Year Title Artist Role Notes 2002 Here to Stay New Order Bernard Sumner Closing track from the film 24 Hour Party People 2009 So Low Matt Berry Album: Witchazel 2013 Some Better Day I Am Kloot Album: Let It All In 2019 God Has Taken a Vacation The Leisure Society Album: Arrivals & Departures

Discography Album Year Title Artist Role 2006 Dated and Sexist Magic Alex Guitar and backing vocals

Singles Year Title Artist Role 2003 "Sliding" Ian McCulloch Guitar 2015 "Older" / "Outside" Magic Alex Guitar and backing vocals

Awards and nominations Year Award Category Nominated work Result 2005 20th Gemini Awards Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series Sex Traffic - Part 1 2007Monte-Carlo Television Festival Golden Nymph - Outstanding Actor - Drama SeriesLife on Mars 2008 Laurence Olivier Awards Best Actor in a Play Elling at Trafalgar Theatre 2012 58th British Academy Television Awards BAFTA Award for Best Leading ActorExile Royal Television Society Awards Best Actor - Male 2014 Royal Television Society Awards Best Performance in a Single Drama or Drama Series (Male) Prey