Paul Birchard

Paul Birchard is an American actor who lives in Glasgow, Scotland. He has appeared in film, television, stage and radio productions, most notably as Bud in Sweet Bird of Youth with the Royal National Theatre, Ross in The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia? at the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, and Chuck in the premiere of Frank Grimes's first performed play, The Fishing Trip. Birchard is also known for his one-man stage adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald stories, a documentary film about Tennessee Williams and Konrad Hopkins which he produced and directed, and a song promoting the Glasgow Diamonds American football team.

Early life and education Birchard grew up in Los Angeles, California, He moved to the United Kingdom, and in 1981 graduated with a Diploma in Dramatic Art from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow, Scotland.

Career During the 1980s, Birchard worked as a DJ at Radio Clyde, and pantomime.

In 1986 he wrote and recorded the song "Diamonds Rap (We Are The Diamonds)", promoting the Glasgow Diamonds American football team. CBS Sports created a video package called the "CBS Video Bowl" for the half-time interval of their worldwide broadcast of the Super Bowl in January 1987,

His career continued to encompass radio and stage roles, as well as appearances on television and in films. In 1991, he appeared at the Warehouse Theatre Croydon, London, in the premiere of Frank Grimes' first performed play, The Fishing Trip. Reviewers commented, "Paul Birchard's macho Vietnam vet Chuck is unexpectedly subtle";

In 1994, he adapted five of F. Scott Fitzgerald's Pat Hobby Stories into a one-man show at the Riverside Studios, London, in which he "used his broad acting talent to impersonate characters like the brash producer to the effeminate hairdresser ... The American actor's storytelling ability is so vivid that the very few props he uses - telephones, typewriters and Time magazines - are hardly needed to boost the imagination." Two years later, he took the show to the Dublin Fringe Theatre Festival, and in 2019, performed it at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Some of his most notable roles have been at the National Theatre. while The Stage wrote "the four-strong cast put in near definitive performances ... Paul Birchard is lugubrious longest-serving friend, Ross ... Ross’s gleeful delight in the idea of an affair is a superbly-judged precursor to his horror at the enormity of the reality." and appeared in BBC Radio 4 plays and readings in the 1990s and 2000s. as well as the voice of one of the main characters in Crysis 2 in 2011.

On television, he appeared in a number of BBC 2 plays, including a drama about Buddy Holly in 1989, and appeared in Spooks as a rogue CIA operative.

Birchard produced, directed and appeared in the feature-length documentary film U & Me & Tennessee: An American Romance..., which deals with a romance by correspondence between playwright Tennessee Williams and Konrad Hopkins. and at the Sydney Mardi Gras Film Festival.

Selected stage performances Year Title Author Theatre Role Director 1988 Death of a Salesman Arthur Miller Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh Ian Wooldridge 1991 The Fishing Trip Frank Grimes Warehouse Theatre Croydon Chuck Lindsay Anderson 1993 True West Sam Shepard Tron Theatre, Glasgow Saul Kimmer Eve Jamieson 1994 The Pat Hobby Stories F. Scott Fitzgerald Riverside Studios, London W6 one-man show 1994 Sweet Bird of Youth Tennessee Williams Lyttelton Theatre, London - Royal National Theatre Bud Richard Eyre 1994 Johnny on a Spot Charles MacArthur Olivier Theatre, London - Royal National Theatre McClure; Sergeant of State Troopers Richard Eyre 1996 The Pat Hobby Stories F. Scott Fitzgerald Bewleys Theatre, Dublin one-man show 2010 The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia? Edward Albee Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh Ross Dominic Hill 2015 Death of a Salesman Arthur Miller Royal Shakespeare Company,Stratford-upon-Avon; Noël Coward Theatre, London Older Waiter Gregory Doran

Filmography Film 1985: King Solomon's Mines – German on Train (uncredited) 1989: Batman – Another Reporter 1990: Memphis Belle – Lieutenant 1992: La mansión de los Cthulhu – Billy 1998: Sista Kontraktet (The Last Contract) – Bertram Norris 1999: Gregory's Two Girls – American Executive 2001: The Tailor of Panama – Joe 2001: The Fourth Angel – Pilot 2001: Revelation – General Demolay 2003: Quicksand – F.B.I. Man 2003: Solid Air – Chris 2003: The Jacket – Doctor 2005: The White Countess – Company Director 2006: Alien Autopsy – Senior TV Exec 2007: 1408 – Mr. Innkeeper 1991, 1992 Absolute Hell Rodney Ackland BBC 2 Performance 2004 A Line in the Sand (TV Movie) Littelbaum 2007 Waterloo Road Jerry Preston 2 episodes

Radio Date Title Role Director Station 1991 Dracula Hamish Wilson BBC Radio 4 (7 episodes) April 1999 Full Moon BBC Radio 4 (4 episodes) The Sea Warrior by Leila Aboulela BBC Radio 4 Afternoon Play Maigret: A Man's Head Ned Chaillet BBC Radio 4 Afternoon Play One for the Road: Are You Lonely Reader Eilidh McCreadie BBC Radio 4 Afternoon Reading

Personal life Birchard is a lifelong devotee of Meher Baba. He has four children,