Paul Copley

Paul Mackriell Copley (born 25 November 1944) is an English actor. From 2011 to 2015 he appeared as Mr. Mason, father of William Mason, in 16 episodes of Downton Abbey, and from 2020 to 2021, he appeared in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street as Arthur Medwin.

Early life Copley was born in Denby Dale, West Riding of Yorkshire, and grew up beside a dairy farm there.

Career Copley was the male lead character in the four-part BBC series Days of Hope in 1975, which depicted events between the First World War and the General Strike from a family involved in socialist politics.

In 1976, Copley won the Laurence Olivier Award for Actor of the Year in a New Play for his role in John Wilson's For King and Country.

After appearing as Private Wicks in the film A Bridge Too Far (1977),

He is a regular actor in Radio 4 drama, usually in gritty or romantic plays or series about hard-working folk set in the north of England, often repeated on BBC Radio 4 Extra. Whenever a genial Yorkshire accent has been cast in the BBC radio drama department, he has often been summoned. Copley played the long-suffering teacher Geoff Long in Radio 4's long running King Street Junior. Covering ten series and some seventy-six episodes, this ran on BBC Radio 4 from 1985 to 1998. He also narrated the Yorkshire Television nine-part serial adaptation of The Pilgrim's Progress (1985) entitled Dangerous Journey.

In 2016, he appeared in episode 2.4 "The Beast of Lighthaven" as John Roxwell in the BBC series The Coroner.

On 9 January 2020 he appeared as Feste in Father Brown on BBC1. 2022 Downton Abbey: A New Era Albert Mason Film 2025 Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale Albert Mason Film 2025 Play for Today Arthur

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