Gray O'Brien | |
|---|---|
| Born | Gerard O'Brien (1968-08-11)11 August 1968 (age 56) |
| Alma mater | Royal Conservatoire of Scotland |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1993–present |
| Children | 1 |
Gray O'Brien (bornGerard O'Brien; 11 August 1968) is a Scottish television and film actor, best known for his portrayal of the villainousWeatherfield businessmanTony Gordon in the popularITVsoap operaCoronation Street from 2007–2010, and as Richard McCaig on theBBC medical dramaCasualty from 1996–1998.[1]
O'Brien was born in Glasgow,[2] the second youngest of seven children,[3] and is a graduate of theRoyal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama.[4] Resident for a time inCumbernauld,[3] he has appeared in many television productions, includingTaggart,Peak Practice,River City (as serial womaniser Billy Davis), and the 2007Doctor Who Christmas special, "Voyage of the Damned". He playedPrince Charles' valet in the 2006 motion pictureThe Queen.
O'Brien joined the cast ofCoronation Street as the murderous factory boss Tony Gordon in September 2007. The actor explained in an interview that he uses sense-memory technique, drawing on "something dark from the past", to emote his powerful performances.[5] Asked about female reaction to his character's on-screen conspiracy to murder love rivalLiam Connor, played by pin-upRob James-Collier, O'Brien joked: "I'm sure most viewers believe that it's just a story."[6] O'Brien won Villain of the Year for the role at the 2009British Soap Awards.[2]
TheManchester show drew the ire of football fans when, in October 2008, several months after the2008 UEFA Cup final riots, in a scripted line, O'Brien's evil character made a jibe aboutRangers F.C. Complaints led to a similar line being cut from the script of a later episode.[7] Professing surprise at the outcry, the star said: "I'm aCeltic supporter but I need to be clear that I certainly wasn't going out of my way to antagonise any Rangers supporters."[8]
In May 2009Coronation Street producers announced that O'Brien's contract with the show had been extended to 2010.[9] Gray leftCoronation Street when his character was killed off at the end of a storyline, in which Tony Gordon heldHayley Cropper (Julie Hesmondhalgh) andCarla Connor (Alison King) hostage in theUnderworld factory, which he sets ablaze; although his prisoners manage to escape alive.
He played Abanazar in the pantomimeAladdin at theOpera House,Manchester from 5 December 2009 to 3 January 2010.[9][10] Between 4 December 2010 and 16 January 2011 he played the role again at theTheatre Royal, Nottingham.[11]
O'Brien was judgedScotland's eleventh most eligible man in February 2009 by aScotland on Sunday panel.[4] He once said: "I actually find the heartthrob thing laughable," adding: "I am just a jobbing actor from Scotland and I don't think of myself as particularly good looking."[3]
O'Brien has also appeared onLily Savage's Blankety Blank.[12]
In 2017, he appeared in ITV dramaThe Loch.
O'Brien is divorced[13] from his wife Lynn, whom he married on 9 May 1996. They have a son together called Conor (b. 2000),[3] who made acameo appearance in an episode of Coronation Street.[5] O'Brien's late father, Eddie was also a fan of the long-running TV programme.[5] O'Brien began dating make-up artist Jill Farimond in 2008,[13] but it was reported in April 2009 that the couple had amicably split.[14] His father died of aheart attack. In 2019 O'Brien was diagnosed with stage 4 tonsil cancer. He has since made a full recovery.
| Year | Film | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | The Queen | Charles' Valet |
| 2015 | The Daniel Connection | DCI Brian Farrow |
| 2016 | The Wasting | Ilyas |
| Year | Show | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993–1995 | Taggart | DC Rob Gibson | Recurring; 5 episodes |
| 1996–1998 | Casualty | Richard McCaig | Series regular |
| 2000–2002 | Peak Practice | Dr. Tom Deneley | Series regular |
| 2002 | Cruise of the Gods | Casualty Doctor | |
| 2003–2007 | River City | Billy Davis | Series regular |
| 2007–2010 | Coronation Street | Tony Gordon | Series regular |
| 2007 | Doctor Who | Rickston Slade | 1 episode:Voyage of the Damned |
| 2012 | Titanic: Blood and Steel | Bruce Ismay | 12 part series |
| 2017 | The Loch | Alan Redford | 6-part drama series |
| 2018 | Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators | Ian McClurgy | 1 episode:The Chimes at Midnight |