Christopher Eccleston's Biography

Who is Christopher Eccleston?

Eccleston studied at London's Central School of Speech and Drama. He has appeared in numerous theatrical productions and TV dramas and has received two Press Guild Awards for Best Actor. One was for his role in Hillsborough and the other for his performance in Our Friends in the North, for which he also won a BAFTA nomination.

Other TV appearances by Christopher Eccleston include roles in Cracker, Clocking Off, Flesh and Blood. He has also had guest appearances in The League of Gentleman and Linda Green.

His major film debut came when Eccleston played Derek Bentley in 'Let Him Have It' and Eccleston has gone on to have film roles in Shallow Grave, The Others, Elizabeth, eXistenZ, and Sixty Seconds. He also played the title role in Jude.

Christopher Eccleston appeared in Andrew Davies's television adaptation of Shakespeare's Othello, but has said: "I wasn't always such a great fan of Shakespeare, mind you. I can guess we all at one time had it rammed down our necks at school which tends to take the edge off it."

Christopher Eccleston was chosen as the ninth Doctor Who in the famous BBC television series. However, after the first episode was shown in March 2005, the BBC announced that Eccleston had decided to quit the show. The BBC issued a press statement wrongly attributing to Eccleston quotes that he feared being typecast and found the filming gruelling.

He later (in June 2010) told The Radio Times that he "didn't enjoy the environment and the culture" of Doctor Who.

Ironically Eccleston's performance and the Doctor Who programme generally had been very well received. Indeed, Eccleston won the most popular actor award in the 2005 National Television Awards.

In December 2006, Christopher Eccleston was cast in the leading part of Stuart in ITV's drama, The Perfect Parents.

Christopher Eccleston was also cast in the American drama series Heroes.

On 11 May 2010, Media Guardian reported that Christopher Eccleston was to be reunited with Jimmy McGovern for the BBC1 drama, Accused. Christopher Eccleston was cast as a man in turmoil in McGovern's Willy's Story.

In 2011, Christopher Eccleston was cast as Joseph Bede in the BBC 2 drama serial The Shadow Line.

In 2011 it was announced that Christopher Eccleston would play Daniel Demoys in a new four-part drama for BBC One, The Fuse.

In November 2011, Eccleston won an international Emmy for best performance by an actor for his role as Willy Houlihan in Accused.

In 2012, he was cast as Creon, King of Thebes, in a National Theatre production of Antigone.

In February 2016, ITV confirmed that they had recommissioned the drama series Safe House, with Christopher Eccleston once more in the leading role playing Robert.

In November 2016, the BBC revealed that Christopher Eccleston had been cast as Oedipus in the late Anthony Burgess's version of Oedipus the King to be broadcast on Radio 3.

In September 2017, the BBC announced that Eccleston would star as Greg in the drama series Come Home.

In September 2023, he read a Kestrel for a Knave for BBC Four.