Mark Christopher Wingett (born 1 January 1961) is an English actor.

Mark Wingett
Born
Mark Christopher Wingett

(1961-01-01) 1 January 1961 (age 63)
NationalityBritish
OccupationActor
Years active1979–present
PartnerSharon Martin
Children2

He is best known for his roles as PC/DC Jim Carver in The Bill and EastEnders as Mike Swann, Hollyoaks as Frank Symons and Heartbeat as Terry Molloy.

Acting career edit

Wingett was born in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire.[1] His father was an officer in the Royal Navy, and the family moved to wherever he was stationed, including Malta and Singapore, but mostly in Portsmouth.[2] He attended Padnell Junior School in Cowplain, followed by Horndean Technology College (then known as Horndean Bilateral School).

Wingett wanted to act from his youth and joined the National Youth Theatre. His film debut came in 1979 when he played Dave, a reckless and rebellious mod, in Quadrophenia. Because the film was X-rated, he was too young to watch it legally.[2]

In 1983 he took a minor role as a local press reporter in Channel 4's Brookside before making his first appearance as PC Jim Carver in "Woodentop", which became the pilot episode for The Bill. He was one of four actors in "Woodentop" who returned in the series' first complete season. He played Jim Carver in around 780 episodes, from 1984 until his departure in 2005 which ended 21 years on The Bill.[3] Jim Carver was central to several major plotlines on The Bill, including the character's struggles with alcoholism, gambling and as a victim of domestic violence.[4] Wingett made a brief return in March 2007 to coincide with the departure of Trudie Goodwin, then the only other remaining original cast member.[5]

In 2005 he appeared in the BBC One soap opera EastEnders as Mike Swann, the father of Mickey Miller and Dawn Swann, initially for a week-long stint.[6] He returned to the soap in late 2005, leaving in March 2006. Also in 2005 he appeared as Terry Molloy, a London gangster who had turned Queen's evidence on his cohorts following a robbery in the Heartbeat episode A Fresh Start.

Wingett provides the voiceover for the British television version of the hit American TV series American Chopper aired on the Discovery Channel. He also appeared in the "Spartacus" episode of the BBC's Heroes and Villains as the gladiator trainer Lentulus Batiatus.[7]

In 2009, he appeared in the BBC daytime series Missing as Danny Hayworth alongside Pauline Quirke, returning to the programme for its second series in 2010.[8]

In 2018, he issued a privately-printed pamphlet 'Tattered Troubadour', a 36 page disquisition on the musician GG Allin at his own publishing house Nantz Press.

In addition to acting, Wingett has directed several stage productions. In 2010, he directed the play Good to Firm by Ed Waugh and Trevor Wood at the Customs House, South Shields.[3] In 2000, Wingett directed the play Lone Star by James McLure, in a production which toured Australia and starred his fellow Bill cast members Russell Boulter and Huw Higginson.[9]

Personal life edit

Wingett's partner is Sharon Martin,[10] a makeup artist. They have a daughter, Jamila, and a stepson Benny from Martin's previous relationship.[11] The couple separated in 2000 after Yvonne Williams, a fire-eater who had appeared on The Bill as an extra, went to the press detailing her affair with Wingett over a number of years,[12] but had reconciled by 2003 after a two-year separation.[11] They both worked on the 2012 film Snow White and the Huntsman, with Martin as head of the makeup department and Wingett playing the character of Thomas.[13]

Wingett is a keen scuba diver, fisherman, skier and wreck hunter. He started diving in 1984 at a sub-aqua club for London black cab drivers.[14]

Wingett's sister, Fiona Wingett, is a magazine editor. She was the editor of New Idea magazine in Australia in the mid-1990s, then returned to Britain to edit the Personal magazine for the Sunday Mirror.[15] His brother, Matthew Wingett, wrote several episodes of The Bill in the 1990s.[16] His first episode, "Thicker than Water" was submitted under the false name "Matthew Brothers", so that it would not receive favourable treatment because of their relationship.[17]

Filmography edit

Film edit

Year Title Role Notes
1979 Quadrophenia Dave
The Music Machine 2nd Heavy
1980 Breaking Glass Tony
1983 Fords on Water Eddie
1996 The Bill: Target DC Carver Video
2008 Jump Oscar Reeve Short film
Beyond the Rave Ed's Dad Video
Franklyn Frank Grant
2009 Jenny & the Worm Mr. Tulse Short film
2010 Rough Cut Man with dog Short film
2011 Intruders Dave
War of the Dead David Selzman
2012 Snow White and the Huntsman Thomas
Run for Your Wife Man outside café
2013 Dom Hemingway Man outside pub 2
Walking with the Enemy Sorenzi
Green Street 3: Never Back Down Pistol Pete Video
2014 Mr. Turner Mariner
The Lost Choices Dave
2015 Dragonfly Francis Grosvenor
Far from the Madding Crowd Bailiff No. 1
2016 I Am Hooligan Ray - Justin's Father
Eliminators Police Sergeant
A Reason to Believe Harry
2017 Gypsy's Kiss Ron Short film
Being Doley Short film
2018 Dark Ditties Presents 'Finders Keepers' Frank Hardy
God's Kingdom Simon Short film
Been So Long Mark - Bailiff
King of Crime Marcus King
2019 Mash Tony Short film
Break Clause Giles Davis
Beautiful in the Morning Roland
Dark Ditties Presents 'The Witching Hour' George Sinclair
2020 Doll House James
To Be Someone Tommy
The Invisible Collection Oscar Swindon Short film
2021 The Interlopers Ulrich Short film
Dead Again Bob
Navigator Gary Short film
Dark Ditties Presents 'Dad' Reverend Alistair O'Brian
Dark Ditties Presents 'Stained' Frank Hardy
2023 Mercy Slaughterman

Television edit

Year Title Role Notes
1979–1980 The Ravelled Thread Billyboy 6 episodes
1980 Fox Lee Episode: "Stick or Twist"
The Professionals Big Punk Episode: "Mixed Doubles"
Caleb Williams Farmer Mini-series, episode: "#1.2"
Play for Today 3rd Youth Episode: "The Flipside of Dominick Hide"
1981 Private Schulz Walter Schmidt 2 episodes: "#1.4" and "#1.5"
Ladykillers Alfred Episode: "Miss Elmore"
BBC2 Playhouse Johnny Episode: "The Grudge Fight"
1982 The World Cup: A Captain's Tale Deane Television film
Take Three Women Kenneth 2 episodes: "Avril" and "Kate, Avril and Victoria"
1983 Storyboard Jimmy Carver Episode: "Woodentop" (Pilot for The Bill)
Brookside Reporter 2 episodes: "Fundraising" and "Jeans"
1983–2007 The Bill PC/DC/DS Jim Carver Main role, 792 episodes
1986 C.A.T.S. Eyes Rider Episode: "Honeytrap"
1990 Vic Reeves Big Night Out Episode: "New Year's Eve Big Night Out"
1999 Operation Good Guys The Corpse Episode: "Forensics"
2005 The Bill Uncovered: Jim's Story DC Jim Carver Television film
Heartbeat Terry Molloy Episode: "A Fresh Start"
2005–2006 EastEnders Mike Swann 27 episodes
2008 Heroes and Villains Batiatus Episode: "Spartacus"
Walter's War Team Manager Television film
2009 The All Star Impressions Show Marco Pierre White TV Special
2009–2010 Missing Danny Hayworth 13 episodes
2010 Doctors Martin Proudfoot Episode: "Finding the Words"
2011 Banged Up Abroad Chris Chance Episode: "Daredevil Drug Runner"
2013 Hollyoaks [18] Frank Symes 2 episodes
2014 Salting the Battlefield Football Supporter Television film
2016 The Tunnel Marty Episode: "#2.5"
2017 Ransom's Law DI Buttler 13 episodes
2019 Vera John Brace Episode: "The Seagull"
Call the Midwife Peter Jessop Episode: "#8.6"
2022 Royal Autopsy Charles II Mini-series, Episode: "Charles II"

References edit

  1. ^ Mark Wingett at the British Film Institute[better source needed]
  2. ^ a b Kingsley, Hilary (1994). The Bill: The First Ten Years. London: Boxtree. ISBN 978-1852839574.
  3. ^ a b Lamb, Liz (8 September 2010). "Life after The Bill as star returns to the North". The Newcastle Journal. Retrieved 21 March 2013.
  4. ^ Eustice, Kerry Ann (2 January 2008). "Wingett makes his Mark in panto". News Shopper. Archived from the original on 21 April 2013. Retrieved 21 March 2013.
  5. ^ Green, Kris. "487: Jim Carver returns to Sun Hill". Digital Spy. Retrieved 19 March 2013.
  6. ^ Green, Kris. "Ex-'Bill' actor to appear in 'EastEnders'". Digital Spy. Retrieved 19 March 2013.
  7. ^ "Episode 5: Spartacus". Heroes and Villains. BBC. Retrieved 19 March 2013.
  8. ^ "Missing". BBC Press Office. 14–20 March 2009. Retrieved 19 March 2013.
  9. ^ McKew, Maxine: The Bill turns 16, The 7.30 Report (ABC TV), 18 October 2000.
  10. ^ The Times BFI London Film Festival -The Last King Of Scotland: Opening Gala, Getty Images, 18 October 2006.
  11. ^ a b Carroll, Sue (29 October 2003). "I stopped drinking but got addicted to sex.. it nearly cost me my world; EXCLUSIVE HOW BILL STAR MARK BEAT ALL HIS DEMONS". The Mirror. Retrieved 20 March 2013.
  12. ^ Wright, Matthew (15 June 2000). "O 'ELL O 'ELL; Two-timing Bill star Mark is booted out after wife discovers his double life". The Mirror. Retrieved 20 March 2013.
  13. ^ Index to Motion Picture Credits: SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, 2012.
  14. ^ Burstall, Emma (9 December 2006). "Get out more". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 March 2013.
  15. ^ Cowlett, Mary (10 September 1999). "MEDIA: Two leave Sunday Mirror mag". PR Week UK. Retrieved 19 March 2013.
  16. ^ "Biography".
  17. ^ Lynch, Tony (1992). The Bill the inside story of the successful police series seen on ABC TV. London: Boxtree. ISBN 0-7333-0196-7.
  18. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 14 June 2013. Retrieved 13 July 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

External links edit