
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (Wikidata P18)
David John Threlfall is an English stage, film and television actor and director. He is best known for playing Frank Gallagher in Channel 4's series Shameless. He has also directed several episodes of the show. In April 2014, he portrayed comedian Tommy Cooper in a television film entitled Tommy Cooper: Not Like That, Like This. In 2014, he starred alongside Jude Law in the thriller Black Sea. In 2024 he played Paul Peveril in the six-part BBC drama Nightsleeper.
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
David Threlfall's career began in 1977 with simultaneous debuts in television and theatre, but it was his 1980 Olivier Award-winning performance as Smike in the Royal Shakespeare Company's Nicholas Nickleby that established him as a performer of exceptional depth and emotional intelligence. Over subsequent decades, he has moved fluidly between the classical repertoire and contemporary drama, anchoring the British version of Shameless for a decade while continuing to command major stages at the National Theatre, Royal Exchange, and West End. His recent Tony-nominated turn in Martin McDonagh's Hangmen demonstrates an artist whose interpretive powers have only intensified with maturity.
Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Smike in The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby (1980)
Manchester Metropolitan University
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