Jeffrey Alan Rawle (born 20 July 1951) is a British actor. He is known for playing Billy in Billy Liar (1973–1974), and for portraying George Dent in the news-gathering sitcom Drop the Dead Donkey (1990–1998), and Silas Blissett in Hollyoaks (2010–2022). Other credits include Minder (1993), Doc Martin (2004), Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005), Grantchester (2023), and Beyond Paradise (2024).
Early life
Rawle was born on 20 July 1951,
Career
Rawle landed his first significant role in 1973 as the protagonist in the television version of Keith Waterhouse and Willis Hall's Billy Liar. He played Billy Fisher for two seasons, 26 episodes from 1973 to 1974. He appeared in Minder (1993) The actor made a guest appearance as lawyer Jonathan Blunt in the fourth episode of the fourth series of New Tricks (2007).
2008 saw Rawle play Gilbert Murray in the National Theatre's production of Tony Harrison's play Fram. The following year, he guested in The Bill and appeared in The Sarah Jane Adventures on CBBC. During 2010, Rawle joined the cast of Hollyoaks as serial killer Silas Blissett. He stated that he was delighted to be playing such a sinister character. He has won various awards for his portrayal of Silas. He initially left the role in 2012, before making guest returns from January to May 2016, and from October 2020 to January 2021. He reprised the role in September 2022, when his grandson, Bobby, finally killed off his character.
In October 2012, it was announced that Rawle had joined the Doctors cast as Rory Bishton, a road sweeper with something to hide. Rawle made his screen debut as Rory in early 2013.
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| ScreenPlay
| The Man
| episode: "Beyond the Pale"
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| <span id="The Gift"></span>
| John Price
| 6 part mini-series for children
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| 1990–1998
| Drop the Dead Donkey
| George Dent
| TV series
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| This is David Harper
| Bob Benchley
| TV series; episode: "A List of Abuses"
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| Service Policeman
| TV series
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| '
| Ezra Pratt
| TV series
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| Casualty
| Len Jackson
| TV series; episode: "Silent Night", series 7 episode 15
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| Minder
| Jehovah's Witness
| TV series; episode: "Uneasy Rider"
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| Budgie the Little Helicopter
| Narrator and Dell the baggage cart towing truck
| TV series; voice
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| Wycliffe
| Reverend Jordan
| TV series; episode: "The Last Rites"
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| Look at the State We're In!
| Jeff Jarndyce
| TV mini-series
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| Faith in the Future
| Paul
| TV series
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| Lord of Misrule
| Derek
| TV
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| 1998
| Neville's Island
| Neville
| TV
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| Microsoap
| Colin
| TV series
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| I Saw You
| Frank
| TV
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| Take a Girl Like You
| Mr. Charlton
| TV
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| Dalziel and Pascoe
| Raymond Miles
| TV series; episode: "Mens Sana"
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| Midsomer Murders
| Derrick Seagrove
| TV series, episode: "A Talent for Life"
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| Blackball
| Dennis
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| Death in Holy Orders
| Father Peregrine Glover
| TV
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| 2004
| Doctors
| John Marshall
| TV series; episode: "A Late Flowering"
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| '
| Banks
| TV series; episode: "Doing Time"
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| '
| Graham Hammond
| TV
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| Heartbeat
| Ken Simner
| TV series; episode: "Scent of a Kill"
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| William and Mary
| George Emerson
| TV series; series 2 episode 5
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| My Dad's the Prime Minister
| Union leader
| TV series; episode: "Powerless"
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| Doc Martin
| Roger Fenn
| TV series; episodes: "Gentlemen Prefer", "Sh*t Happens", "Haemophobia", "The Family Way", "Happily Ever After"
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| Ultimate Force
| David Cox
| TV series; episode: "Never Go Back"
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| Holby City
| Ron Fell
| TV series; episode: "It's Kinda Rock 'n' Roll"
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| Spooks
| Home Secretary
| Also known as MI-5 in the USA<br />TV series; episodes: "The Special: Part I" and "The Special: Part II"
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| '
| Steve Markham
| TV series; episode: "Near Death Experience"
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| 2005
| Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
| Amos Diggory
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| Holby City
| Roger Nash
| TV series; episodes: "Team Holby", "Nothing Ventured, Nothing Lost", "Now or Never"
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| Sea of Souls
| James Norman
| TV series; episode: "Oracle"
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| 2006
| '
| Mr. Large
| TV series; voice
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| '
| George Fielding
| TV series, episode: "Innocence Betrayed"
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| 2009
| '
| Lionel Harding
| Museum Curator, Mona Lisa's Revenge
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| 2010–2011, 2012, 2016, 2020–2021, 2022
| Hollyoaks & <br /> Hollyoaks Later
| Silas Blissett
| Series regular
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| Midsomer Murders
| Gerry Dawkins
| TV series, episode: "Dark Secrets"
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| 2011
| My Family
| Antiques expert
| episode: Germs of Endearment
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| 2012
| The Charles Dickens Show
| Charles Dickens
| TV miniseries
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| 2013
| '
| Mervyn Pinfield
| Television docudrama about the creation of Doctor Who in 1963
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| Heading Out
| Donald
| One episode
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| Holby City
| Jerry Clark
| TV series; episodes: "Hanssen/Hemingway", "Unravelled", "Black Dog", "We Need to Talk About Fredrik"
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| 2016
| Bottersnikes and Gumbles
| Happi
| Voice only
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| 2016
| Steptoe and Son
| Albert Steptoe
| A one-off episode, part of the BBC's Lost Sitcom season, recreating lost episodes of classic comedies
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| Peterloo
| Magistrate Rev. Hay
| Film directed by Mike Leigh
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|Father Brown
|Professor Robert Wiseman
| Season 7 episode 3: "The Whistle in the Dark"
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|Brassic
|Mr. Bates
| Season 2 episode 3: "Antique Hunters"
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|Duke George 'Bluey' Stilton
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|Lockwood & Co.
| Sebastian Saunders
| Netflix series; two episodes
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|Grantchester
| Dr. Abbot
| Season 8, episode 3
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|Beyond Paradise
| Douglas Bevan
| Season 2, episode 6
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|2026
| Vote Gavin Lyle
| Arthur
| Short film
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