Neil Anthony Morrissey (born 4 July 1962) is an English actor, businessman, narrator, and television presenter. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Rocky in Boon and Tony in Men Behaving Badly. Other notable acting roles include Deputy Head Eddie Lawson in the BBC One school-based drama series Waterloo Road, and Nigel Morton in Line of Duty. Morrissey also provided the voices of the titular character, Roley, Lofty, Farmer Pickles, and others in Bob the Builder, as well as singing the theme song.

Early life

Morrissey was born in Stafford, Staffordshire on 4 July 1962, the third of four sons of Irish parents who were both psychiatric nurses. Neil, aged 10, and his brother Stephen, aged 12, stole sweets and stationery from a shop. Neil spending most of his time (six years) at Penkhull Children's Home, from 1974.

<blockquote>"we were slightly feral, left to our own devices,</blockquote>

He attended Thistley Hough Academy in Penkhull, In 1987, Morrissey rose to notoriety as dim biker Rocky in the ITV drama series Boon, alongside Michael Elphick. The series became one of the most popular UK sitcoms of the 90s and Morrissey became a national celebrity.

In 1998, Morrissey starred in the John Godber rugby league film Up 'n' Under. He later provided voice narration for Morph, and Maisy. In 2002, Morrissey returned to TV screens in the drama series Paradise Heights,

His work in West End theatre work includes Speed, Robin Hood, The Daughter In-Law and his critically acclaimed West End performance in A Passionate Woman. In 2005 Morrissey performed in Victoria Wood's musical adaptation of Acorn Antiques alongside Julie Walters, Celia Imrie, Duncan Preston and Josie Lawrence.

In 2007, he appeared in British TV show Skins, Morrissey starred alongside Adrian Edmondson, Robert Webb and Miles Jupp in the play Neville's Island at Duke of York's Theatre, London during Autumn 2014.

In 2015, he played a character called Keith, who is Johnny (Joe Maw) and Tee's (Mia McKenna Bruce) villainous mother's former boyfriend, in the CBBC sitcom The Dumping Ground. In December 2015, Morrissey starred in BBC Two's comedy-drama A Gert Lush Christmas, playing the father of Russell Howard's character.

In 2016, he joined the cast of Grantchester for the second series, where he played the role of Harding Redmond. Also in 2016, he took part in the second series of ITV's reality series Bear Grylls: Mission Survive.

From 2017, Morrissey played Greg McConnell in ITV's The Good Karma Hospital,

Morrissey played the part of Captain Perrot, an accomplice of Colonel Blood, in The Crown Jewels, a humorous play written by screenwriter Simon Nye and performed at the Garrick Theatre in London in 2023, about Blood's theft of the Crown Jewels) in 1671. The part of Blood was played by Aidan McArdle, Al Murray played King Charles II, and the cast also included Mel Giedroyc.

Spoof show

On 1 April 2006, a BBC Three spoof programme titled Neil Morrissey's Secret documented sides of Morrissey's life that were previously unknown to the world at large. It alleged he has a house, wife and two children in Jordan, In October 2006, it was announced that the business had put Brown's Hotel on the market to finance the redevelopment of the Hurst Hotel, and the expansion of the private members' club, Hurst House in Covent Garden, London.

In July 2008, with delays encountered on the construction of Hurst House-at-the-Mill, a luxury hotel in Hertfordshire due to open in 2009, the Laugharne-based assets of the Hurst House group went into a packaged administration. The assets were subsequently bought by new investors, resulting in the end of Morrissey's association with Laugharne.

Morrissey part-owned the lease on the Ye Olde Punch Bowl Inn in Marton, North Yorkshire. From this base came the Morrissey Fox range of real ale, developed by Morrissey and chef Richard Fox which is still in production. In June 2009, it was reported that his Welsh pub had failed and the lease to Ye Olde Punch Bowl Inn was handed back to the owner after just 18 months on 22 October 2009.

Morrissey avoided bankruptcy over his failed business ventures but entered an IVA. Morrissey went on to own a chain of pubs in Staffordshire, including The Plume of Feathers in Barlaston,

Personal life

Morrissey married Amanda Noar in 1987 after meeting her when she was a guest in an episode of Boon; the couple have a son born in 1989. They divorced in 1991. He then became engaged to actress Elizabeth Carling, whom he had first met in 1989, when she too was working on Boon. They parted on good terms, and she later guest-starred alongside him in Men Behaving Badly. His subsequent affairs have been well documented by the British tabloids, including dating Rachel Weisz after starring together in My Summer with Des in 1998. They lived together at his flat in Crouch End, north London. Morrissey had an affair with Amanda Holden in 2000, whom he met filming Happy Birthday, Shakespeare,

Morrissey's older brother Stephen died in 1997 following a drug overdose.

In 2006, Morrissey was awarded an honorary degree from Staffordshire University. He is a supporter of Crystal Palace. A fan of real ale, in 2011 he produced a real ale with the club called Palace Ale.

Filmography

Film

{| class="wikitable"

|-

! Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes

|-

| 1984 || The Bounty || Seaman Matthew Quintal || Film debut

|-

| 1987 || Playing Away || Ian ||

|-

| 1990 || I Bought a Vampire Motorcycle || Noddy, aka Nick Oddie ||

|-

| 1992 || The Ballad of Kid Divine: The Cockney Cowboy || Cass Malone ||

|-

| 1994 || Staggered || Jeff the Videographer ||

|-

| 1995 || Trafford Tanzi || Dean Rebel || rowspan="5" | TV film

|-

| 1996 || Roger Roger || Phil

|-

| rowspan=2|1997 || The Vanishing Man || Nick Cameron

|-

| The Chest || John Croft

|-

| rowspan=3|1998 || Jack and the Beanstalk || Jack

|-

| Up 'n' Under || Steve ||

|-

| My Summer with Des || Martin || rowspan="2" | TV film

|-

| rowspan=4|1999 || Hunting Venus || Charlotte

|-

| The Match || Piss Off (Mr. Doris) ||

|-

| The Flint Street Nativity || Adrian Atherton / Wise Man 3 || rowspan="3" | TV film

|-

| The Nearly Complete and Utter History of Everything || Director

|-

| 2000 || Happy Birthday Shakespeare || Will Green

|-

| rowspan=2|2001 || Bob the Builder: A Christmas to Remember || Bob (UK)/ Lofty (UK)/ Roley (UK)/ Farmer Pickles (UK)/ Drummer (UK/US)/ Scruffty (UK/US)/ Cockerel/Rooster (UK/US)/ Baby Reindeer (UK/US)/ Some Fans (UK) || Direct-to-video animated film (voice only)

|-

| Another World || Captain Ronald Brimstone || Live on stage show (voice only)

|-

| rowspan=2|2002 || Triggermen || Pete Maynard ||

|-

| Bob the Builder: Live! || Bob (UK)/ Lofty (UK)/ Roley (UK) || Live on stage film (voice only)

|-

| rowspan=2| 2003 || Bob the Builder: The Knights of Can-A-Lot || Bob (UK)/ Lofty (UK)/ Roley (UK)/ Farmer Pickles (UK)/ Angelo Sabatini (UK)/ Falcon (UK/US)/ Guard (UK/US) || Animated TV film (voice only)

|-

| Monkey Trousers || Various roles || TV film

|-

| 2004 || Bob the Builder: Snowed Under: The Bobblesberg Winter Games || Bob (UK)/ Lofty (UK)/ Roley (UK)/ Skier (UK/US) || Direct-to-video animated film (voice only)

|-

| 2005 || The Adventures of William Shakespeare || Richard III ||

|-

| rowspan=2|2006 || Acorn Antiques: The Musical || John / Tony || Direct-to-video film

|-

| Bob the Builder: Built to Be Wild|| Bob (UK)/ Lofty (UK)/ Roley (UK) || Direct-to-video animated film (voice only)

|-

| rowspan=2|2008 || Clubbed || Simon ||

|-

| Bob the Builder: Race to the Finish || Bob (UK)/ Lofty (UK)/ Roley (UK)/ Angelo Sabatini (UK)/ David Dixon (UK)/ Micky Picker (UK) || Direct-to-video animated film (voice only)

|-

| 2010 || Inn Mates || Brian || TV film

|-

| 2011 || The Adventures of William Shakespeare Vol. 2 || Richard III ||

|-

| 2012 || Run for Your Wife || Gary Gardner ||

|-

| rowspan=2|2015 || I Am Urban || Doc ||

|-

| A Gert Lush Christmas || Dave Colman || TV film

|-

| 2016 || As One || Douglas || Short film

|-

| 2017 || Diana and I || Colin Taylor || TV film

|-

| 2019 || Crucible of the Vampire || Robert ||

|}

Television

{| class="wikitable"

! Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes

|-

| rowspan=3|1984 || Juliet Bravo || Oliver || Guest appearance – 1 episode, series 5; "No Peace"

|-

|Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense || Policeman || Guest appearance – 1 episode; "Paint Me a Murder"

|-

| Ellis Island || Sean || Miniseries – 1 episode

|-

| rowspan=2|1985 || Roll Over Beethoven || Youth || Guest appearance – 1 episode

|-

|Travellers by Night || Flick || Miniseries – 2 episodes

|-

| 1986 || C.A.T.S. Eyes || Trevor || Guest appearance – 1 episode; series 2

|-

| 1987 || Pulaski || Tarquin Taylor || Guest appearance – 1 episode: "The Price of Fame"

|-

| 1987–1995 || Boon || Rocky Cassidy || Recurring role – 74 episodes

|-

| rowspan=2|1988 || Gentlemen and Players || Terry || 1 episode; "Stags at Bay"

|-

| Crossbow || Peter || aka William Tell. 1 episode; "Masterplan"

|-

| 1992 || Cluedo || Gordon Ferrar || Guest appearance – 1 episode; series 3

|-

| 1992–1999 || Men Behaving Badly || Tony Smart || Leading role – 38 episodes

|-

| 2025 || Neil & Martin’s Bon Voyage || Himself || Travelogue miniseries with Martin Clunes

|}

Discography

Studio albums

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"

|-

! rowspan="2" style="width:16em;"| Title

! rowspan="2" style="width:18em;"| Album details

! colspan="4" |Peak chart positions

! rowspan="2" style="width:12em;"| Certifications

|-

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| UK<br />

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| AUS<br />

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| IRE<br />

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| NZ<br />

|-

! scope="row"| Bob the Builder: The Album<br />

|

  • Release date: 3 October 2001
  • Label: BBC Records
  • Formats: CD

| 4

| 1

| 59

| 32

|

  • ARIA: 2× Platinum
  • BPI: Gold

|-

! scope="row"| Never Mind the Breeze Blocks<br />

|

  • Release date: 8 December 2008
  • Label: Universal Music Group
  • Formats: CD, music download

| 87

| —

| —

| —

|

|-

| colspan="7" style="font-size:8pt"| "—" denotes releases that did not chart

|-

|}

Singles

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"

|-

! rowspan="2" style="width:14em;" | Single

! rowspan="2" | Year

! colspan="3" |Peak chart<br />positions

! rowspan="2" style="width:12em;" | Certifications

! rowspan="2"| Album

|-

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| UK<br />

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| IRE<br />

  • BPI: Gold