Alan Ford (actor)

Alan Ford (born 23 February 1938)[1] is an English actor. He is best known for his roles in the Guy Ritchie crime capers Snatch and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, and from appearing as separate characters in eight different episodes of The Bill.

Alan Ford
Born (1938-02-23) 23 February 1938
Camberwell, London, England
NationalityBritish
OccupationActor
Years active1973–present

Early life

Ford was born in Camberwell, south London, the eldest son of a seamstress and a taxi driver, and grew up in Elephant and Castle. He left school at the age of fifteen and took on various jobs, ending with two years of national service in the Royal Army Ordnance Corps.[1]

Studies and training

François Truffaut cast Ford as one of the firemen in his Fahrenheit 451. Next, Ford secured a place at East 15 Acting School. For three years he studied drama in all its forms: Shakespeare, Chekhov, restoration, commedia dell'arte, pantomime, music, dance, fencing, Stanislavski and improvisation.[1] One of his tutors there at that time was the then unknown Mike Leigh.

Acting career

Ford has appeared on stage at the National Theatre, Royal Court Theatre, the Theatre Royal Stratford East and many repertory theatres.

Ford appeared in Exorcist: The Beginning and, much earlier, as Roosta in the original radio version of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, along with a small speaking role in The Long Good Friday.

Ford played Clifford Harding in G.F. Newman's Law & Order in 1978, then had a brief role in the film An American Werewolf in London, where he plays the taxi driver who says the line, "It puts you in mind of the days of the old demon barber of Fleet Street, doesn't it?" in response to the recent wave of murders around London. He has also proved himself a comic actor. He was involved in the Armando Iannucci production Knowing Me, Knowing You with Alan Partridge, playing a boxing promoter called Terry Norton; and he worked again with Iannucci playing the 'East End Thug' in The Armando Iannucci Shows. He later appeared as a priest in every episode of Snuff Box. In 2015, he played former Thotch band manager 'Big' Basil Steel in Brian Pern: 45 Years of Prog & Roll.

In 1998, Ford narrated and appeared in the Guy Ritchie directed crime comedy Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, and, in 2000, he appeared as the crime boss 'Brick Top' in Ritchie's film Snatch.

In 2003, Ford provided the voice of Goliath in the British version of JoJo's Circus.

Ford was featured in the 2010 music video "For He's a Jolly Good Felon" by The Lostprophets.

In 2011 he starred as crime boss 'Carter' in the film noir Jack Falls alongside his Lock, Stock co-stars Jason Flemyng and Dexter Fletcher, while in 2014, he was cast in the crime thriller Two Days in the Smoke alongside fellow Lock, Stock actor Stephen Marcus.[2]

In 2013 Ford had a guest role in the Norwegian-American TV show Lilyhammer as crime family boss 'Uncle Terry'.

In 2018, Ford appeared in a primary supporting role as Dale Jacobs in British psychological thriller Winter Ridge.

Writer

In 2006, Ford published his novel Thin Ice.[3] He said the book "evolved from a collection of anecdotes and actors’ tales."[4]

In music

Ford's voice is featured in the dubstep song "Cockney Thug" by Rusko, "Well 'Ard" by Caspa and The Others, "Crunch" by Flux Pavilion and Datsik, "Damien" by Modestep & Funtcase, the death metal song "A Child Is Missing" from the Illdisposed album The Prestige and the hip-hop song "Sinister" by Aesop Rock, Vast Aire and Yeshua from the 2001 Centrifugal Phorce compilation Euphony.

Personal life

Ford is married and a father, and lives in Primrose Hill, north London. He has been a vegetarian since 1973.[1]

Filmography

Films
Year Film Role Notes
2018 Winter Ridge Dale Jacobs
2015 Skin TraffikPaul Hamilton
2014 Two Days in the SmokeJack
2013 The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and DisappearedPim
2012 The SweeneyHarry
Cockneys vs ZombiesRay Macguire
AirborneMax
Strippers vs WerewolvesHarry
2011 LethalSimonpost-production
Jack FallsCarter
2010 Mission LondonSibling
The Ballad of Mulla and MullinsJohnsonShort Film
2009 Dead Man RunningSol
2008 NightDragonHansen
2004 Exorcist: The BeginningJefferies
2002 The Great Dome RobberyNarrator
2000 SnatchBrick Top
Furry StoryFredglob (voice)
1998 Lock, Stock and Two Smoking BarrelsAlan/Narrator
1992 ChaplinWarder
1991 Buddy's SongPhil
1981 VenomPeters
An American Werewolf in LondonTaxi Driver
1980 The Long Good FridayJack
1977 The SqueezeTaff

Television
Year TV Show Role Notes
2017 Thunderbirds Are GoLight Fingered Fred
2015 Toast of LondonAlan the Fear Therapist1 episode: "Over the Moon"
2014 Toast of LondonAlan the Homeopath1 episode: "Fool in Love"
Pod PrikritieHimselfepisode 9
2013 LilyhammerTerence
Toast of LondonMick Carriage1 episode: Vanity Project
2011 CasualtyNorman Danvers1 episode: Partners
2010 Hotel TrubbleDelgado1 episode: Hello Dolly
2009 My Almost Famous FamilyTerry2 episodes: Beat Surrender / The Girl Is Mine
DoctorsGeorge Swade1 episode: Mr Jelly
The Legend of Dick and DomKing of Kong1 episode: Rock Hard
2008 Hotel BabylonTerry McCaffrey1 episode: Episode No.3.5
CasualtyTony Tillings1 episode: Thicker Than Water
2007 The Real OutlawsHimself - Presenter
2006 The BillDavey Rolfe1 episode: 470
Jane HallDougie Stringer1 episode: Episode No.1.1
Snuff BoxRick - Priest5 episodes
2004 Passer ByPublicanTV
Keen EddieLongfellow1 episode: Sticky Fingers
The BillGeorge Dooley1 episode: 188
2003 Waking the DeadJack Ely2 episodes: Walking on Water: Part 1 / Walking on Water: Part 2
William and MaryTaxi Driver1 episode: Episode No.1.1
2001 The Armando Iannucci ShowsEast End Thug4 episodes
2000 Hero to ZeroRon WarleyTV series
1998 MosleyPrison Officer1 episode: Beyond the Pale
An Unsuitable Job for a WomanCity Receptionist1 episode
1997 The BillJimmy Robson1 episode: Joker
The KnockRobbie Reynolds1 episode: Episode No.3.7
1996 London BridgeRonEpisode No.1.15
No BananasBernie Silver2 episodes: Sitzkreig / The Wedding
MadsonAdrian1 episode: Episode No.1.2
1994 The BillEric1 episodes: Ducking and Diving
Knowing Me, Knowing You with Alan PartridgeTerry Norton1 episode: Episode No.1.5
Little NapoleonsGerald Nowell1 episode: The Big Interview
Class ActGeoff the Builder2 episodes: Episode No.1.2 / Episode No.1.3
Murder Most HorridFirst villain1 episode: Smashing Bird
MinderBennett1 episode: Bring Me the Head of Arthur Daley
Love HurtsPunter1 episode: The Parent Trap
1993 The Upper HandBarmanMinder
1992 The BillMaydell1 episode: On the Record, Off the Record
The Darling Buds of MayDanvers1 episode: Oh! To Be in England: Part 1
1991 The New StatesmanPolice Inspector1 episode: Keeping Mum
1990 The BillFrank Litton1 episode: Old Wounds
Grange HillMr. Ratcliffe3 episodes: Episode No.12.2 / Episode No.13.19 / Episode No.13.20
1989 The BillHarry1 episode: Just for the Crack
Birds of a FeatherPrison Officer2 episodes: Substitute / Sailing
1988 BergeracSammy Kline1 episode: Private Fight
1987 Rockliffe's BabiesTommy1 episode: It's All Happening
1986 C.A.T.S. EyesTaxi Driver1 episode: Tranmere Dan and Tokyo Joe
Running ScaredRon Martinunknown episodes
The Best Years of Your LifeFatherTV
1985 The BillTony Kemp1 episode: Home Beat
Summer SeasonHarold1 episode: Rachel and the Roarettes
1983 Keep It in the FamilyVan driver1 episode: A Touch of the Orient
1982 BBC2 PlayhouseActor1 episode: Jake's End
1981–1982 The Chinese DetectiveJack Arthur Bross2 episodes: Release / Oblomov
1981 MayburyMr. Clegg1 episode: Maisie and Mac
SmugglerGiles Sawney2 episodes: The Respectable Traitor: Part 1 / The Respectable Traitor: Part 2
1980 StrangersJohnny James1 episode: Clowns Don't Cry
Play for TodayMr. Chancer2 episodes: The Adventures of Frank: Everybody's Fiddling Something / The Adventures of Frank: Seeds of Ice
1979 Play for TodayPolice sergeant1 episode: Waterloo Sunset
1978 Armchair ThrillerBill1 episode: The Limbo Connection: Part 1
Law & OrderClifford Harding3 episodes: A Detective's Tale / A Villain's Tale / A Brief's Tale
1976 Softly, Softly: Task ForceMicky Dixon1 episode: Say It with Flowers
1974–1975 Romany JonesKen5 episodes
1973 Softly, Softly: Task ForceTommy Buckley1 episode: Slip of the Tongue
gollark: It's not necessarily harder if you can think of the problems when designing it.
gollark: If you have general AI good enough to be running the structure in the first place, it can just be on the design team.
gollark: "Humans have frequently been observed engaging in attacks against expensive infrastructure projects. Planning... New subgoal is to hijack human automated manufacturing systems and eliminate any human interference in structure operation."
gollark: That seems kind of paperclip-maximizery.
gollark: Over here, some convoluted mess of things has escalated enough that you can barely buy petrol.

References
  1. "Alan Ford profile". Alanford.info. Archived from the original on 10 August 2015. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
  2. Wilcock, Jessica (23 April 2012). "Matt Di Angelo to star in Two Days In The Smoke | News | Screen". Screendaily.com. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
  3. Ford, Alan. Thin Ice; Orion Publishing Group, Limited; ISBN 978-0-7538-2103-9; 2006, ISBN 978-0-297-84785-4
  4. "Thin Ice". Alanford.info. Archived from the original on 10 August 2015. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
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