
Brendan Coyle
Actor · b. 1963 · Corby, Northamptonshire, England, UK
Brendan Coyle (born 2 December 1962) is a British-Irish actor. He won the Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role for The Weir in 1999. He also played Nicholas Higgins in the miniseries North & South, Robert Timmins in the first three series of Lark Rise to Candleford, and more recently Mr Bates, the valet, in Downton Abbey, which earned him a nomination for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series and a BAFTA nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Brendan Coyle was born David Coyle in Corby, Northamptonshire, on 2 December 1962, the son of a Patrick B Coyle and Bedelia M B Anderson. He has an older brother named Shaun Due to his British birth and Irish heritage, he holds both British and Irish citizenship. He is the great-nephew of football manager Sir Matt Busby. He studied drama in Dublin in 1981 and received a scholarship to Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in London in 1983. Coyle received a Laurence Olivier Award in 1999 for his performance in Conor McPherson's The Weir and won a New York Critics Theater World Award for Outstanding Broadway Debut for the same play in its New York production. In 2001, Coyle appeared in the film Conspiracy as Gestapo Chief Heinrich Müller. He played Kaz Sweeney in the British drama True Dare Kiss, and Nicholas Higgins in North & South for the BBC. From 2008 he played Robert Timmins in three BBC series based on the Lark Rise to Candleford novels, written by Flora Thompson. In 2010, he began playing John Bates, valet and former British Army batman to the Earl of Grantham in Julian Fellowes's period drama series, Downton Abbey. Fellowes wrote the part for Coyle, and it won him nominations for a BAFTA and IFTA as well as a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Awards as Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2012. He also won three Screen Actors Guild Awards 2013–16. Coyle also played the character of Terry Starling in the short-lived Sky comedy series Starlings.
Movies24
Movie7.9DramaRomanceLou Clark, a directionless 26-year-old from the English countryside, takes a job at the local castle as a caregiver and companion to a wealthy young banker, Will Traynor. Wheelchair-bound from an accident two years prior, the once adventurous Will has all but given up — that is until Lou determines to show him that life is worth living.
Me Before You
2016 · 13K votes
Movie6.4AdventureActionA deranged media mogul is staging international incidents to pit the world's superpowers against each other. Now James Bond must take on this evil mastermind in an adrenaline-charged battle to end his reign of terror and prevent global pandemonium.
Tomorrow Never Dies
1997 · 3.6K votes
Movie7.1DramaRomanceWhen Mary finds herself at the center of a public scandal and the family faces financial strife, the entire household grapples with the threat of social disgrace. The Crawleys must embrace change as the staff prepares for a new chapter with the next generation leading Downton Abbey into the future.
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale
2025 · 296 votes
Movie7.2DramaRomanceThe Crawley family goes on a grand journey to the south of France to uncover the mystery of the dowager countess's newly inherited villa. Meanwhile, a Hollywood director seeks to film his latest production at Downton.
Downton Abbey: A New Era
2022 · 635 votes
Movie6.5DramaHistoryIn 1561, Mary Stuart, widow of the King of France, returns to Scotland, reclaims her rightful throne and menaces the future of Queen Elizabeth I as ruler of England, because she has a legitimate claim to the English throne. Betrayals, rebellions, conspiracies and their own life choices imperil both Queens. They experience the bitter cost of power, until their tragic fate is finally fulfilled.
Mary Queen of Scots
2018 · 2K votes
Movie6.3CrimeThrillerA fictionalized account of the last days of Edgar Allan Poe's life, in which the poet is in pursuit of a serial killer whose murders mirror those in the writer's stories.
The Raven
2012 · 1.5K votes
Movie7.2DramaRomanceThe beloved Crawleys and their intrepid staff prepare for the most important moment of their lives. A royal visit from the King and Queen of England will unleash scandal, romance and intrigue that will leave the future of Downton hanging in the balance.
Downton Abbey
2019 · 1.3K votes
Movie6.9DramaMysteryA military veteran goes on a journey into the future, where he can foresee his death and is left with questions that could save his life and those he loves.
The Jacket
2005 · 1.8K votes
Movie7.3HistoryDramaAt the Wannsee Conference on January 20, 1942, senior Nazi officials meet to determine the manner in which the so-called "Final Solution to the Jewish Question" can be best implemented.
Conspiracy
2001 · 506 votes
Movie6.7CrimeDramaThe real-life story of Dublin folk hero and criminal Martin Cahill, who pulled off two daring robberies in Ireland with his team, but attracted unwanted attention from the police, the I.R.A., the U.V.F., and members of his own team.
The General
1998 · 137 votes
Movie5.8ActionComedyA gangster named Perrier looks to exact his revenge on a trio of fugitives responsible for the accidental death of one of his cronies.
Perrier's Bounty
2010 · 121 votes
MovieDramaTroubled author John Kennedy Toole's struggle to bring A Confederacy of Dunces to print.
Movie5.2DramaWarAfter a bomb kills their company commander in Iraq, British soldiers Treacle and Shane are ordered to round up suspects and use torture on the detainees. Back home, the press gets the story and the pair achieves instant infamy.
The Mark of Cain
2007 · 37 votes
Movie6.4DramaChristina Noble overcomes the harsh difficulties of her childhood in Ireland to discover her destiny on the streets of Saigon. A true story.
Noble
2014 · 43 votes
- Movie9.0
Expert IRA bomb-maker turned police informant Andrea Hayes retires and starts a new life after four school-children are killed by one of her bombs. Ten years later, her blissful home life shattered when her daughter, Katie, is abducted from her bedroom in the dead of night. Andrea later discovers a ransom note, instructing her to leave her husband Martin and fly to London by herself. It also states that if the police are contacted, she and Martin will never see Katie again. In the hope of being reunited with Katie, Andrea obeys orders and follows instructions to meet with the kidnappers. Back in Dublin, Martin is powerless to help and becomes frantic with worry when he learns from Andrea that no ransom demand has been made, and that the kidnappers' request is something much more dangerous.
The Bombmaker
2001 · 1 votes
Movie7.6CrimeDramaWhile investigating the murder of a rich benefactor and the theft of children's presents at a Christmas charity pageant, Murdoch discovers suggestions that a Christmas monster, a Krampus, may be involved. A Merry Murdoch Christmas is the first stand-alone two hour Christmas special that aired on December 21, 2015 in Canada, and on December 20, 2015 in France.
A Merry Murdoch Christmas
2015 · 9 votes
Movie9.0ThrillerHired to draw a map of tourist sites in a small Northern Ireland town, cartographer Richie Markey (Brian F. O'Byrne) uncovers a dark secret and realizes that his map may hold the key to the mysterious disappearance of another surveyor. The missing man had been accused of informing on two IRA soldiers, and when Markey discovers his body, it doesn't take long for him to draw the conclusion that he may be next on the group's list.
Mapmaker
2001 · 1 votes
Movie4.8DramaA writer struggles with her daughter's decision to drop out of college and live on the streets.
Unless
2016 · 15 votes
Movie7.0CrimeDramaA dramatized speculation of what happened in November 1983 when Micky McAvoy and some of his mates planned a heist and were surprised when they discovered they'd stumbled across a large stash of gold. But getting the gold away without getting caught is only the beginning of their troubles. Realizing the riches the gold represents is difficult, and honor among thieves may only be a myth.
Fool's Gold: The Story Of The Brink's Mat Robbery
1992 · 2 votes
Movie6.6DramaThe movie starts at the 1998 bomb attack by the Real IRA at Omagh, Northern Ireland. The attack killed 31 people. Michael Gallagher one of the relatives of the victims starts an examination to bring the people responsible to court.
Omagh
2005 · 26 votes
MovieWhen a Spanish immigrant who's trying to invent teleportation in his garage sucks too much power from the electrical grid, a Department of Water and Power inspector vows to shut him down, putting both his invention and his relationship with his pregnant wife at risk.
Movie4.6DramaThe film concerns an old Irish immigrant living in London who is looking back over his life. He recalls his early life in the west of Ireland, his first love, emigrating to England, searching for his brother Joe, who disappeared after he emigrated several years previously. His marriage and wife's later depth is also remembered.
I Could Read the Sky
1999 · 11 votes
Movie4.6DramaAfter a violent incident in Lucy's public school, her atheist parents Stuart and Alison decide to find her a safe 'traditional' school. The only one they can afford is St. Mary of the Veil, run by nuns whose 'preference' for Catholic families is de facto exclusivity, given the waiting list. So they pose as devout, and get his murky mate Eddie to find them a priest they can 'bribe' for a parish reference, while Lucy is genuinely converted. It works, but when Stuart overhears a dark secret things take a tragic turn.
Perfect Parents
2006 · 5 votes
Movie6.2DramaComedyA darkly humorous look at the lives and loves of four modern women, each with their own remarkable, intriguing and often tragic stories.
Wedding Belles
2007 · 11 votes
Series24
TV7.6CrimeDramaA team of exceptional forensic pathologists and scientists investigate heinous crimes and use their skills to catch the people responsible.
Silent Witness
1996 · 113 votes
TV6.8CrimeDramaThe daily lives of the men and women at Sun Hill Police Station as they fight crime on the streets of London. From bomb threats to armed robbery and drug raids to the routine demands of policing this ground-breaking series focuses as much on crime as it does on the personal lives of its characters.
The Bill
1984 · 47 votes
TV8.1DramaA chronicle of the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family and their servants in the post-Edwardian era—with great events in history having an effect on their lives and on the British social hierarchy.
Downton Abbey
2010 · 1.3K votes
TV7.5ComedyDramaThe story of a young group of siblings pretty much abandoned by their parents, surviving by their wits - and humor - on a rough Manchester council estate. Whilst they won't admit it, they need help and find it in Steve, a young middle class lad who falls for Fiona, the oldest sibling, and increasingly finds himself drawn to this unconventional and unique family. Anarchic family life seen through the eyes of an exceptionally bright fifteen year old, who struggles to come of age in the context of his belligerent father, closeted brother, psychotic sister and internet porn star neighbors.
Shameless
2004 · 160 votes
TV7.2CrimeMysteryA detective team apply new techniques to old crimes as they solve cold cases.
Waking the Dead
2001 · 45 votes
TV7.4Sci-Fi & FantasyDramaThe provocative story of Cole, a time traveler from a decimated future in a high-stakes race against the clock. Utilizing a dangerous and untested method of time travel, he journeys from 2043 to the present day on a mission to locate and eradicate the source of a deadly plague that will all but annihilate the human race.
12 Monkeys
2015 · 1.2K votes
TV7.8CrimeDramaHighly skilled Detective Inspector Jane Tennison battles to prove herself in a male dominated world.
Prime Suspect
1991 · 105 votes
TV8.4DramaSet in the small hamlet of Lark Rise and the wealthier neighbouring market town, Candleford, the series chronicles the daily lives of farm-workers, craftsmen and gentry at the end of the 19th Century. Lark Rise to Candleford is a love letter to a vanished corner of rural England and a heart-warming drama series teeming with wit, wisdom and romance.
Lark Rise to Candleford
2008 · 33 votes
TV6.7CrimeDramaBlue Murder is a British crime drama television series based in Manchester. Shown on ITV from 2003 until 2009 when it was cancelled by the network, it starred Caroline Quentin as DCI Janine Lewis.
Blue Murder
2003 · 15 votes
TV9.3DocumentaryRealityDocumentary following the men and women of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI).
Saving Lives at Sea
2016 · 3 votes
TV8.1DramaMargaret Hale is a southerner from a country vicarage newly settled in the industrial northern town of Milton. In the shock of her move, she misjudges charismatic cotton mill-owner John Thornton, whose strength of purpose and passion are a match for her own pride and willfulness. When the workers of Milton call a strike, Margaret takes their side, and the two are brought into deeper conflict. As events spiral out of control, Margaret - to her surprise - begins to fall in love with Thornton...
North & South
2004 · 208 votes
TV7.0CrimeDramaDangerfield is a British drama series about a small town doctor / police surgeon, which ran for 6 series, between 1995 and 1999. Originally Nigel Le Vaillant played the central role, but this character later left the series, the focus switching to his replacement, played by Nigel Havers. The BBC decided to end the series in November 1999 when Nigel Havers announced his decision to quit. The BBC felt viewers would not find the series credible if the main character was changed for a second time. The show like a number of other BBC dramas of the 1980s and 1990s also featured a number of borderline fantasy episodes. These included "Tricks", "Angel" and "Haunted". The TV trailers for Dangerfield were heavily parodied by The Fast Show in which the character was called Monkfish and would appear as a tough uncompromising Doctor, Policeman, vet and even as an interior designer with titles mixed in with other BBC shows of the time.
Dangerfield
1995 · 2 votes
TV6.2MysteryDramaIn 1994, a toddler disappeared from a small Welsh village, never to be seen again. 23 years later, in London, the mother of rising cello star Matilda Gray commits suicide, without apparent reason. Among her possessions, Matilda discovers tantalising evidence, linking her mother to the Welsh girl's disappearance all those years ago.
Requiem
2018 · 104 votes
TV6.4DramaClare Blake, a high-ranking, ambitious officer in the Metropolitan Police's Serious Crimes Unit, leads complex murder investigations that often blur the line between her professional and personal lives.
The Commander
2003 · 7 votes
TVAction & AdventureDramaIn the fictional Scottish Highlands town of Glenntannoch, Dr Gordon Urquhart leads a mountain rescue team, whose major missions and incidents are based on real life ones conducted by the Lochaber Mountain Rescue service.
Rockface
2002
TV7.1DramaWhen dozens of babies in Corby are born with disabilities, their mothers embark on a battle to hold those responsible to account.
Toxic Town
2025 · 90 votes
TV7.3DramaCrimeJericho is an ITV British crime drama series which was transmitted in 2005. It was created and written by Stewart Harcourt and starred Robert Lindsay as Detective Inspector Michael Jericho, who is loved by the public but who is embarrassed by his status as a hero. The series was set in London in 1958.
Jericho
2005 · 6 votes
TV6.6DramaCrimeIn London, the life of Jean, a troubled crime scene cleaner, is turned upside down when his outlaw brother Martin crash lands into his world, entangling them in the deadly dynamics of organized crime.
Spotless
2015 · 37 votes
TV5.8CrimeDramaThe Ghost Squad was a 2005 British crime drama series produced by Company Pictures, for Channel 4. The show was created by Tom Grieves. Inspired by the real life "Ghost Squad" that existed between 1994 and 1998, secretly investigating police corruption, the premise of the series is that the squad continued to operate in secret after officially being shut down. It starred Elaine Cassidy as a police constable recruited into the squad and Jonas Armstrong as her handler. The show was cancelled after a single seven episode series.
The Ghost Squad
2005 · 8 votes
TV5.8DramaCrimeKeen detectorist Martin and his wheeler dealer soon to be son-in-law Ashley who, while on a boys bonding trip in the idyllic fields of rural Somerset, discover a hoard of buried Saxon treasure worth millions.
Finders Keepers
2024 · 8 votes
TV5.8DramaStephen Richards has built a cosmetics empire, but when he suffers a stroke, his family's secrets and lies rise to the surface and the future of his multi-million-pound company is at stake.
Riches
2022 · 10 votes
TV7.3DramaThe move towards independence in Ireland, from the 1916 Easter Rising until the 1922 civil war is seen through the eyes of a naive idealistic young man
Rebel Heart
2001 · 3 votes
TV7.5DramaIn 19th century England, wealthy young Annabella Lagrange lives a comfortable and secluded life on her family's country estate, where her parents own a glass works. As a child, she develops a special friendship with the charming stable boy Manuel Mendoza. When she turns 18, she marries her cousin Stephen and sees what the world is really like.
The Glass Virgin
1995 · 4 votes
TV7.0DramaComedyStarlings is a British comedy-drama written by Steve Edge and Matt King who also play the roles of Fergie and Uncle Loz. It is one of the few new television comedy series that has been commissioned and aired on Sky1.
Starlings
2012 · 1 votes