Saturday 30 January 2021

The Argus asks, "What happened next for the stars of Quadrophenia?"

 

A sentence containing the words ‘Brighton’ and ‘film’ is rarely complete without a mention of Quadrophenia.

The 1979 British drama is based on The Who’s rock opera of the same name, with much of the film set in and around Brighton.

The Grand hotel and Madeira Drive are just some of the city’s sites to feature prominently.

But, what happened to the actors who starred in the cult Mod classic after filming finished?

1. Mark Wingett

Mark Wingett, right, played rebellious Mod Dave. Aged just 18 at the time, it was the Leicestershire-born actor’s first major role. But it was far from his last.

Four years later, he made his first appearance as PC Jim Carver in a pilot episode for a TV show called Woodentop. The show would become crime drama The Bill, and the 59-year-old maintained his role for 21 years starring in almost 800 episodes. He was key to several major storylines in the long-running series, with his character battling alcoholism and issues surrounding gambling during his time on the show.

In 2005, the year he left The Bill, Mark appeared in BBC One soap EastEnders for a one-week stint as Mike Swann - the father of characters Mickey Miller and Dawn Swann, who were played by Joe Swash and Kara Tointon respectively. In the same year, he also played London Gangster Terry Molloy in police drama Heartbeat.

He returned to the silver screen for Snow White and the Huntsman in 2012.

2. Phil Daniels

Phil Daniels played the lead role of young London-based Mod Jimmy Cooper. Though he was just 21 at the time, he had already appeared in several productions on the screen and stage after training at the Anna Scher Theatre School in Islington. This included a role in the 1972 film Anoop And The Elephant and playing a waiter in the 1976 Bugsy Malone film.

Quadrophenia followed in 1979, with a role in 1980 film Breaking Glass alongside Hazel O’Connor one of several parts he played during a busy few years.

Alongside his acting work, Phil also released several records with New Wave band The Cross. Together, they released the album Phil Daniels + The Cross in 1979. Phil also later narrated the tracks Parklife and Me, White Noise on the Parklife and Think Tank albums for Blur.

Other notable acting roles have included playing Del Boy’s grandfather in a prequel to Only Fools and Horses called Rock and Chips, and voicing Fletcher in Chicken Run.

3. Phil Davis

Phil Davis played the part of Chalky in Quadrophenia, with the wiry youngster being knocked off his scooter by a rocker in one memorable scene. Though he looks very different nowadays, fans of the hit show Sherlock may recognise him from his role as Jeff Hope. The murderous taxi driver perplexed the famous detective, played by Benedict Cumberbatch, in a 2010 episode of the BBC series.

After appearing in Quadrophenia, the actor’s next major role was in historical drama The Bounty. He played midshipman Edward Young, and was part of an esteemed cast which included the likes of Mel Gibson, Laurence Olivier, Liam Neeson and Anthony Hopkins. 

He returned to the small screen for roles such as lender Smallweed in the BBC adaptation of Bleak House in 2005 and crime family solicitor Micky Joy in British drama Silk. The 67-year-old also assumed the role of untrustworthy serving man Jud Paynter for the first two series of Poldark, which first aired in 2015.

4. Timothy Spall

Timothy Spall plays a small role in Quadrophenia as the projectionist. But he has gone on to have one of the most prolific acting careers of any of the film’s cast members with more than 100 appearances across film and television.

Many will know him for bringing the treacherous Peter Pettigrew to life in the Harry Potter films, while others may know him for his roles as Peter Taylor in The Damned United or Winston Churchill in The King’s Speech.

In this last role, he was part of a cast which scooped the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture gong. The 63-year-old is a five-time Bafta nominee, and a three-time British Independent Film Award nominee. He has also won Best Actor at the Cannes Film Festival for his work in the biographical drama Mr Turner, which shows the life of artist JMW Turner.

Timothy was awarded an OBE in the 2000 New Year honours.

5. Ray Winstone

Few would fail to recognise Ray Winstone if they passed him in the streets nowadays. The actor played Kevin in Quadrophenia. He is protagonist Jimmy’s childhood best friend, but while Phil Daniels’ character falls in with the Mods Kevin opts to become a rival rocker instead. However, Ray is perhaps better known for roles such as King Arthur in the 2004 film of the same name and Martin Scorcese’s 2006 feature The Departed.

His career has spanned more than five decades, and in it he has worked alongside industry royalty including the likes of Steven Spielberg, Leonardo DiCaprio, Angelina Jolie and Mel Gibson. He has often played uncompromising Londoners, but told the Evening Standard: “I’m not tough at all in real life. Loads of things in life scare me.”

6. Gary Shail

Gary Shail’s role as Spider, arguably, remains his best known work in the acting industry. But the 61-year-old has appeared in several established TV series over the years. He has played roles in the likes of The Bill, Casualty and crime-action drama The Professionals, as well as playing pimp Billy White in the TV mini-series Jack The Ripper. Michael Caine also starred in the show.

He also has a strong background in music, having written the original songs and theme music for the 1983 BBC drama Johnny Jarvis, in which he played the character of Guy Raines. His work on this production earned him a nomination for the Ivor Novello Awards.

In 1995, Gary began working with music production company Natural Sound Source in London, producing music for television, film and advertising.

7. Leslie Ash

Leslie Ash’s casting as Steph, the romantic lead in Quadrophenia, marked her first major film role. However, the actor would go on to portray another cult character when she played Debs in BBC sitcom Men Behaving Badly, alongside Caroline Quentin, Martin Clunes and Neil Morrissey. She stayed on the show for five years between 1992 and 1997. During this time, she released a single called Tell Him with co-star Caroline Quentin under the name Quentin and Ash. The track reached number 25 in the UK singles chart.

Quadrophenia was released in 1979, but the now 60-year-old made her television debut 15 years previously. In 1964, aged just four, she asked “Mummy, why are your hands so soft?”in an advert for Fairy Liquid. She began her career as a fashion model, appearing on the front of several teen magazines, before being cast in Quadrophenia. The year after filming, she featured in the Iron Maiden music video for the band’s song Women In Uniform. Several film roles followed, including appearances in The Balance of Nature and Curse of the Pink Panther, both in 1983.

Since the end of her time on Men Behaving Badly, Leslie has appeared on Loose Women and Holby City, as well as working with Transparent Television to make a documentary about the unregulated cosmetic beauty industry.

8. Sting

Unlike many of the Quadrophenia cast, Sting was already a household name when he assumed the role of Ace Face in the cult classic. But it is music, rather than his acting, that has brought him the greatest acclaim. The musician, real name Gordon Sumner, was the principal songwriter, bassist, singer and frontman of new wave rock band The Police between 1977 and 1984 before embarking on a solo career in 1985. With the band, he secured five number one singles with Walking On The Moon, Message In A Bottle, Don’t Stand So Close To Me, Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic and Every Breath You Take.

He has received 17 Grammy Awards and three Brit Awards during a glittering career. And, in 2019, Sting received a BMI Award for Every Breath You Take after the track become the most played song in radio history. In 2000, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Police in 2003. A CBE from the Queen followed later that year for his services to music.

However, despite this impressive catalogue of musical achievements, he has also found time to continue to make appearances in film and television – both as himself and as an actor. This includes a role in Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels, and a cameo in The Simpsons.

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