Personal Info

Known For

Acting

Known Credits

137

Gender

Male

Birthday

1944-11-25 (82 years old)

Place of Birth

Denby Dale, West Yorkshire, England, UK

Also Known As

Paul Copley

Biography

Paul is a long established and much respected British actor and voiceover artist. Born in Denby Dale, West Riding of Yorkshire, on 25th November 1944 he grew up beside a dairy farm. His father, Harold, was involved with local amateur dramatic productions, as were the rest of his family. He went to Penistone Grammar School, then the Northern Counties College of Education in Newcastle upon Tyne, where he received an Associate of the Drama Board (ADB) in Drama. He taught English and Drama in Walthamstow, before he joined the Leeds Playhouse Theatre-in-education Company in 1971. In 1976, Paul won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a New Play for his role in John Wilson's For King and Country. With many and varied roles to follow, Paul soon established himself as one of the UK's leading stage, film, television and radio actors. In 2011-2015 Paul gained worldwide recognition appearing in 16 episodes of the hugely popular television series Downton Abbey playing the popular role of farmer Mr Mason. Paul is married to the actress Natasha Pyne. They married in 1972, after both performing in a Leeds Playhouse production of Frank Wedekind's Lulu, adapted by Peter Barnes, directed by Bill Hays in 1971.

Known For

Acting

The Infectious Imagination of Henry Bramble

2021

The Infectious Imagination of Henry Bramble

as

Great Uncle Geoffrey

Mucking Out

1978

Mucking Out

as

Brian Wilson

Ticker

2023

Ticker

as

Howard

Hornblower: The Examination for Lieutenant

1998

Hornblower: The Examination for Lieutenant

as

Mathews

Hornblower: The Frogs and the Lobsters

1999

Hornblower: The Frogs and the Lobsters

as

Mathews

Hornblower: Mutiny

2001

Hornblower: Mutiny

as

Mathews

Hornblower: The Duchess and the Devil

1999

Hornblower: The Duchess and the Devil

as

Matthews

Marian, Again

2005

Marian, Again

as

Phillip Walsh

Bird Fancier

1985

Bird Fancier

as

Roy Pearson

A Christmas Carol

1977

A Christmas Carol

as

Fred (Scrooge's Nephew)

Hornblower: Loyalty

2003

Hornblower: Loyalty

as

Matthews

Ghost in the Water

1982

Ghost in the Water

as

Mr. Reed

Black Jack

1979

Black Jack

as

Narrator

Hornblower: The Even Chance

1998

Hornblower: The Even Chance

as

Matthews

Father Dear Father

1973

Father Dear Father

as

Dumbo

Downton Abbey: A New Era

2022

Downton Abbey: A New Era

as

Mason

The Remains of the Day

1993

The Remains of the Day

as

Harry Smith

Death of a Princess

1980

Death of a Princess

as

Steve Jackson

Ends and Means

1983

Ends and Means

as

Destiny

1978

Destiny

as

Paul McShane

First Encounter: King Lear

2012

First Encounter: King Lear

as

King Lear

Jude

1996

Jude

as

Mr. Willis

Dangerous Journey

Dangerous Journey

as

Narrator

Zulu Dawn

1979

Zulu Dawn

as

Cpl. Storey

Some Enchanted Evening

1978

Some Enchanted Evening

as

Peter

Testimony of a Child

1989

Testimony of a Child

as

Gerry

Written in Blood

1998

Written in Blood

as

Brian Chappel

On a Paving Stone Mounted

1978

On a Paving Stone Mounted

as

Diane

1975

Diane

as

Jim

The Key

2003

The Key

as

Hornblower: Duty

2003

Hornblower: Duty

as

Matthews

Reg

2016

Reg

as

Man 2

Blow Dry

2001

Blow Dry

as

Ken

Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale

2025

Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale

as

Albert Mason

The Sound of Music Live!

2015

The Sound of Music Live!

as

Franz

The Shadow in the North

2007

The Shadow in the North

as

Paton

Silas Marner

1985

Silas Marner

as

William Dane

Hornblower: Retribution

2001

Hornblower: Retribution

as

Matthews

Speech Day

1973

Speech Day

as

Woodwork Master

Alfie Darling

1975

Alfie Darling

as

Bakey

A Bridge Too Far

1977

A Bridge Too Far

as

Pvt. Wicks

The Many Lives of Albert Walker

2002

The Many Lives of Albert Walker

as

Danny Peck

How's Business

1991

How's Business

as

Jack

A Pinch of Snuff

1994

A Pinch of Snuff

as

Charlie Heppelwhite

Theban Plays: Oedipus at Colonus

1986

Theban Plays: Oedipus at Colonus

as

Local Man

Which Side Are You On?

1985

Which Side Are You On?

as

Narrator (voice)

Arnhem: The Story of an Escape

1976

Arnhem: The Story of an Escape

as

Finnegan

Cries from a Watchtower

1979

Cries from a Watchtower

as

Andy

Doll’s Eye

1983

Doll’s Eye

as

Social Worker

Enola Holmes

2020

Enola Holmes

as

Station Master

A Brush with Mr. Porter on the Road to El Dorado

1981

A Brush with Mr. Porter on the Road to El Dorado

as

Tom

A Room for the Winter

1981

A Room for the Winter

as

Robert

P.Q. 17

1981

P.Q. 17

as

PO Jordan

Ropeless

2020

Ropeless

as

Larry Windsor

The Nest Egg

2016

The Nest Egg

as

Travellers

1978

Travellers

as

Young William/Middle William/Sales Rep

Happy

1980

Happy

as

Vernon

The Turkey Who Lives on the Hill

1978

The Turkey Who Lives on the Hill

as

Bill

When Kim & Aggie Went To Hospital

2006

When Kim & Aggie Went To Hospital

as

Self - Narrator (voice)

Big Winners

2025

Big Winners

as

Arthur Thistle

Hornblower

Hornblower

as

Matthews

Torchwood

Torchwood

as

Clement McDonald

The Bill

The Bill

as

Silent Witness

Silent Witness

as

Heartbeat

Heartbeat

as

Dick Radcliffe

Dalziel & Pascoe

Dalziel & Pascoe

as

Life on Mars

Life on Mars

as

Reg Cole

Waking the Dead

Waking the Dead

as

Survivors

Survivors

as

Ted

Messiah

Messiah

as

Ian Fleet

Inspector George Gently

Inspector George Gently

as

Play for Today

Play for Today

as

How Clean Is Your House?

How Clean Is Your House?

as

Treasure Island

Treasure Island

as

Roughnecks

Roughnecks

as

Ian

BBC Play of the Month

BBC Play of the Month

as

The Street

The Street

as

The Bright Side

The Bright Side

as

Nice Guy Eddie

Nice Guy Eddie

as

Downton Abbey

Downton Abbey

as

Mr. Mason

Young Charlie Chaplin

Young Charlie Chaplin

as

Chimnery Sweep

Cracker

Cracker

as

Pathologist

Waking the Dead

Waking the Dead

as

Clifford Day

Johnny and the Bomb

Johnny and the Bomb

as

Sgt. Bourke

This Life

This Life

as

Jerry Cook

Carved with Love: The Genius of British Woodwork

Carved with Love: The Genius of British Woodwork

as

Narrator

Peak Practice

Peak Practice

as

Tim Shardlow

Last Tango in Halifax

Last Tango in Halifax

as

Minder

Minder

as

Palmer

Inside No. 9

Inside No. 9

as

Ernie

Father Brown

Father Brown

as

Mr Feste

Queer as Folk

Queer as Folk

as

Roy Maloney

Tenko

Tenko

as

POW

Secret Army

Secret Army

as

Eric Finch

Kingdom

Kingdom

as

Vincent Straker

Stay Lucky

Stay Lucky

as

Code of a Killer

Code of a Killer

as

Sidney Jeffreys

Peak Practice

Peak Practice

as

DS Patrick Hopkins

The Worst Witch

The Worst Witch

as

Algernon Rowan-Webb

The Worst Witch

The Worst Witch

as

Algernon Rowan Webb

The Royal

The Royal

as

Nesbitt

Vera

Vera

as

Malcolm Kenrich

Casualty

Casualty

as

Frederick Chambers

Casualty

Casualty

as

Mick McCarthur

Casualty

Casualty

as

Arthur

Moving On

Moving On

as

Ronnie

Dead Man Weds

Dead Man Weds

as

Blind Man

Days of Hope

Days of Hope

as

Ben Matthews

White Heat

White Heat

as

Alan (present day)

Broken

Broken

as

Joe Kerrigan

Call the Midwife

Call the Midwife

as

Tommy Smith

The Paradise Club

The Paradise Club

as

Mousey Pavitt

Burn It

Burn It

as

Terry Grimshaw

The Coroner

The Coroner

as

John Roxwell

Heartbeat

Heartbeat

as

Herbie Lloyd

Last Tango in Halifax

Last Tango in Halifax

as

Harry

Heartbeat

Heartbeat

as

Malcolm Stainsby

How Clean Is Your House?

How Clean Is Your House?

as

Self - Narrator (voice)

Midsomer Murders

Midsomer Murders

as

Frank Dewar

Play for Today

Play for Today

as

Andy

On the Edge

On the Edge

as

Ray

Rose Ayling-Ellis: Old Hands, New Tricks

Rose Ayling-Ellis: Old Hands, New Tricks

as

Narrator (voice)

DI Ray

DI Ray

as

Terry Hunter

Playhouse

Playhouse

as

Jim

Playhouse

Playhouse

as

Vernon

BBC2 Play of the Week

BBC2 Play of the Week

as

Finnegan

BBC2 Play of the Week

BBC2 Play of the Week

as

Bill

Born and Bred

Born and Bred

as

Hubert Gough

West End Tales

West End Tales

as

Herbert

The Lakes

The Lakes

as

Peter Quinlan

The Gathering Seed

The Gathering Seed

as

Bob Henshaw

The Afternoon Play

The Afternoon Play

as

Dave

Harry

Harry

as

Thomas Thomas

Churchill's People

Churchill's People

as

Viventius

Shameless

Shameless

as

Norman Owens

New Tricks

New Tricks

as

Pat the Rat

Production

Crew

Directing