Jeffrey Alan Rawle (born 20 July 1951) is a British actor. He is known for playing Billy in Billy Liar (1973–1974), and for portraying George Dent in the news-gathering sitcom Drop the Dead Donkey (1990–1998), and Silas Blissett in Hollyoaks (2010–2022). Other credits include Minder (1993), Doc Martin (2004), Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005), Grantchester (2023), and Beyond Paradise (2024).
Early life Rawle was born on 20 July 1951, in Birmingham. His first secondary school was King Edward VI School in Aston, Birmingham. When he was 15, his family moved to Sheffield, and it was at High Storrs Grammar School that he first became interested in drama when he appeared in school plays. He worked at the Sheffield Playhouse before training at LAMDA.
Career Rawle landed his first significant role in 1973 as the protagonist in the television version of Keith Waterhouse and Willis Hall's Billy Liar. He played Billy Fisher for two seasons, 26 episodes from 1973 to 1974.
In 1979, he appeared as Rudy with Ian McKellen and Tom Bell in the premiere production of Bent at the Royal Court Theatre, London. In 1984, he appeared in the story Frontios as the character Plantaganet in Doctor Who. In 1980, he appeared in the Hammer House of Horror, episode "Charlie Boy." In 1981, he appeared in an episode of Juliet Bravo. In 1983, He starred as Jeff Harris in three episodes of Angels and appeared in Bergerac (1983).
In 1989, he starred as W.O. Wilson in the three-part miniseries Vote for Them, which was about allied troops still based in Cairo in 1943. He appeared in Minder (1993) and Faith in the Future on ITV from 1995 to 1998. In 2004, Rawle appeared as Roger Fenn in the ITV series Doc Martin. The actor made a guest appearance as lawyer Jonathan Blunt in the fourth episode of the fourth series of New Tricks (2007).
In 2005, Rawle portrayed Amos Diggory, father of Cedric Diggory (Robert Pattinson), in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
2008 saw Rawle play Gilbert Murray in the National Theatre's production of Tony Harrison's play Fram. The following year, he guested in The Bill and appeared in The Sarah Jane Adventures on CBBC. During 2010, Rawle joined the cast of Hollyoaks as serial killer Silas Blissett. He stated that he was delighted to be playing such a sinister character. He has won various awards for his portrayal of Silas. He initially left the role in 2012, before making guest returns from January to May 2016, and from October 2020 to January 2021. He reprised the role in September 2022, when his grandson, Bobby, finally killed off his character.
In October 2012, it was announced that Rawle had joined the Doctors''' cast as Rory Bishton, a road sweeper with something to hide. Rawle made his screen debut as Rory in early 2013. He had previously appeared in the series in 2004.
Rawle has provided numerous narrations, including A Bear Called Paddington, three series of the Duchess of York's Budgie the Little Helicopter, Stephen Hawking's Universe and Tom Fort's The Grass is Always Greener for BBC Radio 4. Rawle's writing credits include The Young Poisoner's Handbook in 1995 and Who Goes There?''
Filmography and television Year Title Role Notes – Billy Liar Billy Fisher TV series; 26 episodes Play for Today Steve episode: "The Death of a Young, Young Man" Whodunnit? Arthur Johnson Episode: "Worth Dying For" Crown Court Robert Gray episode: "Bad Day at Black Cape: Part 1" Van der Valk Diederick TV series; episode: "The Professor" Johannes 1978 'Sniffy' Kemp Pusher TV series; episode: "A Game for Two Players" Leave it to Charlie Tristram TV series; episode: "Never a Cross Word" Home Before Midnight Johnnie McGee Hammer House of Horror Franks TV series; episode: "Charlie Boy" Juliet Bravo Steve Ramsey TV series; episode: "Lies and Liars" Crystal Gazing Julian Bergerac Mitch TV series; episode: "Almost Like a Holiday" Angels Jeff Harris TV series; episodes 22 and 24 of season 9 1984 Norbert Doctor Who Plantagenet TV series; episode: "Frontios" Remington Steele Chalky TV series; episode: "Steele Searching: Parts 1 and 2" Lambert Call Me Mister Guy TV series; episode: "Humpty Dumpty" Fortunes of War Sgt. Ridley TV miniseries Boon Maurice, also known as Billy Clutterbuck TV series; episode: "Credit Where it's Due" Screen Two Billy TV series; episode: "Run for the Lifeboat" South of the Border Stig BBC TV series; Series 1, episode 3 Derek Pardoe TV series; episode: "Alarms and Embarrassments" Vote for Them W.O. Wilson 3 part mini-series ScreenPlay episode: "Testimony of a Child""Testimony of a Child", BBC Radio Times, 5 July 1989Jeff Rawle is not in the Radio Times listing for "Testimony of a Child" ScreenPlay The Man episode: "Beyond the Pale" John Price 6 part mini-series for children"The Gift", BBC Radio Times, 28 March 1990 1990–1998 Drop the Dead Donkey George Dent TV series This is David Harper Bob Benchley TV series; episode: "A List of Abuses" Service Policeman TV series Ezra Pratt TV series Casualty Len Jackson TV series; episode: "Silent Night", series 7 episode 15 Minder Jehovah's Witness TV series; episode: "Uneasy Rider" – Budgie the Little Helicopter Narrator and Dell the baggage cart towing truck TV series; voice Wycliffe Reverend Jordan TV series; episode: "The Last Rites" Look at the State We're In! Jeff Jarndyce TV mini-series – Faith in the Future Paul TV series Lord of Misrule Derek TV 1998 Neville's Island Neville TV – Microsoap Colin TV series I Saw You Frank TV Take a Girl Like You Mr. Charlton TV Dalziel and Pascoe Raymond Miles TV series; episode: "Mens Sana" Midsomer Murders Derrick Seagrove TV series, episode: "A Talent for Life" Blackball Dennis Death in Holy Orders Father Peregrine Glover TV 2004 Doctors John Marshall TV series; episode: "A Late Flowering" Banks TV series; episode: "Doing Time" Graham Hammond TV Heartbeat Ken Simner TV series; episode: "Scent of a Kill" William and Mary George Emerson TV series; series 2 episode 5 My Dad's the Prime Minister Union leader TV series; episode: "Powerless" – Doc Martin Roger Fenn TV series; episodes: "Gentlemen Prefer", "Sh*t Happens", "Haemophobia", "The Family Way", "Happily Ever After" Ultimate Force David Cox TV series; episode: "Never Go Back" Holby City Ron Fell TV series; episode: "It's Kinda Rock 'n' Roll" Spooks Home Secretary Also known as MI-5 in the USATV series; episodes: "The Special: Part I" and "The Special: Part II" Steve Markham TV series; episode: "Near Death Experience" 2005 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Amos Diggory Holby City Roger Nash TV series; episodes: "Team Holby", "Nothing Ventured, Nothing Lost", "Now or Never" Sea of Souls James Norman TV series; episode: "Oracle" 2006 Mr. Large TV series; voice George Fielding TV series, episode: "Innocence Betrayed" 2009 Lionel Harding Museum Curator, Mona Lisa's Revenge 2010–2011, 2012, 2016, 2020–2021, 2022 Hollyoaks & Hollyoaks Later Silas Blissett Series regular Midsomer Murders Gerry Dawkins TV series, episode: "Dark Secrets" 2011 My Family Antiques expert episode: Germs of Endearment 2012 The Charles Dickens Show Charles Dickens TV miniseries 2013 Mervyn Pinfield Television docudrama about the creation of Doctor Who in 1963 Heading Out Donald One episode – Holby City Jerry Clark TV series; episodes: "Hanssen/Hemingway", "Unravelled", "Black Dog", "We Need to Talk About Fredrik" 2016 Bottersnikes and Gumbles Happi Voice only 2016 Steptoe and Son Albert Steptoe A one-off episode, part of the BBC's Lost Sitcom season, recreating lost episodes of classic comedies Peterloo Magistrate Rev. Hay Film directed by Mike Leigh Father BrownProfessor Robert Wiseman Season 7 episode 3: "The Whistle in the Dark" BrassicMr. Bates Season 2 episode 3: "Antique Hunters" Duke George 'Bluey' Stilton Lockwood & Co. Sebastian Saunders Netflix series; two episodes Grantchester Dr. Abbot Season 8, episode 3 Beyond Paradise Douglas Bevan Season 2, episode 62026 Vote Gavin Lyle Arthur Short film
References
External links