Alex Walkinshaw

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Alex Walkinshaw
Born Alex Newcombe Walkinshaw
(1974-10-05) 5 October 1974 (age 49)
Barking, Essex, England
Height 6' (1.83 m)
Television The Bill (1999–2001, 2003–10)
Waterloo Road (2011–12)
Casualty (2012–14)
Holby City (2014–)
Spouse(s) Sarah Trusler (2009–present)
Children 3

Alex Newcombe Walkinshaw (born 5 October 1974) is an English actor best known for playing the role of Dale "Smithy" Smith in ITV's long running police procedural series, The Bill and his role in both Casualty and Holby City as Adrian Fletcher.

Early life and career

Walkinshaw was born on 5 October 1974 in Barking, Essex. His first TV appearance was at the age of 12 as an extra in Grange Hill for a year. From 1992 to 1993 he appeared in the sitcom Side by Side. He is also Jodie marsh's cousin.

In between acting jobs in the 1990s, he also worked as a labourer, office fitter and also at a snooker hall in Barking.[1] Also in 2011 until 2012 he was in Waterloo road as Jeremy Diamond.

Personal life

During his time on The Bill as a PC, Walkinshaw met his wife Sarah when she worked as a make-up artist on the show. They married on 20 June 2009 at the Queen's House in Greenwich, London and live in Kent[2] with their two children.

He is very close friends with his former co-stars Roberta Taylor and René Zagger. Taylor is like a second mother to him and is even grandmother by proxy to his children. Zagger is his best friend and they have known each other since they were 15 and 16; they also shared a flat when they were both on The Bill. Zagger and Scott Maslen were his best men at his wedding. His cousin is the glamour model and TV personality Jodie Marsh.

He is a West Ham supporter and enjoys programmes such as CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and Doctor Who.[3] He is also left-handed and has admitted that, following an incident in Blackpool, he has a fear of snakes.

He undertakes local charity work and is the patron for the St Thomas' Lupus Trust.[3] On 24 March 2007, he took part in The Weakest Link and won £9,450, which he donated to Essex-based charity "Kids in Need", which grants wishes for underprivileged, sick and terminally ill children. On 2 May 2007, he opened a new community police office in Chislehurst, for the Safer Neighbourhood teams from Chislehurst and Mottingham.[4]

Television

Walkinshaw's first television appearance was as an extra in Grange Hill.[3]

He first appeared in The Bill in three episodes as a guest star in 1992, 1993 and 1995,[5] before joining as a regular cast member in 1999. It was whilst he was acting at the Royal Court Theatre that he was spotted by one of the producers of The Bill and was encouraged to audition for the programme. He joined The Bill as PC Dale Smith, better known as "Smithy" and then left in 2001.[6] In 2003, he returned when his character was promoted to Sergeant. When The Bill was axed in Scotland in 2009 by STV, Walkinshaw was the last person to appear on Scottish screens alongside Sam Callis as Sgt Callum Stone.

After The Bill was axed in 2010 by ITV, Walkinshaw admitted that "It was emotional shooting the final scenes" and that he found it "tough" to leave behind some of his co-stars.[7]

He has previously admitted that he would be keen to appear in EastEnders.[8]

In 2011, Walkinshaw was cast in Waterloo Road as PE teacher, Jeremy 'Jez' Diamond, replacing Paul Nicholls.[9] Following his departure from the show, he joined the cast of Casualty as nurse, Adrian 'Fletch' Fletcher.[10] In 2014, the character made a permanent switch from Casualty to its sister show Holby City.

Awards

In 2008, he was nominated for Outstanding Drama Performance at the National Television Awards.[11] The award was won by David Tennant.[12]

Filmography

Film

Television

Year Programme Role Notes
2014− Holby City Adrian Fletcher Regular role
2012–14 Casualty Adrian Fletcher Regular role
2011–12 Waterloo Road Jeremy 'Jez' Diamond Regular role
2003–10 The Bill Sgt/Insp. Dale Smith Regular role
National Television Awards 2008 – Outstanding Drama Performance – Nominated
2002 Stan the Man Tommy
2001 Holby City Mickey
2001 Urban Gothic Stevo
1999–2001 The Bill PC Dale Smith Regular role
1995–98 McCallum DS Small Regular role
1995 Crown Prosecutor Troy Daly
1995 The Bill Andy Franklin
1995 A Touch of Frost Pearce
1995 London's Burning Truck Driver
1994 Anna Lee Kevin
1993 The Bill Lee Tarrant
1993 To Play the King Boy Mugger
1993 A Question of Guilt Ed Darvas
1992 Casualty Alan
1992 The Bill Steven Murray
1992–93 Side by Side Terry Shane
1990 Death in Venice Older Boy

External links

References

  1. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. Married Holby City star Alex Walkinshaw 'exchanged raunchy texts with model behind wife's back' - Mirror Online
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