Tony Roper (actor)

Tony Roper
Born
Denis Daniel Michael Roper[1]

(1941-08-19) 19 August 1941 (age 83)[1]
Glasgow, Scotland
NationalityScottish
Years active1971–present
SpouseIsobel[2]

Tony Roper (born 19 August 1941) is a Scottish actor, comedian, playwright and writer.

Career

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In his early life he worked as a miner in Fife (where there were family connections), and as a van boy in a Glasgow bakery.[1] His first major starring role was in Scotch and Wry. He wrote the comedy-drama The Steamie in 1987, for which he won a BAFTA.[3] He achieved even greater fame in Naked Video and in the spin-off series Rab C. Nesbitt, in which he played Rab's partner-in-crime, Jamesie Cotter.[4][5] He also starred in the short-lived 1999 sitcom All Along the Watchtower.[6] Tony also had a small part as the postman in the longer version of the 1973 cult film, The Wicker Man.[7]

In theatre, he played Tom Weals in Miles Tredinnick's farce It's Now or Never! at the Queen's Theatre, Hornchurch in 1994.[8] He also starred in other stage plays such as Willie Rough by Bill Bryden, "The Red Runner" by Billy Connolly, and various other plays by Alyn Aykbourn, Shaw and Shakespeare.[9]

In the 1980s, he co-founded the charity football team Dukla Pumpherston.[10] Other football-related work included regular appearances on the television and stage versions of the satirical series Only an Excuse? during the 1990s alongside Jonathan Watson.[11]

Roper has also written Paddies, a conceptual sequel to The Steamie set in Glasgow's "Paddies Market" (Paddy's Market[12]), and two novels based on Rikki Fulton's character Rev. I. M. Jolly. In 2004-2005 he co-wrote and starred as Rikki Fulton in Rikki and Me, a play about the comedy actor Rikki Fulton, which is available on DVD, and appeared as Merv in the 2005 Scottish film, On a Clear Day.[13][7]

Other activities

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Roper is a lifelong supporter of Celtic F.C. He presented the club' s VHS/DVD The Treble in celebration of Celtic's 2000–01 treble-winning season, and Hoops we did it again in 2001–2002. In 2008, he wrote and directed the hit play The Celts in Seville which played at the Pavilion Theatre (Glasgow) in 2008 and 2014.[14][15]

Personal life

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Roper and his wife Isobel live in Glasgow.[16]

He was awarded an honorary degree by Abertay University in 2008.[17]

In April 2013, Roper received treatment for prostate cancer.[18] He was given the all-clear.[2]

His autobiography I'll No Tell You Again was published in 2014.[1] The foreword was written by his friend, Billy Connolly.[19]

Theatre

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Year Title Role Company Director Notes
1979 The Lass wi' the Muckle Mou Wattie Brunton Theatre, Musselburgh Sandy Neilson play by Alexander Reid
1982 Ane Satire of the Thrie Estaites Solace Scottish Theatre Company Tom Fleming play by Sir David Lyndsay, adapted by Robert Kemp

Filmography

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Film
Year Title Role Notes
1973 The Wicker Man Postman
2005 On a Clear Day Merv the Perv
Television
Date Title Role Notes
2 February 1988 The Play on One [20] Bruce Episode: "Normal Service"
1 April 1989 The Play on One [21] Gordon Episode: "Biting the Hands"

References

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  1. ^ a b c d I'll No Tell You Again: My Autobiography (Chapter 9), Tony Roper; Black & White Publishing, 2014; ISBN 9781845028954
  2. ^ a b "Legendary Scots actor Tony Roper: I only faced up to cancer after rocket from wife". Daily Record. 12 October 2013. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
  3. ^ "In conversation: Tony Roper". Mearns Leader. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
  4. ^ "BFI Screenonline: Naked Video (1986-1990)". www.screenonline.org.uk.
  5. ^ "BFI Screenonline: Rab C Nesbitt (1989-99)". www.screenonline.org.uk.
  6. ^ Guide, British Comedy. "All Along The Watchtower - BBC1 Sitcom". British Comedy Guide.
  7. ^ a b "Tony Roper". BFI. Archived from the original on 17 May 2020.
  8. ^ Roper, Tony (23 October 2014). I'll No Tell You Again: My Autobiography. Black & White Publishing. ISBN 9781845028954 – via Google Books.
  9. ^ "Revealed: when The Steamie wouldn't wash". HeraldScotland. 25 January 1989.
  10. ^ "Dukla Doing Their Bit For Charity | Scotzine".
  11. ^ "Only An Excuse had 'a good kick of the ball'". 31 December 2020 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  12. ^ Loney, Gillian (14 August 2021). "Looking back at Paddy's Market 12 years on from its very last sale". GlasgowLive.
  13. ^ Fulton, Rick (9 November 2007). "Rikki & Me **** 12". Daily Record.
  14. ^ McGuire, Joe (2 April 2012). "Tony Roper: Even Rangers fans will enjoy Celts in Seville.. because Celtic get beat". Daily Record. Retrieved 3 December 2016.
  15. ^ Barrie, Douglas (19 March 2014). "The Celts in Seville cast remember 2003 ahead of show's return". STV Glasgow. Retrieved 3 December 2016.
  16. ^ English, Paul (29 May 2020). "Rab C Nesbitt star Tony Roper uses wife's old bras to make homemade face mask". Daily Record.
  17. ^ "Tony Roper - Honorary Graduate". Abertay. 14 September 2021.
  18. ^ "Cancer op for Rab C star Tony Roper". Evening Times. 20 April 2013. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
  19. ^ "Scotland Tonight: Spotlight on the career of comic actor Tony Roper". STV. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
  20. ^ "Broadcast - BBC Programme Index". genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. 2 February 1988.
  21. ^ "Broadcast - BBC Programme Index". genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. 11 April 1989.
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