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Paul Ready
ActorBorn June 23, 1977 (48 years)
Paul John Ready (born 23 June 1977) is a British actor known for portraying Kevin Brady in Motherland (2016-2022), Lee in Utopia (2013–2014), Rob MacDonald in Bodyguard (2018), and Henry Goodsir in The Terror (2018). His film credits include The Death of Stalin (2017), The Dig (2021), Heart of Stone (2023), and Bring Them Down (2025). He is recognised for his ability to take on diverse roles and bring depth to his characters in different genres.
Paul was born in Birmingham and, growing up in the town of Harborne, he attended King Edward VI Five Ways school. He went on to train at London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and, at the age of 17, he played Romeo in the National Youth Theatre production of Romeo and Juliet at London's Bloomsbury Theatre, playing opposite Rosamund Pike's Juliet.
He is a regular at the National and Royal Court theatres. Past appearances have included leading parts in Major Barbara and Saint Joan (both plays by George Bernard Shaw) and Time and the Conways by J.B. Priestley. His West End credits include One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, which starred Christian Slater. Ready is married to actress and writer Michelle Terry, whom he met in Shakespeare's Globe 2009 production of Love's Labour's Lost — they have one daughter. In 2018 he starred as the titular character in Macbeth at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, opposite Terry as Lady Macbeth. In 2020, he and Terry returned to the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse as Petruchio and Biondello respectively in The Taming of the Shrew. In 2025, he starred in Chekhov's Three Sisters as Aleksandr Vershinin, once again alongside Terry.
Paul received a commendation at the Ian Charleson Awards in 2003.
Paul was born in Birmingham and, growing up in the town of Harborne, he attended King Edward VI Five Ways school. He went on to train at London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and, at the age of 17, he played Romeo in the National Youth Theatre production of Romeo and Juliet at London's Bloomsbury Theatre, playing opposite Rosamund Pike's Juliet.
He is a regular at the National and Royal Court theatres. Past appearances have included leading parts in Major Barbara and Saint Joan (both plays by George Bernard Shaw) and Time and the Conways by J.B. Priestley. His West End credits include One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, which starred Christian Slater. Ready is married to actress and writer Michelle Terry, whom he met in Shakespeare's Globe 2009 production of Love's Labour's Lost — they have one daughter. In 2018 he starred as the titular character in Macbeth at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, opposite Terry as Lady Macbeth. In 2020, he and Terry returned to the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse as Petruchio and Biondello respectively in The Taming of the Shrew. In 2025, he starred in Chekhov's Three Sisters as Aleksandr Vershinin, once again alongside Terry.
Paul received a commendation at the Ian Charleson Awards in 2003.
Paul Ready Filmography
| 2024 | Bring Them Down · as Gary |
| 2024 | A Gentleman in Moscow (TV Series) · as Petrov |
| 2023 | Heart of Stone · as Bailey |
| 2022 | Motherland: Last Christmas · as Kevin |
| 2022 | The Bastard Son & the Devil Himself (TV Series) · as Soul |
| 2021 | The Dig · as James Reid Moir |
| 2019 | Mandy (TV Series) · as Cooper |
| 2019 | MotherFatherSon (TV Series) · as Nick Caplan |
| 2019 | Flack (TV Series) · as Damien Paulson |
| 2018 | Bodyguard (2018) (TV Series) · as Rob Macdonald |
| 2018 | The Terror (TV Series) · as Doctor Henry Goodsir |
| 2017 | The Death of Stalin · as Nkvd Officer Delov |
| 2016 | The Witness for the Prosecution (TV Series) · as Tripp |
| 2016 | Motherland (TV Series) · as Kevin |
| 2016 | The Circuit · as Danny |
| 2015 | Cuffs (TV Series) · as Di Felix Kane |
| 2015 | Fortitude (TV Series) · as Mark Devlin |
| 2013 | The Tunnel (TV Series) · as Benji Robertson |
| 2013 | Utopia (TV Series) · as Lee |
| 2012 | Ripper Street (TV Series) · as Frederick Treves |
| 2012 | Private Peaceful · as Captain Wilkins |
| 2012 | Endeavour (TV Series) · as Sebastian Fenix |
| 2011 | Silk (TV Series) · as Tony Paddick |
| 2011 | Harry Hill's TV Burp: The Best Bits · as Leon Harris |
| 2010 | Love's Labour's Lost (Globe Theatre Version) · as Don Armado |
| 2010 | National Theatre Live: London Assurance · as Charles Courtly |
| 2006 | Pulling (TV Series) · as Mike |
| 2006 | Dresden · as William |
| 2005 | Pierrepoint: The Last Hangman · as Anthony David Farrow |
| 2005 | Twisted Tales (UK) (TV Series) · as Phil |
| 2004 | Blackpool (TV Series) |
| 2004 | Life Begins (TV Series) · as Mark |
| 2004 | Doc Martin (TV Series) · as Dr Milligan |
| 2002 | Jeffrey Archer: The Truth · as Paul Mccartney |
| 2002 | Tipping the Velvet (TV Series) · as Renter Alice |
| 2002 | Born and Bred (TV Series) · as Abel Marl |
| 2001 | Princess of Thieves · as Sheriff's Servant |
| 2000 | Maybe Baby · as Student Doctor |
| 2000 | Doctors (TV Series) · as Terry Hyde |
| 1999 | Holby City (TV Series) · as Leon Harris |
| 1997 | Trial & Retribution (TV Series) · as Harry Cranley |
| 1995 | Angels and Insects · as Tom |
| 1992 | |
| 1989 | Agatha Christie's Poirot (TV Series) · as William |