Jake Abraham was born in 1967 in Toxteth, Liverpool where he found it difficult growing up as he was mixed race due to having a Nigerian grandfather and Irish grandmother at a time where 'No Blacks, No Dogs, No Irish' signs were regularly seen in Bed and Breakfasts. Then moving to Kensington there were still the challenges of being mixed race, living near National Front headquarters. Jake says, "I first lived in Toxteth – dad got us out to go to . . . the then white ghetto of Kensington! We moved when I was 10 and were the only mixed race family in the area. When I was a kid I played ice hockey for Great Britain – we lived by the old Silver Blades ice rink in Kensington and that was a special place. Having played Nancy in 'Oliver' at school his dad took him down to the Everyman Youth Theatre where one of the first plays he did, when he was 13, was 'Brown Bitter, Wet Nellies and Scouse' for director Bob Eaton. Attending the Everyman Youth Theatre he met so many people in what he called a 'cauldron of talent', such as Ian Hart, David Morrissey, Cathy Tyson and all the McGanns. He has said it was like the centre of the universe. "I first met Drew Schofield more than 20 years ago and he’s just a great Scouse lad, actor and musician. He’s really generous as far as his acting and music goes – he’s got all the time to show you what he’s learned. And he's hilarious – such a good laugh" In those early days he had to work out what he liked doing best, music or acting. When he was 18 he had a band called 'Elephants Are Big'. He remembers seeing some great bands at the Royal Court, like 'The Clash' and 'The Specials' and used to sneak into Eric’s as a kid and also went to The Picket. However, after starting with the music, he began getting into acting and ended up performing at places he used to go to, and see other people at, like the Royal Court. On Egerton Street is the pub Peter Kavanagh’s and in his 20s he was its licensee between 1991 and 1995, one of the youngest licensees in Liverpool. There he would knock around with bands like 'The Real People' and 'The La's' and write songs with them upstairs at the pub. They used to have lots of stay behinds, but, after a while, he just felt he had to get away from it. Since then, he has enjoyed a four-decade career on stage and screen - touring with the National Theatre and working with some of the biggest names in British drama, including fellow Liverpudlian Alan Bleasdale.
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| Alongside co-star Victor McGuire in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels |
Jake played Dean in the 1998 gangster film ‘Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels’ - one of two bumbling Scousers who try to get rich from a deal involving guns and some rather unpleasant characters. His performance - alongside his on-screen associate Victor McGuire - was one of the most iconic in what was Guy Ritchie’s debut film which also starred Jason Statham and Vinnie Jones. But life in the spotlight quickly took its toll and eventually led Jake to the depths of drug addiction. Aged 39 he appeared before Liverpool Magistrates Court charged with a series of offences as the court heard that the actor turned to crime after he became addicted to heroin. He was sentenced to an 18-month community order which includes 12 months of drug rehabilitation.
In 2015 he starred in the new stage play version of Helen Forrester’s 'Twopence To Cross The Mersey'. The play opened at Liverpool’s Epstein Theatre and moved on to venues in Southport, St Helens and New Brighton with Jake relishing the opportunity to tread the boards in his home town. He said, "I'm back on stage and that's what I love. It's the intimacy and they way you feel that connection with the audience. I can't wait and I'm thrilled."
In September 2022 the Royal Court announced, "Another fantastic cast member announced for 'The Scouse Jack and The Beanstalk!!' You've just seen him in 'YNWA' and now he will be joining us for Christmas... it's Jake Abraham!"
Jake went to see his doctor in February 2023 after a period of not feeling himself and was diagnosed with prostate cancer which had spread. He had tumours on his spine, his hips and had one removed from his bladder. He received radiotherapy treatment and received palliative care. Sadly Jake passed away on the 1st of October 2023 at the age of 56, months after he spoke of his cancer diagnosis. A person remarked, "God bless Jake Abraham. My sparkly little Evertonian mate, the talented boy from Kensington. Always a proper laugh and smile in work and play. Goodnight kid."
see also :- http://www.thefootballvoice.com/2024/06/a-history-of-liverpool-thespians.html
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