Tony Maudsley was born on the 30th of January 1968 in Kirkby, a metropolitan borough in Liverpool although Tony has said in an interview, "We moved to Kirkby when I was just four years old and it's all I can remember- so its my hometown - where I grew up." He was educated at Roughwood Comprehensive when, encouraged by a teacher who spotted his potential, he joined Knowsley Youth Theatre, in Huyton, where he developed his love for drama. Tony remembers, "When I was nine I used to head to weddings held at this church and sit on the front row - I didn't know the couple at all! I used to wait behind afterwards and ask the vicar if I could have a go on the organ. Bizarrely the vicar allowed it so I used to play 'Lily the Pink' by Liverpool band the Scaffold." It was after going travelling that he decided to take acting seriously and went off to the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, in Cardiff, where he graduated in 1994. There followed his first TV appearance in 'The Biz' (1995) which was followed by 5 episodes of 'Underworld' (1997) and 6 episodes of 'The Wilsons' (2000). In between, having won Best Newcomer, but losing out to Ray Winstone in the Best Actor category for 'Our Boy' (1997), in 1998 he was nominated in two categories, Best Actor and Best Newcomer, by The Royal Television Society, for his portrayal of Stefan Kiszko in the made for TV movie, 'A Life for a Life' (1998). This was the moving dramatisation of a 1970s UK miscarriage of justice, centred around Stefan Khiszho, and his mother's subsequent battle for his freedom. He was also winner of the Liverpool Film Office Award for Best Performance in a Drama. He appeared with 'All Saints' sibling duo Nicole and Natalie Appleton filming the movie 'Honest' (2000), marking the directorial debut of ex-'Eurythmics' member Dave Stewart.
Tony then appeared as Martin in the sitcom 'Eyes Down' (2003-04), which was written by Angela Clarke and directed by Christine Gernon and starred Paul O'Grady as Ray Temple, the manager of a Bingo Hall in Liverpool called The Rio. Although it had moderate ratings, the programme ran for two series until it was cancelled by the BBC in 2004. Tony said, "I worked in at least three bingo halls when I was younger. I worked in one when I was in drama school and two in Liverpool when I was about 16 or 17. I did exactly what Martin does. I was the party bingo caller and I used to check the bingo claims. It's as if Angela knew all about my past. I actually worked in the bingo hall in Kirkby where Angela goes still and where she based 'Eyes Down'," Not only that, he has a small link to Johnny Depp after they both
appeared in the film 'Sleepy Hollow (1999). He told Inside Soap: "Very
early on in my career, I worked with Johnny Depp on the film 'Sleepy
Hollow'. At the time, I'd stopped smoking for three years – but Johnny
invited me for a roll-up round the back of the set, and I couldn't say
no. So, there I was trying to look cool with Johnny, while choking on a
cigarette. I appeared in Vanity Fair with Reese Witherspoon too. It's
been a pretty lovely career."
He also bagged a major role when he appeared in Harry Potter's fifth blockbuster instalment, 'The Order of the Phoenix (2007) when he played Hagrid’s giant half-brother, Grawp, that he brings back from his travels. Tony said it was one of the toughest roles of his career. He told Female First: "I was weighed down with these huge monster feet that were so heavy, that I could never get into the canteen and back in time."
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| As Kenneth in Benidorm with Sherrie Hewson as Joyce and Adam Gillen as Liam |
However he became best known for playing the iconic hairdresser Kenneth Du Beke in the hit ITV award winning sitcom 'Benidorm' (2011-18). As the resident Blow 'n' Go expert, he faced a bitter rivalry with Sherrie’s hotel manager character Joyce Temple-Savage. Kenneth Du Beke is a wonderfully over the top chancer who became one of the show’s main characters after he took on the hotel’s shabby salon. Benidorm was a surprise hit for ITV with millions of viewers loving the daft antics of the Hotel Solana staff and their long suffering guests over ten prime time seasons. However the TV series was axed, but its huge popular appeal made it an obvious choice to become a stage show with many of the show’s most popular characters joining the onstage chaos in an all new story, including Tony. It wasn't long before Tony landed a dream job as George Shuttleworth, taking over his father's funeral business in 'Coronation Street' (2000- present). He had though appeared in the soap series in 1995 as Bailey after previously appearing as an extra in the programme. Speaking about his past scenes with TV presenter
Lorraine Kelly, the actor admitted that the stint was his very first
role in the business. He starred in a scene with Alec Gilroy, played by
actor Roy Barraclough. He said: "Corrie was my very first job out of
drama school, so I've kind of come full circle 30 years later. I did a
scene with Roy Barraclough, so here I am back 30 years later."
He has also had roles in the likes of ITV’s 'Doc Martin' (2001) as a
postman, appeared in ITV's Northern Lights' (2006) as the character
'Doddy', then as Jimmy Beattie in 4 episodes of 'The Royal' (2007).
Later he was in
'Heartbeat' (2009) and played Graham in the ITV sitcom 'The Job Lot'
(2013–2014). His major theatre work includes the role of Edna
Turnblad in a touring season of Hairspray' (2016). He made his panto
debut debut in 2016 as Dame Trott in Jack and the Beanstalk at the
Theatre Royal, Nottingham and returned to pantomime the year after,
playing a completely different part, the Genie of the Lamp, in 'Alladin'
at the Swansea Grand Theatre. In 2020 he made another panto appearance
as Kenneth the Cabin Boy in 'Peter Pan' at the Liverpool Empire.
He
played the character of Joshua in the BBC Radio 4 situation comedy
'Revolting People' set in Baltimore, Maryland and appeared in two
episodes of Sky Living's series 'The Spa' (2013) as Stephen/Stephanie.
see also :- http://www.thefootballvoice.com/2024/07/a-history-of-liverpool-thespians-ravi.html
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