Paul Copley
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Paul is a long established and much respected British actor and voiceover artist. Born in Denby Dale, West Riding of Yorkshire, on 25th November 1944 he grew up beside a dairy farm. His father, Harold, was involved with local amateur dramatic productions, as were the rest of his family. He went to Penistone Grammar School, then the Northern Counties College of Education in Newcastle upon Tyne, where he received an Associate of the Drama Board (ADB) in Drama. He taught English and Drama in Walthamstow, before he joined the Leeds Playhouse Theatre-in-education Company in 1971. In 1976, Paul won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a New Play for his role in John Wilson's For King and Country. With many and varied roles to follow, Paul soon established himself as one of the UK's leading stage, film, television and radio actors. In 2011-2015 Paul gained worldwide recognition appearing in 16 episodes of the hugely popular television series Downton Abbey playing the popular role of farmer Mr Mason. Paul is married to the actress Natasha Pyne. They married in 1972, after both performing in a Leeds Playhouse production of Frank Wedekind's Lulu, adapted by Peter Barnes, directed by Bill Hays in 1971.
Known for
Credits
Enola Holmes (2020)
as Station Master
Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022)
as Mason
The Remains of the Day (1993)
as Harry Smith
A Bridge Too Far (1977)
as Pvt. Wicks
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale (2025)
as Albert Mason
Jude (1996)
as Mr. Willis
Blow Dry (2001)
as Ken
Zulu Dawn (1979)
as Cpl. Storey
Hornblower: Loyalty (2003)
as Matthews
The Shadow in the North (2007)
as Paton
Hornblower: The Frogs and the Lobsters (1999)
as Mathews
Hornblower: Mutiny (2001)
as Mathews
Hornblower: Retribution (2001)
as Matthews
Big Winners (2025)
as Arthur Thistle
Silas Marner (1985)
as William Dane
Hornblower: The Examination for Lieutenant (1998)
as Mathews
The 12 Days of Christine (2015)
as Ernie
Travellers (1978)
as Young William/Middle William/Sales Rep
Hornblower: The Even Chance (1998)
as Matthews
The Sound of Music Live! (2015)
as Franz
Mucking Out (1978)
as Brian Wilson
Marian, Again (2005)
as Phillip Walsh
Happy (1980)
as Vernon
Alfie Darling (1975)
as Bakey
Hornblower: The Duchess and the Devil (1999)
as Matthews
Hornblower: Duty (2003)
as Matthews
Death of a Princess (1980)
as Steve Jackson
A Christmas Carol (1977)
as Fred (Scrooge's Nephew)
The Chester Mystery Plays (1976)
Actor
A Pinch of Snuff (1994)
as Charlie Heppelwhite
A Brush with Mr. Porter on the Road to El Dorado (1981)
as Tom
Theban Plays: Oedipus at Colonus (1986)
as Local Man
Ticker (2023)
as Howard
Father Dear Father (1973)
as Dumbo
Reg (2016)
as Man 2
Doll’s Eye (1983)
as Social Worker
Bird Fancier (1985)
as Roy Pearson
A Room for the Winter (1981)
as Robert
Ghost in the Water (1982)
as Mr. Reed
Black Jack (1979)
as Narrator
Written in Blood (1998)
as Brian Chappel
Ends and Means (1983)
Actor
On a Paving Stone Mounted (1978)
Actor
Arnhem: The Story of an Escape (1976)
as Finnegan
The Nest Egg (2016)
Actor
Which Side Are You On? (1985)
as Narrator (voice)
The Key (2003)
Actor
Diane (1975)
as Jim
Destiny (1978)
as Paul McShane
The Many Lives of Albert Walker (2002)
as Danny Peck
Testimony of a Child (1989)
as Gerry
The Turkey Who Lives on the Hill (1978)
as Bill
Cries from a Watchtower (1979)
as Andy
First Encounter: King Lear (2012)
as King Lear
Some Enchanted Evening (1978)
as Peter
Ropeless (2020)
as Larry Windsor
Speech Day (1973)
as Woodwork Master
How's Business (1991)
as Jack
When Kim & Aggie Went To Hospital (2006)
as Self - Narrator (voice)
Dangerous Journey (—)
as Narrator
P.Q. 17 (1981)
as PO Jordan
The Infectious Imagination of Henry Bramble (2021)
as Great Uncle Geoffrey