JOHN NETTLES
John Nettles was born on 11th October 1943
by an Irish nurse who came to England during the Second World War. He was adopted as a child
by Eric and Elsie Nettles, growing up as an only child. John moved from Roe
Green, Manchester, to St. Austell in Devon and went to St.
Austell Grammar School and then later attended Southampton University.
John was a teacher before he was acting, and then had an early career in
the Theatre-in-the-Rond in Scarborough back in 1967. He performed a play by
Leonard Barass, and then beagn his television career in 1970. He was in Family
at War, playing the part of Ian McKenzie, and went on to comedy in 1972,
playing Paul in The Liver Birds. In 1976 he appeared in Arnhem: The
Story of an Escape and then in a BBC production playing Bassanio back in
1980.
Eventually, he became famous after being offered the role of Sgt. Jim Bergerac, on the isle of Jersey. The episodes of the series, named ‘Bergerac,’ reached the average of an audience of 10m viewers. The series ended with John deciding he didn’t want to go on.
In
1995 he was approached by producer Brian True-May who told him John would be the
perfect role for playing DCI Barnaby in 'Midsomer Murders'. The year after, the
production was ready to go and John accepted the role. He
admits it was an offer he could not refuse! Despite this, he still acts in many
different roles.
John often appears in charity events. He was the star of the Midsummer Fete at The Lee, seen in many episodes of Midsomer Murders. In 2004 he helped at a fair in Wallingford and the Midsomer Fayre in Covent Garden. In 2005 he switched on the Christmas lights at Chipping Campden in Gloucestershire, near his hometown in Evesham.
In 2006, John Nettles presented a programme following Poet Laureate John Betjeman, being a big fan of his poetry. The programme, Betjeman's West Country, toured around England visiting different places which has connections to the poet.
On July 26, 2006, John will be given an Honorary Doctorate at Southampton University at 10:45am. It was during his student days here that John was spotted by a theatrical agent.