Ben Thompson (actor)
Encyclopedia
Ben Thompson is an English actor best known for his role as Ryan Connor
in the British soap opera Coronation Street
. Raised in Radcliffe
, Greater Manchester, Thompson made his screen debut when he appeared in the 2002
film Re-Inventing Eddie. Shortly before turning 13, he appeared in the 2004 CBBC
children's comedy programme Stupid!
.
Thompson rose to further prominence when he was cast as teenager Ryan Connor in Coronation Street in 2006. As part of the longstanding series, he has been involved in storylines that have dealt with varying topics, including family life, death and coming of age
. In addition to his career as an actor, Thompson is also an amateur musician. He is a member of the Rusholme Ruffians, an indie group who are largely influenced by established Manchester bands.
, a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Bury
, in Greater Manchester
, England. He was trained in acting from the age of eight at the Carol Godby Theatre Workshop in Bury
. For five years, Thompson was educated at nearby Radcliffe Riverside High School. He later reflected that he enjoyed his time at school, interacted well with his teachers and "never went into one lesson where there wasn't [something] interesting to do".
In 2002, Thompson starred alongside John Lynch
, Geraldine Somerville
, Lauren Cook and John Thomson in the Jim Doyle-directed film Re-Inventing Eddie. The movie is about a man named Eddie (Lynch), who is hounded by social services and branded a paedophile after an innocent bathtime game with his children is taken out of context. About two years later and shortly before entering teenagehood, Thompson successfully auditioned to feature in the BBC
children's comedy programme Stupid!
. Out of around 400 hopeful youngsters, he was one of only a few to be selected to appear in the show. Prior to Stupid!s launch on the CBBC
channel in 2004, Thompson commented, "When I first started going to auditions I was quite nervous but now I just get on with it. I go to quite a few and it gets easier."
. The part would have had him be on-screen friends with Chesney Brown
, played by Sam Aston
, who Thompson already knew from the Carol Godby Theatre Workshop. Producers for Coronation Street, however, were so impressed by Thompson that they asked him to audition for a different role. His try-out was successful and he was given a six-month contract, along with the option to extend it for up to a year. He was cast as Ryan Connor
, a boy who moves to Weatherfield
—the fictional Greater Manchester setting of Coronation Street—with his mother, Michelle
(played by actress and former Hear’Say
band member Kym Marsh
), and her brothers, Liam
(Rob James-Collier
) and Paul (Sean Gallagher). The Bolton News
reported that Thompson would spend between one and two days in front of the camera, and that he would be given an on-set tutor to help complete his school work.
On his first day of filming, in July 2006, Thompson—who grew up watching Coronation Street—was starstruck. "[It] was the strangest day of my life because I was in a room with all these famous people." He added: "It was completely different to how I imagined it would be. Everyone's been really nice to me and it's going well." Prior to the airing of the Connor family's arrival on the famous cobblestone
street in August 2006, Thompson commented, "I can't say too much about Ryan and the story lines, but he's very mischievous. The character is not a bad lad, but he's not a good lad either." Garth Philips, series producer, said at the time, "We held extensive casting sessions to get this family right, and the energy that Sean, Rob, Kym and Ben have will certainly make them a joy to watch on screen." He continued, "They're a twenty-first century Coronation Street family, and we hope our viewers will be as enthralled and excited by them as we are."
Within his first year on Coronation Street, Thompson had acted out scenes that involved his character stealing a car, graffiting the wall of the local newsagents, and discovering that his mother's fiancée was having a gay affair with her male best friend. Still impressed with Thompson's acting ability, producers of the series had his contract extended to 2009. Reflecting on his first year in the soap, Thompson said: "It's been a really strange year and a lot of things have happened. It's been absolutely brilliant. The filming is everything that I could have wanted it to be. It's fantastic and I enjoy it more than anything." He added: "My favourite story lines so far have been doing the graffiti and stealing the car. I really enjoyed filming those two."
In 2009, opposite Sacha Parkinson
, who plays Sian Powers
, Thompson filmed his first screen kiss. He said of the experience, "It was bizarre because Sacha had done one before and I hadn't. I knew the line I had to say and then kiss her. I knew it every time, and every time I said it I was shaking." He continued, "Oh it was dreadful. I mean I don't get nervous when I go on stage or anything like that, but it was just bizarre. It was one of those things that I got really nervous about." The on-screen romance was part of a controversial New Year's Eve storyline which featured the two characters attempting to see in 2010 by losing their virginities, only to be discovered by Ryan's adoptive mother Michelle.
, The Smiths
, Oasis
, James
and The Stone Roses
. Thompson has expressed an interest in getting into the music industry later in life.
He attended Holy Cross College in Bury, which he left after a year due to filming committments. It was there he striked up a relationship with fellow student Emily Nellist.
Ben is currently reading Economics at the University of East Anglia, however, he is still actively pursuing a career in the music industry.
Ryan Connor
Ryan Connor is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by actor Ben Thompson, the character first appeared onscreen during the episode airing on 30 August 2006...
in the British soap opera Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
. Raised in Radcliffe
Radcliffe, Greater Manchester
Radcliffe is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on undulating ground in the Irwell Valley, along the course of the River Irwell, south-west of Bury and north-northwest of Manchester. Radcliffe is contiguous with the town of Whitefield to the...
, Greater Manchester, Thompson made his screen debut when he appeared in the 2002
film Re-Inventing Eddie. Shortly before turning 13, he appeared in the 2004 CBBC
CBBC
CBBC is one of two brand names used for the BBC's children's television strands. Between 1985 and 2002, CBBC was the name given to all the BBC's programmes on TV for children aged under 14...
children's comedy programme Stupid!
Stupid!
Stupid! was a British television comedy sketch show aimed at children of primary and secondary school age, which was first broadcast on CBBC and subsequently BBC One.-Main characters:...
.
Thompson rose to further prominence when he was cast as teenager Ryan Connor in Coronation Street in 2006. As part of the longstanding series, he has been involved in storylines that have dealt with varying topics, including family life, death and coming of age
Coming of age
Coming of age is a young person's transition from childhood to adulthood. The age at which this transition takes place varies in society, as does the nature of the transition. It can be a simple legal convention or can be part of a ritual, as practiced by many societies...
. In addition to his career as an actor, Thompson is also an amateur musician. He is a member of the Rusholme Ruffians, an indie group who are largely influenced by established Manchester bands.
Youth and early career
Ben Thompson was raised in RadcliffeRadcliffe, Greater Manchester
Radcliffe is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on undulating ground in the Irwell Valley, along the course of the River Irwell, south-west of Bury and north-northwest of Manchester. Radcliffe is contiguous with the town of Whitefield to the...
, a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Bury
Metropolitan Borough of Bury
The Metropolitan Borough of Bury is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, in North West England. Lying to the north of the City of Manchester, the borough is composed of six towns: Bury, Ramsbottom, Tottington, Radcliffe, Whitefield and Prestwich, and has a population of 181,900...
, in Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
, England. He was trained in acting from the age of eight at the Carol Godby Theatre Workshop in Bury
Bury
Bury is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the River Irwell, east of Bolton, west-southwest of Rochdale, and north-northwest of the city of Manchester...
. For five years, Thompson was educated at nearby Radcliffe Riverside High School. He later reflected that he enjoyed his time at school, interacted well with his teachers and "never went into one lesson where there wasn't [something] interesting to do".
In 2002, Thompson starred alongside John Lynch
John Lynch (actor)
John Lynch is an Irish actor from Northern Ireland.-Biography:John Lynch was born in the United Kingdom and moved to his father's native home in Corrinshego, County Armagh, near Newry, County Down in Northern Ireland as a child. He attended St Colman's College, Newry, a Catholic school...
, Geraldine Somerville
Geraldine Somerville
Geraldine Margaret Agnew-Somerville is a British actress best known for her roles as Detective Sergeant Jane "Panhandle" Penhaligon in Cracker, and Lily Potter in the Harry Potter film series.-Early life:...
, Lauren Cook and John Thomson in the Jim Doyle-directed film Re-Inventing Eddie. The movie is about a man named Eddie (Lynch), who is hounded by social services and branded a paedophile after an innocent bathtime game with his children is taken out of context. About two years later and shortly before entering teenagehood, Thompson successfully auditioned to feature in the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
children's comedy programme Stupid!
Stupid!
Stupid! was a British television comedy sketch show aimed at children of primary and secondary school age, which was first broadcast on CBBC and subsequently BBC One.-Main characters:...
. Out of around 400 hopeful youngsters, he was one of only a few to be selected to appear in the show. Prior to Stupid!s launch on the CBBC
CBBC
CBBC is one of two brand names used for the BBC's children's television strands. Between 1985 and 2002, CBBC was the name given to all the BBC's programmes on TV for children aged under 14...
channel in 2004, Thompson commented, "When I first started going to auditions I was quite nervous but now I just get on with it. I go to quite a few and it gets easier."
Coronation Street
Thompson auditioned in 2006 for the role of Cameron McIntyre in the long-standing British soap opera Coronation StreetCoronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
. The part would have had him be on-screen friends with Chesney Brown
Chesney Brown
Chesney Brown is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by actor Sam Aston, the character first appeared onscreen during the episode airing on 14 November 2003....
, played by Sam Aston
Sam Aston
Samuel David "Sam" Aston is an English child actor, best known for having played, since 2003, the role of Chesney Battersby-Brown on Britain's longest running soap opera, Coronation Street...
, who Thompson already knew from the Carol Godby Theatre Workshop. Producers for Coronation Street, however, were so impressed by Thompson that they asked him to audition for a different role. His try-out was successful and he was given a six-month contract, along with the option to extend it for up to a year. He was cast as Ryan Connor
Ryan Connor
Ryan Connor is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by actor Ben Thompson, the character first appeared onscreen during the episode airing on 30 August 2006...
, a boy who moves to Weatherfield
Weatherfield
Weatherfield is a fictional town, based on Salford in North West England, which serves as the setting for the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street...
—the fictional Greater Manchester setting of Coronation Street—with his mother, Michelle
Michelle Connor
Michelle Sinéad Connor is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by actress Kym Marsh, the character first appeared onscreen during the episode airing on 3 April 2006...
(played by actress and former Hear’Say
Hear’Say
Hear'Say were a British manufactured pop group created in February 2001 from the winners of Popstars, an ITV reality TV show based on a New Zealand show of the same name. They enjoyed huge success with their debut single "Pure and Simple", helped by the publicity surrounding Popstars, the first of...
band member Kym Marsh
Kym Marsh
Kimberley Gail Marsh is an English actress and singer.- Early life :Marsh was born in Wigan, Greater Manchester and raised in Garswood, in the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens, Merseyside...
), and her brothers, Liam
Liam Connor
Liam Barrington Connor is a fictional character from the British ITV1 soap opera Coronation Street, played by Rob James-Collier from 2006 to 2008.-Creation:...
(Rob James-Collier
Rob James-Collier
Robert James-Collier is a British actor and model. He is known for his roles as Liam Connor in Coronation Street and as Thomas on Downton Abbey.- Background :James-Collier was born in Stockport, Greater Manchester...
) and Paul (Sean Gallagher). The Bolton News
The Bolton News
The Bolton News - formerly the Bolton Evening News - is a daily newspaper covering the towns of Bolton and Bury in north-western England...
reported that Thompson would spend between one and two days in front of the camera, and that he would be given an on-set tutor to help complete his school work.
Cobblestone
Cobblestones are stones that were frequently used in the pavement of early streets. "Cobblestone" is derived from the very old English word "cob", which had a wide range of meanings, one of which was "rounded lump" with overtones of large size...
street in August 2006, Thompson commented, "I can't say too much about Ryan and the story lines, but he's very mischievous. The character is not a bad lad, but he's not a good lad either." Garth Philips, series producer, said at the time, "We held extensive casting sessions to get this family right, and the energy that Sean, Rob, Kym and Ben have will certainly make them a joy to watch on screen." He continued, "They're a twenty-first century Coronation Street family, and we hope our viewers will be as enthralled and excited by them as we are."
Within his first year on Coronation Street, Thompson had acted out scenes that involved his character stealing a car, graffiting the wall of the local newsagents, and discovering that his mother's fiancée was having a gay affair with her male best friend. Still impressed with Thompson's acting ability, producers of the series had his contract extended to 2009. Reflecting on his first year in the soap, Thompson said: "It's been a really strange year and a lot of things have happened. It's been absolutely brilliant. The filming is everything that I could have wanted it to be. It's fantastic and I enjoy it more than anything." He added: "My favourite story lines so far have been doing the graffiti and stealing the car. I really enjoyed filming those two."
In 2009, opposite Sacha Parkinson
Sacha Parkinson
Sacha Louise Parkinson is a British actress best known for playing Sian Powers in the ITV1 soap opera Coronation Street from January 2009 onwards. Her character will leave the show in January 2012.-Career:...
, who plays Sian Powers
Sian Powers
Sian Powers is a fictional character on the UK soap opera Coronation Street, portrayed by actress Sacha Parkinson. Sian was introduced as a love interest for Sophie Webster . Sian joined the cast of Coronation Street alongside Ben Richardson in early 2009 as Sophie's schoolmates...
, Thompson filmed his first screen kiss. He said of the experience, "It was bizarre because Sacha had done one before and I hadn't. I knew the line I had to say and then kiss her. I knew it every time, and every time I said it I was shaking." He continued, "Oh it was dreadful. I mean I don't get nervous when I go on stage or anything like that, but it was just bizarre. It was one of those things that I got really nervous about." The on-screen romance was part of a controversial New Year's Eve storyline which featured the two characters attempting to see in 2010 by losing their virginities, only to be discovered by Ryan's adoptive mother Michelle.
Private life and interests
Thompson has a keen interest in music and has played the guitar for several years. He often takes the instrument to work with him, as a means of occupying himself during takes. The actor is part of a group: the Rusholme Ruffians, formed by himself and two of his fellow schoolmates while they were still at Radcliffe Riverside High. The Rusholme Ruffians have performed at venues throughout the UK and the band's set list includes their own material, as well as songs by home-town influences such as MorrisseyMorrissey
Steven Patrick Morrissey , known as Morrissey, is an English singer and lyricist. He rose to prominence in the 1980s as the lyricist and vocalist of the alternative rock band The Smiths. The band was highly successful in the United Kingdom but broke up in 1987, and Morrissey began a solo career,...
, The Smiths
The Smiths
The Smiths were an English alternative rock band, formed in Manchester in 1982. Based on the song writing partnership of Morrissey and Johnny Marr , the band also included Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce...
, Oasis
Oasis (band)
Oasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...
, James
James (band)
James are a British rock band from Manchester, England. They formed in 1982 and were active throughout the 1980s, but most successful during the 1990s. Their hit singles include "Come Home", "Sit Down", and "She's a Star" as well as their American College Radio hit "Laid"...
and The Stone Roses
The Stone Roses
The Stone Roses are an English alternative rock band formed in Manchester in 1983. They were one of the pioneering groups of the Madchester movement that was active during the late 1980s and early 1990s...
. Thompson has expressed an interest in getting into the music industry later in life.
He attended Holy Cross College in Bury, which he left after a year due to filming committments. It was there he striked up a relationship with fellow student Emily Nellist.
Ben is currently reading Economics at the University of East Anglia, however, he is still actively pursuing a career in the music industry.
Filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 2002 | Re-inventing Eddie | Billy Harris | |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2005 | 10:96: Training Night | Lee | |
| 2006 | The Girls Who Came to Stay | Footballer | |
| Coronation Street Coronation Street Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960... |
Ryan Connor | 2006–2010 | |
External links
- Ben Thompson at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...