Joe Caffrey
Encyclopedia
History
Caffrey was born in the shipbuilding town of WallsendWallsend
Wallsend is an area in North Tyneside, Tyne and Wear, England. Wallsend derives its name as the location of the end of Hadrian's Wall. It has a population of 42,842.-Romans:...
, Tyneside
Tyneside
Tyneside is a conurbation in North East England, defined by the Office of National Statistics, which is home to over 80% of the population of Tyne and Wear. It includes the city of Newcastle upon Tyne and the Metropolitan Boroughs of Gateshead, North Tyneside and South Tyneside — all settlements on...
. His father had worked at Swan Hunter's Shipyards and both of his grandfathers were miners. Joe's grandfather, Ned Murray, was an active Trade Unionist and Labour politician as well as a District and County Councilor.
Caffrey chose to become an actor and was trained for three years at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art is a leading British drama school in west London. LAMDA's president is Timothy West and its new principal is Joanna Read, who recently succeeded Peter James...
. In 1984-85 he was also a member of the a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
band, The Workey Tickets, who did several fund raising gigs, including a gig at The Albert Hall in London, for the striking miners and their families.
Caffrey first began performing theatre in London. He achieved West End stardom in Lee Hall
Lee Hall (playwright)
Lee Hall is an English playwright and screenwriter. He is best known for the 2000 film Billy Elliot.-Early life:...
's farce Cooking with Elvis
Cooking with Elvis
Cooking with Elvis is dark comedy by playwright Lee Hall which was first performed in 1999 in Edinburgh.The farce was adapted from a play the author wrote for the award winning BBC Radio God's Country series and premiered in 1999 in Edinburgh. It was also performed at the Edinburgh Festival in...
. He had also several TV appearances in ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
and 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...
productions and appeared in the Bridget Jones
Bridget Jones
Bridget Jones is a franchise based on the fictional character with the same name. English writer Helen Fielding started her Bridget Jones's Diary column in The Independent in 1995, chronicling the life of Bridget Jones as a thirtysomething single woman in London as she tries to make sense of life...
film, The Edge of Reason (2004).
He played Billy's older brother Tony in the original London cast of Billy Elliot the Musical
Billy Elliot the Musical
Billy Elliot the Musical is a musical based on the 2000 film Billy Elliot. The music is by Sir Elton John, and book and lyrics are by Lee Hall, who wrote the film's screenplay. The plot revolves around motherless Billy, who trades boxing gloves for ballet shoes...
and then returned to the show in December 2008, this time in the role of Jackie Elliot, Billy's father.
According to his own words, Caffrey is a huge fan of playwright Alan Plater
Alan Plater
Alan Frederick Plater, CBE, FRSL was an English playwright and screenwriter, who worked extensively in British television from the 1960s to the 2000s.-Career:...
. He says: "When you get a writer of Alan's calibre saying 'I'm going to write you a part in this' you think 'Christ almighty, most actors would bite your hand off for that kind of chance.'"
Caffrey also was connected to Live Theatre which is a small Theatre on Newcastles quayside. It has also created actors that now perform in The Pitmen Painters that has made it to Londons West End and even Broadway.
Career
Joe Caffrey's career began at the age of 22 after leaving the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA).Joe's TV and film credits include:
"Clay" (2008) BBC .... Dennis Hagen
"Doctors" BBC D.I. Matthew Squires (14 episodes, 2007)
- Shreds (2007) TV episode .... D.I. Matthew Squires
- Blind Drunk (2007) TV episode .... D.I. Matthew Squires
- Lonely Hearts (2007) TV episode .... D.I. Matthew Squires
- Invisible Touch (2007) TV episode .... D.I. Matthew Squires
- Second Helpings (2007) TV episode .... D.I. Matthew Squires
(9 more)
"Heartbeat" ITV Seth Mottram (1 episode, 2006)
- This Happy Breed
"The Bill" ITV Ben Perkins (14 episodes, 2004-2005)
- 375 (2005) TV episode .... Ben Perkins
- 374 (2005) TV episode .... Ben Perkins
- 371 (2005) TV episode .... Ben Perkins
- 352 (2005) TV episode .... Ben Perkins
- 326 (2005) TV episode .... Ben Perkins
(9 more)
"Distant Shores" ITV Maurice (1 episode, 2005)
"Byker Grove" BBC Paul / ... (10 episodes, 1990-1993 & 2004)
- Episode #16.15 (2004) TV episode .... Alan Besr
- Episode #16.13 (2004) TV episode .... Alan Best
- Episode #16.12 (2004) TV episode .... Alan Best
- Episode #16.9 (2004) TV episode .... Alan Best
- Episode #4.18 (1992) TV episode .... Paul
(5 more)
"Attachments" .... Matt (1 episode, 2000)
- Money Shot
The Last Musketeer (2000) ITV .... Joe Salter
"Holby City" .... Les (1 episode, 1999)
- Search for the Hero (1999) TV episode .... Les
"Badger" .... Chef (1 episode, 1999)
- It's a Jungle Out There (1999) TV episode .... Chef
"Colour Blind" (1998) TV mini-series .... Tony (unknown episodes)
... aka Catherine Cookson's Colour Blind (UK: complete title)
"Hetty Wainthropp Investigates" .... Jake Vincent (1 episode, 1997)
- Daughter of the Regiment (1997) TV episode .... Jake Vincent
"Soldier Soldier" ITV.... Fus Peter Shortland (1 episode, 1996)
- Beast
"Fighting for Gemma" ITV (1993) .... Russell
"Spender" .... Gene Hackett (1 episode, 1991)
- Double Jeopardy
Joe's film work includes:
"In Fading Light" Amber Films/Film 4 (1989) .... Yopper
"Women in Tropical Places" Film 4 (1989) .... Jerry
Joe has also been involved in writing and performing in some sketches for the charity event, 'Sunday for Sammy' in 2006, 2008 and 2010.
Theatre
- We the People (2007) by Eric SchlosserEric SchlosserEric Schlosser is an American journalist and author known for investigative journalism, such as in his books Fast Food Nation, Reefer Madness and Chew On This.- Personal History :...
- Shakespeare's GlobeShakespeare's GlobeShakespeare's Globe is a reconstruction of the Globe Theatre, an Elizabethan playhouse in the London Borough of Southwark, located on the south bank of the River Thames, but destroyed by fire in 1613, rebuilt 1614 then demolished in 1644. The modern reconstruction is an academic best guess, based...
- Gerry - Love's Labour's LostLove's Labour's LostLove's Labour's Lost is one of William Shakespeare's early comedies, believed to have been written in the mid-1590s, and first published in 1598.-Title:...
(2007) - Shakespeare's GlobeShakespeare's GlobeShakespeare's Globe is a reconstruction of the Globe Theatre, an Elizabethan playhouse in the London Borough of Southwark, located on the south bank of the River Thames, but destroyed by fire in 1613, rebuilt 1614 then demolished in 1644. The modern reconstruction is an academic best guess, based...
- Costard - Much Ado About NothingMuch Ado About NothingMuch Ado About Nothing is a comedy written by William Shakespeare about two pairs of lovers, Benedick and Beatrice, and Claudio and Hero....
(2011) - Shakespeare's GlobeShakespeare's GlobeShakespeare's Globe is a reconstruction of the Globe Theatre, an Elizabethan playhouse in the London Borough of Southwark, located on the south bank of the River Thames, but destroyed by fire in 1613, rebuilt 1614 then demolished in 1644. The modern reconstruction is an academic best guess, based...
- Borachio / Friar
In December 2008, Joe Caffrey rejoined the cast of Billy Elliot as Jackie Elliot, Billy's dad.