Biography

Andrew Lancel (born Andrew Watkinson on 3 August 1970) is an English television and theatre actor, producer and director. He is best known for his appearance as Dr. Andrew Collin in Cardiac Arrest, his role as DI Neil Manson in The Bill and Frank Foster in the long-running ITV soap opera Coronation Street, as well as his acclaimed portrayal of Brian Epstein in the stage play Epstein – The Man Who Made The Beatles. Andrew Lancel was born on 3 August 1970 in Rufford, Lancashire. He started his acting career in local theatre and as a cabaret singer. In 1993, he appeared in the TV film Wide-Eyed and Legless with Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent and Thora Hird. He gained fame as the lead role in the ground breaking medical series Cardiac Arrest with Helen Baxendale. Since then, he has become a well-established theatre and television actor with a reputation for seeking controversial roles and projects. He was described as the most realistic doctor on TV and sporadically was TV's most hated man, after roles in City Central, Bad Girls and Queer as Folk.

He is best known for his role as DI Neil Manson in the long running ITV series The Bill, a role he played from 2003 until 2010, as well as the villainous Frank Foster in Coronation Street for which he won 'Villain of the Year' at the British Soap Awards.An accomplished singer for many years, Lancel has also performed his own one-man show and has sung in venues including the Sands in Blackpool and the Royal Albert Hall in London.

In addition to acting, Lancel runs his own production company and has produced and directed numerous productions. In 2008, Lancel became a patron of the Unity Theatre, Liverpool.Lancel is also a regular panellist on the Channel 5 TV show The Wright Stuff and also covers the Pete Price Radio Show.

Lancel is an avid supporter of Everton F.C. and was an original ambassador of Everton in the Community, he is also involved in the Everton Collection.

In summer 2010, he played a prison officer in an award-winning short film called Inside Run, directed by his former The Bill co-star Sam Callis which was shown at the BFI London Film Festival in October 2010. Of the film, Lancel said "it's a long way from Manson and a joy to be directed by Sam." He reunited with Callis for his next film, the award-winning short film Viking co-starring Sophie Thompson.His numerous stage appearances include Adam Snow in the Bill Kenwright produced production of the world premiere of The Small Hand in 2014, Juror 3 in Twelve Angry Men in 2015, and his acclaimed performance as Brian Epstein in Epstein – The Man Who Made The Beatles.

In 2015, Lancel portrayed Brian Clough in a stage production of The Damned United. More recently, Lancel yet again played Brian Epstein in the Bill Kenwright production of Cilla The Musical, touring the UK for fifteen months to critical acclaim.