Ashley Artus
Ashley David Artus is an English film, television and theatre actor.
Artus' stage work includes Sir Trevor Nunn's Skellig playing multiple characters but mainly as Coot at The Young Vic; Emcee in Cabaret, for which he received a Manchester Evening News Theatre Awards Best Actor nomination; as Robbie in the 1996 Royal Court production of Shopping and Fucking, a play by Mark Ravenhill; in Romeo and Juliet, directed by Neil Bartlett; with Sir Alan Bates at Chichester Festival Theatre in the world premiere of Fortune's Fool; in A Taste of Honey; and as Thenardier in Sir Cameron Mackintosh’s new production of Les Misérables.
He has starred in the TV series Casualty series, which is the longest-running emergency medical drama television series in the world, playing Detective Inspector Berkeley, and also in Holby City, In Deep, Vexed and SunTrap .
His first movie was a small role in Judge Dredd with Sylvester Stallone, playing Squatter 1. Then The Wisdom of Crocodiles starring as the Gang Leader opposite Jude Law. More recently he appeared as a “Death Eater” Walden McNair in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire which is the third highest-grossing film series to date.
Other screen roles include: Wide-Eyed and Legless alongside Dame Julie Walters, and Jim Broadbent playing Mr Marchmont in Mike Leigh's Topsy-Turvy which went on to win 2 Oscar's, a BAFTA & several other awards including the Best Film Award at the Evening Standard British Film Awards. Also starred as Mick Foot in Kiss Kiss .
More recent work includes starring as Thenardier in the 25th Anniversary production of Les Miserables , then as Thenardier in at the O2 arena, and then as the Pawn Broker in the 2012 film version of Les Misérables directed by Tom Hooper and starring Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe & Anne Hathaway. Artus is also appearing in the BBC's six-part series production of Les Misérables . Due to air at the end of December 2018, starring Dominic West, Olivia Colman, Sir Derek Jacobi, Adeel Akhtar & David Oyelowo. Les Misérables
Early life
Ashley Artus was born in Newcastle upon Tyne, North East England. His mother, a nurse from a Northumbrian mining colliery family, and his father a doctor from the Middle East. His parents met at medical school. The eldest of four children, one brother and two sisters. His mother and father parted when Ashley was just one year old. Artus was raised jointly by his single mother and a local convent. Latterly raised by his step-father, his mother, and both grandparents on his mother's side. His mother's father from Northumbrian gentry. Artus won best baby photo in the Newcastle Journal in his first year.Artus knew very early on from the about the age of 5 that he wanted to be an actor, after taking part in Scottish dancing classes. During Primary school the teachers singled him out for public speaking and the ITV young TV newsreaders competition. He went through school happily and achieved 5 “O” levels and 3 “A” levels. Studied film, palaeontology, herpetology and art privately. While studying his A-levels at Tertiary college he put together his own theatre company and played Dracula in the play “Dracula” at age 17 and was awarded the Rotary Prize for Dramatic Art by Derwentside College, Durham.
Before leaving Derwentside College, Artus applied for drama school; RADA – and the Guildford School of Acting & Dance. He was subsequently offered a place at GSA, where he won a prize for his choreography and the School Cup for Best Actor.
He then auditioned for a grant from Newcastle, Northumberland and Durham Councils. Durham City Council subsequently gave him a grant and paid for his drama school training along with his grandmother from 1989-1992.
He left drama school in 1992 and was signed in his final year by the agent Patricia Marmont. Pieter Rogers a talent scout for Pat Marmont caught him in his final performance and introduced him to her.
Career
After signing with Marmont Management in 1992 professional roles followed; was cast as Barry Kent & Nigel in The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13¾ at the Sheffield Crucible, then as the Scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz at Cheltenham Everyman – stealing the show and winning every review. Artus then got his first break in TV playing Nick's Best Man in the BBC Screen One series Wide-Eyed and Legless with Dame Julie Walters and Jim Broadbent – released in the US as “The Wedding Gift”.Movie roles followed playing Squatter One in Judge Dredd with Sylvester Stallone, as Mick Foot in Kiss Kiss with Chris Penn,, Stellan Skarsgard and Gina Yashere, Lighthouse Hill' where he played Julian the hippy with Frank Finlay playing his father, HBO’sTales from the Crypt with Alun Armstrong and Eddie Izzard, Henry IV for BBC’s Screen One, as Launcelot in a The Merchant of Venice for Tetra TV with Paul McGann. A comedy series as Tristan Shout one of the resident ghosts, 5 series of the children's programme Numbertime for the BBC, playing Glimmer the robot.
In 2002, Artus won the craft Best Actor Award for the Award-winning Reebok global TV & cinema advertising campaign Escape the Sofa.
Shopping and Fucking the controversial play dealing with modern day gay culture by Mark Ravenhill which started at the Royal Court Theatre and then went onto tour, Mike Leigh's Oscar-winning film Topsy-Turvy which won an Oscar, a BAFTA & several other awards, Emcee in Cabaret where Artus was nominated for the Manchester Evening News Theatre Awards for Best Actor. Last Tango for Granada TV, Manchester as part of their new “Voices” series.
Global commercials for cinema followed, then Midsomer Murders for ITV with show regulars John Nettles, and Jason Hughes, the BAFTA award-winning A Touch of Frost Episode "Endangered Species" with Sir David Jason, then at the Chichester Festival Theatre playing Pyotr in Fortune's Fool opposite Sir Alan Bates and Desmond Barrit, which then toured.
Played Launce in the stage play The Two Gentlemen of Verona another Shakespeare, for the Northcott Theatre in Exeter to huge critical acclaim with Kane the grey lurcher dog.
His younger brother Daniel then committed suicide at age 24 and he is now passionate about roles addressing homelessness, mental health, comedy, addiction and suicide.
In 2012 Artus played the lead – Jonathon Priestley - in Film4’s Flytopia, a fantasy thriller based on Will Self’s story from “Tough, Tough Toys for Tough, Tough Boys”. The screenplay adapted & directed by Karni Arieli & Saul Freed. Produced by Alison Sterling, commissioned by Film4, involving Ignition Films, South West Screen, Stink Productions & Sulkybunny.
Sir Cameron Mackintosh then offered him the role of “Thenardier” in Les Miserables the 25th Anniversary new production World Tour which he accepted. The 25th new production, revamped, re-invented, new staging, new orchestrations and included a 12 week rehearsal process. The production went on an International tour & towards the end of the tour performing in Paris where it received an unheard of 20 minute standing ovation.
Artus plays Thenardier on the live cast recording, Les Misérables Live, which was recorded in Manchester and released as a double album in September 2010 on the label First Night Records then the O2 concert. He played the Pawn Broker in the 2012 movie musical version Les Misérables with Anne Hathaway, who won an Oscar for her role in the film, alongside Russell Crowe, Hugh Jackman & Helena Bonham-Carter.
After “Les Miserables” finished its run, Sir Cameron Mackintosh then asked Artus to play Mr. Sowerberry in the number one tour of Oliver! Which started at the Wales Millennium Centre and the toured the country.
In 2015 Ashley’s youngest sister Wendy died suddenly aged 38. Ashley went into depression for a short while and used that to film SunTrap for the BBC with Kayvan Novak, Keith Allen, Bradley Walsh and Emma Pierson and the BBCs The Dumping Ground to critical acclaim. It was here that he began charity work and voicing the importance of mental health issues.
More recently he has finished filming the BBC’s six-part period drama adaptation of the original Victor Hugo novel Les Misérables '' for worldwide release and due to air at the end of December 2018, starring Dominic West, Olivia Colman, BAFTA award-winning Sir Derek Jacobi CBE, Adeel Akhtar & David Oyelowo.
Theatre
Artus was cast as Barry Kent and Nigel in The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13¾ at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield in. Further roles followed; as “Coot” in Sir Trevor Nunn's Skellig at The Young Vic, London alongside David Threlfall and Kevin Wathen, “Emcee” in the musical Cabaret at the Octagon Theatre, Bolton. Robbie in Shopping and Fucking the controversial play by Mark Ravenhill which started at the Royal Court Theatre and then went on tour. Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre, London, and A Taste of Honey at the Watford Palace Theatre. Tulsa in Gypsy with Sheila Hancock and Michael Cashman, and also in Fortune's Fool which had its world premiere at the Chichester Festival Theatre, alongside Sir Alan Bates and Desmond Barrit. Another Shakespeare play as Launce in The Two Gentlemen of Verona.Television
Artus started his television career in 1993 with the BBC's Screen One series Wide-Eyed and Legless as Nick's Best Man with Dame Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent, Thora Hird, Moya Brady & Andrew Lancel, written by Jack Rosenthal.He went on to star in, Bodger & Badger a children's TV series, Tales from the Crypt for HBO, an anthology horror series, with Alun Armstrong, Eddie Izzard & Ciarán Hinds. Shakespeare’s Henry IV for the BBC with Paul Eddington, Corin Redgrave and Jane Horrocks, then as Launcelot in The Merchant of Venice for Tetra TV with Paul McGann. Midsomer Murders, “Polterguests” a children's TV series, The Queen's Nose . The thriller In Deep with Stephen Tompkinson & Nick Berry, The Ten Commandments with Omar Sharif, he has appeared in Holby City twice as different characters, A Touch of Frost Episode: "Endangered Species" with Sir David Jason, “The Bill”, Vexed with Lucy Punch and Toby Stephens, semi-regular in Casualty starring as Detective Inspector Berkeley in several episodes for the BBC between 2009-2011, “Borgia ” the TV series created by Tom Fontana for Netflix and Canal+ , SunTrap starring alongside Kayvan Novak, Bradley Walsh, Emma Pierson, Michelle Collins, Keith Allen & Tracy Ann Oberman. The Dumping Ground , and the BBC's six-part drama production of the original Victor Hugo novel “Les Miserables” starring BAFTA winners, Dominic West, Olivia Colman, Sir Derek Jacobi CBE, Adeel Akhtar & David Oyelowo.
Film
Artus made his film debut in Judge Dredd where he played Squatter 1, with Sylvester Stallone, Armand Assante, Rob Schneider & Max von Sydow.He was then cast as Launcelot in The Merchant of Venice in 1996, as the Vampire Gang Leader starring opposite Jude Law in "Immortality” The Wisdom of Crocodiles in 1998. A year later as Mr Marchmont in Mike Leigh's film Topsy-Turvy which went on to win an Oscar, a BAFTA and several other awards. In 2001 Artus starred as Mick Foot in Kiss Kiss opposite Stellan Skarsgard and Paul Bettany.
In the same year was cast as the Junior Orderly in The Emperor's New Clothes directed by Alan Taylor, starring opposite Sir Ian Holm, Tim McInnerny, Hugh Bonneville & Russell Tovey, amongst others. Artus was then cast as Julian “the Hippy” in Lighthouse Hill alternative USA title “A Flight of Fancy” – a charming romantic comedy from director David Fairman co-starring Samantha Beckinsale and Frank Finlay.
In 2005 Artus was cast as Walden McNair. A “Death Eater" in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, where he played alongside Ralph Fiennes in the now famous Cemetery scene, where the “Death Eaters” appear in the cemetery summoned by Lord Voldemort. Artus spent his time when not filming, shadowing and watching Ralph Fiennes at work creating Lord Voldemort.
Artus has appeared in Attack of the Gryphon as Gerard, an action/fantasy film. He then went on to play Ricard in God on Trial opposite Sir Antony Sher, Stephen Dillane, Rupert Graves and Stellan Skarsgård in 2008. After researching the part in preparation to play Ricard, Artus dropped 3 stone in weight and refused to eat. Ashley said "It felt obscene to “act” this part. I had to feel and be hurt for it. It was the least I could do representing this horrific tragedy where no one could possibly understand the massacre of diversity or how those poor people felt”. Artus played the lead in his next film Flytopia for Film4.