A History Of Liverpool Thespians - Paul Barber

Patrick Paul Barber was born on the 18th of March 1952 to Margaret and Samuel Kay Barber in Crown Street, Toxteth, Liverpool, the youngest of five children. He first went to Windsor Street School, but soon lost interest in lessons and frequently bunked off school. When his Middlesbrough born mother became seriously ill with TB, Paul was seven years old. Following her death from tuberculosis came the family's first experience of foster care in what Patrick describes as "a boarding house from hell" when he and his brother Brian and sister Claudy were then taken into care, first at Druid's Cross, Woolton. He recalls with understatement that his foster mother's behaviour was anything but motherly. In fact in his three foster homes, he had never been made to feel part of the family.. His father Samuel, a Sierra Leone Creole, had  died when Paul (or Paddy as he was then known) and his brothers Brian, Paul, Mike and sisters Claudette and Lorraine were very young. The Sydney House Hostel on Linnet Lane was his last experience of the care system and the most positive, as before that he had been abused both physically and mentally but notes that he has suffered like others, but channelled his emotions into acting. In 2007 he wrote his autobiography, 'Foster Kid: A Liverpudlian childhood', about his experiences of his brutal and traumatic upbringing in foster and care homes in Liverpool.

Only Fools and Horses

 

In his early teens he liked impersonating pop singers and did some bingo calling in North Wales before he and some friends started a group called 'Soul Motion'. When he was working at Lewis's Department store, he went along to support a friend at an audition for a musical at the Empire Theatre on Lime Street. His friend's audition was unsuccessful but Patrick ended up being offered the part playing Hud in the rock musical 'Hair'. As there was another Equity member named Patrick Barber, he adopted his confirmation name of Paul, thus becoming the actor Paul Barber. After 'Hair' came 'Jesus Christ Super Star' with Paul playing Caiaphas, followed by the role of Sam 'Lucky' Ubootu in the Liverpool-based 'Lucky' for Granada TV in 1974. He then played the flamboyant but vicious gang boss Malleson in the BBC cult Birmingham based series 'Gangsters' from 1975 to 1978 and then played Louis St John in 6 episodes of ' I Didn't Know You Cared' (1976-78), the comedy TV series about the life and times of the Brandon family followed by 3 episodes of Crown Court (1978). After this he featured in many TV productions such as 'Minder' (1980), 'Boys From the Blackstuff' (1982), 6 episodes of the comedy series 'The Front Line' (1982-85) playing Malcolm and 26 episodes of 'The Brothers McGregor' (1985-88) where he  played Wesley McGregor. It was as the easy-going lorry driver Denzil Tulser in 'Only Fools and Horses' (1983-2003) that he became a household name. In between he made many one-off appearances in numerous TV productions as well as in 11 episodes of the crime drama series 'Chancer' (1990), playing Gerald. In 1991, he played Earl Preston, a football coach, in the BBC Screen One television play, 'Alive and Kicking' and then three years later, appeared as ill-fated social worker Ian McVerry in an episode of 'Cracker' opposite Robbie Coltrane and Liam Cunningham. He also played Greg Salter in 'Brookside' (1994).

One Night in Istanbul

Following small roles in the big-screen version of 'Porridge' (1979) and 'The Long Good Friday' (1980), his most famous film role was playing one of the stripping steelworkers in the popular 1997 film 'The Full Monty'. In 2001 he played alongside 'Full Monty' co-star Robert Carlyle and Samuel L. Jackson in the Liverpool-based crime movie 'The 51st State'. In 2008, he had a small part in 'Coronation Street' playing a club owner, Nelson, an acquaintance of Vernon Tomlin. Other more recent films include 'Dead Man's Cards' (2006) and Terry Pratchett's 'Going Postal' (2010) playing a pin-fanatic shop owner. He also starred in 'White Van Man' (2012) as Hooky Pete. His next big role came in 'Home From Home' (2018) in which he appeared in the 2016 pilot episode and then in 5 episodes of the comedy series as Fieldhouse. In the 2014 film, 'One Night in Istanbul', he plays a cabbie who is down on his luck and with his friend, Tommy, strikes a deal with a local gangster that allows them to take their young sons to watch Liverpool FC play in the 2005 UEFA Champions League Final in Turkey. His last big role was in the comedy sitcom about young adulthood set in mid 90's London, 'Matchmakers' (2021).

Paul was awarded an Honorary Fellowship from Liverpool John Moores University in July 2011 for 'outstanding contribution to the performing arts'.

see also :- http://www.thefootballvoice.com/2024/01/a-history-of-liverpool-thespians-rita.html