After hitting the British TV screens for the first time in 1998, The Royle Family became one of the most successful shows. With a simple format focusing on a family gathering around a TV and having normal conversations, The Royle Family ran for three series from 1998 to 2000, along with many specials and spin-offs.
It has won several awards from BAFTA, catapulting the actors into stardom, such as Ricky Tomlinson, Sue Johnstone, Caroline Aherne, and Ralf Little. As it has been a decade since the show's cast reunited, let's take a look at the life and career of each and every actor in the show.
Born on September 26, 1939, Ricky Tomlinson is a multi-talented entertainer, who has a name in almost every field in Hollywood. He has experienced becoming an author, a musician, a politician, and an activist. However, he rose to stardom mostly by his acting skills.
Many of his famous roles are Bobby Grant in the soap opera BrookSide, Charlie Wise in Cracker, and especially the father Jim Royle in The Royle Family. After the success of this film, he appeared on Countdown as a fixed guest and most recently, established a travel program called Ricky and Ralf’s Very Northern Road Trip in 2020.
Born on February 8, 1980, Ralf Little once gave up his studies to become a doctor at the prestigious University of Manchester to pursue professional acting. Ralf rose to stardom by working as a television comedy actor, with his unforgettable role as Anthony in The Royle Family. The BBC star then performed on Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps, and Death in Paradise in 2020, whose success makes him one of the most famous British actors.
Since his rise to prominence in The Royle Family, in which Ralf was the youngest cast, the 32-year-old star has tried writing, presenting, and narrating as well. In May 2020, he teamed up with former co-star Ricky Tomlinson to present a six-part travel series titled Ricky & Ralf's Very Northern Road Trip for Gold.
The 2009 MBA winner, Liz Smith, was born on December 11, 1921. Smith got married to Jack Thomas in 1945 and had 2 children with him before they came to an end in 1959. The late actress is attached to a number of sitcoms on BBC, including I Didn't Know You Cared, 2point4 Children, The Vicar of Dible,
One of Smith's most notable roles was as Norma Jean Speakman in the series that everyone knows - The Royle Family. She also achieved the BAFTA Award for Best Actress for her great performance in a supporting role in A Private Function. Sadly, the veteran star died in 2016, 13 days after her 95th birthday.
Born on October 30, 1972, Jessica Hynes has been acting for nearly 30 years. Some notable TV shows that catapulted the actress into stardom include The Royle Family, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, and Paddington Two. Throughout her glorious career, Jessica has won several nominations and prizes such as the BAFTAs and British Comedy Awards.
At age 49, Jessica Hynes is still working hard to add more shows and films to her already impressive portfolio. Most recently in 2019, the actress starred in the BBC and HBO fiction drama titled Years and Years.
Doreen Keogh, born on April 10, 1924, was an Irish actress with a long journey in the acting industry. She did not only partake in films but also enjoyed acting on stage, on television sitcoms, and even on the radio. Her career started in 1948 with her first role on TV as Miss Fulton in Death at Newtownstewart. Many of her famous movies are The Whiteheaded Boy in 1951, Emergency Ward 10 in 1960, and of course, The Royle Family. She died on December 31, 2017, at the age of 93.
Born on June 25, 1981, Sheridan Smith has a glittering career in various fields, including TV, film, and theatre. Many of her most successful films are The Royle Family, Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps, Gavin & Stacey, and Benidorm. Thanks to her hard work, Smith has gained a multitude of awards such as the British Academy Television Award, a National Television Award and a BPG Award, and more.
Besides acting, Sheridan is also famous for her musical talent, having released 2 albums - Sheridan and A Northern Soul. Her most recent musical work was How Christmas Is Supposed To Be, a collaboration with Take That star Gary Barlow back in 2019.
Born on April 2, 1981, Andy Whyment rose to fame after appearing as Darren Sinclair-Jones in The Royle Family and as Kirk Sutherland in Coronation Street.
Since the two shows' success, Andy has mostly acted in opera soaps and received the 2003 British Opera Soap Award for Best Comedy Performance. His last memorable public appearance was in 2019 after he became runner-up in I'm A Celebrity, losing to Jacqueline Jossa.
Born on December 24, 1963, Caroline Aherne was a prominent actress with numerous talents, ranging from acting in different genres and presenting to performing and writing novels.
Aherne is widely known because of her roles in The Fast Show, Mrs. Merton, and especially as Denise in The Royle Family, to which she also contributed the writing part. Those two latter shows even helped her to win BAFTA awards. Sadly, the BAFTA winner passed away in 2016 after a lifelong battle with lung cancer.
English actress Sue Johnston was born on December 7, 1943. She rose to fame in the 1990s with various prominent roles, such as Sheila Grant in the Channel 4 soap opera Brookside, and Grace Foley in the BBC drama Waking the Dead.
Johnston became a household name in the entertainment industry after appearing on the BBC comedy The Royle Family in the role of Barbara Royle. After the success, she has investigated herself in soaps and won the title Best TV Comedy Actress in the 2000 British Comedy Award. At age 78, the veteran actress is leading a low-key life at a house in North London with one of her best friends.
A BAFTA award-winning writer and producer, Craig Cash was born on September 11, 1960. He excelled in a myriad of different jobs, including acting, narrating, directing, and writing. Cash's unique flair for writing was shown in the script of The Royle Family, in which he also acted as Dave Best and won the BAFTA prize. Other shows that he has joined included The Fast Show, The Mrs. Merton Show, Early Doors, and After Hours.
