{{Short description|Northern Irish actor (born 1959)}} {{about|the actor|the Scottish nurseryman|Charles Lawson (nurseryman)|the criminal|Charlie Lawson}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}} {{Infobox person | name = Charles Lawson | image = | birth_name = {{nowrap|Quintin Charles Devenish Lawson}} | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=y|1959|9|17}} | birth_place = [[Enniskillen]], [[County Fermanagh]], Northern Ireland | occupation = [[Actor]] | television = [[Jim McDonald (Coronation Street)|Jim McDonald]] in ''[[Coronation Street]]'' | years_active = 1981–present }}
'''Quintin Charles Devenish Lawson''' (born 17 September 1959) is an actor from [[Northern Ireland]]. He is best known for playing [[Jim McDonald (Coronation Street)|Jim McDonald]] on the long running [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]] [[soap opera]] ''[[Coronation Street]]''.
==Early life and education== Charlie Lawson was born in September 1959<ref>{{cite book|title=The Campbell College Register 1894–1999|year=1999|publisher=Campbell College|location=Belfast|pages=1–568}}</ref>{{clarify|date=March 2026|reason=I doubt that the page rage of 568 is required to give his birth date, need a specific page that gives the informtion}} in [[Enniskillen]], [[County Fermanagh]], [[Northern Ireland]], the son of Quintin Lawson, a businessman from [[County Tyrone]], and his wife, Muriel (''[[née]]'' Glennie), from County Fermanagh.<ref name="Quintin"> 'Mr. Quintin Lawson' (''[[The Impartial Reporter]]'', 4 February 2010). https://www.impartialreporter.com/news/13852178.mr-quintin-lawson/</ref> Quintin was from Ardnafin in [[Strabane]], West Tyrone, and was himself the son of Quintin Young Lawson, [[Order of the British Empire|MBE]], a prominent businessman in Strabane.<ref name="Marriage"> ''[[News Letter|The Belfast News Letter]]'', Monday, 29 March 1954.</ref><ref> [[1948 Birthday Honours#United Kingdom and British Empire|The King's Birthday Honours List]] for Northern Ireland, ''[[The Belfast Gazette]]'', Friday, 11 June 1948 (Number 1,407). [[Office of Public Sector Information|HMSO]], [[Belfast]].</ref> The younger Quintin, Charlie's father, had served as a pilot with the [[Royal Air Force]] (RAF) in [[British rule in Burma|Burma]] during the latter stages of the [[Burma campaign|Burma Campaign]] in the [[Second World War]], attaining the [[RAF officer ranks|rank]] of [[flight lieutenant]].<ref name="Quintin"/><ref name="World War"> 'Charlie Lawson: Fermanagh actor opens up about late father' (''[[The Impartial Reporter]]'', 26 March 2024). https://www.impartialreporter.com/news/24212373.fermanagh-corrie-star-tells-familys-military-history/</ref> He moved to Enniskillen around 1948 to work at the then new Taylor-Woods factory, where he was soon promoted into management.<ref name="Quintin"/> Quintin eventually became the general manager of the factory, which was located at Derrychara in Enniskillen.<ref name="Quintin"/> Muriel Glennie, who married Quintin at Rossorry [[Church of Ireland]] Church on the outskirts of Enniskillen on 6 March 1954, was from Rossorry Terrace in Enniskillen.<ref name="Quintin"/><ref name="Marriage"/> Upon their marriage, Quintin and Muriel settled at Derryinch, a [[townland]] on the northern edge of Enniskillen, where they raised their two children: a daughter, Mary, and a son, Charles (Charlie).<ref name="Quintin"/><ref name="Townlands 1"> Townlands.ie: Derryinch Townland, Co. Fermanagh. https://www.townlands.ie/fermanagh/tirkennedy/trory/enniskillen/derryinch/</ref> Derryinch townland is directly opposite [[Devenish Island]], the townland being directly south of the island.<ref name="Townlands 1"/> Quintin and Muriel later moved to [[Scotland]] in the mid- to late 1970s, where they spent the rest of their lives, eventually settling in [[Dumfries and Galloway]] in the south-west of Scotland.<ref name="Quintin"/>
Charlie was raised in a [[Ulster Protestants|Protestant]] family, and was educated at [[Campbell College]], a [[Grammar School|grammar school]] in [[Belfast]], where he was a boarder. His father, Quintin Lawson, had also attended Campbell College.<ref name="World War"/> Charlie then trained as an actor at the [[Guildhall School of Music and Drama]] in [[London]], where a classmate and good friend of his was fellow Enniskillen native [[Adrian Dunbar]], who Lawson has said was the first [[Irish Catholics|Catholic]] he had ever met.<ref name="Little">{{cite news|url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/corrie-actor-charlie-lawson-i-probably-did-hate-catholics-30756109.html|title=Corrie actor Charlie Lawson: I probably did hate Catholics|work=[[Belfast Telegraph]]|first=Ivan|last=Little|date=18 November 2014|access-date=16 January 2023}}</ref>
==Career== Lawson has appeared in three films and in at least twenty television productions. He was [[Jim McDonald (Coronation Street)|Jim McDonald]] (who is originally from [[Belfast]]) in the ITV television soap opera ''[[Coronation Street]]''. He first appeared as Jim in 1989 and remained a regular character for the next 11 years, with sporadic appearances since then.
His other television work includes appearing as Seamus Duffryn in the 1982 [[Yorkshire Television]] [[Thriller (genre)|thriller]] [[miniseries]] ''[[Harry's Game]]'' (also known as ''Belfast Assassin''), and as one of the main characters, Billy, in [[Mike Leigh]]'s television film ''[[Four Days in July]]'', both based on [[The Troubles]] in Northern Ireland. He played Trigg in the 1989 television film ''[[The Firm (1989 film)|The Firm]]''. He has also appeared in various other television series including ''[[Doctors (2000 TV series)|Doctors]]'' (twenty-four episodes), ''[[Bread (TV series)|Bread]]'' (eleven episodes), ''[[The Bill]]'' (three episodes) and ''[[Rosemary & Thyme]]'' (one episode).
In 2000, Lawson made a programme for ITV Granada, ''Passion for Peace'', which followed him back to Northern Ireland and reported on the creation of the Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Peace Centre in [[Warrington]].
In 2005, Lawson appeared in the TV documentary ''Titanic: Birth of a Legend''.
In 2009, Lawson appeared alongside an eight-foot [[hot dog|Frankfurter]] [[sausage]] in a German television commercial, advertising [[hot dogs]]. His [[Overdubbing|overdubbed]] [[catchphrase]] in the commercial is ''Betrachten Sie die Größe meiner Wurst!'' (English: "Look at the size of my sausage!").{{CN|date=June 2023}}
In 2010, Lawson revealed that he would be returning to ''Coronation Street'' for its fiftieth anniversary celebrations. He speculated that bosses may be planning to kill his character off, however, this never happened.<ref>[http://primetime.unrealitytv.co.uk/charles-lawson-jim-mcdonald-to-return-to-coronation-street/ Charles Lawson (Jim McDonald) to return to Coronation Street] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101109041428/http://primetime.unrealitytv.co.uk/charles-lawson-jim-mcdonald-to-return-to-coronation-street/ |date=9 November 2010 }}</ref> He stayed until April 2011. Lawson then returned for a three-month stint on the soap between August and November 2014. His brief return coincided with the imprisonment of [[Peter Barlow (Coronation Street)|Peter Barlow]] ([[Chris Gascoyne]]) after he was wrongly accused of murdering [[Tina McIntyre]].
In 2015, Lawson made a guest appearance in an episode of the Comedy Central sitcom [[Brotherhood (UK TV series)|''Brotherhood'']] as the father of the three main characters. He also appeared as Doctor Black in the 2016 BBC drama ''[[My Mother and Other Strangers]]''.
Lawson returned to ''Coronation Street'' in September 2018 with his supposed deceased daughter from his relationship with Liz.
Jim McDonald was killed off off screen in 2026, Steve was contacted by Jim's ex and told that Jim has died of pneumonia. Lawson approved of the decision.
==Filmography== ;Television {| class="wikitable" |- style="background:#b0c4de; text-align:center;" ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Note(s) |- | 1982 | ''[[Harry's Game]]'' | Seamus Duffryn | 3 Episodes |- | 1982 | ''[[Joyce in June]]'' | Dossie Wright/Maxwell Cox | Television film |- | 1983 |''Crown Court'' | Sandy Watson | 1 Episode |- | 1984 | ''[[Four Days in July]]'' | Billy | Television film |- | 1985 | ''[[Hitler's S.S.: Portrait in Evil]]'' | S.S. Man | Television film |- | 1985 | ''[[Up the Elephant and Round the Castle]]'' | Military Police Corporal | 1 episode |- | 1986 | ''[[Boon (TV series)|Boon]]'' | Niall Mahoney | 1 episode |- |1986 |''[[The Monocled Mutineer]]'' | Featured | Miniseries; 1 episode |- | 1986-1989 | ''[[Bread (TV series)|Bread]]'' | Yizzel | 11 Episodes |- | 1987 | ''[[Up Line]]'' | Tommy Burns | Miniseries; 3 episodes |- | 1989 | ''[[Screen Two]]'' | Cranham | 1 episode |- |1989, 2002 | ''[[The Bill]]'' | D.S. Picton/ Alan McCourt |3 episodes; 1 as Picton and 2 as McCourt |- |1989–2000, 2003–2005, 2007–2011, 2014, 2018 |''[[Coronation Street]]'' | [[Jim McDonald (Coronation Street)|Jim McDonald]] | 1168 episodes |- | 1989 |''[[The Firm (1989 film)|The Firm]]'' | Trigg | Television Film |- | 1990 | ''4 Play'' | Joseph | 1 episode |- | 2003 | ''In Deep'' | Mike Marshall | 2 episodes |- | 2003 | ''[[Holby City]]'' | Brian Taylor | 2 episodes |- |2003–2012 |''[[Doctor (title)|Doctors]]'' | Gary Davies/ Bill McQueen | 25 episodes |- | 2004 | ''[[Dalziel and Pascoe]]'' | Charles Stubbs | 2 episodes |- | 2005 |''Titanic: Birth of a Legend'' | Alexander Carlisle | Television film |- | 2006 | ''[[Rosemary & Thyme]]'' | Bingham | 1 episode |- | 2006 |''Casualty'' | Stan Drinkwater | 1 episode |- | 2015 | [[Brotherhood (UK TV series)|''Brotherhood'']] | Aidan Barrett | 1 episode |- | 2016 | ''[[My Mother and Other Strangers]]'' | Doctor Black | 2 episodes |- | 2018 | ''[[Dark Heart (TV series)|Dark Heart]]'' | Father Connolly | 2 episodes |- |}
==Personal life== Lawson has been married three times, and has a daughter, Laura, from his first marriage to Suzie, which ended in divorce in 1994. His second marriage was to the makeup artist Lesley Bond, who died from hypothermia following a fall in 2010 sometime after they separated.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/coronation-street-legend-speaks-wifes-16380148 | title=Coronation Street legend speaks of wife's 'horrible' death | date=5 June 2019 }}</ref> He lives in [[Prestbury, Cheshire|Prestbury]] in [[Cheshire]] with his third wife, Debbie Stanley,<ref> 'Me and my health: Charlie Lawson on his lifestyle' (''[[Belfast Telegraph|The Belfast Telegraph]]'', 29 October 2019). https://m.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/entertainment/me-and-my-health-charlie-lawson-on-his-lifestyle/38639395.html</ref><ref> 'Charlie Lawson discusses his memoir, That's Life, So It Is, which charts his highs and lows, including abuse from his ex-wife which left him suicidal' (''[[News Letter]]'', 25 October 2024). https://www.newsletter.co.uk/charlie-lawson-discusses-his-memoir-thats-life-so-it-is-which-charts-his-highs-and-lows-including-abuse-from-his-ex-wife-which-left-him-suicidal-4840934</ref> having previously lived with her in [[Chester]] for a number of years.
Lawson is an [[Unionism in Ireland|Ulster Unionist]].<ref name="Little"/> In a 2008 programme, he admitted to supporting the actions of loyalist paramilitaries during the [[Ulster Workers' Council strike|Ulster Workers' strike in 1974]].<ref>[http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sunday-life/i-was-so-fascinated-by-the-loyalist-gangs-so-i-was-14016631.html "Coronation Street hardman Lawson was fascinated by Loyalist gangs"] ''Belfast Telegraph'' 26 October 2008 Retrieved 2 September 2012</ref>
On 8 October 2018, while portraying Inspector [[John Rebus]] in the play ''[[Rebus: Long Shadows]]'' in [[Edinburgh]], Lawson suffered a minor stroke on stage, but recovered shortly afterwards. He claims the stroke left him with hearing and walking difficulties. He said, "I feel lucky to be alive, I was so scared I couldn't stop crying".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-46030712|title=Charles Lawson: 'Exhausted' actor had mini-stroke on stage|website=[[BBC]] News|date=30 October 2018|access-date=21 October 2019}}</ref> He was subsequently replaced in the role by [[Ron Donachie]].
==Notes== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{IMDb name|0493176}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Lawson, Charles}} [[Category:1959 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:People from Enniskillen]] [[Category:Protestants from Northern Ireland]] [[Category:People educated at Campbell College]] [[Category:Alumni of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama]] [[Category:Actors from County Fermanagh]] [[Category:Male stage actors from Northern Ireland]] [[Category:Male film actors from Northern Ireland]] [[Category:Male soap opera actors from Northern Ireland]] [[Category:Male television actors from Northern Ireland]] [[Category:20th-century male actors from Northern Ireland]] [[Category:21st-century male actors from Northern Ireland]]