Ray Ashcroft

{{Short description|English actor}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox person | name = Ray Ashcroft | birth_name = Raymond John Ashcroft | occupation = Actor }} '''Raymond John Ashcroft''' is an English actor. He is best known for his roles as DS [[Geoff Daly]] in ''[[The Bill]]'' from 1996 to 2000, and [[List of Emmerdale characters (2003)#Ronnie Marsden|Ronnie Marsden]] on ''[[Emmerdale]]'' from March to December 2003.

== Career == In the late 1970s Ashcroft was the frontman of The Push, a [[Sheffield]] band.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Thirty years since Sheffield's legendary Limit club closed its doors |url=https://www.thestar.co.uk/heritage-and-retro/retro/thirty-years-since-sheffields-legendary-limit-club-closed-its-doors-3105121 |access-date= |website=The Star|date=19 January 2021 }}</ref> He started acting in [[repertory theatre]] before working in television and film productions.

He played [[Ringo Starr]] in the [[biopic]] [[TV film]] ''[[Birth of the Beatles]]'' (1979),<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lifton |first=Dave|date=2019-11-23 |title=40 Years Ago: 'Birth of the Beatles' Is the Band's First Biopic |url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/birth-of-the-beatles-biopic/ |access-date=2024-01-10 |website=Ultimate Classic Rock}}</ref> and he has also appeared in various television productions including ''[[Coronation Street]]''.<ref name=":0" />

Ashcroft played DS [[Geoff Daly]] in ''[[The Bill]]'' from 1996 to 2000<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ray Ashcroft |url=https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/ray-ashcroft/3000048095/ |access-date=2024-01-10 |website=TVGuide.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=I was made to be hard-nosed cop; INTERVIEW Ray Ashcroft. - Free Online Library |url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/I+was+made+to+be+hard-nosed+cop;+INTERVIEW+Ray+Ashcroft.-a061313797 |access-date=2024-01-10 |website=www.thefreelibrary.com}}</ref> before portraying Ronnie Madsen in ''Emmerdale'' (2003).<ref>{{Cite web |title=My life as a love cheat; Rugged Emmerdale star Ray Ashcroft talks about the similarities between himself and the womanising soap character he plays. - Free Online Library |url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/My+life+as+a+love+cheat;+Rugged+Emmerdale+star+Ray+Ashcroft+talks...-a0101090965 |access-date=2024-01-10 |website=www.thefreelibrary.com}}</ref>

In 2018, he portrayed Tom Jackson, a Yorkshire miner, in the play ''On Behalf of The People''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sheffield TV star and city writer join forces to tell mining family story |url=https://www.thestar.co.uk/news/sheffield-tv-star-and-city-writer-join-forces-to-tell-mining-family-story-434975 |website=The Star|date=June 2018 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=admin |date=2018-06-04 |title=On Behalf of The People |url=https://socialistworker.co.uk/news/on-behalf-of-the-people/ |access-date=2024-01-10 |website=Socialist Worker}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=On Behalf Of The People - Ray Ashcroft (George Mason). Credit Tom Jackson |url=https://www.northernsoul.me.uk/theatre-review-on-behalf-of-the-people-burgess-foundation-manchester/on-behalf-of-the-people-ray-ashcroft-george-mason-credit-tom-jackson/ |access-date=2024-01-10 |website=Northern Soul}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=New play's tour launches in Derbyshire |url=https://www.derbyshiretimes.co.uk/arts-and-culture/new-plays-tour-launches-in-derbyshire-291712 |website=Derbyshire Times|date=20 May 2018 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Wood |first=Lizzie |date=2018-07-04 |title=Theatre Review: On Behalf of the People, Burgess Foundation, Manchester |url=https://www.northernsoul.me.uk/theatre-review-on-behalf-of-the-people-burgess-foundation-manchester/ |access-date=2024-01-10 |website=Northern Soul}}</ref>

In 2021, he played the lead role of Horace in the short film ''Mr Wong's Lullaby''.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-06-18 |title=How we made an award-winning short film with no official funding during a pandemic |url=https://nowthenmagazine.com/articles/how-we-made-an-award-winning-short-film-mr-wongs-lullaby |access-date=2024-01-10 |website=Now Then Sheffield}}</ref>

== Filmography == * [[Coronation Street]]<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2015-01-20 |title=Anne Kirkbride's life as Coronation Street's Deirdre Barlow, in pictures |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/picturegalleries/celebritynews/11356818/Anne-Kirkbrides-life-as-Coronation-Streets-Dierdre-Barlow-in-pictures.html |access-date=2024-01-10 |website=The Telegraph}}</ref> * ''[[Heartbeat (British TV series)|Heartbeat]]'' * ''[[Survivors (1975 TV series)|Survivors]]'' * ''[[Dalziel and Pascoe]]'' * ''[[Hetty Wainthropp Investigates]]'' * ''[[September Song (TV series)|September Song]]'' * ''[[Paul Merton|The Paul Merton Show]]'' * ''[[The Royal]]'' * ''[[All Creatures Great and Small (1978 TV series)|All Creatures Great and Small]]'' * ''[[Prime Suspect]]'' * ''[[EastEnders]]'' * ''[[The Chief (British TV series)|The Chief]]'', ''[[Chandler & Co]]'' * ''[[Hollyoaks]]'' * ''[[Doctors (2000 TV series)|Doctors]]'' * ''[[The Squad (TV series)|The Squad]]'' * ''[[Children's Ward]]'' * ''[[Criminal (franchise)|Criminal]]'' * ''[[Truckers (2013 TV series)|Truckers]]'' * ''Mr Wong's Lullaby'' (2021) * ''Tales from the Apocalypse'' (2023)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tales from the Apocalypse (2023) Review - Voices From The Balcony |url=https://www.voicesfromthebalcony.com/2023/07/03/tales-from-the-apocalypse-2023-review/ |access-date=2024-01-10 |website=www.voicesfromthebalcony.com}}</ref>

== References == {{Reflist}}

==External links== *{{IMDb name|0038785}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ashcroft, Ray}} [[Category:English male soap opera actors]] [[Category:Male actors from Sheffield]] [[Category:1952 births]] [[Category:Living people]]