Craig Parkinson

Craig Parkinson (born 11 March 1976) is an English actor. He is best known for his roles in British television dramas, including Shaun in the E4 series Misfits, the twins Jimmy and Johnny Kray in the ITV series Whitechapel, and DS Matt 'Dot' Cottan in the BBC Two series Line of Duty. He has also appeared in several independent films including Control, Soulboy, The Unloved, and Four Lions. Early life Parkinson grew up in Blackpool, Lancashire. He began acting at an early age in school plays. He studied at Blackpool and The Fylde College before moving to London aged seventeen to attend Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts. Career Parkinson's early roles were small parts in long-running British television series such as Dalziel and Pascoe, The Bill, and Holby City. He made his film debut in 2007 in Control, a biopic of Joy Division singer Ian Curtis in which he played the role of Tony Wilson. In 2008 he starred in the British independent film The Taxidermist, playing The Taxidermist. The film won several awards, including Palm Springs International Short Film Festival 'Best Live Action Film over 15 minutes' and Rhode Island International Horror Film Festival 'Best Short Film'. In 2009, he played the abusive care worker Ben in the British television drama The Unloved, the directorial debut of Samantha Morton. Parkinson had previously starred alongside Samantha Morton in Control. The Unloved also featured Lauren Socha, with whom Parkinson would later star alongside in Misfits, as well as his wife Susan Lynch. Personal life Parkinson is 6 feet 4.5 inches (1.943 m) tall. He is married to Irish actress Susan Lynch; they have a son together. Parkinson and his wife appeared together in the television drama The Unloved in 2009 and in the BBC series The Secret of Crickley Hall in 2012. The actor John Lynch is his brother-in-law.