Paul Barber (born Patrick Barber, 18 March 1951)Barber, Paul. Foster Kid: A Liverpudlian childhood. (Autobiography) is an English actor. In a career spanning more than 45 years, he is best known for playing Denzil in Only Fools and Horses and Horse in The Full Monty. He also had two small parts in Coronation Street, first as Billy Arrowsmith in 2004, then as Nelson in 2008.
Early life Barber was taken into care at the age of seven, following the death of his mother, Margret, from tuberculosis. His mother was from Middlesbrough. His father died when Patrick (or Paddy as he was then known) and his brothers Brian, Paul, Mike and sisters Claudette and Lorraine were very young. Whilst he was in care, he was abused both physically and mentally. He notes that he has suffered like others, but channelled his emotions into acting.
Acting career Barber began on the stage in the musical Hair. His first major TV role was as Sam "Lucky" Ubootu in the 1974 ITV Playhouse production Lucky, set in Liverpool and made by Granada TV. He then played the flamboyant but vicious gang boss Malleson in a Play for Today episode and Series 1 of the off-beat BBC Birmingham-based series Gangsters from 1975 to 1976. He played Louis St John in four episodes of I Didn't Know You Cared from 1976 to 1978. A later starring role was alongside Philip Whitchurch in the mid-1980s ITV comedy series The Brothers McGregor.
Barber has worked extensively in British TV, such as in To the Manor Born (1979) as a Jamaican steel band musician; Minder (1980) as Willie Reynolds in episode Don't Tell Them Willie Boy was Here; Only Fools and Horses (1981–2003); Boys from the Blackstuff (1982); and as Malcolm in The Front Line;
In 1991, he played Earl Preston, a football coach, in the BBC Screen One television play Alive and Kicking. In 1995, he appeared as ill-fated social worker Ian McVerry in an episode of Cracker opposite Robbie Coltrane, John Simm and Liam Cunningham, and he played Greg Salter in Brookside (1994).
Barber made a guest appearance in the first episode of The Green Green Grass—a spin-off from Only Fools and Horses. He was best known for his role in Only Fools and Horses, and still attends fan conventions for the show.
In 2008, he had a small part in the long-running ITV soap opera Coronation Street playing a club owner, Nelson, an acquaintance of Vernon Tomlin.
In Terry Pratchett's Going Postal (2010), he played a pin-fanatic shop owner. He also starred in White Van Man as Hooky Pete in February 2012.
Also in 2012, Barber played the role of Captain in Sky1's Sinbad. He appeared as Captain Jack Parrot in Death in Paradise on 18 February 2014.
Barber also appeared as Fieldhouse in Home from Home in the 2016 pilot episode, and he appeared again in the 2018 series. In 2017, Barber guest-starred in two episodes of the CBBC Tracy Beaker spin-off series The Dumping Ground as a homeless man, George.
The following year, Barber appeared in two episodes of Casualty as Ernest Maxwell, reprising the role in 2019. He had previously appeared in Casualty a number of times as other characters.
Film work He had small roles in the big-screen version of Porridge (1979) and The Long Good Friday (1980).
Barber's best known movie role was playing one of the stripping steelworkers in the 1997 film The Full Monty. He reunited with Full Monty co-star Robert Carlyle and Samuel L. Jackson in the Liverpool-based crime film The 51st State (2001).
In 2002, He played the role of Luther in the drama The Hidden City. In 2006, he starred in the feature film Dead Man's Cards, again returning to Merseyside, playing the part of Paul, the head doorman at a Liverpool club.
In the 2014 film One Night in Istanbul, Barber 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 Football Club play in Turkey.
Barber was cast alongside Alexei Sayle and Ricky Tomlinson in 2017's Gloves Off. He also appears in the 2022 crime action thriller film Renegades and stars in the 2024 horror film The Baby in the Basket.
Personal life Barber was awarded an honorary doctorate from Liverpool John Moores University in July 2011 for "outstanding contribution to the performing arts". He lives in Clacton, Essex.
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes1977The Quality ConnectionJimShort film1979PorridgeMorgan1980The Long Good FridayErrollThe Terence Davies Trilogy (segment: Madonna and Child)Trilogy of short films1983 (segment: Death and Transfiguration)1993U.F.O.Doctor Who (voice)1994PriestCharlie1997The Full MontyHorse2000Wild About HarryProfessor Simmington2001The 51st StateFrederick2002Mad DogsJimmy Joyce2003The Virgin of LiverpoolWinston Churchill2004 French Fries on the Golden Front ClownShort film2006 Splinter DanDead Man's CardsPaul2010MamThe ChemistShort film2011 The Turtle & the NightingaleLiam's Dad2012 The BoxerJoe2013The Magnificent ElevenTrainer The Pugilist's SonJimmy GottsShort film The Grendel TootsPaul2014One Night in IstanbulGerry2016 SoulsBarrieShort film2017 Gloves OffAlbert2018 A Stitch in TimeAntShort film2019 DownDennis2020 DenmarkThe Captain's father2020 Hickory Dickory DockWinston2022RenegadesHarris2023The One Note ManFloristShort film2024The Baby in the BasketAmos
Television Year Title Role Notes1974ITV PlayhouseSam 'Lucky' UbootuEpisode: Lucky1975Play for TodayMallesonEpisode: GangstersZ-CarsGamblerEpisode: "Eviction"1976GangstersMalleson6 episodes1976–1978I Didn't Know You CaredLouis St. John 1978Crown CourtLennie JacksonEpisode: "Does Your Mother Know You're Out?"Mixed BlessingsMan in robeEpisode: "The Housewarming"1979To the Manor BornMackenzie McLeodEpisode: "The Summer Hunt Ball"Return of the SaintWinston Episode: "The Obono Affair"1980MinderWillie ReynoldsEpisode: "Don't Tell Them Wille Boy Was Here"CribbGeorge WilliamsEpisode: "Wobble to Death"1981The Chinese DetectiveNedEpisode: "Ice and Dust"1982Boys from the BlackstuffDocks – ScottyEpisode: "Moonlighter"Muck and BrassLouis DelanoEpisode: "Open Government"1982–1985The Front LineMalcolm6 episodes1983–1996, 2001–2003Only Fools and HorsesDenzil Tulser18 episodes1984Charlie2nd ElectricianEpisode: "If You're Not Part of the Solution, You're Part of the Problem"1985–1988The Brothers McGregorWesley McGregor26 episodes1987Carrott ConfidentialVarious Characters1 episode1989All ChangeDriver (Series Two)TV series1990BoonAngusEpisode: "Trouble in the Fields"ScreenPlayDrugs CounsellorEpisode: "Needle"ChancerGerald11 episodes1991Screen OneEarl PrestonEpisode: "Alive and Kicking" Taking the FloorSecurity Guard 2Episode: "Dancing in the Dark"1991–2019CasualtyErnest Maxwell/Carl Myers/Cliff Sidwell ...11 episodes1993 The LodgeWinstonEpisode: "Worthy Causes"1993–1995The BillAde Fellowes/Ted2 episodes199499-1Bobby FletcherEpisode: "Doing the Business"1994BrooksideGreg Salter26 episodes1995The Big OneSecurity GuardTV filmCrackerIan McVerryEpisode: "Best Boys: Part One"1997The History of Tom Jones, a FoundlingAdderley1 episodeThe Drew Carey ShowPaul BarberEpisode: "The Dog and Pony Show"1999Harbour LightsCordell JohnsonEpisode: "Baywatch"2000TaggartJimmy McEvoyEpisode: "Football Crazy"2002Nice Guy EddieBig Dawn2 episodesHolby CitySean MeacherEpisode: "Gamblers"The Hidden CityLutherTV filmBabyfatherLandlord1 episodeSingle VoicesGodfreyEpisode: "Little Pinch of Chilli"2003–2018DoctorsGary Alan/Ned Heath2 episodes2004–2008Coronation StreetNelson/Billy Arrowsmith3 episodes2005The Green Green GrassDenzil TulserEpisode: "Keep on Running"2006The StreetFirst PatientEpisode: "Stan"Dalziel and PascoeClive Griffin2 episodes2007Liverpool NativityLandlordTV film2008The InvisiblesYoung Nick6 episodesCaught in a TrapDonaldTV film2010Terry Pratchett's Going PostalDave Pins2 episodes2012SinbadCaptainPilotPreston PassionSimonTV filmWhite Van ManHooky PeteEpisode: "Charity"2013The SlammerThe BalloonaticEpisode: "The Balloonatic"2014Death in ParadiseCaptain Jack1 episode2017The Dumping GroundGeorge2 episodes2018Home from HomeFieldhouse5 episodesThe Card Room ChroniclesCharlieEpisode: "Card Room Chronicles"2019Moving OnGeoffEpisode: "A Walk in My Shoes"The Small HandBrother ThierryTV filmA Very British ChristmasPaul2021MatchmakersGladstone6 episodes2021Call The Bailiffs: Time To Pay UpNarrator6 episodes2023The Full MontyBarrington "Horse" MitchellTBC
References
External links
Rare British Television Reviews – The Front Line BBC article