| Ray Burdis | |
| Birth Date: | 23 August 1958 |
| Birth Place: | London, England |
| Nationality: | English |
| Occupation: | Actor, screenwriter, director, film producer |
| Years Active: | 1972–present |
| Notable Works: | The Krays, Final Cut, Love, Honour and Obey, The Wee Man, To Be Someone |
| Relatives: | Mark Burdis (brother) |
Ray Burdis (born 23 August 1958 in London) is an English actor, screenwriter, director and film producer.
Burdis started acting at eleven years old when he attended drama school and trained at the Anna Scher Theatre in Islington, Greater London. In 1972, he made his screen debut in The Trouble with 2B by the Children's Film Foundation, a film series featuring the exploits of a class of schoolchildren and their science teacher Mr. Potter (Richard Wilson).[1] Later in 1974, he appeared in a minor role in an episode of the classic BBC sitcom Steptoe and Son, but his first major acting role was at the age of sixteen, in the Thames Television series You Must Be Joking! , which he also co-created and wrote.[2] [3] He also starred with Phil Daniels in 4 Idle Hands.[4]
In 1978 Burdis auditioned for a presenting job on the BBC children's program Blue Peter as a replacement for John Noakes. Richard Marson's book celebrating the show's fiftieth-anniversary records this fact,[5] and the film of the audition was shown at a BAFTA celebration in October 2008.
Burdis played the part of cowardly inmate Eckersley in the controversial movie Scum in 1979. He had played the same role two years earlier in a BBC television version of the story, although this was not transmitted until 1991 due to its graphic nature, hence the cinematic re-make.[6] He appeared as Kevin, in the BBC2 Playhouse story Mary's Wife in 1980.
Burdis appeared in the Minder episodes "Not a Bad Lad, Dad" and "Hypnotising Rita" and played Joe in the musical drama The Music Machine (1979). He later had a small role alongside Daniel Day-Lewis in the film Gandhi (1982).
Burdis then played a supporting role as Richard, a gay neighbour in Channel 4's short-lived sitcom Dream Stuffing in 1984. Later that year, Burdis appeared in an episode of The Gentle Touch, entitled "Do It Yourself", as a man with a learning disability. In 1985, he played ambitious photographer Nick Tyler in the BBC comedy Three Up, Two Down. His character was the son and son-in-law, respectively, of the two lead characters, played by Michael Elphick and Angela Thorne, the series went on for four series which were produced between 1985 and 1989.[7]
He went forward to produce the feature films The Passion of Darkly Noon, starring Brendan Fraser and Ashley Judd, and The Reflecting Skin starring Viggo Mortensen and Lindsay Duncan.
Burdis has subsequently concentrated more on writing, producing, and directing. He was the producer of The Krays (1990),[8] and also co-wrote-produced and directed the movies Final Cut (1998) and Love, Honour and Obey[9] (2000). He also created, co-wrote, produced, directed, and starred in the television police fly on the wall docu-comedy Operation Good Guys for three series. The series was awarded the Silver Rose for Best Sitcom and the Prix de la Presse, voted for by the International Press, at the Montreux Golden Rose Festival.[10]
He appeared in the BBC Two comedy-drama series Manchild for two seasons, along with Nigel Havers, Anthony Head and Don Warrington.[11]
In 2013, Burdis wrote and directed the film, The Wee Man starring Martin Compston and John Hannah, which won two Scottish BAFTAs.[12] [13] In 2014 he wrote and directed the film Angel released in the spring of 2015 by Carnaby Films.
In 2021, he directed and wrote, To Be Someone (film), described by its distributors "a feel-good tale of modern-day mods, music, and scooter culture from the creator of The Krays, The Wee Man and Love, Honor and Obey and starring the original cast of the iconic, cult mods n’ rockers film, Quadrophenia."[14] It was filmed during 2019-20 and subsequently released on 9 July 2021. The film attracted negative reviews, Steve Rose noted "nothing really convinces or makes sense in this corny, amateurish nostalgia trip",[15] Mark Kermode described it as "a bunch of second stringers from Quadrophenia doing sub Guy Ritchie schtick",[16] and before it went into production, Roger Daltrey slammed it as "a blatant money making exercise."[17] Whilst conversely, Keith Haldon argued "it’s British at its very core and it’s a reminder that no matter the budget nobody does it better than us. Burdis has assembled a great cast that if you’re looking for that Quadrophenia nostalgia."[18] Burdis later stated in an interview that he never intended for the film to be in the style of Quadrophenia (1979) and it shouldn't have been taken too seriously.[19] [20]
Burdis is currently developing a wide genre of TV and Theatrical films. He also has completed the film Miss the Kiss, starring Charlie Clapham, John Hannah, and Martin Kemp, which is currently in post-production.[21] [22] His next project in the director's chair is Last Tandem in Paris, production started in Brussels in March 2024.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | The Trouble with 2B | Todd | Film (6 part serial) | |
| 1974 | Steptoe & Son | Teenager | Episode: "Porn Yesterday" | |
| Play for Today | Danny Price | "Eleanor" | ||
| The Tomorrow People | Johnson | "The Blue and the Green" (3 episodes) | ||
| 1975-6 | You Must Be Joking! | Various | 6 episodes | |
| 1976 | 4 Idle Hands | Pete Sutton | 6 episodes | |
| Pressure | Dave | Film | ||
| 1977 | Headmaster | Wilf Farley | 1 episode | |
| Nicholas Nickleby | Master Cummins | 1 episode (mini series) | ||
| Play for Today | Eckersley | "Scum!" | ||
| The Sunday Drama | Zack | "A Good Story" | ||
| 1978 | The Tomorrow People | Blitz | "Hitler's Last Stand" (2 episodes) | |
| Twenty Times More Likely | Alan | Short film | ||
| 1979 | Graham's Gang | Russ | 1 episode | |
| The Music Machine | Joe | Film | ||
| Scum! | Eckersley | Film | ||
| 1980 | BBC2 Playhouse | Kevin | "Mary's Wife" | |
| Minder | Disco Youth | "Not a Bad Lad, Dad" | ||
| Play for Today | Dunning | "The Vanishing Army" | ||
| The Professionals | Vince | Episode: "Weekend in the Country" | ||
| 1981 | Going Out | Rick Tinnersley | 5 episodes | |
| Triangle | Wolcott | 4 episodes | ||
| Wolcott | PC Brock | 2 episodes | ||
| 1982 | Gandhi | Youth | Film | |
| 1983 | The Baker Street Boys | PC Boot | 2 episodes | |
| 1983-4 | Now and Then | Randall | 13 episodes | |
| 1984 | Dream Stuffing | Richard | 10 episodes | |
| Minder | Jimmy Randall | "Hypnotising Rita" | ||
| The Gentle Touch | Joey Felix | Episode: Do It Yourself | ||
| The Kit Curran Radio Show | Ray | Episode: Bread and Circuses | ||
| 1985 | C.A.T.S. Eyes | Mike | Episode: The Double Dutch Deal | |
| 1985-9 | Three Up, Two Down | Nick Tyler | 25 episodes | |
| 1994 | Death Machine | Dead Diner | Film | |
| 1997-2000 | Operation Good Guys | DS Ash | 19 episodes | |
| 1998 | Final Cut | Burdis | Film | |
| 2000 | Love, Honour and Obey | Ray | Film | |
| Urban Gothic | The Colonel | Episode: The Boy's Club | ||
| 2002-3 | Manchild | Gary | 4 episodes | |
| 2003 | The Afternoon Play | Arnie Griffin | "The Real Arnie Griffin" | |
| 2004 | Casualty | Alan 'Dusty' Binns | Episode: "Fallen Hero" | |
| 2005 | My Hero | Detective Symes | Episode: "Nothing to Hide" | |
| 2021 | To Be Someone | Dickson | Film | |
| 2024 | Miss the Kiss | Detective Burke | Currently in Post Production |
| Year | Film | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975-6 | You Must Be Joking! | Writer, Co-Creator | 6 episodes | |
| 1979 | You Can't Be Serious | Writer | ||
| 1987 | Visiting Mr. Beak | Exectuve Producer | Short film | |
| 1988 | The Fear | Writer | 5 episodes | |
| The Universe of Dermot Finn | Co-Producer | Short film | ||
| 1990 | The Krays | Producer | ||
| The Reflecting Skin | Producer | |||
| 1993-4 | The Spooks of Bottle Bay | Producer | 18 episodes | |
| 1994 | Death Machine | Co-Producer | ||
| 1995 | The Passion of Darkly Noon | Exectuve Producer | ||
| 1997-2000 | Operation Good Guys | Director, Producer | 19 episodes | |
| 1998 | Final Cut | Director, Producer, Writer | ||
| 2000 | Love, Honour and Obey | Director, Producer, Writer | ||
| 2013 | The Wee Man | Director, Writer | ||
| 2015 | Angel | Director, Writer | ||
| 2021 | To Be Somebody | Director, Producer, Writer | ||
| 2022 | Kick Out the Jams: The Story of XFM | Director | Documentary | |
| 2024 | Last Kings of London | Director, Writer | Currently in Post Production | |
| Miss the Kiss | Director, Writer | Currently in Post Production | ||
| 2025 | Last Tandem in Paris | Director | Currently in Production |
He is the older brother of the British actor, Mark Burdis.