John Nettles Biography
John Nettles(John Vivian Drummond Nettles) is an English actor and author of Irish descent. He began his career in 1969. Further, he’s famed for his detective role in the crime drama TV series Bergerac (1981–1991) in the title role, and Midsomer Murders (1997–2011) as Detective Inspector Tom Barnaby.
John Nettles Age
Nettles was born on 11 October 1943 in St Austell, Cornwall, England. He is 79 years old.
John Nettles Height
Nettles stands at an approximate height of 5 feet and 10 inches.
John Nettles Family
Nettles was born to his biological mother who was Irish. She served as a nurse who came to work in the United Kingdom during the Second World War. Later, carpenter Eric Nettles and his wife Elsie adopted him. It is also not known if Nettles has any siblings. Further information about his parents and siblings will be updated.
John Nettles Wife
Nettles exchanged vows with his wife, Cathryn Sealey in July 1995 in Evesham, Worcestershire. As of 2022, they celebrated their 27th anniversary. Prior to Cathryn, he tied the knot with Joyce Middleton, in 1967. They had a daughter named Emma Martins. She was born in 1970 and is 52 years old as of 2022. Further, she has two kids; Nathan John, and Sophie. She joined the States of Jersey Police and served alongside officers who met her father during the filming of Bergerac. After their divorce, she became a casting director for Midsomer Murders.
John Nettles Net Worth
Nettles has an estimated net worth of between $1 Million-$5 Million which he has earned through his successful career as an actor and author.
John Nettles Education
When Nettles finished his high school education at St Austell Grammar School, he attended the University of Southampton. After completing his studies, he attained his Bachelor’s degree. While there, he developed an interest in acting. Upon his graduation, he joined the Royal Court Theatre.
John John Nettles Career
Nettles serves as an actor and author. Further, he’s famed for his detective role in the crime drama TV series Bergerac (1981–1991) in the title role, and Midsomer Murders (1997–2011) as Detective Inspector Tom Barnaby. While at the University Theatre for 69 Theatre Company in Manchester, he starred in the role of Laertes in Tom Courtenay’s Hamlet in 1969. For a year since 1969, he served in repertory at the Northcott Theatre in Exeter. In 1970, he had his initial screen role in the film, One More Time.
Afterward in 1971, he starred in small roles in numerous TV programs. For instance, The Liver Birds, Dickens of London, and Robin of Sherwood. Also, an episode of Enemy at the Door, “Officers of the Law,” first telecasted in March 1978. Enemy at the Door was as set in Guernsey during the German occupation of the Channel Islands in the Second World War. Further, he played the role of a police detective tormented over the dispute between his duty and conspiring with the enemy and told to serve the Germans.
In 1981, he began serving as a celebrity in the UK when he was cast as States of Jersey Police officer, Jim Bergerac in the crime drama Bergerac by Robert Banks Stewart. The series had 87 episodes on BBC1 until 1991. Succeeding the completion of the film, he went on to serve five seasons with the Royal Shakespeare Company. Moreover, he appeared in The Winter’s Tale, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Julius Caesar, Richard III, and The Devil is an Ass during his tenure with the Royal Shakespeare Company.
In 1992, he starred in an episode of Boon. Additionally, in 1993 redid the role of Jim Bergerac in a guest appearance in the parody police comedy, The Detectives. Brian True-May approached him to play in the role of Tom Barnaby in a new murder mystery series he was to produce, Midsomer Murders in 1995. The series became an instant hit attaining 13.5 million viewers on its debut in 1997 and selling in more than 200 countries globally. Tom Barnaby was the second big role of his television career after Jim Bergerac.
In 2001, he guest-starred in an episode of Heartbeat serving in the role of the fraudster, Giles Sutton. Moreover, he starred as Barnaby in the Boxing Day episode of French & Saunders in 2003. In 2007, he starred in the BBC Radio 4 comedy series, Will Smith Presents the Tao of Bergerac. Else, he starred alongside comedian Will Smith. In 2009, it was declared that Nettles had quit Midsomer Murders after two more series were made. His last feature on-screen was on 2nd February 2011, after appearing in 81 episodes.
In 2016 and 2017, he had a recurring role as Ray Penvenen in the second and third seasons of the popular historical drama, Poldark. Aside from his acting career, he starred as a narrator on the BBBC documentary series, Airport from 1996 to 2005 and Wild Discovery in 1995. In 1982 he starred as Raoul (the 4th man) in the Agatha Christie Hour story, The Fourth Man. Nettles narrated the BBC documentary, X Cars. This was after Greater Manchester Police’s stolen car squad during the peak of the UK-wide joyriding crime wave in the 1990s.
Nettles wrote, presented, and produced a three-part documentary, Channel Islands at War in early 2010. Further, it was to mark the 70th anniversary of the German invasion and the ensuing occupation of the Channel Islands. Additionally, he encountered threatening letters from some residents of Jersey that accused him of indicating that islanders were traitors. Local historians and members of the Channel Islands Occupation Society backed his perspective. In 2020, he took over the Channel 4 television show, Devon and Cornwall as its narrator. Also, a sister program to the network’s program, The Yorkshire Dales and the Lakes.
John Nettles Books and Awards
During the filming of Bergerac, on the island of Jersey, he wrote a travel guide to filming locations in the series, Bergerac’s Jersey (BBC Books, 1988; ISBN 0-563-20703-5). Moreover, he followed up with a book about the island’s landscape, history, and personalities, John Nettles’ Jersey: A Personal View of the People and Places (BBC Books, 1992; ISBN 0-563-36318-5).
In 1991 he wrote a semi-autobiographical about becoming a “reluctant heartthrob” to female viewers of Bergerac, Nudity in a Public Place: Confessions of a Mini Celebrity (Robson Books; ISBN 0-7451-1961-1). Later, in 2014 it was re-released as a Kindle version on Amazon after the reruns of Bergerac on BBC2 as part of their afternoon reminiscence collection.
In 2012, he wrote about the German habitation of the Channel Islands; Jewels and Jackboots (Hardback ISBN 978-1-905095-38-4). The book sold out in a matter of weeks and got republished in 2013 as a paperback and on Kindle. In 2019, he published an edition of the diaries of Reverend Douglas Ord during the German occupancy of Guernsey during World War. He edited the diaries and wrote an introduction.
Throughout his career, he has attained a number of awards and honors. In the 2010 Birthday Honours, he received the appointment as an officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). In 2006, he gained an honorary doctorate from the University of Southampton, his alma mater. On September 21st, 2012, he obtained an honorary doctorate from the University of Plymouth. Also, he accepted to serve as a patron of Devon’s charity, The Mare and Foal Sanctuary in July 2014.
John Nettles Midsomer Murders
Brian True-May approached him to play the role of Tom Barnaby in the murder mystery series, Midsomer Murders in 1995. The series became an instant hit attaining 13.5 million viewers on its debut in 1997 and selling in more than 200 countries globally. Tom Barnaby was the second big role of his television career after his role as Jim Bergerac in Bergerac.
In 2009, it was declared that Nettles had quit Midsomer Murders after two more series were made. His last feature on-screen was on 2nd February 2011, after appearing in 81 episodes. Nettles commented on his departure that he wanted people to want him more rather than him being booed off the stage due to boredom.
John Nettles Liza Goddard
Following his commendable acting in Bergerac, a national newspaper falsely alleged that he and his co-star, Liza Goddard were having an affair. This was because of the romantic connection of the characters Jim Bergerac and Philippa Vale in the film. Goddard sued the paper and garnered a lot of money. Further, he joked that he was a little offended that she got paid for not having an affair with him.
John Nettles Social Media Platforms
He is active on his social media accounts and is often seen posting on his Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. He has over 492 followers on Twitter.