Talented actors from Merseyside have had work across all types of cinema.

From Bond to a New York City sex kitten, Merseyside has produced a number of stars who have made it big in Hollywood. Many have quickly become household names.

Many of our exports may surprise you as a vast majority have a talent for character acting, providing an important balance on the big screen. Some started on the small screen and worked their way up to big hit movies, while others struck lucky and become an instant star.

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Here are the actors who have worked shoulder-to-shoulder with Hollywood icons, holding their own, and some becoming red carpet royalty themselves.

Bond – AKA Daniel Craig

Yes, Bond, himself, hails from Wirral… well, the actor who plays him. Daniel Craig was born in Chester but his family later settled in Hoylake, and he attended Hilbre High School.

He spent much of his youth hanging around the Everyman Theatre and trained at Guildhall School of Music and Drama. His other film credits include Layer Cake, The Mother, Sylvia, Enduring Love and Steven Spielberg’s Munich and Road to Perdition.

Taron Egerton

Best known for his role as Elton John in Rocketman, film fans may be surprised to learn that the Empire Award-winning actor is from Birkenhead. At just 32, he has already carved out a significant career for himself with movies such as Kingsman, Legend and Eddie the Eagle. He is also a talented voice actor, voicing Johnny in animation Sing and El-Ahrairah in adult action Watership Down shown on Netflix.

Kim Cattrall

Kim is well known for her portrayal of sassy Samantha Jones in Sex and the City and her roles in 80s movies Mannequinn and Big Trouble in Little China. Kim was born in Mossley Hill.

Her mum Gladys Shane, (née Baugh), was a secretary and her dad, Dennis Cattrall, was a construction engineer. When she was three months old her family emigrated to Canada. But she returned to England aged 11 – when her grandma fell ill.

She then returned to Canada aged 16 to finish High School, but her roots have remained firmly in Liverpool, often commenting on local issues, particularly the sale of Sefton Park Meadows, on her official Twitter account.

Stephen Graham

The This Is England star has appeared in a catalogue of critically acclaimed films and appeared alongside fellow Merseyside actor Taron Egerton in Rocketman. Stephen was raised in Kirkby and has become known for his gritty character acting taking on roles like Al Capone in HBO series Broadwalk Empire and, of course, Compo in This Is England.

He has also been in Hollywood films Gangs of New York, The Good Night, Inkheart, Pirates of the Caribbean and Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. Stephen has also made a huge impact with his recent TV work, including playing Detective Superintendent Dave Kelly in Little Boy Blue, Line of Duty and The Virtues. He has also recently starred alongside fellow Liverpudlian star Jodie Comer in Channel 4’s adaptation of life during the coronavirus pandemic – Help.

Jodie Comer

Jodie Comer has become an international star after taking on the role of psychopath Villanelle in BBC America’s Killing Eve. Jodie, who grew up in Childwall and took drama classes while at St Julie’s High School in Woolton, shot to stardom after playing the multilingual “chic assassin”, scooping a Best Actress award at the BAFTAs in June 2019.

She has since gone on to star in hit films, such as action comedy Free Guy with Ryan Reynolds. She also stars alongside Matt Damon in The Last Duel.

Peter Serafinowicz

The Guardians of the Galaxy star was born and raised in Liverpool, attending school at St Francis Xavier in Woolton. He plays Nova Corps officer Garthan Saal in the 2014 Marvel movie and is also known for playing The Sommelier in John Wick: Chapter 2. Peter is also well-known to the small screen, playing roles in comedies Spaced, Black Books and I’m Alan Partridge (as Tex).

Jason Issac

Jason Isaacs is a true A-lister – known most recently for his portrayal of Lucius Malfoy in the wildly successful Harry Potter franchise. But his origins as a Scouser are less well known.

Jason was born in Liverpool to Jewish parents and he spent his early childhood in a closely-knit Jewish community in Childwall. He attended King David school, before the family moved to northwest London when he was 11.

Miranda Richardson

The 61-year-old from Southport has an impressive list of movie credits, from thrillers like Vanessa Bell in The Hours and Lady Mary Van Tassel in Sleepy Hollow to family films such as Rita Skeeter in the Harry Potter and Mrs Tweedy in Chicken Run. Miranda has been nominated for a BAFTA an impressive seven times, winning Best Supporting Actress for 1992 British/French film Damage. TV fans will know and love her from her hilarious incantation of Queenie in Blackadder II, but she has also been in countless other series cementing her as a national treasure.

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