Andrew Lancel

Actor Andrew Lancel is currently staring as bad boy Frank Foster in Coronation Street after spending seven years as DI Manson in The Bill. Janey Lee Grace talks to him about playing the villain, his faith and life in the spotlight.—-Andrew Lancel starred in The Bill from 2003 for 7 year as Detective Inspector Neil Manson.Appearing in nearly 300 episodes he is one of this BAFTA, Royal Television Society and National Television Award-winning shows longest serving, prolific and most popular characters.His portrayal of the moody DI Manson, a long way from his own persona, has earned him an army of fans and critical acclaim ‘ most recently ‘played by the excellent Andrew Lancel with the kind of quiet understatement that’s easy to underrate. This is the very antithesis of a maverick cop‘ Metro 12/5/10He starred in a continuing drama record of 19 consecutive broadcast episodes in 2009.During his time in The Bill he has appeared on Celebrity Mastermind, Celebrity Who Wants To Be A Millionaire (one of only two stars to go on the show twice!), sung live on Children in Need and won Celebrity Stars in their Eyes ‘ as Aha’s Morten Harkett.He is a regular chat show guest and TV panellist.He has performed in concert and cabaret at venues throughout the UK such as Royal Albert Hall and Liverpool’s Echo Arena as well as across Europe and in USA.Prior The Bill Andrew starred in the ground breaking medical drama Cardiac Arrest (his portrayal of Junior Doctor Andrew Collin won a poll in the medical journal The Lancet as ‘The Most Realistic TV Doctor of all Time’), Bad Girls, Liverpool One, City Central, Queer as Folk and dozens of other TV roles including the Screen Two Go Back Out with Andrews role being described by AA Gill in The Times as ‘the finest drama performance of the year‘.On the big screen he starred with Julie Walters and Jim Broadbent in the award winning Wide Eyed and Legless (The Wedding Gift in the USA) written by Jack Rosenthal.He has starred in many plays, musicals and panto’s throughout Britain with great critical acclaim at the Almedia Theatre, London and Chichester Festival Theatre. Roles include Alan Strang in Equus, Motel Kamzoil in Fiddler on the Roof, Andrew in Certain Young Men (World Premiere) Worthy in The Recruiting Officer and Millington in Conduct Unbecoming.He has directed and produced television documentaries and various concert and theatre tours including the award winning My Liverpool for Granada TV, She Stoops to Conquer at London’s Regent Park and Grand Hotel the Musical in Southport.An active churchgoer Andrew regularly talks at Christian events and places of worship and is developing several projects with the Church of England.An active Evertonian he regularly interviews football and sports stars for Everton TV and contributes to several food and travel TV shows and publications.He is a very proud patron of the Unity Theatre in Liverpool and the charity Chernobyl Heart and an Ambassador of Everton Football Club. The Heritage Foundation of Great Britain presented Andrew with their Chairman’s Awards for his ‘contribution to television and charity’ in 2006.Since The Bill he has completed the film Inside Run an episode of Holby for the BBC and performed in numerous concerts ‘ in 2011 he starts his first solo national tour.In November 2010 he joined the cast of Coronation Street as Frank Foster and made an immediate impact with on the nation’s favourite show.Originally from Lancashire he shares his time in homes in Liverpool and London with his wife and young son.