STORY SO FAR: John Simm

Now playing Labour MP David Mars in Collateral (9pm, BBC2), John, 47, has been a popular figure on our screens for many years. Here’s how he found fame…

Early years: John was born on July 10, 1970, in Leeds. His father was a musician and, from the age of 12, John sang and played guitar with his dad in working men’s clubs. At 16, he enrolled at a college in Blackpool and, at 19, he moved to London to attend the Drama Centre.

Starting out: After graduating in 1992, he secured his first professional acting role as Joby Johnson in an episode of the TV series Rumpole Of The Bailey. Roles in The Bill and Heartbeat followed, before he tried his hand at comedy in the BBC sitcom Men Of The World (1994-95), opposite David Threlfall.

Breakthrough role: In 1995, John attracted attention with his role as troubled teenager Bill Preece in the acclaimed ITV police drama Cracker. In 1997, he won the lead role of Danny Kavanagh in Jimmy McGovern’s The Lakes, while in 2000, he starred in the BBC drama Clocking Off, written by Paul Abbott, with whom he would work again in 2003 on political thriller State Of Play.

Established act: One of his most famous roles came in 2006 when he played time-travelling police detective Sam Tyler in the popular BBC drama Life On Mars. Since then, he has rarely been off our screens – in Mad Dogs (2011-13), The Village (2013-14), Prey (2014), Code Of A Killer (2015) and, off and on for ten years, as the evil Master in Doctor Who (2007-17). Personal life: John’s wife is fellow actor Kate Magowan. They have two children.