From prison to stardom: Ricky Tomlinson's remarkable life and career highlights

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Ricky Tomlinson, the beloved star of The Royle Family, celebrated his 85th birthday last month, and the esteemed actor has had an interesting life so far.

Despite it being 12 years since he graced our screens as part of the Royles, after three series and numerous festive specials, Ricky's legacy and the show continue to be adored by fans eager for insights into the life of this legendary performer.

Born Eric near Blackpool, Ricky spent most of his days in Liverpool. As one of three sons to a baker dad and a mum who juggled jobs from cleaning to factory work, young Ricky was always destined for the spotlight, with a penchant for banjo strumming and comedy during his teenage years.

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Before fame, Tomlinson was a plasterer on building sites, known for his fervent support of workers' rights and trade unionism. His activism landed him in hot water during the Shrewsbury 24 incident in 1972, resulting in a two-year stint behind bars on conspiracy to intimidate charges, making him one of the UK's last political prisoners.

His conviction was overturned in 2021, as reported by the Liverpool Echo.

Reflecting on a visit to the prison for a More4 documentary, he shared: "It was a shock. It was very different, though, it's a tourist attraction now, reports the Mirror.

"The cells have toilets and electricity there was nothing like that when I was there."

He added with a chuckle, "I had to laugh, though, because as we walked in the young lady who was our guide said, 'Oh, you're back again!"

Ricky Tomlinson visited Shrewsbury Prison where he was locked up for two years as part of a More4 series.

Ricky Tomlinson visited Shrewsbury Prison where he was locked up for two years as part of a More4 series.

Early career

Tomlinson's journey to stardom began with his role as Bobby Grant in Brookside in 1982, which led to parts in Cracker as DCI Charlie Wise, Playing The Field, and Roughnecks. It wasn't until 1998 that he landed the role of lazy dad Jim Royle in the iconic sitcom The Royle Family.

Personal loss

Ricky was first married to Marlene Tomlinson, with whom he had three children: sons Clifton and Gareth, and daughter Kate. The actor sadly faced tragedy after his son Clifton passed away at 33 in December 2004 due to alcoholic liver disease after struggling with addiction.

Ricky has spoken about his belief in the supernatural, telling Sunday People: "I talk to him [Clifton] all the time, in my head."

Later, he found love with social worker Rita Cummiskey, marrying her in 2003 and appointing her as his manager, marking another chapter in his life.

Chance encounter

In an interview with The Guardian, Tomlinson recalled how he landed the role of Jim in The Royle Family after a chance encounter with the show's star and co-creator, Caroline Aherne. He explained: "I was at the Royal Television Society awards with my wife, Rita. She asked me to get something from the buffet.

Actor Ricky Tomlinson was behind Jim Royle in the BBC sitcom The Royle Family.

Actor Ricky Tomlinson was behind Jim Royle in the BBC sitcom The Royle Family.

I walked across to the table and bumped into a young girl standing in front of me. "She turned around to look at me and went: 'Oh, you're my dad, aren't you?"

Aherne didn't say anything else to Ricky that night. "I went back to the table and said to Rita, 'I think that poor girl's got mental health problems."

Following his brief encounter with Aherne the night before, Tomlinson was invited to audition for the legendary sitcom the next day.

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