Biography
Jonathan’s professional acting career began in 1972 while he was still a full-time student when, for a dare, he auditioned for a part in an American play at the Gate Theatre, Dublin – and opened six weeks later with Lynn Redgrave and Dan O’Herlihy in A Better Place.
Since turning full-time to acting in 1978 he has worked extensively on Stage, Radio, TV and Film and is one of the most versatile and successful Irish Voiceover Artists.
- Theatre
Night and Day, The Silver Dollar Boys , Hamlet, The Beaux Stratagem, and The Death and Resurrection of Mister Roche at the Abbey Theatre; The Glass Menagerie, Innocence, Peer Gynt and Salomé [Edinburgh Festival 1989 and Spoletto Festival in Charleston, South Carolina 1990] at the Gate Theatre; Oliver! and Abanazar in Aladdin at the Olympia Theatre; Gigi!, - Sweet Charity and Arsenic and Old Lace at the Gaiety Theatre; Play It Again, Sam! at the Eblana Theatre; Toad of Toad Hall, I Do Not Like Thee, Doctor Fell and Liam (Billy) Liar at The Oscar Theatre;
- We Do It For Love, The Colleen Bawn, The Cuchulainn Cycle, ‘The Evangelist, ‘A Midsummer Nights Dream and Grease! at the Lyric Theatre, Belfast; Romeo and Juliet with the Dublin Festival Company at The City Theatre Hong Kong; Kissin’ Tell at Andrews Lane – and as Paul Sheldon in the national tour of the stage adaptation of Stephen King’s Misery.
Jonathan performed The Durkan Suite accompanied by composer Bill Whelan and The London Chamber Orchestra and the title role of Adolf in Adolf Gebler – Clarinettist* composed by Roger Doyle and performed by The RTE Symphony Orchestra – both at the National Concert Hall in Dublin.
*Available on Roger’s CD Cool Steel Army on Psychonavigation Records [PSY 028]
- Television
Presenting the children’s programme Bosco, and playing leading roles in Bracken, The Year of the French, Caught in a Free State, The Irish RM, Inside and Summer Lightning – all for RTE/Ch 4, – Against All Odds for the BBC – 27 characters in the RTE comedy series Twink and the lead role in The Templewood Murder Mystery – both produced by John McColgan for RTE – Greg Hartnett in The Clinic – The French Ambassador in seasons 1 – 3 of The Tudors (Showtime) – Merchant in Camelot – Howard Wakefield in Chasing Leprechauns (Hallmark) – Proinsias De Rossa in Betrayal of Trust (BBC) – and most recently the Iron Island Priest in Game of Thrones (HBO)
Made his debut on German television in the drama series Die Glückliche Familie for Sud-Deutsche Rundfunk [SDR] followed by Hochzeitreisen for Nord-Deutsche Rundfunk [NDR],
- Film
Film work includes Taffin, Patriot Games, In the Name of the Father and Kidnapped, shorts Valour, My Dad and The Portrait and the role of Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams in Omagh and Kenifick in GRABBERS.
- Radio
Spent two years playing leading roles with the RTÉ Radio Repertory Company, including the part of Jesus of Nazareth in The Man Born to be King, the title role in Yeats’ Cúchulainn plays, and ten roles in ‘The Jaundiced Eye’ RTÉ’s award-winning entry for the Monte Carlo Radio Prize.
- Voice overs
With a resonant baritone voice coupled with a talent for creating characters, accents and impressions, Jonathan has been one of Ireland’s best-known, most successful and versatile Voiceover Artists for over thirty years, with a broad vocal range, an impressive list of impressions and impeccable timing!Since recording his first commercial voiceover in April 1980, he has recorded countless TV and Radio commercials – mostly in English, but also in German, Irish and French – Documentaries and Narratives and has won National and International Awards for his work in this field.
- Animations
Jonathan has provided voices for numerous animated and cartoon productions, notably: Urbanus, Inspector Mouse, The King of Malagoola and Uncle Birthday for Jimmy Murakami; all the voices on CP and Kwikstitch, An Inside Job, Toe Hold, If You’d Believe This!, Up Against the Wall! and Waste of Space for Aidan Hickey; Fursey, The Shamrogues and Ulys (Ulysses) for Tim Booth; Five roles in The Sign of the Fish with Ben Kingsley and Susannah York – and 52 episodes playing the leading role of Head-Coach Aarch – as well as the villains Harris and Bellow and assorted other characters – in Seasons 1 to 3 of Galactik Football.Jonathan has extensive experience in film-dubbing and post production work, notably with Jim Sheridan on the Oscar winning My Left Foot and The Field.
- Documentaries
Documentary work ranges from the eight part RTE series on Ireland from the air – The Lie of the Land - to an eight part RTE series on life in Japan.
To enquire about Jonathan’s availability, please contact The Lisa Richards Agency on: +353 1 660 3534 or email info@lisarichards.ie
