Pearce Quigley

Pearce Quigley
Born
Pierce J. Quigley

(1965-05-16) 16 May 1965 (age 61)
Salford, Lancashire, England
OccupationActor

Pearce Quigley (born 16 May 1965) is an English actor. His credits include the TV series Pie in the Sky, Happiness (2001–2003), Cutting It (2002–2005), Rovers (2016), Detectorists (2014–2022), The Gentlemen (2024-2026, as John "The Gospel" Dixon), and Small Prophets (2026). He has also had roles in films, including Millions (2004), and The Way Back (2010), and Peterloo (2018). He plays Will in the BBC Radio 4 sitcom Alone, and has had extensive experience on stage.

Career

Theatre

Quigley has appeared in The Seagull (Royal Court); Paul (National Theatre); Journey's End (Comedy Theatre); My Night with Reg and Dealer's Choice (Birmingham Rep); Feelgood (Hampstead and Garrick); Blue Heart (Royal Court); Shopping and Fucking (Out of Joint at Gielgud, International Tour and Queen's Theatre); The Queen and I – The Royals Down Under (Out of Joint Australian tour); Rat in the Skull (Royal Court and Duke of York's); The Queen and I (Out of Joint at the Royal Court and Vaudeville Theatre); Road (Out of Joint at the Royal Court); Der Neue Menoza (Gate Theatre); Rope (Birmingham Rep); A Jovial Crew (RSC); The Winter's Tale (RSC); The Merry Wives of Windsor (RSC); The Changeling (RSC); Abingdon Square (Shared Experience); Doctor Faustus (Globe); A Midsummer Night's Dream (Globe); The Taming of the Shrew (Globe); and Twelfth Night (Globe, 2025).

Screen

Quigley appeared in Pie in the Sky, the comedy series Happiness (2001–2003), the drama series Cutting It (2002–2005), Millions (2004), 15 Storeys High (2004), Born Equal (2006), Within the Whirlwind (2009), and The Way Back (2010), alongside Ed Harris, Saoirse Ronan, and Colin Farrell. He was in Breaking the Bank (2014), Rovers (2016), and Peterloo (2018), alongside Rory Kinnear. From 2014 to 2022, Quigley played the part of Russell in the television sitcom Detectorists. In December 2021, Quigley played the Ghost of Christmas Present in the BBC TV special We Wish You A Mandy Christmas.

In 2023, he had a small part in The Full Monty and he played Albie in Episode 3 of The Reckoning. He played a disgruntled cyclist in one episode of Peter Kay's Car Share.[citation needed]

In 2026 Quigley played the lead role in Small Prophets. Writer and director Mackenzie Crook said:

I think he's one of the funniest men I've ever met. He's a unique actor in a way that I can't quite put my finger on. His delivery is so deadpan dry ... I've only ever seen him in smaller roles, sidekick roles, and I wanted to see him front and centre in something.

Radio

Quigley has been a regular in the BBC Radio 4 sitcoms Plum House and Alone.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1989 Ladder of Swords Constable Lowe
Killing Dad (Or How To Love Your Mother) Luggage attendant
2000 The House of Mirth Percy Gryce
2004 Millions Community policeman
2005 Big Dippers Perry
Riot at the Rite Nicholas Roerich
2006 Born Equal Beggar 1
2007 Grow Your Own Eddie
2008 Britain's Got the Pop Factor... and Possibly a New Celebrity Jesus Christ Soapstar Superstar Strictly on Ice Dog Trainer Two-part television movie
2009 Stalin: Reign of Terror Yelvov
2010 You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger Poker friend
The Way Back Channeler
2011 Frankenstein's Wedding... Live in Leeds Fred
2012 Doctor Faustus Robin, Alexander
2013 The Taming of the Shrew at Shakespeare's Globe Grumio
2014 Shakespeare's Globe: A Midsummer Night's Dream Bottom
Breaking the Bank Oscar
2015 The Process Martin
National Theatre Live: The Beaux' Stratagem Scrub
2018 Peterloo Joshua
Shakespeare's Globe: Hamlet Rosencrantz
2019 The Merry Wives of Windsor: Live from Shakespeare's Globe Sir John Falstaff
2020 Talk Radio Barry
2021 Cuckoo Father Short film
2023 The Critic Mr. Morrisey
2024 Peaked Steven
2025 Bank of Dave 2 David H

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1990 Inspector Morse Mick McGovern One episode
1991 A Perfect Hero Douthwaite
1992 Growing Rich Woodie Six episodes
1993 Prime Suspect Red Two episodes
1996 Pie in the Sky Alistair, Lord Pilbury One episode
Our Friends in the North Detective
1997 The Bill Brian Wilby
New Voices Brian
Heartbeat Red Broadbent
1999 Wing and a Prayer Trevor Pike
Hippies Policeman Eric
2000 That Peter Kay Thing Ron Hibbert
Queer as Folk Graham Beck Two episodes
Pay and Display Adolf One episode
2001–2003 Happiness Sid Twelve episodes
2002–2005 Cutting It Eugene Eubank Twenty-five episodes
2004 15 Storeys High Jonathan One episode
New Tricks Frank Fox
2005 The Virgin Queen Henry Bedingfeld
2007 Lead Balloon Alan
2009 The Thick of It Doug Hayes
2010 Being Human Catholic Priest
2013 Midsomer Murders Colin Yule
Being Eileen Dave
2014–2022 Detectorists Russell Nineteen episodes
2015 Together Mark Tetherford One episode
2016 Rovers Willy Six episodes
2016–2018 Home from Home Ben Thistlewaite
2017 Peter Kay's Car Share Cyclist One episode
Three Girls Peter Boyd
In the Dark Trevor Hare Three episodes
2018 Lovesick Simon
2019 Down from London Alan One episode
2020 COBRA Nick Dunbar Two episodes
Housebound Al Allison Eight epidodes
2021 The Wheel of Time Master Hightower One episode
2021–2025 Mandy Ghost of Christmas Past (2021), Lee (2025) Two episodes
2022 McDonald & Dodds Hector Ingham One episode
2023 The Full Monty Alan
The Reckoning Albie Two episodes
2024 Death in Paradise Ivan McQuillan One episode
The Gentlemen Gospel John Four episodes
Showtrial Phillip Holmes KC
2025 Art Detectives Charlie Filton One episode
2026 Small Prophets Michael Sleep Six episodes
2027 The Cadburys John

References

  1. 1 2 "Lauren Patel, Instagram, Same Birthday".
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "On Playing Shakespeare's Clowns: Pearce Quigley". Digital Theatre+. Digital Theatre. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Quigley, Pearce (11 June 2018). "Playing Jesus was the most miserable experience: Interview with Pearce Quigley". עלונדון (Interview) (in Hebrew). Retrieved 25 August 2020.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "Pearce Quigley - Past Performances". theatricalia.com. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
  5. ↑ "Twelfth Night at Shakespeare's Globe: Robin Belfield's staging is uproarious". The Stage. Retrieved 10 February 2026.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Pearce Quigley Credits". tvguide.com. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "Pearce Quigley Actor". comedy.co.uk. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
  8. ↑ "We Wish You A Mandy Christmas". bbc.co.uk/mediacentre. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  9. 1 2 Magliola, Anna Sky (12 February 2026). "Mackenzie Crook opens up about the unusual inspiration behind his latest comedy Small Prophets". Retrieved 14 February 2026.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 "Pearce Quigley | Actor, Additional Crew, Soundtrack". IMDb. Retrieved 25 February 2026.
  11. ↑ "BBC - Comedy - Happiness Pearce Quigley Interview: Sid was so miserable in the first series, so getting a girlfriend in the second is life changing". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 25 February 2026.
  12. ↑ "Toby Regbo, Harry Gilby and Jessica Barden lead cast for The Cadburys - the true story of the Cadbury family - with filming now underway in Birmingham". corporate.uktv.co.uk. Retrieved 29 July 2026.