Paul Ready
Born: 1977-06-23 in Birmingham, England
Known For: Acting
Biography
Paul John Ready (born 23 June 1977) is a British actor known for portraying Kevin Brady in Motherland (2016-2022), Lee in Utopia (2013–2014), Rob MacDonald in Bodyguard (2018), and Henry Goodsir in The Terror (2018). His film credits include The Death of Stalin (2017), The Dig (2021), Heart of Stone (2023), and Bring Them Down (2025). He is recognised for his ability to take on diverse roles and bring depth to his characters in different genres. Paul was born in Birmingham and, growing up in the town of Harborne, he attended King Edward VI Five Ways school. He went on to train at London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and, at the age of 17, he played Romeo in the National Youth Theatre production of Romeo and Juliet at London's Bloomsbury Theatre, playing opposite Rosamund Pike's Juliet. He is a regular at the National and Royal Court theatres. Past appearances have included leading parts in Major Barbara and Saint Joan (both plays by George Bernard Shaw) and Time and the Conways by J.B. Priestley. His West End credits include One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, which starred Christian Slater. Ready is married to actress and writer Michelle Terry, whom he met in Shakespeare's Globe 2009 production of Love's Labour's Lost — they have one daughter. In 2018 he starred as the titular character in Macbeth at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, opposite Terry as Lady Macbeth. In 2020, he and Terry returned to the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse as Petruchio and Biondello respectively in The Taming of the Shrew. In 2025, he starred in Chekhov's Three Sisters as Aleksandr Vershinin, once again alongside Terry. Paul received a commendation at the Ian Charleson Awards in 2003.
Filmography
2025
- Bring Them Down as Gary
2023
- Heart of Stone as Bailey
- Capture as Dad
2022
- The Bastard Son & the Devil Himself as Soul
- Motherland: Last Christmas as Kevin
2021
- The Dig as James Reid Moir
2019
- Flack as Damien Paulson
- MotherFatherSon as Nick Caplan
2018
- The Terror as Doctor Henry Goodsir
- Bodyguard as Rob MacDonald
2017
- Motherland as Kevin
- The Death of Stalin as NKVD Officer Delov
2016
- The Witness for the Prosecution as Tripp
- Beside Himself as Devlin
- The Circuit as Danny
2015
- Cuffs as DI Felix Kane
2013
- Utopia as Lee
- One Wrong Word as Tony
2012
- Ripper Street as Dr. Frederick Treves
- Private Peaceful as Captain Wilkins
2010
- Love's Labour's Lost - Live at Shakespeare's Globe as Don Armado
- National Theatre Live: London Assurance as Charles Courtly
2006
- Pulling as Mike
2005
- Pierrepoint: The Last Hangman as Anthony David Farrow
- Twisted Tales as Phil
2004
- Life Begins as Mark
- Blackpool
2002
- Born and Bred as Abel Marl
- Tipping the Velvet as Renter Alice
- Plain Jane as Clerk
- Jeffrey Archer: The Truth as Paul McCartney
2001
- Princess of Thieves as Sheriff's servant
2000
- Maybe Baby as Student Doctor
1992
- Heartbeat as Henry Harrison
1989
- Agatha Christie's Poirot as William