Paul Bown (born 11 October 1957) is an English actor. Bown is best known for playing Malcolm Stoneway in the Granada Television sitcom Watching (1987–1993). He also had major roles in other comedy series, including as Roger Bones in the CBBC comedy series Pirates (1994-1997) and Harry Thorpe in the BBC comedy series The Last Salute (1998-1999).

Bown took a foundation course in art at Stoke Polytechnic before going on to do a B.A. in Drama and Theatre Studies at Crewe and Alsager College. In 1980, Bown began his professional acting career, when he joined the Rat Theatre Company, who subsequently toured all over the UK. Later he co-founded the Optik Theatre Company with some former colleagues from his college, through the group they subsequently performed a showcase at the Cockpit Theatre in London, which helped launch his career.^[1]

In 1985, he appeared in the comedy film Morons From Outer Space as Julian Tope, one of three dim-witted aliens whose spaceship crash lands on Earth, where they subsequently become overnight celebrities.^[2] During this time, Bown also appeared in adverts for Toffee Crisp and Pizzaland. In 1987, Bown starred in his breakthrough television role as ornothologist Malcolm Stoneway in Watching, which ran for seven series and was consistently popular with audiences during its long run.^[3] In 1990, he appeared in the first episode of Mr. Bean as "The Student".^[4]

In 1993, shortly after Watching ended, he appeared as a space watcher in the Last of the Summer Wine episode 'Welcome to Earth'.^[5] In 1994, Bown played Russian sailor Vladmir Ivanov in Heartbeat,^[6] the first of his two appearances in the long running series. Later that same year, Bown featured in Pirates, as Roger Bones, a former pirate and single father who swaps life on the seven seas for a quiet existence in the suburbs of Wordsworth Close.^[7] Bown also appeared as Uncle Jim in the film Jude (1996) with Christopher Eccleston and Kate Winslet,^[8] which was adapted from the Thomas Hardy novel Jude the Obscure.^[9]

In 1998, he starred as Harry Thorpe an AA Patrolman in the BBC comedy series The Last Salute which ran for two series.^[10] The following year, he appeared in a pilot for a sitcom Heavy Revie with Frank Skinner, about a former heavy metal rock star who is forced to record with a boy band. A pilot was taped, but the series wasn't picked up by ITV.^[11]

In 2001, Bown appeared as Dr. Al Blake in two series of the police procedural series Merseybeat.^[12] In 2005, he made his second appearance on Heartbeat, as John Boaden respectively. He later featured as Colin Cakeworthy in two episodes of the sitcom The Green Green Grass between 2006-2007.^[13][14] Bown also appeared in November 2007, in acclaimed British drama Britz. In 2008, he played publican Rod Erskine in an episode of New Tricks, first broadcast on 25 August 2008.^[15] In 2009, he appeared briefly as Mike Bamber, chairman of Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club, in the Brian Clough biopic The Damned United. In the 2010 Christmas Special of My Family, he played the grandfather of a young girl who Ben meets whilst filling in for Father Christmas.^[16]

In 2016, he appeared in the television series by the BBC, Father Brown as Mordaunt Jackson in "The Sins of the Father" episode. In 2017, he appeared in the television series by ITV, Endeavour as Rev Mervyn Golightly.

In 2019, Bown appeared in episode 4 of the ITV drama A Confession, alongside Martin Freeman and Joe Absolom; Bown played the ex-cellmate of serial killer Christopher Halliwell. Later that year he appeared in Coronation Street as the brother of Roy Cropper, while in 2020 he appeared as Michael Connors in series 2 of the ITV drama Bancroft. In 2022 he appeared in a episode of Death in Paradise as UK chess champion Maurice Holburne.^[17]

In 1986, Bown featured in the musical play The Gambler, alongside Mel Smith and Phil Davis, which ran at the Hampstead Theatre, before moving onto a subsequent run at the Comedy Theatre.^[18] In 1993, he appeared in Off the Piste as Chris Baxter, a womanising and obnoxious DJ, which was described at the time as a departure from his well-known role as the wimpish Malcolm, it ran at the Garrick Theatre during February - March 1993.^[19] In 2005, he appeared as Angus in Neville's Island alongside Les Dennis, which ran at The Rep, Birmingham between April - May 2005.^[20] In 2009, he appeared as Albert Parker in the J.B. Priestley play When We Are Married, which featured at the Liverpool and Everyman Playhouse and West Yorkshire Playhouse.^[21] Between 2012 - 2013, Bown featured in the stage adaption of The Ladykillers, where he played the lead role of the Fiery Angel/ Professor Marcus, which toured around the UK, following its initial run in the West End.^[22][23]

Bown is married to Jane Jamieson, and has four children.^[24]

• Paul Bown at IMDb