Acting · London, England, UK · Born January 1, 1966
Jay Simpson is a prolific English film, television and stage actor. Most recently, he has appeared in Chernobyl and Frontier. Simpson is perhaps best known in television for portraying cockney desk sergeant Ian 'Brookie' Brooke in Foyle's War, and he has also appeared on television in Recovery with David Tennant and Sarah Parish, Hot Money, Bad Crowd, A Touch of Frost, Casualty, Primeval, The Bill, Peep Show, Rome, Ashes to Ashes, Murder in Suburbia and Soundproof. Jay also uses his charm and voice skills as he is the voice of 'The Tree of Temptation' in Big Brother. His films include Hush Your Mouth, The Holiday, Pride and Prejudice and Erik the Viking and the 1988 TV film The Firm with Gary Oldman. He also voiced a major character, Flea, in the 2008 English language DVD re-release of the cult 2006 Norwegian animated film, Free Jimmy, alongside Woody Harrelson and with dialogue written by Simon Pegg. The character of Flea was something of comedy relief in the film, with a character partly inspired by Sean Ryder. In 2008 he appeared alongside Ross Boatman and Roger Lloyd-Pack in Patrick Marber's play Dealer's Choice for a run on the West End. In 2011 he appeared as George Redman in the television film The Suspicions of Mr Whicher for ITV. In 2011, he appeared in "The National Anthem", an episode of the anthology series Black Mirror On 13 April 2012, he appeared as Stretch in the sitcom Not Going Out and appeared in the ITV series Mrs Biggs as one of the great train robbers, Bruce Reynolds.
MovieNational Theatre at Home: The Story
2026
as Detective
TVBabies
2026
as Ralph
TVThe Hack
2025
as Glenn Vian
TVThe Day of the Jackal
2024
as George Hands
MovieBlitz
2024
as Timothy Ashdown
MovieThe Critic
2024
as Slyfield
MovieTuesday
2024
as Spike
MovieSherbet
2024
as Rene
MovieNational Theatre Live: Othello
2023
as Brabantio / Gratiano
TVA Spy Among Friends
2022
as MI6 cabbie
TVPistol
2022
as Ron, Steve's Stepdad
TVSister Boniface Mysteries
2022
as Alfie Lynch
MovieFerryman
2022
as Dad
MovieBull
2021
as Dave
TVStephen
2021
as Peter Birdsall
TVThe Nevers
2021
as Tunnel Foreman
MovieKing Gary Christmas Special
2020
as John The Butcher
TVSmall Axe
2020
as Duty Officer
MovieEnola Holmes
2020
as Conductor (uncredited)
TVDes
2020
as DS Chris Healey
MovieSitting in Limbo
2020
as Trevor
TVChernobyl
2019
as Perevozchenko
MovieBrexit: The Uncivil War
2019
as Steve
MovieKing Gary Pilot
2018
as John The Butcher
This Little Death
2018
as Mortimer
MovieTerminal
2018
as Danny
MovieTheir Finest
2017
as Alf Reynolds
MovieRearview
2017
as Johno
MovieThe 101-Year-Old Man Who Skipped Out on the Bill and Disappeared
2016
as Bas
MovieAlan Clarke: Out of His Own Light
2016
as Self
TVCradle to Grave
2015
as Ernie
TVThe Game
2014
as Colin Blakefield
MovieThe Guvnors
2014
as Neil
MovieRush
2013
as British Journalist
MovieThe Magnificent Eleven
2013
as Rob
TVUtopia
2013
as Detective Richmond
MovieThe Great Train Robbery
2012
as Narrator
TVMrs Biggs
2012
as Bruce Reynolds
MovieActs of Godfrey
2012
as Phil
TVCall the Midwife
2012
as Albert Calthorpe
TVBlack Mirror
2011
as Rod Senseless
Comedy Blaps
2011
as The Pitbull
MovieWild Bill
2011
as Det. Harry 'Superspeed' Cotty
MovieShifter
2011
as Huxley
MovieDreams of a Life
2011
as Caretaker
MovieAge of Heroes
2011
as RMP Company Sergeant Major
MovieThe Murder at Road Hill House
2011
as George Redman
TVSilk
2011
as Russell
MovieHattie
2011
as Bruce
MovieRound Ireland with a Fridge
2010
as London Cabbie
MovieShifty
2008
as Trevor
MovieMrs In-Betweeny
2008
as Kevin
TVAshes to Ashes
2008
as Reeks
TVSecret Diary of a Call Girl
2007
as Punter
TVThe Sarah Jane Adventures
2007
as Jay
MovieRecovery
2007
as Johnathan
Hush Your Mouth
2007
as Alan Townsend
MovieThe Holiday
2006
as Limo Driver
TVNot Going Out
2006
as Stretch
MoviePride & Prejudice
2005
as Meryton Milliner
MovieThe I Inside
2004
as Morgue Orderly
TVMurder in Suburbia
2004
as Photographer
MovieWall of Silence
2004
as John Weighill
TVPeep Show
2003
as Foz
Occasional, Strong
2002
as Steve
TVFoyle's War
2002
as Sergeant Ian Brooke
TVBodily Harm
2002
as Tintin
MovieClub Le Monde
2002
as Mark
MovieHot Money
2001
as Barry Weller
MovieSouth West 9
2001
as Elf
TVMurphy's Law
2001
as Neil
MovieBeautiful People
1999
as Bigsy
Pilgrim's Rest
1997
as Ronnie
TVThe Thin Blue Line
1995
as Baz
TVA Touch of Frost
1992
as Peter Bainbridge
TVHeartbeat
1992
as Steve Dempsey
MovieErik the Viking
1989
as Leif the Lucky
MovieThe Firm
1989
as Dominic
TVPress Gang
1989
as Archie
MovieDeath of a Son
1989
as John Williams
The Moneymen
1988
as Other Dealer
TVThe Fear
1988
as Mark
MovieEmpire State
1987
as Jeff
TVScreen Two
1985
as Dominic
TVDramarama
1983
as Vincent
Blueberry
as Daddy
MovieBlack Cab
as Harry
