David Morrissey

Born: June 21 1964
Where: Everton, Liverpool, UK

The seasoned TV actor reached a wider big screen audience as the psychologist toyed with by Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct 2.

The youngest of four children, Morrissey was encouraged to take up acting by a teacher at school after he played the scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz.

He went on to join Liverpool's Everyman Youth Theatre where he worked with director Ken Campbell and landed a role in Willy Russell's TV drama One Summer with Ian Hart.

On the strength of the TV hit, he landed a place at RADA and went on to work at the Liverpool Playhouse and the Royal Shakespeare Company.

In 1987, he returned to TV in Cause Celebre and made his big screen debut with a small role in Peter Greenaway's Drowning By Numbers.

Extensive TV work, including Robin Hood and Behind The Lines, followed and he also appeared in feature films such as Waterland and Being Human.

In 1998, he appeared in Hilary and Jackie alongside Emily Watson and played a Nazi officer in the big screen version of Captain Corelli's Mandolin with Nic Cage.

TV work continued, including Linda Green, Clocking Off and the role of the anti-hero in the acclaimed newsapaper drama State of Play.

He also starred in the comedy-drama Blackpool before appearing in a run of Hollywood films including the thriller Derailed.

In 2005, he starred as psychologist Michael Glass opposite Sharon Stone in Michael Caton-Jones Basic Instinct sequel.

Morrissey is married to writer Esther Freud.