Patrick Mower


Patrick Mower is an English actor. He is often known for his portrayal of Rodney Blackstock in the ITV soap opera Emmerdale, a role he first played in 2000. Mower has appeared in a wide range of films and television series, including Swizzlewick, The Devil Rides Out, Monella, Callan, Special Branch and Target.

Early life and education

Mower was born the youngest of three boys in Oxford, to a Welsh father and an English mother, Peggy. In his 2007 autobiography, Mower states that he believed for years that his year of birth was 1940, but later he discovered that his birth was not registered and he was born on 12 September 1938. After first training as an engineering draughtsman at the Cowley plant of Pressed Steel Company, Mower graduated from RADA.

Career

Mower first came to prominence in the early 1970s, as the ruthless government assassin James Cross in the ITV spy series Callan. He then appeared as DCI Tom Haggerty in Special Branch, Det. Supt. Steve Hackett, the lead character in the police series Target, and featured in one of the last Carry On films, Carry On England. In the late 1960s, at the age of 28, Mower auditioned and was considered for the role of James Bond in the James Bond franchise. However, he was told that he was too young. Mower's television roles afterwards included guest appearances in Jason King, Space: 1999, UFO, Minder, The Sweeney and Bergerac. In October 2000, he made his first appearance as Rodney Blackstock in the ITV soap opera Emmerdale, a role he has portrayed since.

Filmography

Film

Television

Radio

Mower also appeared in the lead role of Detective Constable 'Birdie' Partridge in Chris Boucher 's 1981 mystery radio serial A Walk in the Dark.

Stage work

Mower’s early career included extensive work in the theatre, encompassing both classical and contemporary productions. His stage appearances included roles in plays such as St. Joan at the Old Vic, Twelfth Night at the Royal Court Theatre, and John Gabriel Borkman and Caesar and Cleopatra in West End productions, demonstrating a grounding in classical repertory. In later years, he continued to appear on stage in regional theatre, including a 1999 production of Carl at the Chester Gateway Theatre. These theatre engagements ran alongside his better-known work in television and film.
YearProductionRoleVenue / CompanyRef
c.1960sSt. JoanRole unspecifiedOld Vic, London
c.1960sTwelfth NightRole unspecifiedRoyal Court Theatre, London
c.1960sJohn Gabriel BorkmanRole unspecifiedWest End
c.1960sCaesar and CleopatraRole unspecifiedWest End
1999CarlBing-BongChester Gateway Theatre