Paul Ready

Paul Ready’s one of those actors you spot and think, “Hey, I’ve seen this guy somewhere before.” Born in Birmingham and raised around Harborne, Ready went to King Edward VI Five Ways school, then took his shot at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art—so yeah, he’s classically trained and actually knows his stuff. The guy’s not just a TV face. He’s got serious stage chops, bagging a commendation at the Ian Charleson Awards back in ’03. At seventeen, he was already playing Romeo at the National Youth Theatre, and get this—Rosamund Pike was his Juliet. Not a bad start, right? He’s basically lived at the National and Royal Court theatres, leading in heavyweight plays like Major Barbara, Saint Joan, and Time and the Conways. Even hit the West End in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest with Christian Slater. But if you’re more into TV binging, you probably remember him from Utopia in 2013—a show that’s as weird and gripping as they come. Fast forward to 2018, he pops up in Bodyguard as Rob MacDonald and then takes on Henry Goodsir in The Terror, which is this wild, frozen nightmare of a series based on Dan Simmons’ novel. Offstage, he’s married to Michelle Terry, who’s just as talented, and they’ve got a daughter. So yeah, Ready’s been quietly crushing it across stage, screen, and even radio. He’s not flashy, just the kind of actor who nails every role and somehow keeps showing up in all the coolest projects.