Director, playwright and screenwriter born in 1943 in Salford,
UK. Trained briefly at RADA for an acting career but found it
boring and snotty, and switched to a succession of art schools
before going on to the London Film School. His first stage work, The
Box Play, demonstrated his interest in the observation of
reality through a collaborative improvisation process with his
performers. His first film Bleak Moments was financed by
the actor Albert Finney, and won several awards. He concentrated
on stage and TV work for a while after that, and became
increasingly popular for producing keen social observation and
bold political critiques. His films explore what I like to call
the 'cringe factor' - the grittier side of working-class life,
often wickedly funny, often tragic. He got Best Director at
Cannes for Naked and was nominated for an Academy Award for
Secrets and Lies.
Recently divorced from his wife Alison Steadman the actress, who starred in Abigail's Party and Life is Sweet.