John Simm (born 10 July 1970) is an English stage and screen actor. In recent years he is best known for his roles as Sam Tyler in the detective drama Life on Mars and as the Master in the revival of the science fiction series Doctor Who, but he has also starred in many highly acclaimed award-winning television dramas such as The Lakes, Cracker, State of Play, Crime and Punishment, Clocking Off, Sex Traffic and Exile. he has twice been BAFTA nominated for best actor and starred in films such as Human Traffic, Wonderland and 24 Hour Party People. As a stage actor, he is a Laurence Olivier Award nominee, and in 2010 played Hamlet at the Crucible theatre.
Simm was born in Leeds, West Riding of Yorkshire. The eldest of three, he grew up in Nelson, Lancashire. And went to Walton High School in the same town. The family lived in a series of places around the northwest, including Manchester, Colne, Burnley and Blackpool. His father, Ronald Simm, was a musician and from the age of 12, Simm joined his father on stage in the working men’s clubs singing and playing the guitar.
In 1986 Simm enrolled at the Blackpool and The Fylde College in Lytham St. Annes for three years and starred in Guys
(This is information generated from a Wikipedia article, licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.)