HEIGHT : 5ft9
HOME TOWN : Bolton
FAMILY : Older sister, Lilian
CHILDREN : Daughter, Jasmine
PREVIOUS JOBS : A potato picker in Jersey, ‘It wasn’t quite the doss that I expected it to be – it was exhausting.’. Also worked for a mail order company.
SKILLS : Guitar, mime, full driving license, sword fencing, stage fighting.
ON CHARACTER MUBBS : ‘I think there’s a bit of a frustrated rock star in Mubbs. His strengths lie in his professional abilities, he is good at his job. So far, I can’t see that many similarities with me at all. Although he’s very image conscious and I do love clothes. I’m really enjoying the suits – but it’s quite hot on the set, so it’s not quite the bonus I thought it would be. He’s quite anti-authority and I suppose I can be too sometimes. It’s always fun to play characters that are more bad than good, which he certainly is. Mubbs is very different in that he is a heartbreaker whereas I’m quite sensitive.’
DESCRIBE MUBBS IN THREE WORDS : ‘Arrogant, womaniser and competent.’
IF HE COULD PLAY ANYONE BESIDES MUBBS : ‘I’m very happy playing Mubbs. He’s mouthy, arrogant, cheeky, gets to snog lots of women and struts down corridors like he owns the place. Why would I want to play anyone else?!’
WHO WOULD PLAY HIM IN A MOVIE OF HIS LIFE : ‘Jordan Routledge (who played Sajid Khan in East is East) as a child and me as a grown up.’
WHO HE ADMIRES : ‘Nelson Mandella – just for him and what he’s done.’
WHAT ANGERS HIM : Obnoxious, self opinionated people, wasps and dog mess in the street and parks. Also being ripped off. That really annoys me.’
MUSIC LIKES : The Beatle, Oasis, U2, dance music.
FAVE FOOD : Pasta and anything simple ‘I’m not into fussy or expensive food’
HOBBIES : Swimming
WHO MAKES HIM LAUGH : Eddie Izzard, The Simpsons and Jonathan Ross on Radio 2.
ON HIS HEALTH : ‘I try very hard to be quite disciplined with the gym and eating healthily, but it doesn’t always happen.’
MOST VIVID CHILDHOOD MEMORY : ‘Playing guitar and singing Elvis’s ‘Blue Suede Shoes’ to an audience of 500 people at a camping club. I remember doing it to impress a girl and I was so terrified that I was shaking under a table before I went on. It was my first ever performance, I was about 11 and it was great.’
MOST FOOLISH THING DONE : ‘I was going over to Germany with my girlfriend to meet her parents for the first time and was looking for an ideal gift to take over. A friend asked me if I knew that a Christmas bauble is a traditional German gift. Chuffed, I I bought a really expensive bauble and decided that I would make it a surprise for my girlfriend too. I picked my moment to present them with it and knew from their reaction that I had been totally wound up by my friend. After a few drinks I explained myself, but I still feel embarrassed about it even now.’
PREVIOUS CASUALTY APPEARANCE : Ian has also appeared in CASUALTY. In S12 E8, he plays Kumar Kaul. [More Info]
TELEVISION CREDITS : Body and Soul; How to be Cool; Gigglish Allsorts; The King of Farawania; Band of Gold; Peak Practice; The Fragile Heart; Casualty; Invasion Earth; Supply and Demand; City Central; The Bill; Time Gentleman Please; Silent Witness; Holby City; Waterloo Road
FILM CREDITS : East is East; Killing me Softly; 31 North 62 East
THEATRE CREDITS : Jack in the Beanstalk; Operation Elvis; Blood Brothers; Irma la Douch; Northern Mystery Plays; Baths; Cloud Nine; Beauty and the Beast; Romeo & Juliet; Robin Hood; The Winter’s Tale; Nimai, The Spirit of Vrindavan; New Playwrights Workshops
AGENT : Jonathan Altaras Associates, 11 Garrick Street, Covent Garden, London WC2E 9AR.
DID YOU KNOW?
* Ian has been in various bands before side stepping into acting. He left his last band, Nik Bold after just one gig, to join HOLBY CITY.
