---
name: "Jamie Foreman"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/jamie-foreman"
fi1m_id: "jamie-foreman"
imdb_id: "nm0286044"
tmdb_id: 3543
wikidata_id: "Q182743"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "25 May 1958"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 6
average_fi1m_score: 72
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 6
updated: "2026-10-07T13:50:33.424045+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Jamie Foreman

## Identity

Jamie Foreman

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/jamie-foreman
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** jamie-foreman
- **IMDb ID:** nm0286044
- **TMDB ID:** 3543
- **Wikidata ID:** Q182743
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamie_Foreman, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q182743, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0286044/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/3543

Actor. Born 25 May 1958 in Bermondsey, South London.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 25 May 1958, Bermondsey, South London
- **Active:** 1985–present
- **Average Fi1m score:** 72, as actor, over 6 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1980s 76 (1), 1990s 82 (3), 2000s 55 (2)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 77 to 72 across 4 titles
- **Score spread:** 2 at 80+, 3 at 60–79, 1 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 0 of 3 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Drama 3, Comedy 2, Action & Adventure 1, Crime 1, Fantasy 1, History 1
- **Screen time:** 7 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $315m across 3 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamie_Foreman, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q182743, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0286044/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/3543

## Streaming the US now

- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Saving Grace*](https://film.one/film/saving-grace.md) (60)
- **Apple TV:** [*My Family*](https://film.one/tv/my-family.md) (50)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on Jamie Foreman

> Jamie Foreman gives his hard men plenty to say, and enough vulnerability to make the talk revealing. We value him most when a director lets him be more than the familiar London heavy; repeated gangster casting has too often kept him there.

Jamie Foreman's Mark in *Nil by Mouth* (1997) is a talker, with the energy to make the talking itself worth watching. The masculine bluster has vulnerability beneath it, and he lets both show without making a separate business of either. We were unsettled by him because his verbal confidence never quite convinced us that the man felt secure. Gary Oldman gives him room within an ensemble alongside Ray Winstone and Kathy Burke. It is the strongest starting point for his work, though the film runs long and an explanatory speech tells us what the actors have already made clear.

His supporting work in the 1990s led towards more prominent crime and period parts, with *Saving Grace* (2000) offering a comic detour. He plays China MacFarlane in Nigel Cole's cannabis farce, which depends chiefly on Brenda Blethyn and its central friendship. We find the friendship more convincing than the increasingly busy comedy. The familiar jokes wear thin, and there is only so much that a supporting cast can do about that. It is worth considering for Blethyn, but it tells us less about why Foreman merits attention than *Nil by Mouth* does.

Matthew Vaughn's *Layer Cake* (2004) uses him as the low-level drug dealer Duke, while Roman Polanski's *Oliver Twist* (2005) gives him Bill Sikes. The casting suggests how readily he can be filed under menace. As Sikes, his naturalistic performance admits vulnerability alongside the menace. We prefer him when a director makes use of that uncertainty, as Oldman does, rather than relying on a recognisable tough man to complete the cast.

*EastEnders* cast him as Derek Branning in 2011–2012, and the *Rise of the Footsoldier* series has brought him back as Sam from 2017. Repeated gangster parts risk making the next entrance too predictable, however much conviction he brings. We would like more directors to give his verbal inventiveness something other than intimidation to do. Start with *Nil by Mouth*, provided a gruelling family drama is what the evening can bear.

## Biography

Jamie Foreman is an English actor. Born on 25 May 1958 in Bermondsey, London, he trained at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts.

He played Mark in Gary Oldman's *Nil by Mouth* (1997) and appeared in *Elizabeth* (1998), *Sleepy Hollow* (1999), *Gangster No. 1* (2000) and *Saving Grace* (2000). He is known for the roles of Duke in *Layer Cake* (2004) and Bill Sikes in *Oliver Twist* (2005), as well as Eddie Connolly in the 2006 *Doctor Who* episode "The Idiot's Lantern" and Derek Branning in *EastEnders* (2011–2012).

Foreman is the son of Freddie Foreman, a former south London gangster. He was married to actress Carol Harrison.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (6)

- *My Family* (2000), Fi1m 50, Actor — [page](https://film.one/tv/my-family.md)
- *Saving Grace* (2000), Fi1m 60, as China MacFarlane — [page](https://film.one/film/saving-grace.md)
- *Sleepy Hollow* (1999), Fi1m 78, as Constable — [page](https://film.one/film/sleepy-hollow.md)
- *Elizabeth* (1998), Fi1m 82, as Earl of Sussex — [page](https://film.one/film/elizabeth.md)
- *Nil by Mouth* (1997), Fi1m 87, as Mark — [page](https://film.one/film/nil-by-mouth.md)
- *Dempsey and Makepeace* (1985), Fi1m 76, as Ramsey — [page](https://film.one/tv/dempsey-and-makepeace.md)

## Complete filmography (73)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Rise of the Footsoldier: Retribution* (2026), as Sam
- *Rise of the Footsoldier: Vengeance* (2023), as Sam
- *Break* (2020), as Monty
- *Once Upon a Time in London* (2019), as Alf White
- *The Bromley Boys* (2018), as Charlie McQueen
- *Rise of the Footsoldier 3* (2017), as Sam
- *Porters* (2017), series, as Alan
- *St George's Day* (2012), as Nixon
- *The Grind* (2012), as Dave
- *Dead End* (2012), as Dog
- *Screwed* (2011), as Rumpole
- *Ironclad* (2011), as Coteral
- *Baseline* (2010), as Terry
- *Law & Order: UK* (2009), series, Actor
- *The Devil's Wedding* (2009), as The Hotelier
- *Inkheart* (2008), as Basta
- *Botched* (2007), as Peter
- *Oliver Twist* (2005), as Bill Sikes
- *Willesden Confidential* (2005), as Leonard Crowe
- *Doctor Who* (2005), series, as Eddie Connolly — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/tv/doctor-who-2005.md)
- *Doctor Who Confidential* (2005), series, Actor
- *Layer Cake* (2004), as Duke
- *The Football Factory* (2004), as Cabbie
- *Hustle* (2004), series, as Dickie Brennan
- *Family Business* (2004), series, as Marky Brooker
- *Family* (2003), series, as Dave Cutler
- *I'll Sleep When I'm Dead* (2003), as Mickser
- *Danielle Cable: Eyewitness* (2003), as Keith Phelan
- *The Last Detective* (2003), series, Actor
- *Out of Control* (2002), as Jim
- *Rescue Me* (2002), series, as Roy Carter
- *Goodbye Charlie Bright* (2001), as Tony
- *Murder in Mind* (2001), series, as Stuart Jackson
- *Breathtaking* (2000), as Brian Maitland
- *Without Motive* (2000), series, as DC Jim Boulter
- *My Family* (2000), series, Actor — Fi1m 50, [page](https://film.one/tv/my-family.md)
- *Gangster No. 1* (2000), as Lenny Taylor
- *Black Cab* (2000), series, as Dave
- *Saving Grace* (2000), as China MacFarlane — Fi1m 60, [page](https://film.one/film/saving-grace.md)
- *Sleepy Hollow* (1999), as Constable — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/film/sleepy-hollow.md)
- *This Year's Love* (1999), as Billy
- *Love Story* (1999), as Dave
- *Elizabeth* (1998), as Earl of Sussex — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/elizabeth.md)
- *Our Boy* (1998), as Orme
- *Nil by Mouth* (1997), as Mark — Fi1m 87, [page](https://film.one/film/nil-by-mouth.md)
- *The Hunger* (1997), series, as Dean
- *The Swords* (1997), as Dean
- *Melissa* (1997), series, as 2nd Hood
- *I.D.* (1995), as Previous Team 2
- *Bugs* (1995), series, Actor
- *Doggin' Around* (1994), as Wells
- *The Detectives* (1993), series, as Billy
- *Between the Lines* (1992), series, Actor
- *Murder Most Horrid* (1991), series, as DS Brown
- *The House of Eliott* (1991), series, as Gerry Althorpe
- *First and Last* (1989), as Dave
- *Tank Malling* (1989), as Danny · Producer
- *Birds of a Feather* (1989), series, Actor
- *The Moneymen* (1988), as First Dealer
- *Empire State* (1987), as Danny
- *Inspector Morse* (1987), series, as Chas — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/tv/inspector-morse.md)
- *Casualty* (1986), series, as Phil Pearson, Gil Stephens, Henry — Fi1m 68, [page](https://film.one/tv/casualty.md)
- *EastEnders* (1985), series, as Derek Branning — Fi1m 70, [page](https://film.one/tv/eastenders.md)
- *Dempsey and Makepeace* (1985), series, as Ramsey — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/tv/dempsey-and-makepeace.md)
- *The Bill* (1984), series, Actor
- *Johnny Jarvis* (1983), series, Actor
- *Shine on Harvey Moon* (1982), series, as Plumber's Mate
- *Kinvig* (1981), series, Actor
- *Dead Man's Kit* (1980), as Operator 1
- *McVicar* (1980), as Driver
- *A Bunch of Fives* (1977), series, as Chris Taylor
- *Sky Pirates* (1977), as Sidney
- *Devilish Deeds*, as Johnny Dale

## Gallery

- ![Jamie Foreman](https://film.one/media/person/87216/gallery-24b0946ab4ee.jpg) Jamie Foreman — The Local People Photo Archive, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c3/Jamie_Foreman.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Jamie Foreman](https://film.one/media/person/87216/gallery-b1e38b3af1f2.jpg) Jamie Foreman — Image via TMDB

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/jamie-foreman