Biography
John Arthur is a British actor. After leaving drama school in Birmingham in 1970, he spent around ten years working in repertory theatre across England, including seasons at the Derby Playhouse, the Lyceum Theatre in Crewe, the Swan Theatre in Worcester and three years with the EMMA Theatre Company in Loughborough.
On television he has appeared in numerous series over more than thirty years, including roles in Fresh Fields, Pilgrims Rest (1997) and Barbara (1995). Film credits include Thunderpants (2002) and The Abduction Club (2002). He has worked several times with Mark Gatiss, notably as Bill Wilson in the BBC Four film The Worst Journey in the World and as Coil in The Crooked House.
Since 2017 he has played Bishop Barry in the soap opera Emmerdale. In 2016–2017 he appeared with the Royal Shakespeare Company in productions of Love's Labour's Lost and Much Ado About Nothing at the Theatre Royal Haymarket. In 2021 he won awards for his performance in the short film Fearfully Made.
