Life and career

Speer was born in Harrogate in the West Riding of Yorkshire, and educated at the local Harrogate Grammar School. He studied acting at the Arts Educational School, Tring Park.

Speer began his acting career appearing in the TV series McCallum (TV series)The Bill and Heartbeat. He played a minor role in the film Bhaji on the Beach before his first notable appearance as Guy in the film The Full Monty. Following this film's worldwide success he went on to appear in Swing (1999), Deathwatch and The Interpreter (playing Nicole Kidman's brother). However, most of his work has been on TV, including sitcoms Men Behaving Badly, dramas Clocking Off, The Last Detective, Boudica (2003), and The Rotters' Club (2005), as well as the 2005 BBC adaptation of Dickens' Bleak House. In 2006, he appeared in the postal worker drama Sorted. In 2008, he starred alongside Martine McCutcheon in Echo Beach. In 2011 he played a repairman whose repairs "come to life" in the supernatural drama Haven, based on a Stephen King story. Speer also provides narration for ITV1 series, Cops with Cameras, Channel 5's The Bachelor and the BBC series Seaside Rescue. He appears as John Foster in the penultimate and final episodes of the fourth series of Skins.

In 2002 he starred as Sergeant David Tate in the film Deathwatch, a 2002 European horror film directed by Michael J. Bassett.

Hugo Speer also narrated a factual programme on Discovery HD called Gold Divers.

In 2013, he featured on radio in the popular police drama 'Stone'. From 2013 to 2014 he starred as Inspector Valentine in the new version of Father Brown on BBC TV in the first series and the first episode of the second series.

Starting in 2014, Speer stars as Captain Treville in The Musketeers.

Director

In 2010 Hugo Speer made his directorial début with the short film MAM starring Josie Lawrence, Paul Barber and Ronan Carter. The family drama about a 12 year old boy was scripted by Vivienne Harvey. It was produced by Vigo Films and shot mostly in Sheffield, South Yorkshire.

Personal life

Up until 2005, Speer was in a relationship with his Hearts and Bones co-star, Sarah Parish. He is now married to the Glaswegian actress, writer and director Vivienne Harvey. The marriage took place on 19 February 2015.

In 2009, Speer was involved in a car accident that saw him crash his BMW into a traffic island while driving after drinking over the legal limit. He was returning from a wake. No one was hurt in the incident and Speer was banned from driving for eighteen months.

Speer moved to London after his success in The Full Monty and lived there for fifteen years but moved back to his native North Yorkshire. His pastimes include falconry, walking and music. He is a supporter of Leeds United.

He is friends with fellow actor Andrew Scarborough, who he worked with in the Hearts and Bones for two series. Hugo and Andrew have known each other since they were children.

[ Source: Wikipedia ]