7 Facts About "The English Game" Actor Craig Parkinson. Husband of Susan Lynch, Father of One

Craig Parkinson is an English actor and podcaster. Since making his on-screen debut in 2001, Parkinson has been one of the premier British television and cinema actors.

To date, he has 76 acting credits, including numerous TV and movie appearances. 

He is perhaps most famous for playing Shaun in the E4 comedy series, Misfits; twins Jimmy Kray and Johnny Kray in the ITV drama series, Whitechapel; and Detective Inspector Dot Cottan in the BBC drama series, Line of Duty.

He has also hosted the Two Shot Podcast since July 2017. 

Most recently, he stars in the Netflix biographical sports drama miniseries, The English Game.

Here are seven facts about Craig Parkinson:

7. Father of One Son with Wife, Susan Lynch

Parkinson is married to the Irish actress Susan Lynch. Lynch is an accomplished actress in her own right who, most notably, played Anna in Killing Eve.   

They got married in secret and have one son together. Despite living in London most of his adult life, he moved away from the hustle and bustle of the city and moved to the countryside; he now resides in Painswick, Gloucestershire, with his wife and child.  

6. Played Shaun in the E4 Sci-Fi Comedy-Drama Series, Misfits

Parkinson joined the cast of the E4 sci-fi comedy-drama series, Misfits, for its second season. He played Shaun, a probation worker, in the supernatural comedy series.

A recurring presence throughout seasons two and three of the series, Parkinson appeared in the show from 2010 to 2011.

The acclaimed series ran from 12 November 2009, to December 11, 2013, and starred, among other people, Antonia Thomas, Lauren Socha, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, and Iwan Rheon -- of Game of Thrones fame. 

5. Stars in the Netflix Historical Miniseries, The English Game

Most recently, Parkinson starred as James Walsh in the Netflix biographical sports drama miniseries, The English Game.

The series premiered on March 20, 2020, and tells the true story about the origins of modern football in England and how it came to be the sport that it is today and not the sport for the rich as it used to be.

Besides Parkinson, the six-part miniseries also starred Edward Holcroft as Arthur Kinnaird, Kevin Guthrie as Fergus Suter, Niamh Walsh as Martha Almond, Charlotte Hope as Margaret Alma Kinnaird, and James Harkness as Jimmy Love, rounding out the main cast.  

4. Prominent Roles in Whitechapel and Line of Duty

Parkinson has been a prominent presence on British television and, over the years, has starred in many television shows.

He notably played both the criminal twin brothers, Jimmy and Johnny Kray, in the second season of the BBC drama series, Whitechapel.   

He also played Detective Inspector Matthew "Dot" Cottan in the first three seasons of the BBC police-procedural drama series, Line of Duty.

Besides the aforementioned series, Parkinson has also made recurring appearances in other British television shows like Ed Stone Is Dead, Outlaws Great Night Out, and Indian Summers.  

3. The Host of the Weekly Two Shot Podcast 

Since July 2017, Parkinson has hosted the weekly Two Shot Podcast. The podcast has aired on outlets since July 6, 2017, and has aired every Thursday morning since then. 

The podcast features Parkinson interviewing artists, not just of the acting disposition, but from all walks of life. His most recent guests include actors like Siobhan Finneran, Nile Rodgers, Jodie Whittaker, Connor Swindells, Geoff Lloyd, and Jodie Comer. 

2. His Age, Height, and Early Life

Craig Parkinson was born on March 11, 1976. As of May 2020, he is 44 years old. 

Born and raised in Blackpool, England, Parkinson studied at the Blackpool and The Fylde College before moving to London at 17 to pursue his dreams of becoming an actor. He enrolled in the Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts and integrated himself into the arts. 

Besides his acting skill -- of which he has an abundance -- Parkinson is also known for his towering height. He stands a whopping 6'5". 

1. Played Peter Butler in Black Mirror: Bandersnatch 

Craig Parkinson has also been a presence on the big screens for decades. He made his big-screen debut in the 2007 biographical film Control. He portrayed Factory Records owner, Tony Wilson, in the Ian Curtis biopic.

He went on to appear in various capacities in movies like Virgin Territory (2007), The Other Man (2008), Desert Flower (2009), and Brighton Rock (2010).

Among his many movie appearances, perhaps his most famous is his appearance as Peter Butler in Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, the 2018 standalone movie set in Netflix's Black Mirror universe.