John Michie (born 25 October 1956) is a Scottish television and film actor, known for his roles as DI Robbie Ross in the STV detective drama series Taggart, as Karl Munro in Coronation Street from 2011 to 2013 and his role as CEO Guy Self in Casualty and Holby City.

Early life

Michie was born in Burma and boarded at Windlesham House School while his family were based in Kenya. The family later settled in Edinburgh, where was sent to study at Glenalmond College from the age of twelve.^[1] At the age of nineteen, he worked his passage to Australia on a cargo ship, where he spent a year as a jackaroo herding cattle before returning to Scotland. He took a job as a stagehand at the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh, where his interest in acting started. He returned to Kenya when he was 22, beginning his acting career in A Private Matter at the Donovan Maule Theatre, Nairobi in 1980.

Career

Television

He was also in Taggart series 5 1989. Michie appeared in Moon and Son in 1992. He then had a role in The Ruth Rendell Mysteries in 1994, co-starring with Colin Firth. He played a pet shop owner, in the two-part episode "Master of the Moor".

In 1998, he was given a regular part in Taggart, playing DI Robbie Ross, a dedicated detective not afraid to go about things his own way and fly in the face of authority when he needs to.^[2]

From 2011 to 2013, Michie played Karl Munro in Coronation Street. His character was the partner of Stella Price (Michelle Collins). Since leaving Coronation Street, Michie has played a regular role in hospital drama Holby City, playing Guy Self and while continuing the role in 2014, he has also appeared in its sister show Casualty. Michie left Holby City in November 2016 after Guy handed in his resignation but he returned in August 2017. It was announced in the autumn trailer that Guy will return during the 20th series.^{[citation needed]}

In 2022 Michie played Detective Chief Superintendent Jack Mulgrew in series 3 of the BBC police drama London Kills.^[3]

Michie is the voice behind Windfall Films' Big, Bigger, Biggest and Monster Moves series for Five (TV channel). Big, Bigger, Biggest explores the engineering marvel of large buildings and sky scrapers,^[4] while Monster Moves documents the most daring and dangerous relocation projects ever attempted. Other voice over work has included Channel 4's The Gunpowder Plot, and six titles in the series Football Stories.

Presenting

Michie has become increasingly involved in the factual production sector. His first presenting role was for the one-hour documentary Murder Capital, which was produced by STV for The Crime & Investigation Network. It was during filming of Murder Capital that Michie met STV producer Mick McAvoy and together they developed the idea for Michie's next series Highlands. This six-part historical documentary series focused on the Highland Clearances of the late 18th and 19th centuries.^[5] Michie's most recent presenting work was for STV's Made in Scotland for which he is also executive producer. This documentary series examines the symbols of Scotland.^[6] The final episode saw him unveil a newly designed Michie Tartan.^[7]

Films

Michie's first film role was in the 1989 film The Conquest of the South Pole but his first leading role came in the film adaptation, Monk Dawson in 1998. Based on the Piers Paul Read novel, it gained a good reception from the critics despite only a short run at the UK box office. Michie played the character David Baird in John Madden's 1996 film Truth or Dare starring Helen Baxendale and John Hannah.

In 1999, Michie starred alongside Richard Harris in To Walk with Lions, a film based on the life of George Adamson which featured Michie back in his childhood home of Kenya playing the wildlife conservationist Tony Fitzjohn.

Theatre

Michie began his acting career on the stage and has appeared in several West End productions. Past roles include playing Arthur in Jean Anouilh's comedy, Number One, at the Queen's Theatre in 1984. He also played John in Noël Coward's play, Easy Virtue, at the Garrick Theatre in 1988–1989, before going on to play Walker in Andrew Davies' Prin at the Lyric Theatre, 1989–1990, directed by actor/director Richard Wilson. Michie was directed by Wilson twice more in Michael Wall's Women Laughing at the Royal Court Theatre and in Simply Disconnected at the Chichester Festival Theatre in 1996. He played Danny in Breed, a new play from emerging playwright Lou Ramsden, staged at Theatre503 in 2010.

Michie played Leontes in the Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh production of Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale (2017),^[8] the fireman in the Traverse Theatre's production of Rob Drummond's The Mack (2019), and John Rebus in Ian Rankin's A Game Called Malice at the Queen's Theatre, Hornchurch in February 2023. In autumn 2023, he played Professor Rennie in the Lyceum Theatre and Pitlochry Festival Theatre production of Peter Arnott's Group Portrait in a Summer Landscape.^[9]

Politics

In 2008, Michie publicly backed the Scottish Labour Party in the run up to the Glasgow East by-election. However it later emerged Michie, in a report for the BBC's This Week programme the previous year, appeared to back Scottish independence, which the Labour Party officially opposes. Michie said, "An independent Scotland would find a new confidence. It would slow down the brain-drain that causes this country to lose so many of its most brightest and most skilled." The Labour Party subsequently issued a statement on behalf of Michie claiming he did not support independence.^[10]

In August 2014, Michie was one of 200 public figures who were signatories to a letter to The Guardian opposing Scottish independence in the run-up to September's referendum on that issue.^[11]

Personal life

Michie has three children with his partner Carol Fletcher, a former Hot Gossip dancer. He is a keen swimmer and player of squash. His nephew is actor Jamie Michie, who has appeared in The IT Crowd, Game of Thrones and alongside John in one episode of Taggart in 2010.^[12]

In September 2017, his 24-year-old daughter, Louella Fletcher-Michie, died at the Bestival music festival in Dorset after taking the recreational drug 2C-P. Her 28-year-old boyfriend, Ceon Broughton – who had videoed her over a period of six hours hallucinating and begging for help, and failed to take her to the festival hospital tent only 400 metres away – was subsequently arrested on suspicion of murder and questioned by police.^[13] In February 2019 Broughton appeared at Winchester Crown Court charged with manslaughter.^[14] On 28 February 2019, he was found guilty of manslaughter by gross negligence, as well as supplying a Class A drug, and sentenced to eight and a half years in prison. His manslaughter conviction was quashed on 18 August 2020 after Court of Appeal judges ruled that Fletcher-Michie's death had been a tragic accident,^[15] but the conviction for supplying a Class A drug stood.^[16]

Television

Stage

Films

Presenting

• Murder Capital (2007)
• Highlands (2008)
• Made in Scotland (2009)

Voice over