For other people, see James Atherton (disambiguation).
James Atherton
Birth nameJames Conway
Birth date16 July 1987 (age 39)[1]
Birth placeCumbria, England
OccupationActor
TelevisionHollyoaks
Coronation Street
Years active2009–present

James Atherton (born James Conway; 16 July 1987) is an English actor, known for his roles as Will Savage on Hollyoaks and Jamie Bowman on Coronation Street. In 2017, he appeared in the stage production of Rita, Sue and Bob Too.[1][2] In 2019, he played Tim Collins in Ackley Bridge and Dr. McKenzie in the Dave sitcom Porters.

Early life

Atherton grew up in the Cumbrian village of Talkin and attended Austin Friars School in nearby Carlisle.[2]

Career

On television, Atherton played the serial killer Will Savage in Hollyoaks from 2011 to 2015 and joined the cast of Coronation Street as Jamie Bowman in October 2015.[2][3]

On stage, he co-starred as title character Bob in the Out of Joint Theatre Company's revival of Andrea Dunbar's play Rita, Sue and Bob Too, which opened at the Octagon Theatre, Bolton, in September 2017 before touring the UK, and later played at the Royal Court Theatre in January 2018.[1][4][5][6] In January 2019, he appeared as Keiran in "Blindspot", an episode of the ITV crime drama Vera. Later that year, he appeared in the third series of Ackley Bridge as Tim Collins.[7]

Filmography

Key
†Denotes works that have not yet been released

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2017BabsCliffTV film
2018MacbethSecond Murderer
2020Paper BoyJacobShort film
TBASlammer†John HowlettCompleted

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2010Inspector George GentlyDavid SwiftEpisode: "Peace and Love"
2011Hollyoaks LaterWill SavageSeries 4, Episode 5
2011–2015HollyoaksSeries regular; 245 episodes
2015CasualtyLuke KriegerEpisode: "Objectum Sexual"
2015–2016Coronation StreetJamie BowmanRecurring role; 20 episodes
2017Midsomer MurdersJensen MarshEpisode: "Crime and Punishment"
2017–2019PortersDr. McKenzieRecurring role; 4 episodes
2019VeraKieran WebbEpisode: "Blind Spot"
KryptonSagitari OneEpisode: "Ghost in the Fire"
Ackley BridgeTim CollinsRecurring role; 3 episodes
SanditonFred RobinsonRecurring role; 5 episodes
2020The Jewish EnquirerNorth London ClarksonEpisode: "Bad Hair Day"
2023Van der ValkValentijn MeijerEpisode: "Magic in Amsterdam"
2023The Lazarus ProjectMichaelEpisodes: S02E02, S02E04

Theatre credits

YearTitleRoleNotesRef
2008Treasure IslandTom MorganTheatre Royal Haymarket, London[8]
2009WallensteinKinskyMinerva Theatre, Chichester[9]
2014CrocodilesVincentRoyal Exchange, Manchester[10]
2017Rita, Sue and Bob TooBobOctagon Theatre, Bolton[11]
2024The Other Boleyn GirlHenry VIIIChichester Festival Theatre, Chichester[12]

References

  1. ^ Saul, Rosalind. "Self-confessed soap 'bad lad' talks stage sex scenes and making a love-rat look good". The Bolton News. Retrieved 2017-12-16.
  2. ^ "From Carlisle to the cobbles: Meet Corrie's new bad boy". ITV News. 12 October 2015.
  3. ^ Lindsay, Duncan (6 August 2015). "Hollyoaks star James Atherton lands Coronation Street role". Metro
  4. ^ Love, Catherine (14 September 2017). "Rita, Sue and Bob today: Andrea Dunbar's truths still haunt us". The Guardian
  5. ^ "Theatre reverses decision to axe play". BBC News. 16 December 2017.
  6. ^ "Royal Court reverses decision to cancel Rita, Sue and Bob Too". The Guardian. 15 December 2017.
  7. ^ "Ackley Bridge cast: Who plays new headteacher Sian's fiancé Tim? Who is James Atherton?". topcelebritiesonline.com. 2019-07-23. Retrieved 2019-08-27.
  8. ^ Clapp, Susannah (23 November 2008). "Great idea, too much horseplay". The Guardian. The Observer. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  9. ^ Billington, Michael (1 June 2009). "Wallenstein". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  10. ^ Hickling, Alfred (7 October 2014). "Crocodiles review – family drama and dysfunction in a seaside town". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  11. ^ Billington, Michael (12 January 2018). "Rita, Sue and Bob Too review – Dunbar's comedy bleaker than ever in #MeToo era". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  12. ^ Writer, Staff (12 March 2024). "Full companies announced for The Other Boleyn Girl and The House Party at Chichester Festival Theatre". Theatre Weekly. Retrieved 9 August 2025.