Philip Jackson (born 18 June 1948) is an English actor. He appeared as Chief Inspector Japp in both the television series Agatha Christie's Poirot and in BBC Radio dramatisations of Poirot stories; as Melvin "Dylan" Bottomley in Porridge; and as Abbot Hugo, one of the recurring adversaries in the 1980s series Robin of Sherwood.^[1][2][3]

Jackson was born in Retford, Nottinghamshire.^[4] He started acting while studying Drama and German at the University of Bristol, and has worked in the theatre in Leeds, Liverpool and London.^[5] His stage work includes Pozzo in Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot at the Queen's Theatre in the West End in 1991 and Willy Loman in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman at the West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds in 2010.^[6][1] He was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for his role in Little Voice (1998).^[7]

His television appearances have included Coronation Street, Robin of Sherwood, A Touch of Frost, Foyle's War, Midsomer Murders, Heartbeat, Little Britain, Hamish Macbeth, Raised by Wolves and Last of the Summer Wine.^[8] He has also appeared in the films Scum, Paul McCartney's Give My Regards to Broad Street, Brassed Off, Mike Bassett: England Manager, "Grow Your Own", and My Week with Marilyn.^[4] He also appeared in the music video of A-Ha's "Take On Me".^[9]

In 2000 he appeared as Dyer/Hawksmoor in Nick Fisher (broadcaster)'s adaptation for BBC Radio 4 of Peter Ackroyd's Hawksmoor (novel),^[10] and in 2001 he starred in the BBC Radio 4 adaptation of the Petrella mysteries by Michael Gilbert, and guest-starred in the Doctor Who audio play Valhalla.^[11][12] In 2009 he starred as Gaynor's father Roy in the BBC Two sitcom Home Time.^[13] In a BBC Radio 4 radio adaptation of Terry Pratchett's Night Watch, he played Commander Vimes and in Pratchett's Mort, he played Death's butler/cook, Albert who is eventually revealed to be Alberto Malich.^[14][15] He also voiced Risda Tarkaan on the BBC radio drama version of C. S. Lewis' The Last Battle.^[16] In 2011, he read Gulliver's Travels as an audiobook, as well as Martin Cruz Smith's Three Stations for BBC Radio 4’s Book at Bedtime.^{[17] [18]} In 2011, Jackson starred as Ron in the three-part BBC comedy drama series Sugartown alongside The Royle Family star Sue Johnston and actor Tom Ellis.^[19]

In 2012, he appeared in the Academy Award-nominated My Week with Marilyn as Marilyn's security guard.^[20]

From 2014 to 2016 he co-starred in the BBC sitcom Boomers.^[21]

He plays Jaz Milvane in the Radio 4 series Ed Reardon's Week, written by Christopher Douglas and Andrew Nickolds.^[22][23]

He is married to actress Sally Baxter, with whom he has two children.^[24][25]