Warren Brown is riding high at the moment – not only is he one of the hottest talents on TV, he’s also dating a stunning TV star girlfriend who has his “heart”.
The actor is currently appearing in The Responder series 2 on BBC One, but you’ll soon be able to see him over on Channel 4 in gripping thriller The Gathering. Oh, and in the past few years he’s played a huge role in the likes of Trigger Point, Ten Pound Poms, and Desperate Measures.
So what is Warren Brown’s role in The Responder, what’s he famous for, and who is his famous girlfriend? Here’s everything you need to know…
Who plays Raymond Mullen in The Responder?
Actor Warren Brown portrays Raymond Mullen in The Responder series 1 and 2. Raymond is a jobsworth police officer, intent on bringing down the main character Chris, played by Martin Freeman.
Talking about his character, Warren has previously said: “I’ve been involved in police dramas [including Luther], and it’s such a huge market. But The Responder isn’t really about the procedures; it’s about human nature and the characters in this world.
“I’ve been in cop shows where it’s like, ‘Oh, you’re the good guy’. But no one likes Ray, which I actually liked. He’s out to bring the main guy down. Ray has really got it in for Chris.”
Talking to press, including ED!, he added: “If you think [Chris] has got enough on his plate already, it’s only going to get worse as the show goes on. My character Ray Mullen is also in the police and it becomes very apparent that he’s got quite a strong dislike for our lead man Chris Carson.
“And it would appear that he’s out to get him and to try and get him out of the job and to do that by whatever means. And if that means manipulating people, then I think he may go down that route and make life even more complicated than it is.”
In the first series, it became clear that Ray had history with Chris’ wife Kate (MyAnna Buring), too. In series 2, Chris and Kate are adjusting to being separated. And sneaky Ray has got his foot in the door.
What else has Warren Brown been in? What’s he famous for?
Warren Brown has been on our screens for two decades, ever since he first appeared as Donny Maguire in two episodes of Shameless in 2004.
A year later, he popped up as villain Andy Holt in four episodes of Hollyoaks, and subsequent spin-offs Hollyoaks: No Going Back, Hollyoaks: Back from the Dead, and Hollyoaks: Crossing the Line. His character famously died after being impaled on a spike!
After brief appearances in Jane Hall, Life on Mars, Mobile, Coming Up, and Spooks: Code 9, he won the role of Marky in Dead Set. The series was a thriller spoof of Big Brother. During the fictional series of the reality show, a zombie outbreak occurred, but the housemates were unaware of the impending doom outside of the house.
Between 2007 and 2009, Warren played Alex in the Sheridan Smith drama Grownups. Other notable roles include Marcus in Inside Men, John Paul Rocksavage in Good Cop, Joe Mancetta in Homefront, and Jack Quinn in By Any Means.
Why did he leave Luther?
In 2010, he won arguably one of his most popular roles to date. He played DS Justin Ripley in Idris Elba detective drama Luther. And, once again, viewers saw him die a painful death when his popular character was shot in the chest.
At the time, he told Digital Spy: “Luther’s been a fantastic job for me. I’ve loved it from the beginning and made some great friends on it – Idris [Elba] and some of the other cast, and directors.
“Of course, I’d love to still be involved. But I was very happy leaving at that time and with such a great storyline that made such an impact. Luther fans still talk about it. Now I can watch this new series as a viewer, knowing nothing about it.”
Warren also played Neil Mackay in X Company, Tom Bailey in Liar, and Jake Willis in Doctor Who. Between 2017 and 2020, Warren portrayed Sgt. Thomas ‘Mac’ McAllister in Strike Back. And, in 2022, he starred as Patrick in the Amanda Abbington C5 thriller Desperate Measures.
Trigger Point viewers will know him as Karl Maguire, the villain at the heart of the first Vicky McClure series. He also portrays reformed drunk Terry Roberts in Ten Pound Poms, which will be returning for series 2 later this year.
Warren Brown stars in The Gathering on Channel 4
New Channel 4 thriller The Gathering focuses on an elite gymnast from a working class Liverpool background. Kelly is attacked at an illegal beach rave.
As viewers will learn across the series, a vast number of the characters – her teenage friends AND their parents – have a motive for attacking Kelly (Eva Morgan). In fact, the Liverpool-based series is, as producer Simon Heath puts it, an exploration of “toxic teenagers – and their even more toxic parents”.
But who was the attacker?
Warren portrays Kelly’s dad Paul in the upcoming drama, which is described as “gripping”. Speaking to Radio Times, Warren said: “At times it is dark and harrowing, and you are pushed. It’s such an emotional roller coaster.”
Filmed and set on Merseyside and produced by the team behind Line of Duty and Bodyguard, The Gathering also stars Boiling Point’s Vinette Robinson. Meanwhile, the ensemble cast features Saltburn‘s Sadie Soverall, Coupling’s Richard Coyle, The Responder’s Sonny Walker, The Last Kingdom’s Ryan Quarmby, and newcomer Luca Kamleh-Chapman.
How old is Warren Brown? Where is he from?
Warren Martin Brown was born on May 11, 1978, in Warrington, Cheshire.
At the time of writing he was 45 years of age, but on the cusp of 46!
He studied Performance Arts at the University of Salford, and additional training at the Manchester School of Acting.
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Who is the girlfriend of Warren Brown? Does he have kids?
Warren Brown is dating Sky Sports presenter Anna Woolhouse, who is 40. The actor ‘went public’ with his TV star girlfriend in June 2023. At the time, he shared some cute snaps to his Instagram.
The actor posted a selfie sharing a couple of Aperol Spritz with presenter Anna. Warren captioned the post: “She makes a cracking Aperol and she’s an absolute knockout!”
Since then, Warren’s Insta feed is covered with photos of Anna, who is Sky Sport’s leading boxing presenter, covering Sky’s pay-per-view and regular coverage.
In another post, Warren shared a photo of the pair on holiday together. Alongside the snap, he simply wrote: “Punching!”
Warren does not have any children.
How tall is Warren Brown?
Warren is reportedly 1.72 metres tall – that’s 5 foot 6 inches.
Girlfriend Anna is thought to be 5’5, so she just has the edge on him when she’s wearing heels!
What sport does Warren Brown do?
Warren is passionate about Thai boxing – which would explain his abs. His years of hard training paid off after he was twice crowned World Thai Boxing Champion.
Unbelievably, Warren even won a bout with a broken leg!
Talking to Cheshire Live, Warren revealed how he joined a Thai boxing gym in Warrington when he was 15. He said: “I did a bit of karate when I was younger, but I went and immediately fell in love with Thai boxing.
“I guess there was an element of natural ability, but then it kind of took over my life.”
In the following years, he competed in Thai boxing competitions, winning three British titles and a Commonwealth title before the age of 21.
Just a week after his 21st birthday in 1999, he was crowned a WAKO Pro world champion at light-welterweight Thai boxing, after competing against the world champion Carlo Barbuto in Italy. That same year, he was awarded the Warrington Sports Personality Award. He went on to win the world title belt again in 2001.
Read more: Ten Pound Poms star Warren Brown goes public with TV star girlfriend
All episodes of The Responder series 1 and 2 are currently available to watch on BBC iPlayer. Episode 2 of series 2 airs on Sunday, May 12, 2024 at 9pm on BBC One.
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