Who is Bradford's best ever actor? Give us your views

Here's something to raise a debate; who is the biggest ever actor either born, or raised, in Bradford, or with connections to the city?

There have been so many huge names who were born in the district but here are five suggestions, but don't take it as the definitive list, I'm sure many of you will disagree with my choices and everyone will have an opinion on what's best.

Instead of just criticising my list, let's get constructive and leave your suggestions in the comments section below.

Here are five of the biggest Bradford acting names:

BILLIE WHITELAW

The actress began her career at Bradford Playhouse.

A leading name on the New Wave cinema 1960s movement, Miss Whitelaw was also famous for roles in films including The Omen, playing the demonic nanny, and had a long collaboration with Irish playwright Samuel Beckett, who described her as a "perfect actress".

She starred in 1990 movie The Krays, playing the fiercely protective mother of the gangster twins, played Grace Poole in a 1996 film of Jane Eyre, and appeared in police comedy Hot Fuzz in 2007.

Born in Coventry, she grew up in Bradford. She first appeared on the radio aged 11 and later acted with a repertory company at the Prince's Theatre in Bradford before training at RADA. She was made a CBE in 1991.

She died aged 82 in December 2014.

DUNCAN PRESTON

One of the nation's favourite TV comedy and drama actors of the last 40 years.

The Eccleshill-born actor starred alongside Victoria Wood in a string of her TV programmes of the 1980s and 90s, including Acorn Antiques and Dinnerladies.

The Bradford Bulls fan also appeared in Emmerdale for a number of years as Doug Potts and in Coronation Street as Dennis Stokes in 2004.

Pat Paterson, centre, at Lister Mill in 1935

PAT PATERSON

From Lister Mill to Hollywood - Pat Paterson led a remarkable life.

Her story inspired the society’s 1933 production, A Lass from Lister’s.

Born Eliza Paterson in 1910, she worked in the velvet warehouse at Lister’s.

The former Frizinghall Council School student was also a child model who went to Hollywood and appeared in films in the 1930s and 40s, including Bottoms Up, co-starring with Spencer Tracy.

Pat was married to French actor Charles Boyer for more than 40 years after they met at a party, leading to a whirlwind romance and she died in 1978.

CLAIRE KING

Bradford-born King played the dastardly Kim Tate on Emmerdale originally for 10 years from 1989.

She left the soap in dramatic fashion in 1999 and went on to star in a number of TV dramas over the next decade. These included her role as Karen Betts in ITV prison drama Bad Girls for four years.

She also proved a hit on the dancefloor, finishing sixth in the 2006 series of Strictly Come Dancing.

Claire also appeared in Coronation Street, where she played Erica Holroyd between 2014 and 2017.

Erica was a friend of Liz McDonald in the show and had a colourful love life on the cobbles, being linked to Kevin Webster, shop owner Dev Alahan among others.

She left in 2017 as Erica went back to Spain.

King returned to Emmerdale for a special week of episodes three years ago before coming back permanently to cause trouble in the soap in 2019.

PETER FIRTH

Born in Bradford, Peter was a child actor in the 1970s, starring in TV shows such as Here Come the Double Deckers. As a teenager he starred in a National Theatre production of Equus, in London and on Broadway.

He has appeared in TV dramas such as Rome, American drama Law and Order and the 2011 re-make of South Riding, filmed in Bradford, and his films include Letter to Brezhnev, The Hunt for Red October and Roman Polanski's Tess.

But he is probably best known for his role as Harry Pearce in BBC One spy drama Spooks, which finished in 2011.