Paul Ready

He received a commendation at the 2003 Ian Charleson Awards.

• Name — Paul Ready • Birth Name — Paul John Ready • Born — 1977 • Birthplace — Birmingham, England • Education — King Edward VI Five Ways School London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art • Occupation — Actor • Children — 1

Ready was born in Birmingham and grew up in Harborne. He attended King Edward VI Five Ways school in Bartley Green, after which he trained at London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. His first acting performance was in a primary school production of The Willow Pattern. In secondary school, he would go on school trips to Stratford-upon-Avon to visit the theatre. He was a member of Stage2 Youth Theatre.

At the age of 17, Ready played Romeo in the National Youth Theatre production of Romeo and Juliet at London's Bloomsbury Theatre, opposite Rosamund Pike as Juliet. He is a regular at the National and Royal Court theatres. Past appearances have included leading parts in Major Barbara and Saint Joan (both plays by George Bernard Shaw) and Time and the Conways by J.B. Priestley. His West End credits include One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, which starred Christian Slater. In 2018 he starred as the titular character in Macbeth at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse (2018), opposite his wife Michelle Terry as Lady Macbeth. Of his role as Macbeth the Financial Times said: "Ready is a rare bird in that he has an actorly way with oratory, but instead of keeping us at a distance from his character, it clarifies nuances and levels and paradoxically allows us in deeper." In 2020, he and Terry returned to the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse as Petruchio and Biondello respectively in The Taming of the Shrew, which had to close early due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Between January 31 and April 19, 2025 he starred in Chekhov's Three Sisters as Aleksandr Vershinin, once again alongside Terry. Also appearing on television, Ready received notability in 2013 for his role in the television show Utopia. He is best known for his role as the special adviser to Keeley Hawes' Home Secretary in the BBC series Bodyguard and Kevin in the BBC series Motherland. In 2018, Ready featured as Harry Goodsir, one of the lead roles in The Terror, a 10-part series based on Dan Simmons' novel, for which he was nominated for a Satellite Award. Vanity Fair said of his performance: "Ready's character is the heart of the show: despite the various calamities that have befallen him and his comrades, he still sees hope." In 2026, he appeared in a leading role as Michael in the BBC sitcom Ann Droid. In August 2026, Little Animals, written by and starring Ready, has its world premiere in the Traverse Theatre at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

• Year(s) — Title — Role — Station — Notes — Ref. • 2011 — A Tale of Two Cities — Sydney Carton — BBC Radio 4 — 4 episodes • 2012 — Romeo and Juliet — Mercutio — BBC Radio 3 • Twelfth Night — Orsino — BBC Radio 3 • 2013 — Imo and Ben — Benjamin Britten — BBC Radio 3 • Sword of Honour — Guy Crouchback — BBC Radio 4 — 7 episodes • 2014 — The Once and Future King — Arthur — BBC Radio 4 — 6 episodes • 2015 — The Master and Margarita — Master — BBC Radio 3 • The Pumpkin Eater — Jake Armitage — BBC Radio 4 — 5 episodes • 2018 — Home Front — Johnnie Marshall — BBC Radio 4 • 2022 — He Do The Wasteland In Different Voices — The Poet — BBC Radio 3 • Jason's Mates — Ernest Montague — BBC Radio 4 • 2023 — Christmas Miracle on Brighton Pier — William McFadden — BBC Radio 4 • 2025 — The History of Mr Polly — Alfred Polly — BBC Radio 4 — 2 episodes

• Year(s) — Title — Role — Theatre — Ref. • 1999 — The Beggar's Opera — Filch — Wilton's Music Hall • 2000 — Cuckoos — Tito — Gate Theatre • 2001 — Twelfth Night — Sebastian — Liverpool Playhouse • 2001–2002 — Mother Clap's Molly House — Martin — Lyttelton Theatre • 2002 — Romeo and Juliet — Mercutio — Liverpool Playhouse • Crazyblackmuthafuckin'self — Colin — Royal Court Theatre • 2003 — Black Milk — Levchick • Terrorism — Various • The Comedy of Errors — Dromio of Syracuse — Bristol Old Vic • 2003–2004 — World Music — Tim/Young Geoff — Donmar Warehouse • 2004 — Forty Winks — Charlie — Royal Court Theatre • 2005 — Romance — Bernard — Almeida Theatre • 2006 — One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest — Billy Bibbit — Garrick Theatre • Waves — Neville — National Theatre • 2007 — Attempts on Her Life — Various • Saint Joan — Dauphin • 2008 — Major Barbara — Adolphys Cusins • 2009 — Love's Labour's Lost — Don Armado — Shakespeare's Globe • The Pillowman — Michal — Curve Theatre • Time and the Conways — Alan Conway — National Theatre • Three More Sleepless Nights — Pete • 2010 — London Assurance — Charles Courtly • 2011 — Wastwater — Mark — Royal Court Theatre • A Woman Killed with Kindness — John Frankford — National Theatre • 2011–2012 — Noises Off — Tim Allgood — The Old Vic • 2012–2013 — In the Republic of Happiness — Bob — Royal Court Theatre • 2014 — Black Comedy — Brindsley — Chichester Festival Theatre • Much Ado About Nothing — Benedick — Royal Exchange, Manchester • 2015 — Measure for Measure — Angelo — Young Vic • 2018/19 — Macbeth — Macbeth — Sam Wanamaker Playhouse • 2020 — The Taming of the Shrew — Petruchio • Macbeth: A Conjuring — Macbeth • Deep Night, Dark Night — Actor • 2022 — King Lear — King Lear (cover) — Shakespeare's Globe • 2022 — The Contingency Plan: Resilience — Christopher — Crucible Theatre • 2023 — Twelfth Night: For One Night Only — Sir Andrew Aguecheek — Shakespeare's Globe • 2024 — The Duchess (of Malfi) — The Cardinal — Trafalgar Theatre • Little Animals — Richard / Writer — Beckenham Place Mansion • 2025 — Three Sisters — Aleksandr Vershinin — Sam Wanamaker Playhouse • A Midsummer Night's Dream: For One Night Only — Theseus/Oberon — Shakespeare's Globe • 2026 — Summerfolk — Sergei Bassov — National Theatre • Little Animals — Richard / Writer — Sam Wanamaker Playhouse • Edinburgh Fringe Festival