Stephen McGann


Stephen Vincent McGann
is an English actor, author, and science communicator, best known for portraying Doctor Patrick Turner in the BBC One medical period drama series Call the Midwife. He is one of a family of acting brothers including Joe, Paul, and Mark.
McGann was born in Kensington, Liverpool, Lancashire, and began his professional acting career in 1982, starring in the West End musical Yakety Yak. He has since worked extensively in British theatre and on screen.

Career

Acting

In 1989, he starred as Mickey in the West End hit musical Blood Brothers. In 1990, he played Johann Strauss in the international mini-series, The Strauss Dynasty. In 1993, he created, co-produced and starred in the award-winning BBC drama The Hanging Gale. He portrayed the character of Sean Reynolds in Emmerdale from 1999 to 2002.
In 2003, he starred with Jamie Theakston in the hit West End play Art. In 2006, he played the role of the Reverend Shaw in the original West End cast of the musical Footloose. He can currently be seen playing Dr. Turner in BBC TV series Call the Midwife.

Science communicator

In addition to his acting, McGann is a public speaker and communicator of science. He graduated from Imperial College London with a master's degree in Science Communication.
He was a guest speaker at the Cambridge Science Festival in March 2015. He published a guest essay in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine in April 2015, discussing issues of medical accuracy and communication in Call the Midwife.
In January 2016, McGann published a companion book to Call the Midwife called Doctor Turner's Casebook, in which he revisits key medical cases featured in the TV series and discusses their historical and social contexts. The BBC screened a documentary special based on the book, titled Call The Midwife: The Casebook, on 15 January 2017.
In July 2017, McGann published Flesh and Blood: A History of My Family in Seven Maladies, a personal history of his family over a century and a half as told through the medical ailments they suffered.
In July 2019, McGann received an honorary doctorate from the University of Liverpool in recognition of his contribution to public health communication, and was a member of the judging panel for the 2019 Royal Society Insight Investment Science Book Prize.

Personal life

Stephen McGann is married to screenwriter and Call the Midwife creator Heidi Thomas. They have one son, Dominic. They currently live in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire.

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
1983Juliet BravoSimon Bailey1 episode: "Simple Simon"
1984Missing from HomeButchTV mini-series, 1 episode
1985BrooksideDavid Hargreaves2 episodes
1985 & 1989BergeracHarry / Pepe Mendoza2 episodes
1986 & 1988Help!Tex8 episodes
1987BoonKevin McGillivray1 episode: "Fiddler on the Roof"
1988ScreenplayBrendan1 episode: "Home Front"
1989 & 1992StreetwiseBob Street17 episodes
1991Stay LuckyDylan Jones1 episode: "The Food of Love"
1991The Strauss DynastyJohann 'Schani' Strauss, Jnr.TV mini-series, 8 episodes
1994The LifeboatMark Cowley1 episode: "Three Men in a Boat"
1994GrushkoAndrei3 episodes
1994Where the Buffalo RoamJimmy DunnTV movie
1995The Hanging GaleDaniel PhelanTV mini-series, all 4 episodes
1995Catherine the GreatAlexis OrlovTV movie
1997MelissaWaiter TV mini-Series, 1 episode
1999–2002EmmerdaleSean Reynolds40 episodes
2004 & 2007CasualtyGarry Lesser / Sam Roach2 episodes
2006DoctorsBernard Stephenson1 episode: "Sacrifice"
2007The BillSimon Winstanley1 episode: "Identity Fraud"
2012–2020Call the MidwifeDr. Patrick Turner72 episodes

YearTitleRoleNotes
1999Melinda's Big Night InHimselfEpisode: "Not Melinda's Big Night In 3"
2000The Richard Whiteley ShowHimself Episode: #3.6
2000Live TalkHimselfEpisode: #1.4
2000–2017Loose WomenHimself5 episodes
2001Open House with Gloria HunnifordHimselfEpisode: 3 August 2001
2001KellyHimselfEpisode: 21 September 2001
2015Children in NeedHimself On Strictly Come Dancing
2017Call the Midwife: The CasebookHimself TV movie documentary
2018Sunday BrunchHimself Episode: #7.1
2018Strictly Come DancingHimself The Quarter-Final: Musicals Week & Results
2019This MorningHimselfEpisode: 8 February 2019