Trevor Harrison MBE

Description

Trevor Harrison’s portrayal of The Archers’ loveable rogue Eddie Grundy has made him one of the best known and most publicised members of the cast. Born in Stourbridge, on 16th March in 1957, Trevor says that he “successfully failed his 11 plus”.

Looking back, Trevor says he much preferred creating stories and directing friends as characters in his cameo roles to “conventional” childhood games. Though he enjoyed watching sport, when an uncle kitted him out in full cricketing regalia he realised he was only ever destined to be a spectator rather than a player.

It was watching Richard Harris in the film Camelot that proved to be a great inspiration, and the youthful Trevor saw himself as King Arthur - he memorised the songs and began to act out the scenes. His developing interest, which led him to take parts in school plays as Toad and the Artful Dodger, didn’t go unnoticed, and when he told friends he planned to leave at 15 and take a job in a shop, they persuaded him to continue his education.

At the Grange Secondary Modern School in Stourbridge, his senior mistress Miss Sheldon was determined to help Trevor build on his talents and succeeded in getting him an audition at Birmingham Theatre School. There, under the legendary late Mary Richards, Trevor thrived and when he left at the age of 18 he worked in a company touring schools and appeared in Rep in Birmingham and Coventry. His television credits include In A Land of Plenty (2001), Get Some In, Hazel and Stig of the Dump. Trevor also enjoyed several months in Crossroads, toured with theatres, appeared in pantomime and also had his own show on the BBC local radio station, BBC Hereford & Worcester.

In addition to his role in The Archers, Trevor has acted in several radio plays on BBC Radio 3 and 4, and in 2001 was in the Radio 4 drama Cool Water Murder. He has also presented on BBC national and local radio. Trevor has made a number of records in the guise of Eddie Grundy, and in the summer of 1996 released 'The World of Eddie Grundy by Trevor Harrison' on the Demon Record Label.

Trevor admits his audition for a role in The Archers didn’t go too well. His performance in front of the production team didn’t impress, which he says was due to “nerves”. But Trevor went on to read one of his favourite pieces The Corn is Green by Emlyn Williams at which he recalls he “came alive”, and he was then asked back to re-read his test piece, and was subsequently offered the role of Eddie Grundy.

The late 1970s was a daunting time to join the residents of Ambridge. Dan and Doris Archer were still there, and so were many of the others on whom the series had been built since 1951. But The Archers’ warm tradition of welcoming newcomers soon helped him fit in, and Trevor learnt to act up to their standard.

When Haydn Jones who played his Ambridge father Joe Grundy died in the mid-1980s, Trevor found himself working with his replacement Edward Kelsey. Their portrayal as the dysfunctional tenants of Grange Farm, and now Keepers Cottage, is one of the highlights of the series for many devotees of life in Ambridge.

Trevor finds that a great many people he meets have difficulty in telling him apart from the loveable rogue he portrays, and says he’s sometimes innocently addressed as Eddie which he says he doesn’t really mind! There are hidden depths to Eddie’s character - some of which have been revealed in story-lines about the Grundy’s eviction from their home, and Trevor concedes both he and Eddie are “dreamers”.

Trevor and his wife Annette, a civilian police worker, live in South Worcestershire - very much a real life Borsetshire. When not working Trevor is a keen bird-watcher and takes his binoculars and bird-book with him everywhere. He’s been particularly gratified by the number of species of birds around his new home, in particular, the number of birds of prey.

It was in 2001, The Archers’ 50th anniversary year, that Trevor was made an MBE for his services to radio drama, particularly for his role in The Archers. “It’s a great honour just being in The Archers, so it’s wonderful to be given this award - the greatest accolade I have ever received as an actor - for doing something I enjoy so much.”