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Leon Ockenden

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Leon Ockenden
Ockenden in The Cosmonaut (2013)
Born (1978-08-16) 16 August 1978 (age 46)
Looe, Cornwall, England
OccupationActor
Years active2003–present
Spouse
Vanessa Hehir
(m. 2010)
Children1

Leon Ockenden (born 16 August 1978) is an English actor, director and writer who works in TV, film, theatre and radio. He grew up in the resort town of Looe, Cornwall.[1] He is best known for his role as Norman Jayden in Heavy Rain.

Career

Ockenden left school at the age of 16 to become a baker. After working in hotel kitchens in Sweden and Germany for one year, he returned to Britain to work as a pastry chef at the Hilton Hotel on London's Park Lane. He studied performing arts at the College of Further Education in Plymouth. He then received a scholarship from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, where he took a three-year acting course and graduated in 2003.[2][1]

Ockenden appeared in the British/Australian drama television series Tripping Over, playing a carpenter named Callum. He lent his voice and likeness to the 2010 video game Heavy Rain, in which he played Federal Bureau of Investigation profiler Norman Jayden. Before the show was cancelled in 2015, he was a regular of the British drama television series Waterloo Road, in which he played the role of Hector Reid, a jocular and sometimes vitriolic teacher of PE. After Waterloo Road, Ockenden has had other roles as a recurring cast member. One of these roles includes the character of Will Chatterton in the long-running soap opera Coronation Street. He has also joined the presenting team on the chat show This Morning as one of its regular chefs for its cooking segment.

He also appeared in a television advert for Verisure in 2021.[3]

Personal life

Ockenden married actress Vanessa Hehir on 24 October 2010. They have a daughter. Ockenden is a fan of Liverpool[4]

Filmography

Films

Year Title Role Notes
2005 Vegabond Shoes Champagne waiter Short film
2009 Mr. Right Lawrence
2009 Dread Jimmy Cake
2011 Baroque Lover/fighter Short film
2011 The Field of Vision Cpt. Joe Temski Short film
2012 Red Tails Co-pilot
2013 The Cosmonaut Stas
2013 Don't Miss the Cup Peter Short film
2015 Eliana Dude Short film
2016 Across the River Cake shop owner
2020 Ria Robert Post-production
TBA The Reckoning Morton Post-production

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2003 Judge John Deed Nick Episode: "Economic Imperative"
2003 The Private Life of Samuel Pepys Pembleton Television film
2004 Midsomer Murders Jamie Cruickshank Episode: "The Maid in Splendour"
2004 Hawking Rosencrantz Television film
2004 Hustle Simon Episode: "A Touch of Class"
2004 Family Affairs Sam Taylor Series regular (May–December)
2005 Totally Frank Miles Episode: "Bed"
2006 Tripping Over Callum 6 episodes
2007–2008 Heartbeat Dr Chris Oakley 10 episodes
2008 Heroes and Villains Earl of Leicester Episode: "Richard the Lionheart"
2009, 2013 Casualty Luke Riley/Adam Ridle 2 episodes
2010 Secret Diary of a Call Girl Connor Episode No. 3.7
2010 Identity DI Terry Eggleston Episode: "Chelsea Girl"
2010 An Old Fashioned Christmas Cameron Television film
2010 New Tricks Kevin Humphreys Episode: "Good Morning Lemmings"
2011 The Runaway Bruce Episode No. 1.4
2012 Best Possible Taste: The Kenny Everett Story Philip Television film
2012 Secrets of the Dead Vasily Arkhipov Episode: "The Man Who Saved the World"
2013 Open Desert [de] David Television film
2013 The Cosmonaut: Transmedia Experience Stas Main cast (31 episodes)
2014 Waterloo Road Hector Reid 20 episodes
2015 Mr Selfridge Serge De Bolotoff 10 episodes
2015 Supreme Tweeter Tweeter Episode: "Follow the Leader"
2015 The Coroner Danny Ball Episode: "That's the Way to Do It"
2016 This Morning Guest Chef 10 Episodes, stood in for Phil Vickery
2016–2017 Coronation Street Will Chatterton Recurring role; 40 episodes

Video games

Year Title Role
2010 Heavy Rain Norman Jayden

Music videos

Year Title Artist Role
2005 "Desire" Geri Halliwell Boss

Theatre

  • How the Other Half Loves (2017)
  • Flare Path (2015)
  • Muswell Hill (2012)
  • Plague Over England (2008)
  • Women Beware Women (2006)
  • The Tempest (2006)

References

  1. ^ a b Crawford, Sue (30 March 2008). "Heartbeat Heart-throb Leon Ockenden Sets Pulses Racing". Daily Mirror. Trinity Mirror. Retrieved 29 November 2015.
  2. ^ "Interview – Leon Ockendon (Norman Jayden)". YouTube. 24 March 2012. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 18 May 2013.
  3. ^ "Verisure Advert in the AnswerBank: Media & TV".
  4. ^ "'I was sick to my stomach,' says Vanessa Hehir on love scenes with her husband". Daily Express. 1 November 2014. Retrieved 26 December 2016.