A Profile of Interesting People who Live or Work in Yorkshire

A Profile of Interesting People who Live or Work in Yorkshire

Yorkshire, it’s the UK’s largest county, and also one of the friendliest too! It boasts a rich history, diverse culture, charming coastal towns and iconic city skylines which eventually give way to some of the UK’s most spectacular scenery. There’s the Yorkshire Dales, North Yorkshire Moors and Peak District National Parks to be found here after all. It’s a fantastic county to be able to call home, and that’s why here at Chartford we choose to build our new homes in some of this county’s most sought after locations. But that’s not everything Yorkshire has to offer. It’s also the home to some of the most famous people in the world. So let’s take a look at some of this county’s home grown talent!

A career which has spanned seven decades across film, television and theatre, Sir Patrick Stewart gained stardom for his leading role as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation and is best known for his role as Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men series. He was born in Mirfield, a town which can be found in West Yorkshire. 

Originally from Sheffield in South Yorkshire and known for having famously retained his Yorkshire accent, Sean Bean found mainstream success following his portrayal of Richard Sharpe in the ITV series ‘Sharpe’ in the 1990s. Since then, he’s gone on to star in many film and television roles, including Game of Thrones and the Lord of the Rings trilogy. 

Another highly accomplished actor to come from Yorkshire is Malcolm McDowell. Born in Horsforth, a town in Leeds, he made his film debut as Mick Travis in the film ‘If…’, which in 1999 was voted the 12th greatest British film of the 20th century by the British Film Institute. He’s also known for his portrayal of Alex in Stanley Kubrick’s ‘A Clockwork Orange’, which was based on the book by Anthony Burgess. 

Best known for his role playing Neville Longbottom in the Harry Potter film series, Matthew Lewis is also an actor born in Leeds. He was raised in the nearby town of Horsforth, and since Harry Potter, has gone on to star in other film and television roles to critical praise. 

Widely considered to be one of Britain’s greatest actresses, Judi Dench was born in the Heworth area of York, North Yorkshire. Known for her versatile work across television, film and on the stage, her role as M in the James Bond series brought her international fame. 

Another actress to hail from Yorkshire is Jodie Whittaker. Best known for playing the thirteenth incarnation of the Doctor in Doctor Who, she has worked across film, television, theatre and radio since graduating the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. She was born in Skelmanthorpe, a village in West Yorkshire. 

The name Christina Pickles might not immediately ring any bells, but we sure bet you’ve heard of Judy Gellar, the mother of Ross and Monica Gellar. And whilst she might be best known for her role in Friends, she also starred in the NBC medical drama St. Elsewhere in the 1980s. Despite moving to New York in the 1950s, she was originally from Halifax in West Yorkshire. 

It’s not just actors and actresses who hail from God’s Own County however. David Hockney is undoubtedly one of the most famous and most influential artists of the 20th century. His 1972 work ‘Portrait of an Artist’ (Pool with Two Figures) sold for £70 million in 2018, making it one of the most expensive artworks to be sold at auction by a living artist. He was originally from Bradford in West Yorkshire, and attended Bradford School of Art in the 1950s. 

Although she moved to St Ives in Cornwall in her later years, artist and sculptor Barbara Hepworth was born in Wakefield, West Yorkshire. She also attended and studied at the Leeds School of Art. And her birthplace is now home to the Hepworth Gallery, which features many of her works in its exhibition spaces. 

And let’s not forget the musicians who hail from Yorkshire too. What’s the most widely recognised group after The Beatles? That would be the Spice Girls. And Yorkshire was, and is once again, the home of Mel B, otherwise known as Scary Spice. Originally born in Harehills, East Leeds, she spent many years living in Los Angeles before returning back to her hometown of Leeds a few years ago. 

90’s Britpop wasn’t just about Blur and Oasis. Pulp were there right alongside them thanks to the albums His ‘n’ Hers in 1994 and Difference Class in 1995 catapulting them to mainstream success. The single ‘Common People’ has subsequently been voted as the greatest Britpop song. The band formed in Sheffield in 1978. 

But Pulp isn’t the only band to come out of  Sheffield. Arctic Monkeys also formed in Sheffield in 2002, and their debut album ‘Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not’ became the fastest selling debut album in UK chart history. And whilst one of the greatest debut albums of all time, their subsequent albums have gone on to achieve commercial and critical success also. 

So there we have it! By no means an exhaustive list, this is just some of the talent to come out of this fantastic county. And let’s not forget it’s the friendliest county in the UK, so even if you’re not born and bred in these parts, you’ll always be made to feel welcome. So if Yorkshire sounds like the kind of place you want to call home, then why not take a look at our latest developments? We currently have a range of luxurious, spacious homes available at Burton Leonard, Burley in Wharfedale, Woodlesford and Cookridge.