Everything there is to know about Ricky Tomlinson's life from early career and prison time to tragic death

The Royle Family star Ricky Tomlinson turned 85 last month but what is there to know about the veteran actor?

Although his time with the Royles ended 12 years ago after three seasons and seasonal specials, the show and Ricky remain cherished by fans who crave every detail about this iconic actors life.

Early Life

While everyone knows him as Ricky, he entered this as Eric near Blackpool, before spending most of his life in Liverpool.

One of three boys, he was born to a baker father and a hardworking mother with odd jobs ranging from house cleaner to factory worker, young Ricky showed early signs of a performer, picking up the banjo and comedy as a teen.

Prison Time

Before stardom, Tomlinson plied his trade on construction sites as a plasterer, siding with workers' rights as a passionate trade unionist.

This devotion saw him embroiled in the Shrewsbury 24 debacle in 1972, leading to a two-year imprisonment under conspiracy to intimidate charges, making him one of Britain's last political prisoners.

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His wrongful conviction was finally quashed in 2021 after a long battle to clear his name, reports .

Reflecting on his return to the prison, now a tourist spot for a More4 show, he remarked: "It was a shock. It was very different, though, it's a tourist attraction now.

"The cells have toilets and electricity there was nothing like that when I was there.

"I had to laugh, though, because as we walked in the young lady who was our guide said, 'Oh, you're back again!'"

Early Career

Tomlinson's journey to stardom began with his role as Bobby Grant in Brookside in 1982, which led to parts in Cracker as DCI Charlie Wise, Playing The Field, and Roughnecks.

It then wasn't until 1998 that he landed the role of lazy dad Jim Royle in the iconic sitcom The Royle Family.

Personal Loss

Ricky was first married to Marlene Tomlinson, with whom he had three children: sons Clifton and Gareth, and daughter Kate.

The actor sadly faced tragedy after his son Clifton passed away at 33 in December 2004 due to alcoholic liver disease after struggling with addiction.

Ricky has spoken about his belief in the supernatural, telling : "I talk to him [Clifton] all the time, in my head."

Later, he found love with social worker Rita Cummiskey, marrying her in 2003 and appointing her as his manager, marking another chapter in his life.

Chance Encounter

In an interview with The Guardian, Tomlinson recalled how he landed the role of Jim in The Royle Family after a chance encounter with the show's star and co-creator, .

He explained: "I was at the Royal Television Society awards with my wife, Rita. "She asked me to get something from the buffet.

I walked across to the table and bumped into a young girl standing in front of me.

"She turned around to look at me and went: 'Oh, you're my dad, aren't you?'

"Did she say anything else? No. I went back to the table and said to Rita, 'I think that poor girl's got mental health problems.'"

The next day, Tomlinson received an audition invitation for the iconic sitcom, following his brief meeting with Aherne the previous night.

The Royle Family is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.