Stephen McGann, who plays the beloved Dr Patrick Turner in the BBC One drama Call the Midwife, has been a fan favourite since the show first aired in 2012. The actor, now 60, portrays the heroic doctor who cares for the residents of Poplar during the 1950s and 60s.
Dr Turner is a hero in the East End community, saving lives, delivering babies, and melting viewers’ hearts with every episode. Fans were overjoyed when his character found love with Sheelagh Mannion after becoming a widower at a young age, reports My London.
Off-screen, Stephen is just as loved by his co-stars at Nonnatus House. Let’s take a close look inside his life off-camera…
Stephen McGann has played Dr Patrick Turner in Call the Midwife since the first episode aired in 2012
(Image: BBC)
Co-star wife
The show, based on the best-selling memoirs of the late Jennifer Worth, tells the vibrant stories of midwives and families in London’s East End during the 1950s and swinging sixties. Heidi Thomas, 61, the creator and writer of Call the Midwife, is also Stephen’s wife.
The couple have been happily married since 1990 and share a son named Dominic. In a chat with Good Housekeeping in November 2020, Heidi revealed that Call the Midwife is often the “sole topic of conversation” at home.
Stephen has been married to Call The Midwife creator Heidi Thomas for 30 years
(Image: Aaron Chown/PA Wire)
“I live with Stephen McGann who plays Dr Turner because we’ve been married for 30 years and so he’s the character I know best off-screen,” she said. “I never show him scripts or storylines before the other actors see them because I don’t think it’s fair on him to have to keep secrets. He is completely in the dark until he gets that script.”
According to Stephen’s book: A History of My Family in Seven Maladies, he met Heidi after auditioning for her new play at Liverpool Playhouse. They tied the knot two years later when they were both 27, and enjoyed a honeymoon in Tuscany before settling down in a cottage in rural Essex.
Soap star
Stephen’s acting career started long before he joined Call the Midwife. He first appeared on our screens in 1985, playing David Hargreaves in Channel 4’s Brookside and a year later took on the role of Tex in the series Help! for two years.
Stephen as Sean Reynolds in Emmerdale
(Image: Yorkshire TV)
Soap fans may also recognise the actor from his roles as Sean Reynolds in Emmerdale (1999-2002), Bob Street in Streetwise (1989-1992), and guest appearances in Casualty and The Bill. He’s also been in films like Catherine the Great (1995) and Where the Buffalo Roam (1994).
Famous brothers
The 60-year-old isn’t the only one in his family to have shot to fame as he has three older brothers who are also actors. Joseph McGann started his career as Lord Glozelle in BBC’s Prince Caspian in 1989 and later starred in the ITV sitcom The Upper Hand.
He’s also been in All Creatures Great and Small, Dangerfield, Truckers, and Celebrity Masterchef, among other shows. Most recently, he appeared as Julian Carr in Vera and Edward Hutchinson in Hollyoaks, along with roles in Casualty, Midsomer Murders, My Family, and Doctors.
His brother Joe McGann has led a successful acting career
(Image: Instagram/Joe McGann)
Paul McGann as The Doctor
(Image: BBC)
Paul McGann, another of Stephen’s older brothers, is well-known for his role as the Eighth Doctor in Doctor Who. He’s also been in Luther, Holby City, Moving On, A Mother’s Son, New Tricks, Waking the Dead, and many more shows.
Paul is also known for his voice-over work on documentaries like Secret History and Churchill’s Secret. Their brother Mark McGann is also an actor having started his career at the Everyman Theatre Company in Liverpool during the early 80s before securing breakthrough roles in Scully and The Grand.
Mark McGann as Geoffrey Owens in Inspector Morse
(Image: ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
Mark McGann performing as John Lennon
(Image: Liverpool Echo)
Not just an actor, Mark is also a musician, director, and writer. He even runs his own production company and made a short film called Perplexed Music in 2018.
Since 2007, he’s been the boss of Drama Direct Ltd, a company that makes original productions for entertainment and education. Stephen, Joseph, Paul and Mark also have a sister named Claire.
* This article was crafted with the help of an AI engine, which speeds up OK!’s editorial research and applies it to article templates created by journalists in our newsrooms. An OK! editor reviewed this content before it was published. You can report any errors to [email protected]
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