Michael Angelis

**Nicolas Michael Angelis** (29 April 1944 - 30 May 2020) was a british actor who narrated Thomas & Friends from Season 4 and Season 16. being the longest holder of the role in the English dub. He narrated the third through sixteenth series for the UK. He also recorded six American episodes on the New Friends for Thomas and Other Adventures DVD, and the first six Railway Stories CDs, as well as other miscellaneous merchandise and promos.

## Biography

Angelis appeared in many British television programmes, such as *The Liver Birds*, *Reilly: Ace of Spies*, *Minder*, *Sweet Medicine,* *A & E*, *Merseybeat*, *A Touch of Frost,* *Boys from the Blackstuff*, *Midsomer Murders*, *The Bill*, *Auf Wiedersehen Pet*, *I Woke Up One Morning*, *George and Mildred*, *Z Cars* and *Good Cop*.

He had an older brother, Paul Angelis, and was married to Helen Worth, an actor in the long-running soap *Coronation Street*, from 1991 until 2001. He later married model Jennifer Khalastchi.

Incidentally, Paul provided the voice of Ringo Starr, the previous narrator of *Thomas & Friends* in the UK and US, in the Beatles' animated film "Yellow Submarine".

Angelis was originally cast James and Percy in *Thomas and the Magic Railroad*, but was later replaced by Susan Roman and Linda Ballantyne respectively because the American test audience thought that he made the characters sound, "too old".

Angelis also starred in various television adverts, including Stones Bitter, the Post Office, McDonald's and Think Road Safety Campaigns.

Angelis also narrated John Peel's autobiography, *Margrave of the Marshes*, on BBC Radio 4 in 2005, later released by AudioGO. In 2006 he starred in the film, "Fated", set in his hometown of Liverpool, as well as in episodes of "Midsomer Murders" and "The Bill" in 2007.

In September 2011, he participated in the BBC Radio 4 programme *The Reunion* talking with other cast members about his roles in the landmark 1980's drama series *Boys from the Blackstuff*.

Angelis died of a heart attack in his home at the age of 76 on 30th May 2020.

## Filmography

* A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square (1979)
* George and Mildred (1985)
* No Surrender (1985)
* Big Dreams and Paper Planes (1999)
* The Virgin of Liverpool (2003)
* Thomas & Friends: Calling All Engines! (2005)
* Fated (2006)
* Thomas & Friends: Hero of the Rails (2009)
* Thomas & Friends: Misty Island Rescue (2010)
* Thomas & Friends: Day of the Diesels (2011)
* Thomas & Friends: Blue Mountain Mystery (2012)
* First Time Loser (2012)

### TV

* The Scobie Man (1972)
* Thirty-Minute Theatre (1972)
* Coronation Street (1972)
* Village Hall (1974)
* Z Cars (1972-1974)
* Rock Follies (1976)
* Crown Court (1977)
* Robin's Nest (1977-1978)
* Hazell (1979)
* Me You and Him (1979)
* The Black Stuff (1980)
* Minder (1980)
* The Little World of Don Camillo (1981)
* BBC2 Playhouse (1981)
* World's End (1981)
* Wood and Walters (1982)
* The Gaffer (1982)
* Boys from the Blackstuff (1982)
* The Professionals (1982)
* Reilly: Ace of Spies (1983)
* Bergerac (1983)
* Pride of our Alley (1983)
* I Woke Up One Morning (1985)
* Summer Season (1985)
* The Marksman (1987)
* Bread (1989)
* The Russ Abbot Show (1989)
* Single Voices (1990)
* G.B.H. (1991)
* Thomas & Friends (1991-2012)
* Wail of the Banshee (1992)
* Between the Lines (1992)
* Boon (1992)
* Casualty (1993-2015)
* Lovejoy (1993)
* Luv (1993)
* Woodcock (1994)
* September Song (1993-1995)
* Joseph (1995)
* The Liver Birds (1975-1996)
* Giving Tongue (1996)
* A Touch of Frost (1997)
* Melissa (1997)
* Harry Enfield and Chums (1997)
* The Ambassador (1998)
* The Jump (1998)
* Holby City (2000)
* Heartbeat (2000)
* Playing the Field (2000)
* Auf Wiedersehen, Pet (2002)
* Always and Everyone (2002)
* Sweet Medicine (2003)
* Midsomer Murders (2007)
* The Bill (2007)
* Good Cop (2012)

## Trivia

* Some redubbed episodes from foreign dubs of the television series credit Michael Angelis.
* In addition to his initial roles as James and Percy, Angelis can also be heard in the leaked workprint for *Thomas and the Magic Railroad* performing temp voiceovers for Splatter and Dodge alongside their also cut-voice actor Patrick Breen.
* Angelis and George Carlin were the last narrators to narrate Railway Series-based episodes until Mark Moraghan, as there were no more adaptations until 2015's The Adventure Begins. He was also the last UK narrator to narrate said adaptations for the model era, with George Carlin being the last one doing so in the US.
* He was not credited in the intro for any fifth series episodes for unknown reasons.
* Michael Angelis attended the Blue Carpet UK premiere event for Hero of the Rails on 26th September 2009.