# Jonathan Kerrigan
**Jonathan Kerrigan** (born 1972 in [Lincolnshire](https://www.edgepedia.org/lincolnshire)) is an English actor and composer whose career has been built mainly on television series leads, most notably staff nurse Sam Colloby in *Casualty* and PC Rob Walker in *Heartbeat*.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0449862/) • [2](https://www.lincolnshirelife.co.uk/heritage/actors-change-of-character/) He is also a working musician who composed and performed the title music for the BBC1 series *Merseybeat*, in which he also acted.[3](https://www.bdimusic.com/roster/23-jonathan-kerrigan)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1972 in Lincolnshire; grew up in North Hykeham, near Lincoln[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0449862/) • [4](https://www.holby.tv/jonathan-kerrigan/) |
| Signature TV roles | Sam Colloby in *Casualty* (1996–1999, 77 episodes); PC Rob Walker in *Heartbeat* (2004–2007, 72 episodes); Neil in *In the Club* (2014–2016, 11 episodes)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0449862/) |
| Training | A Levels in Drama, Sociology, and English Literature; theater arts degree at Bretton Hall Drama College, Leeds, from 1995[4](https://www.holby.tv/jonathan-kerrigan/) |
| Music work | Composed and performed the *Merseybeat* title theme; documentary scores for BBC1 and BBC4; short-film soundtracks[3](https://www.bdimusic.com/roster/23-jonathan-kerrigan) |
| Family | Married to actress Shelley Conn since 2011, whom he met while working on *Merseybeat*; son Oscar, born 2012[4](https://www.holby.tv/jonathan-kerrigan/) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0449862/) |
| Later screen work | *Irvine Welsh's Crime* (2021), *The Syndicate* series 4, *Pandora*, *Hackerville*, *Death in Paradise*, *Outlander* season 7[5](https://cam.co.uk/talent/jonathan-kerrigan/) • [6](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/10025/jonathan-kerrigan) |
## Training and early career
Kerrigan took A Levels in Drama, Sociology, and English Literature, then entered Bretton Hall Drama College in Leeds in 1995 and completed a theater arts degree.[4](https://www.holby.tv/jonathan-kerrigan/) According to his publisher's biography, his career began on stage when he co-wrote, co-directed and starred in the play *Alex*, which he performed at the National Theatre.[7](https://bdi-music.herokuapp.com/roster/23-jonathan-kerrigan/download)
His screen debut came in the Chemical Brothers music video "Life Is Sweet".[7](https://bdi-music.herokuapp.com/roster/23-jonathan-kerrigan/download) Television work followed quickly: early credits include *Byker Grove*, *Peak Practice*, and *Having It Off*, alongside leads in *Reach for the Moon* and *The Knock* for London Weekend Television.[5](https://cam.co.uk/talent/jonathan-kerrigan/)
## Breakthrough roles
**Casualty.** Kerrigan appeared in three series of the BBC1 medical drama *Casualty* as staff nurse Sam Colloby, a run recorded by IMDb at 77 episodes between 1996 and 1999.[7](https://bdi-music.herokuapp.com/roster/23-jonathan-kerrigan/download) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0449862/) A 2015 profile in *Lincolnshire Life* notes that after *Casualty* he won a string of roles, including *Emmerdale*, *Doctors*, *The Knock*, and *Reach for the Moon*.[2](https://www.lincolnshirelife.co.uk/heritage/actors-change-of-character/)
**Heartbeat.** From 2004 to 2007 he played PC Rob Walker in ITV's long-running primetime drama *Heartbeat*, the role that profile describes as the one he is best known for; IMDb lists it at 72 episodes.[2](https://www.lincolnshirelife.co.uk/heritage/actors-change-of-character/) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0449862/) In a 2015 interview he said that leaving *Heartbeat* took him in a direction of "playing nurses and doctors, and being part of a series".[2](https://www.lincolnshirelife.co.uk/heritage/actors-change-of-character/)
**Merseybeat and music.** In *Merseybeat* (BBC1, 2001–2004) he played the regular character Steve, and he composed and performed the series' title music, combining his two professions in one production.[5](https://cam.co.uk/talent/jonathan-kerrigan/) • [3](https://www.bdimusic.com/roster/23-jonathan-kerrigan) The series also brought him together with actress [Shelley Conn](https://www.edgepedia.org/shelley-conn), whom he later married.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0449862/)
## Later television and film
Kerrigan's subsequent roles include recurring and guest parts across British and international productions: Neil as a regular in [Kay Mellor](https://www.edgepedia.org/kay-mellor)'s BBC One drama *In the Club* (series 1 and 2), Stuart Carew in [Harlan Coben](https://www.edgepedia.org/harlan-coben)'s *[The Five](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-five-tv-series)* for Sky, Jonny in the second series of *Stan Lee's Lucky Man*, Xander Shepherd in *Death in Paradise*, Darius Webberley in HBO Europe's *Hackerville*, and Seeker Creston Hubbell in the US series *Pandora*.[5](https://cam.co.uk/talent/jonathan-kerrigan/) • [6](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/10025/jonathan-kerrigan) In 2021 he played Mark McKendrick, starring in four episodes of *Irvine Welsh's Crime*.[6](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/10025/jonathan-kerrigan)
Film credits include *55 Steps* (2017, directed by Bille August, as Dr Bardy), *[Diana](https://www.edgepedia.org/diana-2013-film)* (2013, as Colin, directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel), *The Somnambulists* (2011), and *Flim: The Movie* (2014).[5](https://cam.co.uk/talent/jonathan-kerrigan/) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0449862/) More recently he appeared as Captain Reverend Peleg Woodsworth in season 7 of *[Outlander](https://www.edgepedia.org/outlander-tv-series)*, in episodes airing from December 2024 to January 2025.[6](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/10025/jonathan-kerrigan)
## Theatre
On stage, Kerrigan played Milo Tindle in the West End production of *Sleuth* (Bill Kenwright Ltd, directed by Elijah Moshinsky) and Kurt in Che Walker's *Frontline* at [Shakespeare's Globe](https://www.edgepedia.org/shakespeares-globe), directed by Matthew Dunster; his agency also lists *Zoo Story*, in which he played Jerry.[5](https://cam.co.uk/talent/jonathan-kerrigan/) • [3](https://www.bdimusic.com/roster/23-jonathan-kerrigan)
## Composing
Kerrigan writes music alongside acting. Beyond the *Merseybeat* theme, he composed and performed the theme music for the feature film *The Somnambulists*, and commissioned documentary pieces for BBC1's *Living Without A Memory*, *Eliminate the Yahoo* (BBC4), and *Batwomen of Panama* (Fitz Productions, US).[3](https://www.bdimusic.com/roster/23-jonathan-kerrigan) His short-film scores include *Fellow Creatures*, *Salvage*, *To The Sea Again*, *The Other Side Of My Sleep*, *Charlie*, and *Le Petit Mort*; the short *Talk*, for which he wrote music, won Best Overall short film at the 2001 Rushes Short Film Festival.[3](https://www.bdimusic.com/roster/23-jonathan-kerrigan) • [7](https://bdi-music.herokuapp.com/roster/23-jonathan-kerrigan/download)
**Fellow Creatures** (2021) joins both professions. Kerrigan wrote the short film, and directed it with [Jamie Glover](https://www.edgepedia.org/jamie-glover) and [Jason Merrells](https://www.edgepedia.org/jason-merrells), the three of them forming The Shotley Collective; Kerrigan plays a father opposite Shelley Conn, and composed the score.[5](https://cam.co.uk/talent/jonathan-kerrigan/) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0449862/) A HollyShorts review quoted by his agency described his performance as swinging "between the desperation of a father in need of help and the arrogance of a man on a winning streak".[5](https://cam.co.uk/talent/jonathan-kerrigan/)
## References
1. [Jonathan Kerrigan, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0449862/)
2. [Kate Chapman, "Actor's change of character", Lincolnshire Life, September 2015](https://www.lincolnshirelife.co.uk/heritage/actors-change-of-character/)
3. [Jonathan Kerrigan, BDi Music roster](https://www.bdimusic.com/roster/23-jonathan-kerrigan)
4. [Jonathan Kerrigan, holby.tv](https://www.holby.tv/jonathan-kerrigan/)
5. [Jonathan Kerrigan, Creative Artists Management](https://cam.co.uk/talent/jonathan-kerrigan/)
6. [Jonathan Kerrigan, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/10025/jonathan-kerrigan)
7. [Jonathan Kerrigan biography, BDi Music (downloaded biography PDF)](https://bdi-music.herokuapp.com/roster/23-jonathan-kerrigan/download)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › English actors: 2000s onward › Surnames I to K*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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