# Karl Howman
**Karl Howman** (born 1953 in Woolwich, London) is an English actor best known for playing the womanizing [painter and decorator](https://www.edgepedia.org/painter-and-decorator) Jacko in the BBC1 sitcom *Brush Strokes* (1986–1991) and, later, the ex-con Buster Briggs in the soap opera *EastEnders* from 2014[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0398253/bio/) • [2](https://champions-speakers.co.uk/speaker-agent/karl-howman). His screen career reaches back to the early 1970s and includes films such as *That'll Be the Day*, *Stardust*, *Babylon*, and *The Long Good Friday*[3](https://www.themoviedb.org/person/96697-karl-howman?language=en-US).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1953, Woolwich, London, England[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0398253/bio/); The Movie Database lists 1952[3](https://www.themoviedb.org/person/96697-karl-howman?language=en-US) |
| Signature role | Jacko, a South London painter and decorator, in *Brush Strokes*, BBC1, 40 episodes over 5 series, 1986–1991[4](https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/brush_strokes/) |
| Peak audience | Around 16 million viewers a week at the height of *Brush Strokes*' popularity[5](https://www.comedy.co.uk/features/comedy-rewind/brush-strokes/) |
| Other sitcom leads | Mulberry, the son of Death, in *Mulberry* (1992–1993); Charlie in *Babes in the Wood* (1998)[6](https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/brush_strokes/interview/karl_howman/) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0398253/bio/) |
| Soap work | Buster Briggs, an ex-con, in *EastEnders* from 2014[2](https://champions-speakers.co.uk/speaker-agent/karl-howman) |
| Behind the camera | Wrote, directed, and executive produced the film *Fathers of Girls* (2009), starring Ray Winstone[7](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/karl-howman/bio/3000232836/) |
| Advertising | Recurring role in British commercials for the Flash brand of cleaning products[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0398253/bio/) |
## Early career
Howman made his screen acting debut in the film *The Canterbury Tales* in 1972[7](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/karl-howman/bio/3000232836/). His early television work included *Man About the House* (1974), *Porridge* (1979), *Minder*, and guest roles in *The Sweeney*, *The Professionals*, and *Blake's 7*[8](https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/karl_howman/).
The turning point came through the comedy writers John Esmonde and Bob Larbey, who had seen Howman in a guest lead role in *The Sweeney* and cast him to replace [Robert Lindsay](https://www.edgepedia.org/robert-lindsay) as Jakey Smith in the final series of their ITV army sitcom *Get Some In!*[5](https://www.comedy.co.uk/features/comedy-rewind/brush-strokes/). Howman had also worked with the pair on the 1978 TV play *A Touch of the Tiny Hacketts*[9](https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/brush_strokes/interviews/karl_howman/).
## Brush Strokes
When Esmonde and Larbey developed *Brush Strokes* for the BBC, they championed Howman for the lead. Producer Sydney Lotterby was not initially convinced, and Howman had to audition before the writers' choice prevailed[9](https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/brush_strokes/interviews/karl_howman/). The sitcom, set around a [South London](https://www.edgepedia.org/south-london) painting and decorating firm called Bainbridge's, began on Monday 1 September 1986 at 8:30pm on BBC1, with [Dexys Midnight Runners](https://www.edgepedia.org/dexys-midnight-runners)' "Because of You" as its theme tune[5](https://www.comedy.co.uk/features/comedy-rewind/brush-strokes/).
Howman's character Jacko was the archetypal jack-the-lad: a habitual womanizer and cheeky chappy who, in Howman's own description, was really a listener who liked talking to women more than anything else, which was why he got little painting done[9](https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/brush_strokes/interviews/karl_howman/). The show ran for 40 episodes across 5 series until 1991, and at its peak drew around 16 million viewers a week[4](https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/brush_strokes/) • [5](https://www.comedy.co.uk/features/comedy-rewind/brush-strokes/). Howman later said that although he enjoyed making it, its tone was not to his taste, and that the filming schedule was hectic: during the *Brush Strokes* years he was also performing in the BBC radio series *King Street Junior* for 11 years as Philip Sims, and appeared in the West End for a year at a time between filming blocks[5](https://www.comedy.co.uk/features/comedy-rewind/brush-strokes/) • [6](https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/brush_strokes/interview/karl_howman/).
After the series ended, he played a similar character type in the Flash cleaning product commercials for a number of years, a role for which he is still widely recognized[9](https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/brush_strokes/interviews/karl_howman/) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0398253/bio/).
## Mulberry and later comedy roles
Howman's favorite project, by his own account, was his next Esmonde and Larbey sitcom, *Mulberry* (1992–1993), in which he played the title character, the son of Death, sent to take the crusty Miss Farnaby, played by [Geraldine McEwan](https://www.edgepedia.org/geraldine-mcewan), to the hereafter. He valued it largely because he was involved from concept to the end, and the series was axed after two seasons[6](https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/brush_strokes/interview/karl_howman/). He went on to star as Charlie in *Babes in the Wood* (1998) and as Wayne Todd in *Bad Boys* (1995–1996)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0398253/bio/) • [8](https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/karl_howman/).
## Film and production work
Howman's film credits include David in the gangster classic *The Long Good Friday* (1980), roles in *Babylon* (1980), *That'll Be the Day* (1973), and *Stardust* (1974), and the Anglo-American rom-com *The Truth About Love* (2005)[7](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/karl-howman/bio/3000232836/) • [2](https://champions-speakers.co.uk/speaker-agent/karl-howman). In 2009 he wrote, directed, and executive produced the film *Fathers of Girls*, which starred [Ray Winstone](https://www.edgepedia.org/ray-winstone), and he has since continued writing with his business partner[7](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/karl-howman/bio/3000232836/) • [9](https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/brush_strokes/interviews/karl_howman/).
## EastEnders and later work
In 2014 Howman joined the cast of the BBC soap opera *EastEnders* as Buster Briggs, an ex-con, becoming a regular on the program[2](https://champions-speakers.co.uk/speaker-agent/karl-howman). His later television credits include *Doctors*, *Casualty*, *Holby City*, *The Last Detective*, and *Mile High*, and he has done voice roles on dramas and comedies for [BBC Radio](https://www.edgepedia.org/bbc-radio)[10](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/karl-howman/credits/3000232836/) • [2](https://champions-speakers.co.uk/speaker-agent/karl-howman).
## Personal life
Howman married Clare Lightfoot in 1976; the marriage ended in divorce and produced two children[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0398253/bio/). His daughters Chloe Howman and Katy-Jo Howman are both actresses; Chloe played staff sister Rita Freeman in the BBC soap *Casualty*[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0398253/bio/) • [2](https://champions-speakers.co.uk/speaker-agent/karl-howman).
## References
1. [Karl Howman – Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0398253/bio/)
2. [Karl Howman, Champions Speakers Agency](https://champions-speakers.co.uk/speaker-agent/karl-howman)
3. [Karl Howman, The Movie Database](https://www.themoviedb.org/person/96697-karl-howman?language=en-US)
4. [Brush Strokes, British Comedy Guide](https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/brush_strokes/)
5. [Brush Strokes: A brush with laughter, British Comedy Guide](https://www.comedy.co.uk/features/comedy-rewind/brush-strokes/)
6. [Karl Howman interview, British Comedy Guide](https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/brush_strokes/interview/karl_howman/)
7. [Karl Howman Biography, TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/karl-howman/bio/3000232836/)
8. [Karl Howman, British Comedy Guide](https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/karl_howman/)
9. [Karl Howman interview – Brush Strokes, British Comedy Guide](https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/brush_strokes/interviews/karl_howman/)
10. [Karl Howman List of Movies and TV Shows, TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/karl-howman/credits/3000232836/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › Soap operas and continuing serials › British and Australasian soaps and characters › EastEnders › EastEnders cast members*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 20, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 20, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license