# Nicholas Ball (actor)
**Nicholas Ball** (full name John Nicholas Ball; 1946–2024) was an English actor whose six-decade career on stage and screen was anchored by his starring role as the cockney private eye James Hazell in the 1978 ITV series *Hazell*, and later by television roles as gang lord Terry Bates in *EastEnders* and rock-star club chairman Garry Ryan in *Footballers' Wives*.
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born / died | 1946, Leamington, Warwickshire, England; 4 June 2024, aged 78, after a short illness[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0050437/bio/) • [2](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/jun/11/nicholas-ball-obituary) |
| Signature role | James "Jim" Hazell, a cockney former policeman turned private eye, in ITV's *Hazell* (1978)[3](https://www.itv.com/news/2024-06-06/eastenders-actor-nicholas-ball-dies-aged-78) |
| Other noted TV roles | Terry Bates in *EastEnders*; Garry Ryan in *Footballers' Wive$: Extra Time* (2005–06) and the final series of *Footballers' Wives* (2006); DCI Nick Hall in the third series of *Thief Takers* (1995)[3](https://www.itv.com/news/2024-06-06/eastenders-actor-nicholas-ball-dies-aged-78) • [2](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/jun/11/nicholas-ball-obituary) |
| Films | Arthur in *Overlord* (1975), his big-screen debut; Roger Derebridge in *Lifeforce* (1985); Harry Webster in *The Krays: Dead Man Walking* (2018); Charlie Kray in *A New Breed of Criminal* (2023)[4](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/nicholas-ball-hard-boiled-actor-150000685.html) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0050437/bio/) • [2](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/jun/11/nicholas-ball-obituary) |
| Marriages | Pamela Stephenson (1978–1984, divorced); Ayda Kay (2019 until his death)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0050437/bio/) |
| Training | Bristol Old Vic theater school; early member of the Portable theater company co-operative founded by David Hare and Tony Bicât[2](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/jun/11/nicholas-ball-obituary) |
| Final work | The 2024 rural-set drama *The Kingdom by the Sea*, opposite Rula Lenska[3](https://www.itv.com/news/2024-06-06/eastenders-actor-nicholas-ball-dies-aged-78) |
## Early life and training
Ball was born in 1946 in Leamington, Warwickshire[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0050437/bio/). On leaving school at 15 he worked as a lorry driver, laborer, and deckchair attendant while acting for five years with the amateur group at the Stables theater in Hastings[2](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/jun/11/nicholas-ball-obituary). When a friend applied to train at [Bristol Old Vic](https://www.edgepedia.org/bristol-old-vic) theater school, he did the same and both were accepted[2](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/jun/11/nicholas-ball-obituary).
While still a student he took a small role as a despatch rider in a 1968 episode of *Z Cars*, then joined the repertory company at Hull Arts Centre in 1969 for its opening play, [Alan Plater](https://www.edgepedia.org/alan-plater)'s *Don't Build a Bridge, Drain the River*. Joining early on was the Portable theater company, a co-operative set up by the writer David Hare together with the director Tony Bicât; with them he toured Britain and Europe before spending a period at London's Royal Court theater in 1975[2](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/jun/11/nicholas-ball-obituary).
## Hazell and 1970s fame
**The breakthrough.** Ball made an impression with a run as Mr Minter in [Thames Television](https://www.edgepedia.org/thames-television)'s afternoon marriage-guidance serial *Couples*, which included a ten-minute monologue of "a husband telling his side of the marriage story." This led to his casting as Colin Pitman in Thames's 1976 peak-time series *The Crezz*, and shortly afterwards to the role that defined his career[2](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/jun/11/nicholas-ball-obituary).
In *Hazell* (1978) he played James "Jim" Hazell, a down-at-heel cockney private eye and former policeman, a character created by the writer Gordon Williams and the footballer [Terry Venables](https://www.edgepedia.org/terry-venables), who wrote the books under the name PB Yuill[3](https://www.itv.com/news/2024-06-06/eastenders-actor-nicholas-ball-dies-aged-78). Ball beat [John Nettles](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-nettles) and others to the part[2](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/jun/11/nicholas-ball-obituary). The Guardian obituary records ratings peaking at 17 million before falling after the BBC scheduled a season of [Robert Redford](https://www.edgepedia.org/robert-redford) films against the series in 1979 during its second run; the Yahoo-syndicated obituary gives an audience figure of 20 million[2](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/jun/11/nicholas-ball-obituary) • [4](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/nicholas-ball-hard-boiled-actor-150000685.html). The program ended and, as his marriage to Pamela Stephenson broke down, television offers thinned and Ball struggled financially[2](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/jun/11/nicholas-ball-obituary).
## Film work
Ball made his big-screen debut as Arthur in Stuart Cooper's D-Day film *Overlord* (1975)[4](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/nicholas-ball-hard-boiled-actor-150000685.html). In [Tobe Hooper](https://www.edgepedia.org/tobe-hooper)'s *Lifeforce* (1985) he was considered for the roles of Caine, Lamson, and Kelly but was cast instead as Roger Derebridge; he spent 15 weeks filming a part that was cut considerably, leaving him on screen for about 10 minutes[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0050437/bio/). Later film roles included a gangster in *Out of Depth* (2000), the contract killer Harry Webster in *The Krays: Dead Man Walking* (2018), and Charlie Kray in *A New Breed of Criminal* (2023)[2](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/jun/11/nicholas-ball-obituary). His credits also included *Rogue Male*, *Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe?*, *Croupier*, *Hellboy*, and *Mutant Chronicles* (2008)[3](https://www.itv.com/news/2024-06-06/eastenders-actor-nicholas-ball-dies-aged-78) • [5](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/nicholas-ball/credits/3000275045/).
## Character work on television
From the 1990s onward Ball worked steadily in character parts. In the third series of *Thief Takers* (1995), he starred as Detective Chief Inspector Nick Hall of the [Flying Squad](https://www.edgepedia.org/flying-squad), a role he said in 1997 had restarted his career[2](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/jun/11/nicholas-ball-obituary) • [4](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/nicholas-ball-hard-boiled-actor-150000685.html). In *Footballers' Wive$: Extra Time* (2005–06) and the final series of *Footballers' Wives* (2006) he played Garry Ryan, a rock star turned chairman of Earls Park FC who is responsible for the death of the club's manager[2](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/jun/11/nicholas-ball-obituary). In *EastEnders* he played the gang lord Terry Bates, who attacked [Peggy Mitchell](https://www.edgepedia.org/peggy-mitchell) ([Barbara Windsor](https://www.edgepedia.org/barbara-windsor)) while smashing up the Queen Victoria pub[3](https://www.itv.com/news/2024-06-06/eastenders-actor-nicholas-ball-dies-aged-78).
**Comedy appearances.** Ball guested across British comedy: as a professor in *The Young Ones* (1982), a film producer in *Colin's Sandwich* (1990), a simulant in the *Red Dwarf* episode "Justice" (1991), and a client of David in *Cold Feet* (2000)[2](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/jun/11/nicholas-ball-obituary) • [6](https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/nicholas_ball/). Crime and drama credits included *Jonathan Creek*, *Hustle*, *Heartbeat*, *[Bergerac](https://www.edgepedia.org/bergerac-tv-series)*, *The Bill*, *Holby City*, and *Casualty*[3](https://www.itv.com/news/2024-06-06/eastenders-actor-nicholas-ball-dies-aged-78) • [5](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/nicholas-ball/credits/3000275045/).
## Personal life and death
Ball married the New Zealand-born actor and comedian [Pamela Stephenson](https://www.edgepedia.org/pamela-stephenson), whom he met on the set of *Not the Nine O'Clock News*, in 1978; they divorced in 1984[2](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/jun/11/nicholas-ball-obituary) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0050437/bio/). In 2019, after more than 20 years together, he married the actor Ayda Kay, who survives him[2](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/jun/11/nicholas-ball-obituary). His agent announced that he died on 4 June 2024, aged 78, following a short illness[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0050437/bio/) • [3](https://www.itv.com/news/2024-06-06/eastenders-actor-nicholas-ball-dies-aged-78). Shortly before his death he had filmed *The Kingdom by the Sea*, a 2024 rural-set drama opposite [Rula Lenska](https://www.edgepedia.org/rula-lenska)[3](https://www.itv.com/news/2024-06-06/eastenders-actor-nicholas-ball-dies-aged-78).
## Namesakes
The British character actor Nicholas Ball should not be confused with **Nicholas Ballas**, an American actor known for *Roswell, New Mexico* (2019), *Cliffs of Freedom* (2019), and *In from the Night* (2006)[7](https://auteurgraph.com/person/nicholas-ballas/ratings), nor with the British writer-director Nick Ball, credited on *The Trip* (2021)[8](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3479369/).
## References
1. [Nicholas Ball – Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0050437/bio/)
2. [Nicholas Ball obituary, The Guardian (11 June 2024)](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/jun/11/nicholas-ball-obituary)
3. [EastEnders actor Nicholas Ball dies aged 78, ITV News (6 June 2024)](https://www.itv.com/news/2024-06-06/eastenders-actor-nicholas-ball-dies-aged-78)
4. [Nicholas Ball, hard-boiled actor known for his 1970s Cockney private eye in ITV's Hazell – obituary, Yahoo Entertainment](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/nicholas-ball-hard-boiled-actor-150000685.html)
5. [Nicholas Ball List of Movies and TV Shows, TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/nicholas-ball/credits/3000275045/)
6. [Nicholas Ball, British Comedy Guide](https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/nicholas_ball/)
7. [Nicholas Ballas Ratings, AuteurGraph](https://auteurgraph.com/person/nicholas-ballas/ratings)
8. [Nick Ball, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3479369/)
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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: 1970s to 1990s › Surnames A to B*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 20, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 20, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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