By the age of 14, Morrissey was one of two youth theatre members who sat on the board of the Everyman Theatre. [14] His contemporaries included Cathy Tyson, brothers Mark and Stephen McGann, and Ian Hart, the latter being his friend since they were both five years old. He became friends with the McGann brothers and they introduced him to their brother Paul, who was on a break from his studies at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA). [15] [16] Morrissey returned to a weekly television role at the end of 2010 playing police detective Tom Thorne in Thorne, a six-part television series for Sky1 that was adapted from Mark Billingham's novels Sleepyhead and Scaredy Cat. [78] After reading Lifeless during his time filming The Water Horse in New Zealand, Morrissey searched the Internet for more information. He found an interview in which Billingham stated his preference for Morrissey to play Thorne should a screen adaptation ever be made. When he returned to the UK, Morrissey arranged a meeting with Billingham and the two began developing the TV series. [79] [80] Morrissey shadowed officers in the Metropolitan Police's murder unit during their duties to learn about their jobs. He discovered that the officers felt undervalued in their jobs, and he incorporated these feelings into the series. [80] Sky first broadcast the series on 10 October. Morrissey received approval for the role; Andrea Mullaney wrote in The Scotsman, "Morrissey is never less than watchable and he brings a brooding presence to the role of Thorne." [81] and Adam Sweeting for The Arts Desk called him "authentic as the phlegmatic, low-key Thorne." [82] Rosenberg, Howard (13 October 1988). "Sadness, Seduction Ignite `Mystery!'". Los Angeles Times (Tribune Company): p.C-10.

a b " Television Nominations 2003". British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Retrieved 4 November 2008 ( archived by WebCite on 5 June 2011). Two Liverpool schoolboys run away from home and briefly enjoy a new life in Wales before their past catches up with them. Show full synopsis Spencer, Charles (28 November 2008). " In a Dark Dark House: clunky, with a glimmer of hope". The Daily Telegraph (Telegraph Media Group): p.19. Retrieved 3 February 2009.a b " RTS Programme Awards 1997". Royal Television Society. Retrieved 5 June 2011 ( archived by WebCite on 5 June 2011). In 2009, Morrissey and a team of filmmakers ran a series of drama workshops for Palestinian refugee children in Beirut, in conjunction with the UNRWA. [108] On his return to England, he set up the Creative Arts School Trust (CAST), a charity for the purpose of training teachers and continuing the workshops in Lebanon and elsewhere. [77] [109] Writing in the now-defunct local newspaper, the Liverpool Daily Post, John Williams declared the series as "simultaneously compulsive and depressing" and "grimly authentic". [5] Commercial release [ edit ] DVD release (2006) Morrissey expands: “There’s a lot of television, you don’t know what’s going to happen. It’s much like life, you’re just dealing with what’s happening on the day. Whereas in film, you know where you’re heading. You know how much time you have to tell a story. You can argue for the consistency of your character.”

a b Viner, Brian (31 January 2002). " The Thursday Interview: David Morrissey". The Independent (Independent News & Media): p.7. Retrieved 6 November 2008. Lacey, Hester (15 March 2013). " The Inventory: David Morrissey". Financial Times. Retrieved 21 March 2013 ( archived by WebCite on 21 March 2013).Writer Willy Russell had his name removed from the credits as he thought the lead actors were too old to play 16-year olds and that Kidder's Welsh retreat was overly glamorous. There is some truth in this, but as filmed the script still boasts a strong mytho-poetic resonance, for instance in the almost totemic role of Billy's knife which he eventually discards under Kidder's guidance but which in Rabbit's hands leads to death and destruction. The violent and abrupt ending is bleak, highly melodramatic and certainly cruel, though it also shows Billy taking his life in his hands and finally becoming responsible for it.