Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Glasgow Live
Glasgow Live
National
Lee Dalgetty

What the cast of legendary Glasgow drama Tutti Frutti are up to now

It’s been 35 years since John Byrne's cult hit Tutti Frutti graced our screens - a series that has stayed with us over the decades.

The six-part series, which saw a legendary Scottish band struggle to make it after their lead singer is killed, was only shown twice on the BBC - though is remembered by many despite its short run.

Since The Majestics had their final goodbye concert at the Glasgow Pavilion, some of the cast have gone on to gain global success - some have retired from the screen, and a few have passed away.

READ MORE - What cast of Rab C Nesbitt are up to now - from screen successes to untimely deaths

To save you searching, we’ve had a look to see what the actors have been up to since. Check out the list below.

Robbie Coltrane

Since 1987, Coltrane has gone on to feature in several worldwide movies - mostly known for his role as Hagrid in the Harry Potter film series. He’s also starred in several James Bond films, and received many BAFTAs.

In 2006, he was awarded an OBE in the New Year Honours for his services to drama. Earlier this month, he was forced to pull out of London's Comic Con due to continuing ill health amid his ongoing battle with osteoarthritis.

Emma Thompson

After rising to prominence in Tutti Frutti, Thompson went on to star in an endless stream of films and television series - including Love Actually, Angels in America, and the Harry Potter movies.

She has stated that she feels Scottish, adding: “Not only because I am half Scottish but also because I’ve spent half my life in Scotland.”

Thompson owns a home on the shore of Loch Eck, and frequently returns to Dunoon. She currently stars in the film Good Luck to You, Leo Grande which was released earlier month, in which a widowed woman hires a young sex worker.

Richard Wilson

Since leaving the role of Eddie, Wilson became most known for his role in the BBC sitcom One Foot in the Grave.

He was awarded an OBE in the 1994 Birthday Honours list for services to drama, and served as Rector of the University of Glasgow for three years in the late 90s.

It was reported in August 2016 that Wilson had suffered a heart attack, and pulled of a one-man show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Wilson considered himself ‘outed’ in 2013 after he was featured in a list of influential gay people by Time Out magazine, though admitted last year that one of his biggest regrets in life was not finding a partner.

He said on BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs: “I have lived alone for a very long time, and I quite like being alone at times.

“Every now and again, I feel I should have made a bit more effort to have a partner, but that never really worked.”

Katy Murphy

Starring in many BBC dramas since the 80s, Murphy is known for a variety of genres including crime and children's TV.

She grew up in the east end of Glasgow, in the housing scheme Cranhill. Today, she lives in North London with her husband and daughter.

Murphy works part time as a teacher for those with special needs, and once said: “It’s so healthy. You’re looking outwards, rather than inwards.”

Maurice Roëves

Having starred in over 120 film and television roles, Roëves passed away in 2020.

It was announced that he had died at the age of 83, after a period of ill health. Prior to this, his career spanned far and wide - with the actor featuring in everything from EastEnders to Star Trek.

Sign up to our Glasgow Live nostalgia newsletters for more local history and heritage content straight to your inbox

Stuart McGugan

Known by many as the presenter of the BBC children's show Play School, McGugan has also starred in several sitcoms and drama series.

Appearing in Dad’s Army, Family Affairs, and Benidorm - he was a regular feature on our screens for some time. Speaking to the Mirror in 2020, he admitted: “I nearly got fired from Play School because I was caught trying to drop-kick Humpty over the backdrop, and I did it too.”

Discussing his co-stars in Tutti Frutti, the actor said: “Emma was a gorgeous, talented lady. We were all in love with her, she was spunky and I’m not surprised she’s fighting causes even today.”

Jake D’Arcy

Best known for playing ‘Pete the Jakey’ in Still Game, D’Arcy was another familiar face in TV dramas such as Hamish Macbeth, Taggart, and Minder.

In 2014 he starred in his last role as Smokey in the film What We did on Our Holiday, before passing away in 2015 at the age of 69.

Ron Donachie

After Tutti Frutti, Donachie went on to star in The Jungle Book, Titanic, Doctor Who and Game of Thrones.

He is known for starring as John Rebus in the BBC Radio 4 dramatisation of Ian Rankin’s novel.

Fiona Chalmers

Featuring in several TV series in the late 80s and early 90s, Chalmers is best known for roles in Tutti Frutti and Take the High Road.

In 1993 she appeared in an episode of Taggart, and featured in the TV movie The Negotiator the following year before hanging up her acting coat and stepping away from the screen. It’s not known what Chalmers has been up to since retiring.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.