Andrew Paul
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Andrew Paul (born Mile End, London, 17 March 1961) is a British actor best known for playing PC Dave Quinnan in the ITV drama The Bill for 13 years.
Paul was an actor in adolescence, turning professional at the age of 14 when he enrolled at a stage school. He appeared in an episode of police drama The Sweeney at the age of 16, and two years later, took the background role of convict Betts in the cinematic re-make of controversial borstal movie Scum. Betts' character was notable in the film, as he was the only one seen to be released - albeit temporarily, for his wedding - from the institution.
He spent much of the 1980s on stage, working with the Royal Shakespeare Company, although he took a part in the lukewarmly-received ITV sitcom Tripper's Day in 1984. Set in a supermarket, this was a notable programme only because it was the final television work undertaken by the distinguished British actor Leonard Rossiter prior to his sudden death. Paul stayed in the series when it was re-cast with Bruce Forsyth two years later and re-named Slinger's Day. Neither were deemed a success.
In 1989, he joined The Bill, the long-running police serial, as PC Dave Quinnan, and became a very popular character and a household name. When the series decided to focus more on the officers themselves and less on crime, Quinnan was given a number of serious storylines which Paul performed with some panache. These included being kicked almost to death by a gang of thugs and having to spend several weeks in hospital on a drip, falling in love with a colleague's girlfriend and having an affair with her (and then marrying her after the affair became public), and then having an extra-marital relationship himself with another officer. The character was eventually transferred after successfully undertaking undercover work.
This tied in with Paul's decision to leave The Bill after 13 years. He briefly played Maxwell Moon in the popular BBC soap opera EastEnders and is now a regular cast member in Where the Heart Is, playing Billy Boothe.
