Latest news with #JohnPalmer
Times
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Times
Tom Cullen: ‘I've worked with some nefarious characters'
When I met Tom Cullen at a chilly Twickenham Studios 18 months ago he had the bone-tired, slightly wired exhaustion of a new dad, deepened by the toll of playing John Palmer in Brink's-Mat thriller The Gold and the many associated takes of snorting ersatz cocaine. 'I could not sleep,' he told me about the shoot. 'Don't do glucose, kids.' Life is now more hectic still. Cullen turned 40 last month, moved house last week and is filming two projects in parallel. Yet the warm and empathetic Welshman is, he says, 'content for the first time in my life', a happiness that has been hard won, cracked open by fatherhood and a return to his roots after a long, wonky journey. I speak to a bearded Cullen between takes on the set of an indie film in north Wales (he can't tell me the title because it hasn't been announced). His weekends are spent shooting House of the Dragon and squeezing in trips to Cardiff, where he, his partner the American actress and musician Alison Sudol and their two daughters, aged four and two, have settled. He can't say much about the series because, well, it's House of the Dragon. Although he does concede that he'll be playing Luthor Largent, an ally of Matt Smith's crazed Daemon Targaryen and a warrior so fierce he killed a horse with a single punch. Possibly. 'You'll have to find out, because they always do a different take on the characters [from the books],' Cullen says. 'I really can't say a word. I have to be very shifty, I'm sorry.' He somehow looks contrite yet mischievous. 'Like the rest of the world, I was enraptured by Game of Thrones,' he adds. 'To enter that world has been mind-blowing. I find myself watching these characters I love, in the flesh, going, 'Wow, this is awesome.' ' Like House of the Dragon, his latest series, Mudtown, is — to Cullen's delight — one of many projects now filming in Wales. He plays Pete Burton, a saturnine Newport gangster whose scramble to recoup money lost in a warehouse fire brings him into conflict with a local magistrate (Erin Richards, a long-time friend who introduced Cullen and Sudol). 'Mudtown is about what happens to someone depending on their socioeconomic background and the way the world treats them,' Cullen says. 'Pete's a smart guy. He could have been a banker or something, but grew up in an area without a lot of opportunities.' Pete was a figure Cullen recognised from a youth spent working and DJing in bars owned by 'nefarious Cardiff characters'. 'You knew they were dangerous and you couldn't cross them, but there was a warmth to them as well. I remember as a student I couldn't afford to pay my phone bill. One of them found out, came down one day and paid it. It was a weird moment, but very kind.' Was the debt ever called in? He laughs. 'Luckily not, no!' Cullen started filming Mudtown a week after wrapping the second series of The Gold, in which his character, Palmer — born into grinding poverty yet by the 1990s ranked above the Queen in The Sunday Times Rich List — faced the police and criminals circling his Tenerife timeshare empire. Cullen found him fascinating. 'He was driven to escape his upbringing, to better himself and his family's life, but couldn't stop until it went beyond that into obsession and greed. John's legend is still very present on Tenerife. There were rumours he was still hiding out there.' • I knew The Gold's geezers — this show nailed them Cullen's way with charming crooks has meant sidelining ethical considerations. 'One of the trickier things of the job is not to judge these characters, because you'd feel it through the performance. I have to embody their reasoning. They're the heroes of their stories, justifying their actions to themselves as we all do.' At this point, he's called to set. When we reconvene a few days later Cullen is slumped on the sofa after a night-drive home. But he's on relaxed form, excited about school-uniform shopping — his children will attend a Welsh-language school — and delighted to be home, in both senses. 'I wanted my kids to have the autonomy and space I felt they couldn't necessarily have in London. I never thought I'd move back to Wales, but there's a Welsh word, hiraeth, a longing for home. Tthat's been building over the last few years.' He has good memories of his childhood in Llandrindod Wells, telling a charming story of 'what seemed like hundreds of kids' following him and his best friend Barry as they carried an injured fox to the RSPCA, having first taken it back to their den to feed it leaves and cheese sandwiches ('Barry always had a cheese sandwich'). 'Our council estate was filled with young families, so we were this feral bunch of kids rampaging around the fields and brooks. I didn't grow up with a lot of money, but I never felt it, because it was such a creative household: fun, enriching and loving.' His parents had moved from east London to 'change the world' with the Theatre In Education programme at Theatre Powys. 'I'd sit in a rehearsal room after school and watch adults be kids. It was a bunch of hippies smoking rollies, the building was rotting and it was kind of chaotic, but also intoxicating and magical. It really stayed with me.' • Read more TV reviews, guides about what to watch and interviews That feeling eventually rescued Cullen from years of drift after leaving school. 'You know when you look in the mirror and really see yourself? I remember this person looking back at me and thinking, 'That guy's really miserable.' So, why not try acting? It felt like I'd been trying to avoid it. Maybe I was afraid of doing something I really wanted and failing.' After graduating from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in 2009, Cullen and his fellow actor Alexander Vlahos (of Versailles fame) founded Undeb Theatre ('union' in Welsh), putting on plays in pubs and attracting mates with no interest in theatre and national press attention. Then came the film audition that changed his life. Weekend, Andrew Haigh's gorgeous 2011 debut about two men, Russell (Cullen) and Glen (Chris New), falling in love, set the creative bar impossibly high. 'Absolutely. In many ways, I've been chasing that experience ever since.' Given the debate over lived experience, would Cullen feel comfortable playing a gay character again? His answer is thoughtful, lengthy, contradictory and careful: first yes, then no, then maybe. Eventually, he follows up over email. 'If a project like Weekend came along again, I'd have to really think about it: the content, whether the writer or director were queer, the other cast members. I think I got the job because of my chemistry with Chris and because I really identified with Russell. He was lost, having spent his life moving around and moulding himself to his surroundings, never sure who he was. I spent a lot of my life feeling like this, disassociated from the capitalist construct of school, university, job. I had some tricky experiences to navigate as a teen that pushed me further and further away from myself and what I wanted to do.' Having found the right path, the TV work began to flow: Black Mirror, Downton Abbey, Harlan Coben's The Five and, last year, Michael Sheen's ambitious Cymru fantasia The Way. And if the double whammy of Mudtown and The Gold doesn't make him a household name, perhaps his third series of 2025 will: Trespasses is an adaptation of Louise Kennedy's novel, with Cullen as a Protestant barrister who begins an affair with a younger Catholic woman (Lola Petticrew) in 1975 Belfast. 'It looks at what it means to love — others, ourselves and our communities — and it's been one of my most challenging, rewarding and moving working experiences. I'm proud it's so inherently female. I don't want to sound reductive, but it has a texture that can only be made by women.' With the tidal wave of new parenthood receding, he is plotting a return to the stage and a follow-up to Pink Wall, his warmly reviewed 2019 film debut as director. While the juggle remains intense, Cullen is happy personally and professionally, rhapsodising about 'brilliant' Sudol and his 'eccentric, weird, funny' children. In 2023 the two came together when he directed the video for Come On Baby, Sudol's song about a miscarriage. 'It let my grief move,' she said. Is the Tom Cullen entering his forties a different prospect to the one a decade ago? 'I was a very tough person in my twenties, terrified of vulnerability. The last two decades have been about chipping away at myself, trying to get back to the joy of that kid in his parents' rehearsal room. I used to feel being alive was about chasing massive highs and having massive lows, but now I've got a family and life is simple, not fireworks — porridge at 7am, reading a story at 6.30 at night — and that's not scary, it's amazing.'Turning 40 felt like a celebration of that journey to liking myself and knowing I'm resilient. I'm not held back by a constant fear. I don't know what my forties will look like, but I'm ready for it.' Mudtown starts on U&Alibi on August 20 at 9pm; Trespasses is on Channel 4 this autumnLove TV? 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CBS News
03-07-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Fireworks for the Fourth shortage? North Texas wholesaler says it's possible
If you're buying fireworks this year, some items may be pricier because of the tariff war between the U.S. and China. John Palmer said tariff prices kept many companies from ordering fireworks earlier this year. Last-minute shoppers may not get what they want, he said. Firework enthusiasts began making their way to Pyro Penny's Fireworks in Dallas County to purchase goodies for the Fourth of July. Darius Beacham said he's a first-timer whose family usually watches the holiday fireworks display at Fair Park. They decided to change things up this year. "I think you get more thrill when you light it yourself," Beacham said. "And so, that's what we wanted. We want the thrill." Beacham is one of the predicted thousands who will come to the Dowdy Ferry Road looking for John Palmer's inventory. He owns the retail stand and Palmer Wholesale Fireworks. With 55 years of experience in the pyro business, Palmer is both prepared and concerned at the same time. Prepared, Palmer said, because he had more than 90% of his inventory when the United States and China got into a tariff showdown. "China, they're the fireworks people. They do it better than anybody on the planet," he said. Palmer said he got in touch with his suppliers in China to ensure a deal as the war with the US escalated. "I went to China, and I negotiated some prices with some of the Chinese," Palmer said. "So, I didn't have to go up as much as a lot of people did." Still, he admits that some of his prices increased by as much as $5 while others decreased. Firecrackers, he said, have remained the same price, 99 cents. Customer Taylor Martin came prepared to carry on a family tradition. "I'm just going to have a good time," Taylor Martin said. "I didn't even think about the prices, to be honest. I mean, of course, there's a budget involved." Budgets became a factor for many fireworks businesses that had to deal with 125% reciprocal tariffs. It made the industry fragile, according to the National Fireworks Association. Palmer believes there may be a fireworks shortage going into Independence Day, connected to the price of the tariffs. "There'll start to be a shortage of fireworks because so many people canceled containers, like thousands of them," he said. Palmer sells to other retail stands and supplies his own. He advises customers not to wait until the last minute to buy fireworks, which is the typical purchasing pattern. According to the business owner, enthusiasts may end up with items they don't want if they procrastinate. Beacham is not in that category. His first experience, he said, was informative and pricer than expected. It's worth what his family hopes for on the Fourth of July. "Everybody pulls out those phones and gets a recording and, you know, having a good time," Beacham said. "Just something that we can catch your family memories, you know."
The Independent
23-06-2025
- The Independent
Police seek ‘answers' on criminal John Palmer's killer 10 years on
Police have launched a fresh appeal for information about the murder of notorious criminal John 'Goldfinger' Palmer on the tenth anniversary of his death. The 65-year-old, once described as Britain's richest criminal, was found dead in the garden of his remote woodland home in South Weald, Essex, on June 24 2015. It is thought his killer entered the garden over the fence and shot Mr Palmer six times with a pistol as he was outside burning rubbish on a bonfire. Essex Police originally thought he had died of natural causes because of recent keyhole surgery to his chest, but it later emerged that officers had not properly inspected his body and he had been murdered in a suspected contract killing. A hole found in the fence suggested the killer may have been watching him in the days prior to the murder, the force said. Mr Palmer's killer remains at large despite detectives exploring hundreds of lines of inquiry and examining thousands of pieces of evidence over the last decade. The appeal comes amid a renewed focus on Mr Palmer's life because of the BBC drama series The Gold. Mr Palmer gained his 'Goldfinger' nickname after being acquitted of handling gold bullion in the £26 million Brink's-Mat raid in 1983, with the show's first season telling the story of the raid. Detective Superintendent Stephen Jennings said: 'Ten years on from John's death and the pain has not gone away for his family. They still rightly want answers as to who murdered him and why. 'His killing was a brutal, planned execution – he was shot multiple times in the grounds of his own home. 'Over the years there has been much commentary, media coverage and even television programmes speculating about his connections to the underworld, high-profile crimes and his past – but whatever someone's past, John was a father, partner and much loved by his family. 'His murder was callous and calculated.' Mr Palmer was sentenced to eight years in prison in 2001 for a £33 million timeshare fraud which had 16,000 potential victims. He was also being investigated by the Spanish authorities and was due to stand trial over alleged property fraud involving properties in Tenerife and Spain in 2017, with several other individuals involved in the scheme subsequently found guilty and sentenced. Mr Jennings said the the key to solving Mr Palmer's murder 'lies within the underworld' and the force suspected it was linked to the fraud trial. He added: 'In the years since his death a lot has changed within the criminal fraternity, including loyalties, and people may now feel able to come forward. 'If you do have information please, now, do the right thing, 10 years on John's family must have justice and answers.' Anyone with information on Mr Palmer's murder should call Essex Police, or contact independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Yahoo
Police seek ‘answers' on criminal John Palmer's killer 10 years on
Police have launched a fresh appeal for information about the murder of notorious criminal John 'Goldfinger' Palmer on the tenth anniversary of his death. The 65-year-old, once described as Britain's richest criminal, was found dead in the garden of his remote woodland home in South Weald, Essex, on June 24 2015. It is thought his killer entered the garden over the fence and shot Mr Palmer six times with a pistol as he was outside burning rubbish on a bonfire. Essex Police originally thought he had died of natural causes because of recent keyhole surgery to his chest, but it later emerged that officers had not properly inspected his body and he had been murdered in a suspected contract killing. A hole found in the fence suggested the killer may have been watching him in the days prior to the murder, the force said. Mr Palmer's killer remains at large despite detectives exploring hundreds of lines of inquiry and examining thousands of pieces of evidence over the last decade. The appeal comes amid a renewed focus on Mr Palmer's life because of the BBC drama series The Gold. Mr Palmer gained his 'Goldfinger' nickname after being acquitted of handling gold bullion in the £26 million Brink's-Mat raid in 1983, with the show's first season telling the story of the raid. Detective Superintendent Stephen Jennings said: 'Ten years on from John's death and the pain has not gone away for his family. They still rightly want answers as to who murdered him and why. 'His killing was a brutal, planned execution – he was shot multiple times in the grounds of his own home. 'Over the years there has been much commentary, media coverage and even television programmes speculating about his connections to the underworld, high-profile crimes and his past – but whatever someone's past, John was a father, partner and much loved by his family. 'His murder was callous and calculated.' Mr Palmer was sentenced to eight years in prison in 2001 for a £33 million timeshare fraud which had 16,000 potential victims. He was also being investigated by the Spanish authorities and was due to stand trial over alleged property fraud involving properties in Tenerife and Spain in 2017, with several other individuals involved in the scheme subsequently found guilty and sentenced. Mr Jennings said the the key to solving Mr Palmer's murder 'lies within the underworld' and the force suspected it was linked to the fraud trial. He added: 'In the years since his death a lot has changed within the criminal fraternity, including loyalties, and people may now feel able to come forward. 'If you do have information please, now, do the right thing, 10 years on John's family must have justice and answers.' Anyone with information on Mr Palmer's murder should call Essex Police, or contact independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
BBC News
23-06-2025
- BBC News
Police make renewed call over John 'Goldfinger' Palmer murder
Detectives have renewed their appeal for information 10 years after the murder of notorious and once wealthy criminal John "Goldfinger" 65-year-old was shot six times in the garden of his woodland mansion in South Weald near Brentwood at about 17:30 BST on 24 June earned his nickname after being accused of melting gold from the 1983 Brink's-Mat robbery and he scammed thousands of timeshare owners out of millions of pounds in Tenerife in the Police says his family still "rightly want answers" and believes loyalties in the "criminal fraternity" have changed. "His killing was a brutal, planned execution," said Det Supt Stephen Jennings of the Essex and Kent Serious Crime Directorate."Over the years there has been much commentary, media coverage and even television programmes speculating about his connections to the underworld, high profile crimes and his past."But whatever someone's past, John was a father, partner and much-loved by his family." In 1983, armed robbers stumbled upon £26m worth of gold, diamonds and cash in the Brink's-Mat warehouse near London Heathrow was found not guilty of conspiring to handle the stolen bullion at an Old Bailey trial in 1987, but the Met Police continued to investigate him. He amassed an estimated fortune of £300m in the 1990s, with a portfolio including mansions, helicopters, restaurants, a £750,000 yacht and classic in 2001, he was jailed for eight years at the Old Bailey for conspiracy to defraud, having scammed about 16,000 couples out of millions on Tenerife. In May 2015 - a month before his murder - Spanish prosecutors charged him with fraud, firearms possession and money laundering in relation to his timeshare believe a contract killer watched him through a spyhole in his fence at his property, before scaling the fence and shooting him at the only spot not covered by however, two police officers assessed his death as non-suspicious, owing to his wound from gall bladder surgery which took place a week earlier.A post-mortem examination on 30 June revealed he was actually shot in the chest, abdomen, arm, elbow, back and two officers later faced disciplinary action and Det Supt Jennings has previously admitted the force failed to carry out "background checks on John" and did not "really check the body well enough". In 2019, other individuals were found guilty as part of the same Spanish fraud indictment that Palmer had been charged with."We know the key to solving John's murder lies within the underworld and we have always suspected it may have been linked to the fraud trial," said Det Supt Jennings."A lot has changed within the criminal fraternity, including loyalties, and people may now feel able to come forward."A 43-year-old man from Rugby, Warwickshire, was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder in 2015, but was released without February 2017, detectives said a 50-year-old man from Tyneside, who lived in southern Spain, was questioned on suspicion of murder in what was a voluntary interview. He faced no further with information can call Essex Police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via its website Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
