For two decades Tom Wilkinson was a regular and reliable presence on British television screens and on stage, but he was nearly 50 before the viewing public could confidently put a name to the face.
Tom Wilkinson, who has died aged 75, was frequently described as “the actor’s actor” – a label usually ascribed to one whose professionalism keeps the show on the road while other, more picturesque, performers bask in the limelight and take the plaudits.