Michael Gordon Garner (b 1954)

He is a TV and stage actor, best known for playing Leading Firefighter/Sub Officer Geoffrey “Poison” Pearce in ITV’s hit London’s Burning between 1993 and 2002.

He was educated at Galliard Road Primary School, Edmonton and the King’s School, Grantham. He gained a BA in Drama and English at Exeter University.

His stage career includes: The Merry Wives of Windsor (Shakespeare’s Globe); An Evening with Gary Lineker (Duchess Theatre); Roots (National Theatre; Educating Rita (Palace Theatre, Westcliffe);

Hamlet, (Oxford Playhouse and International Tour); Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead and Cider with Rosie (Oxford Playhouse Company) and The Merchant of Venice, Night and Day, Not

There were also seasons at the Library Theatre, Manchester and the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield.

And apart from nine series of London’s Burning, London’s  his TV appearances include EastEnders, Playing for Real, Spender and Thacker. Also Doc Martin, Holby City, Doctors, Down to Earth, Heartbeat, The Nation’s Health, Casualty, Brookside, Barriers, Struggle, Coronation Street, Minder, The Bill, Baby Talk, The Chief, Van der Valk, Earth Warp and Goodnight Sweetheart.

He also made three film appearance, 1999, The Merry Wives of Windsor (2011)  and Legend (2013)          

And he appears in the Ellie Goulding video for “How Long Will I Love You?” as the man who she kisses in the car park while undertaking a series of pranks.

Garner lives in London with his partner Belfast-born actress Paula Hamilton, and their two children, Harry and Maeve. The couple met at university.

He has run the London Marathon six times for the Leukemia Research charity.