James Buckley reveals surprising amount he still gets paid from nearly two decade old appearance on The Bill

Virgin Radio

31 May 2024, 12:43

The Inbetweeners star James Buckley reveals the surprising residuals from his old appearance on The Bill while gearing up for a spooky return to the West End stage.

James Buckley, our favourite love to hate lad from The Inbetweeners, has been up to some interesting things lately.

The actor, beloved for his role as the notorious Jay Cartwright, popped onto the Chris Evans Breakfast Show with webuyanycar, hosted by Nick Grimshaw, to chat about his return to the West End play 2:22 - A Ghost Story.

But before delving into the spooky details, he shared a hilarious nugget from his past that had us all chuckling.

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"I'm really good. I'm in a celebratory mood," Buckley began.

"I don't want to brag, but I was just in the greenroom there waiting to come on, and I got a residual cheque come through."

Now, you might be thinking: “Here’s another hefty payday from his Inbetweeners days,” but brace yourselves for this one.

"Just came through on an email. Here’s a cheque for an episode of The Bill that I did a few years ago. Series 14, production episode 412," he explained.

And the whopping amount?

"So I've just been paid £1.31!" Buckley quipped, “I’m feeling pretty good. Great start to the day.”

Grimshaw couldn’t help but joke: “That’s a quarter of a coffee!”

The Bill, the legendary British police procedural that ran from 1984 to 2010.

It was the launchpad for many UK actors who’ve gone on to become household names.

Buckley’s stint on the show is one for the books, though the details are a bit murky.

IMDb credits him with roles in episodes like Pursuit (2006) where he played Joseph Rake and In the Driving Seat (2005/6) as Marcus Stepney.

The exact nature of his roles remains elusive, but it's clear Buckley’s journey on The Bill has come full circle with that memorable cheque.

But it’s not just the past that’s keeping Buckley busy.

He’s back on the West End, reprising his role as Ben in the award-winning thriller 2:22 - A Ghost Story.

The play, which has been a massive hit since its debut, is currently running at London’s Gielgud Theatre until August 4th.

Tickets are flying, so grab them while you can.

In the play, Buckley stars alongside Donna Air, Joe McFadden, and Stacey Dooley, who is making her stage debut.

The plot is a spine-tingler: Jenny (played by Air) believes her new home is haunted, but her husband Sam (McFadden) is skeptical.

They argue about it with their dinner guests, Lauren (Dooley) and Ben (Buckley).

The question looms – can the dead really walk again? They decide to stay up until 2:22 to find out.

Buckley shared his enthusiasm for the production, saying: "[It’s a] really good little crew. We have a lot of fun. A lot of laughs and yeah, I’m really enjoying like just hanging out with them and stuff. We do have a giggle here."

And why wouldn’t he be enjoying it? Buckley adds: "It's an actor's dream because the play is really good. And the dialogue and script are so great. You almost feel like you don't really have to work that much." That’s the spirit, James!

Buckley first joined 2:22 - A Ghost Story in 2021, starring alongside Giovanna Fletcher.

The play has captivated over 690,000 people with performances in LA and Melbourne.

The London production coincides with a tour that’s currently in Salford and will move to Dublin from June 20th to August 22nd.

Of course, we can't not talk about Buckley's most iconic role in The Inbetweeners, the award-winning Channel 4 series that aired from 2008 to 2010.

The show's success spawned two films, with the second having the biggest ever opening day for a comedy at the UK box office.

Since then, Buckley’s appeared in White Gold (2017-19), Doctor Who (2020), and Finders Keepers (2024).

Away from the screen, Buckley married model Clair Meek in 2012, and the couple has two children. They share a mutual obsession with The Beatles, especially George Harrison.

The family also runs a YouTube channel, At Home with the Buckleys, boasting 195k subscribers and giving fans a peek into their daily lives.

Buckley’s charm isn’t just confined to acting. He’s one of the top celebrities on Cameo, where he charges £40 per video. Last year, he revealed he’d made over £1 million on the platform, creating more than 40,000 personalised videos for fans.

Before you dive into Buckley’s latest West End escapade, why not take a trip down memory lane with his very first TV appearance?

He was just 14 when he featured in a show called Orrible in 2001.

Buckley’s career has certainly come a long way from those early days, but his knack for making us laugh remains unchanged.

Don’t miss out on the chills and thrills of 2:22 - A Ghost Story and keep an eye out for any more unexpected cheques from his storied past!

Tickets for 2:22 - A Ghost Story are available now via: 222aghoststory.com.