Movies

Laura Grieve was born in Glasgow on August 5th 1969, but spent 16 formative years of her life in Helensburgh. Laura was a pupil at Hermitage, sharing a class at the Academy with future Film Director, Tom Vaughan.

On leaving the Academy, Laura continued her education at Oxford Brookes University, where she studied Fine Art & Anthropology, also managing to spend time at the University of the Aegean, on an Erasmus Scholarship and the University of Northern Colorado.

Born in 1975, and brought up in Helensburgh, the former Hermitage Primary and Hermitage Academy pupil, Martin had always desired to be an artist.

David was born on 27th March 1885, in Blairgowrie, Perthshire and moved to Helensburgh with his family.

Ken Cameron was born 1st December 1915 in Wendover, Buckinghamshire where he spent his early childhood. But his mother died when he was nine, and the family broke up.

His father moved to Dundee, home of the Sunday Post, to which he contributed serial stories. His brother James (who was to become celebrated as a journalist and broadcaster) was sent to work as an office boy at the Sunday Post’s Manchester offices.

Grammy Award-winning Producer/Engineer Steve McLaughlin has produced, recorded and mixed the scores for over 100 major feature films, including the “Die Hard” series, the “Lethal Weapon” series, and the Academy Award nominated scores for “Interview With The Vampire” and “Michael Collins”.

James was born in Helensburgh on the 1st May 1923. He made his professional debut in 1953 in the UK production Laxdale Hall (known in the US as “Scotch on the Rocks”. During a career spanning four decades, James has appeared in many films and TV shows.

James Copeland came to prominence playing the Mate in 1954's Classic Ealing production 'The Maggie' (released in the US as The Maggie). Directed by Alexander Mackendrick and written by William Rose, it is a story of a clash of cultures between a hard-driving American businessman and a wily Scottish captain. It was produced by Ealing Studios, at a time when rural Scotland was seen as a popular backdrop for light family entertainment (other examples include I Know Where I'm Going!, Whisky Galore! and Geordie, and British Transport Films such as The Coasts of Clyde). The story was inspired by Neil Munro's short stories of the Vital Spark and her captain, Para Handy. The film was to receive three BAFTA nominations, including Best Film.

James Copeland became a familiar face to TV audiences in the 60s & 70s featuring in many classic shows such as ‘Dixon of Dock Green’, ‘Softly Softly’, ‘Z Cars’ , The Brothers’ amongst others. For Dr Who fans he is perhaps best known as ‘Selris’ in the 4 part episode ‘The Krotons’ which featured Patrck Troughton as the Doctor.

Morven was born on the 1st January 1979 in Helensburgh but only resided in the town for a few months, She spent her childhood in Scotland, splitting her time between Glasgow and Aviemore. She travelled and worked in a series of jobs including as a ski instructor, before choosing to study acting at the Central St Martin’s Drama Centre in London, graduating in 2003.

Tom Vaughan was born in Glasgow on the 9th October 1969, to Peter and Susan Vaughan, but spent his formative (first 17) years in Helensburgh. Tom attended Hermitage Academy, where he was a classmate of digital artist Laura Grieve.

Born in Rattray, Blairgowrie, Perthshire on the 25th March 1892, actor Andy Clyde was brought up in Helensburgh where his family, he was brother to actor David Clyde and actress Jean Clyde, had a shop.

At the invitation of his close friend James Finlayson, Clyde went to the United States in the early 1920s to join producer Mack Sennett's roster of comedians.

Born Deborah Jane Kerr-Trimmer in Helensburgh in 1921, the daughter of Captain Arthur Kerr-Trimmer.

A shy, insecure child, she found an outlet for expressing her feelings in acting. She was educated at Northumberland House, Clifton, Bristol. Her aunt found her some stage work when she was a teenager, and British film producer Gabriel Pascal noticed and cast her in his film of George Bernard Shaw's Major Barbara (1941) and Love on the Dole (1941).