Tony Walker
Tony Walker | |
|---|---|
| Born | 14 September 1955 Bethnal Green, England |
| Occupations | Cab driver, actor |
| Years active | 1977–present (cab driver) 1986–present (actor) |
| Known for | Up series (1964–2026) |
| Website | https://tonywalkertheupseries.com/ |
Tony Walker (born 14 September 1955)[1] is a British cab driver and actor. He was one of fourteen participants of the documentary film series Up from 1964 to 2026.
Early life
[edit]Walker was born in Bethnal Green, London to John and Nellie Walker.[1][2] His father was in prison during Tony's childhood, and his mother was an alcoholic.[2] He has two brothers and one sister, all of whom, like Tony, are cab drivers in London; Walker mentioned that "about twenty-two family members" also work as cab drivers, including his wife and a son.[3]
He grew up in the East End of London.[2] Growing up, he wanted to be a horse jockey, and was in training by fourteen. By the age of twenty,[2] he had given up the job after only three races due to him "getting bigger", and that same year was training to be a taxi driver.[2][3][4][5]
Film and television career
[edit]Up
[edit]Walker was one of fourteen participants in the documentary film series Up. Beginning when the participants were seven years old in 1964, the series was filmed in seven-year intervals, and was mostly directed by Michael Apted. In 7 Up, Walker was interviewed along with his girlfriend Michelle Murphy, although Murphy was not asked to continue with the series.[6] The series came to an end following its tenth adaptation, 70 Up, in 2026. Walker appeared in all ten adaptations.
Whilst working as a taxi driver, Walker unknowingly picked up many of his fellow Up participants, including John Brisby, Lynn Johnson, and Neil Hughes.[2]
Apted died in 2021; when speaking about him in 2026, Walker said of him: "I can’t seem to get over the fence without getting emotional about him, I trusted that man with my whole life. I felt he loved me, and I loved him. He wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea with the cast. But to me, he was like a dad."[2]
Acting
[edit]After reading a book about James Dean, Walker took an interest in acting.[3] He signed to an acting association as an extra.[3] Walker was taking acting lessons by the mid-1980s, with footage of him taking acting lessons being used in 28 Up in 1984.[7]
Walker has sinced appeared in television shows and fims, mostly as an extra, and also mostly as a cab driver, on shows including The Bill and EastEnders.[8] In 2014, he appeared as a character called Tony in the film Night Bus, which premiered at that years BFI London Film Festival, and in 2019 as Leonard in the film 90 Minutes, both directed by Simon Baker.[9][10][11]
Personal life
[edit]Walker has been married to his wife, Debbie, since 1979, and have three children and three grandchildren;[1][12] Debbie also became a taxi driver. Walker has properties in Woodford Green, London and Alicante, Spain, but now lives in a caravan in Epping Forest.[2][12][13] In the 2010s, Walker was hospitaised after suffering a pulmonary embolism.[14]
In the early-mid 1980s, Walker owned the Rotherfield Arms pub in Islington, but after a few years he sold the pub and returned to cab driving.[15]
In 2023, Walker formed the London Cabbie Choir, who were one of eighteen choir groups that sang at the Coronation Concert at Windsor Castle on the day of the Coronation of Charles III and Camilla.[16]
Filmography
[edit]Television
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | 7 Up | Himself | first of ten istallments of the Up series |
| 1970 | 7 Plus Seven | Himself | second of ten istallments of the Up series |
| 1977 | 21 Up | Himself | third of ten istallments of the Up series |
| 1984 | 28 Up | Himself | fourth of ten istallments of the Up series |
| 1986 | Gothic | Driver | transportation department |
| 1990 | Bergerac | First taxi driver | one episode |
| 1991 | 35 Up | Himself | fifth of ten istallments of the Up series |
| Spatz | Workman | one episode; uncredited | |
| Trainer | Trevor | one episode | |
| 1995 | Carrington | Driver | transportation department |
| 1996 | The Bill | Cab driver | one episode |
| 1998 | 42 Up | Himself | sixth of ten istallments of the Up series |
| 2002–2003 | EastEnders | Cab driver | two episodes |
| 2005 | 49 Up | Himself | seventh of ten istallments of the Up series |
| 2006 | Born Equal | Taxi driver | television film; uncredited |
| 2012 | 56 Up | Himself | eighth of ten istallments of the Up series |
| 2019 | 63 Up | Himself | ninth of ten istallments of the Up series |
| 2026 | 70 Up | Himself | tenth and final istallment of the Up series |
Film
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Whoops Apocalypse | Driver | transportation department |
| 1991 | American Friends | Facility driver | transportation department |
| 1993 | Splitting Heirs | Cab driver | uncredited |
| 2014 | Night Bus | Tony | |
| 2017 | The Child in Time | Taxi driver | |
| 2019 | 90 Minutes | Leonard | |
| 2025 | Motion Blur | Driver | short film |
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 "Tony Walker the Man". Tony Walker the Up Series. Retrieved 2026-09-26.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Kinney, Fergal. "End of the Up experiment: 'I trusted that man with my who..." The Observer. Retrieved 2026-09-21.
- 1 2 3 4 London Cab Drivers Club (2021-04-07). Tony Walker speaks to Grant Davis | LCDC TV. Retrieved 2026-09-26 – via YouTube.
- ↑ "21UP". Tony Walker the Up Series. Retrieved 2026-09-26.
- ↑ www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/tv/70-up-star-tony-walker-34620451. Retrieved 2026-09-26.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ "7UP". Tony Walker the Up Series. Retrieved 2026-09-26.
- ↑ ITV (2025-02-06). Revisiting The 7 Up Kids When They're 28! | 28 Up | Full Episode. Retrieved 2026-09-26 – via YouTube.
- ↑ Kim, Sam (2013-09-30). "Baby You Can Drive My Car: Catching Up With 56Up Cabbie Tony Walker". THIRTEEN - New York Public Media. Retrieved 2026-09-26.
- 1 2 "Tony Walker | Actor, Transportation Department". IMDb. Archived from the original on 2026-09-18. Retrieved 2026-09-26.
- ↑ Night Bus (2014) — Simon Baker. Retrieved 2026-09-26 – via filmsandfestivals.britishcouncil.org.
- ↑ 90 Minutes (2018) — Simon Baker. Retrieved 2026-09-26 – via filmsandfestivals.britishcouncil.org.
- 1 2 "70 Up: What happened to the cast? Where they are now after 63 years". Woman & Home. 2026-09-15. Retrieved 2026-09-26.
- ↑ "35UP". Tony Walker the Up Series. Retrieved 2026-09-26.
- ↑ Stanford, Peter (2021-01-09). "'He was like an uncle': Seven Up! star Tony Walker remembers 'visionary' film director Michael Apted". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2026-09-26.
- ↑ "28UP". Tony Walker the Up Series. Retrieved 2026-09-26.
- ↑ "What is the Coronation Choir and who is singing in it?". Classic FM. Retrieved 2026-09-26.
- ↑ Tony Walker | Transition Department