Neil Dudgeon

Neil Dudgeon (born 2 January 1961) is an English actor who, since 2011, has played DCI John Barnaby in the ITV drama series Midsomer Murders. He replaced John Nettles in the lead role.

Dudgeon was the son of James C Dudgeon and June M Weeks and has an older sister Lynne W Dudgeon. He was born in Doncaster in 1961 and brought up there, at that time it was a part of West Riding of Yorkshire but now in South Yorkshire. He attended Intake Secondary Modern school in Doncaster, among others. He acted in several school plays (including Rosencrantz and Guildernstern are Dead) and went on to study drama at the University of Bristol (1979–82).