Philip Glenister: 'Ashes to Ashes series one was poor', Philip Haywood Glenister (born 10 February 1963) is an English actor, known for his role as DCI Gene Hunt in British television series Life On Mars and its sequel Ashes To Ashes.Glenister has appeared in the television drama series, Vanity Fair (1998) as Major William Dobbin, The Stepfather (2005) as Dougie Molloy, Clocking Off (2000-2) as the factory boss, Island at War (2004) as Baron Heinrich von Rheingarten, State of Play (2003), Hornblower (2001), Sharpe (1997), Roger Roger (1998, 2003) and Vincent (2005), and the film Calendar Girls (2003) as the photographer. In 2005 he made a brief appearance in the Ridley Scott film Kingdom Of Heaven.

He is probably best known for his role as DCI Gene Hunt in Life On Mars (2006-7), alongside John Simm's Sam Tyler and in its sequel Ashes to Ashes alongside Keeley Hawes's Alex Drake. Glenister also worked with Simm on State of Play and Clocking Off. He once more worked with Simm on the 1980s-set crime film Tuesday (2008). Upon announcement of the film, Glenister joked that he and Simm were contractually obliged to work with each other once a year. Tuesday premièred in the UK on 10 October 2008. Philip Glenister: 'Ashes to Ashes series one was poor',

In late 2007 he starred as Mr Carter in the BBC1 costume drama Cranford, playing a farmer's son and social reforming estate manager for Lady Ludlow (Francesca Annis). In 2009, Glenister played Rupert Galvin, an ex-CIA operative, in a six part prime time ITV1 drama - Demons.

Source: lovefilm