John Thaw, actor, was surprised by Eamonn Andrews in the foyer of London's National Theatre. After training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, John made his formal stage début in A Shred of Evidence at the Liverpool Playhouse. He later appeared in several episodes of the BBC police series Z Cars, before securing a starring role as a hard-nosed policeman in the ITV series Redcap. John became a highly popular television actor through his role as the hard-bitten, tough talking Flying Squad detective Jack Regan in the successful ITV series The Sweeney.