Jason Done has built a long and respected career across British television, film, theatre and voice-over work. Many people still know him best as Tom Clarkson, the caring English teacher from the BBC drama Waterloo Road. Yet his work stretches far beyond one famous character, with roles in major dramas, films and stage productions over more than three decades. In 2026, he entered another important chapter by joining Emmerdale while continuing to work in theatre.
Jason Done Early Life, Age and Background
Jason Done was born on 5 April 1973 in Walkden, Greater Manchester, an area within the City of Salford. He is 53 years old in 2026 and holds British nationality. His northern roots have remained part of his professional identity, particularly through the natural Lancashire and Manchester accents that feature strongly in his acting and voice work. His career has taken him across the UK, but Manchester and the wider North West remain closely connected to his story.
His interest in performance developed when he was young, with acting becoming an important ambition during his school years. He attended a National Youth Theatre summer school and later studied performing arts at the University of Salford, earning a foundation diploma with distinction. During his early years, he also developed an interest in comedy and live performance. Those experiences helped him gain the confidence needed for professional stage and screen work.
Jason Done Height and Professional Appearance
Jason Done stands 5 feet 7 inches tall, equal to roughly 170 cm, according to his professional casting details. He has dark brown hair and blue eyes, while his professional playing range has traditionally covered characters younger than his real age. Casting material also describes his voice as warm and sincere, qualities that have helped him build a second career behind the microphone. His physical training skills include boxing, swimming, CrossFit, motocross and stage combat.
He also has a wide range of accents available for acting roles. Alongside native Manchester and Lancashire speech, his professional skills include Liverpool, Birmingham, Cockney, Scottish, Welsh, Irish, Australian and American accents. He is also identified as a baritone, giving him another useful performance skill. This range has helped him move between drama, stage work, narration and character roles.
Jason Done and the Beginning of His Acting Career
Jason Done began building professional experience during the 1990s, gradually establishing himself in British television. Early credits included programmes such as Peak Practice, The Bill, Wokenwell and Coronation Street. He played PC Bathurst in episodes of Coronation Street, giving him early experience within one of Britain’s longest-running television dramas. These smaller roles helped prepare him for the larger parts that followed.
Film opportunities also arrived during this stage of his career. He featured in the Oscar-winning film The English Patient and later worked on The Barber of Siberia. He also played Mordred in the television fantasy production Merlin, which featured a major international cast led by Sam Neill. By the end of the 1990s, he had developed a strong combination of television, film and stage experience.
Jason Done in Where the Heart Is
One of his first major television roles came in the ITV drama Where the Heart Is. He played Stephen Snow, taking over the character after William Ash had previously performed the role. The programme followed families and community life in the fictional Yorkshire town of Skelthwaite and became a popular Sunday-night drama. Done’s involvement helped place him before a much larger national audience.
The role is especially interesting today because William Ash later became a major Emmerdale cast member. Done himself joined the Yorkshire soap in 2026, creating an unexpected connection between two actors who once shared the same Where the Heart Is character. His work during this period also included other dramas that strengthened his reputation as a dependable television performer. It was an important bridge between his early career and the role that would eventually define him.
Jason Done Became Tom Clarkson in Waterloo Road
Jason Done joined Waterloo Road in 2006 as English teacher Tom Clarkson, becoming one of the original and most important members of the cast. Tom was caring, principled and often deeply involved in the problems faced by both pupils and colleagues. Over the years, the character dealt with relationships, family responsibilities, loss and major challenges inside the school. Done remained with the drama for eight series and more than 150 episodes.
Tom Clarkson became far more than a classroom teacher during his time on the programme. His compassion towards troubled pupils made him one of the emotional centres of the drama, while his personal storylines gave the character considerable depth. Done’s natural performance helped Tom feel believable even during some of the programme’s most dramatic moments. For many long-term fans, the actor remains closely connected with the character more than a decade after leaving.
Why Jason Done Left Waterloo Road
After spending several years in the same role, Done decided that he wanted fresh creative challenges. He wanted to try different work rather than remain comfortable within a long-running television position. His departure was therefore connected to professional growth and the desire to explore new characters. He left while Tom Clarkson remained one of the programme’s most popular figures.
Tom’s final storyline gave him a dramatic and permanent exit. During an incident involving troubled pupil Kyle Stack on the school roof, Tom tried to help him but fell from the building and died. The death became one of the most memorable scenes in Waterloo Road history. Fans still leave messages on Done’s social media describing Tom Clarkson as one of their favourite characters.
Jason Done Movies and Television Work After Waterloo Road
Leaving such a major programme did not end Done’s television career. He continued appearing in British dramas including Our Zoo, Lewis, Inspector George Gently, Prey, Vera, Suspects, Paranoid, Moving On and The Innocents. Later work included Innocent, Time, Death in Paradise, Four Lives and The Long Shadow. These roles allowed him to move between police dramas, crime stories, thrillers and serious social television.
His more recent work includes Brassic, in which he played Greek Keith, and The Hack, where he took the role of Philip Davies. He also worked in Silent Witness during 2026 and has continued taking parts in both television and cinema. Earlier in his career he featured in Band of Brothers, adding a major international production to his credits. His long career demonstrates a clear preference for varied character work rather than relying on one familiar type.
Jason Done Movies and Film Roles
Although television forms the largest part of his career, Done has also worked in film. His credits include The English Patient, The Barber of Siberia, Closets and the action comedy Old Guy. In Old Guy, he played Milo alongside a cast led by Christoph Waltz, Lucy Liu and Cooper Hoffman. His film roles are fewer than his television parts, but they add another side to his work.
He also featured in the comedy Fackham Hall, playing J.R.R. Tolkien. The film included actors such as Damian Lewis, Thomasin McKenzie and Tom Felton. Playing Tolkien gave Done an unusual comic character very different from Tom Clarkson or his crime-drama roles. It reflects the variety he has continued to seek throughout his career.
Jason Done Joins Emmerdale as Steve Sykes
A major development came in July 2026, when Done joined Emmerdale as Steve Sykes. His first episodes introduced Steve as a figure connected with Kev’s past, bringing fresh trouble into the village. The character soon became connected with criminal plans and showed interest in the wealthy Home Farm estate. The role gave Done a return to a long-running British drama more than a decade after leaving Waterloo Road.
His arrival attracted considerable attention from viewers who remembered him as Tom Clarkson. Before his first episodes aired, social media followers were already discussing the possibility of him joining the programme. The move also brought him into the same television world as William Ash, who had played Stephen Snow before him in Where the Heart Is. For long-term followers of British drama, that connection adds another interesting layer to his career.
Jason Done Theatre Career and King Lear
Stage work has remained important throughout Done’s professional life. Earlier productions include Ladybird at the Royal Court Theatre and Macbeth at Manchester’s Royal Exchange, where he played Macduff. His ability to work comfortably in both television and classical theatre has given his career greater range. He has continued returning to live performance even while maintaining a busy screen schedule.
During 2025 and 2026, he toured in Inspector Morse: House of Ghosts, performing two contrasting roles. He also took part in a live reading of Queens of the Coal Age during Sheffield DocFest in June 2026. His next major stage project is King Lear at Manchester’s Royal Exchange Theatre, running from October to November 2026. Done plays Kent alongside David Threlfall as King Lear, with Matthew Dunster directing.
Jason Done Voice-Over and Narration Career
Acting is only one part of his professional work, as he is also an established narrator and voice-over performer. He is represented for voice work by Yakety Yak and has experience in documentaries, commercials, audiobooks, podcasts and corporate productions. His northern voice and warm delivery have made him well suited to documentary narration. He can also work from professional recording facilities away from a traditional studio.
One of his notable narration credits is the UK version of Monsters Inside Me, which he narrated across many episodes. He has also provided narration for programmes including Can’t Pay? We’ll Take It Away!, The Tube: Going Underground and Paddington Station 24/7. This work means many viewers may have heard his voice without immediately recognising the actor behind it. Voice-over remains a significant part of his career alongside television and theatre.
Jason Done Wife, Children and Family Life
Jason Done is married to Anoushka Done, with their marriage dating from 2009. Anoushka has her own established career and works in public relations, serving as a director and co-owner of ECHO PR in Manchester. The couple have kept their relationship relatively private compared with many entertainment personalities. Their marriage has continued alongside both of their professional careers.
Recent coverage states that the couple have two children, while Done’s own social media description identifies him proudly as a father. He does not make his children’s private lives a major part of his public presence. Reliable details about their names, ages and education are not widely established, so those areas are best kept private. The same applies to details about his parents and siblings, which have not become a central part of his public career.
Jason Done Business Interests
Jason Done is also connected with Nelly Done Limited, a performing arts company established in December 2006. Official company records identify him as an active director from the date the company was formed. His nationality is recorded as British and his country of residence as England. The business connection adds another professional dimension beyond acting contracts and voice-over work.
The company’s existence does not provide a reliable measure of his personal wealth. Business accounts and an individual’s private finances are not the same thing, so they should not be treated as equal. No trustworthy figure has been confirmed for his personal fortune. Claims giving an exact Jason Done net worth should therefore be treated with care.
Jason Done Life Away From Acting
His social media gives a warmer glimpse of his interests beyond professional work. He describes himself as a father, rambler and amateur chef, showing that walking and cooking are important parts of his personal life. Speedway has also featured in interactions with his followers, with fans discussing his enthusiasm for the sport. His online presence feels more focused on work and everyday interests than celebrity-style self-promotion.
His professional training also includes boxing, CrossFit, swimming and motocross, although these are best viewed as performance skills rather than proof of regular hobbies. He remains represented by The Artists Partnership for acting and Yakety Yak for voice-over work. He has also maintained an active Instagram presence under @done_jason and uses social media to connect with people who have followed his career for years. Many comments continue to celebrate Tom Clarkson, showing the lasting impact of his best-known role.
Jason Done Now and What Comes Next
In 2026, Jason Done remains a busy working performer rather than a star remembered only for an older television success. His recent period has included The Long Shadow, Brassic, Old Guy, Fackham Hall, The Hack, Silent Witness, Emmerdale and major theatre work. Moving between television, film, narration and live performance has helped him maintain a career with unusual variety. His upcoming role in King Lear continues that pattern.
At 53, he has more than three decades of professional experience while still taking on new roles. Tom Clarkson remains central to his public identity, but Steve Sykes, theatre work and recent screen projects show how much his career has developed since Waterloo Road. His family life, voice-over work and interests away from the camera add further depth to the person behind the familiar television face. Jason Done remains a distinctive British performer whose career continues to evolve rather than simply look back at past success.
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