As a young boy in Holywell, Jonathan enjoyed singing and pretending to be a pop star. He would entertain his two older sisters, by singing and pretending to play a guitar, which was his tennis racket.

His love of acting began when he was in infant school and was given a speaking part as an elf. However, because of his over-acting,the part was given to someone else. He has never over-acted since !!

Jonathans parents owned a grocery shop and he would help out in the shop and also sell cigarettes and sweets from the back of a van, driven by his Father.who was a local councellor and a colourful local character called Isaac. However, tragedy struck when Jonathan was just starting his theatre career on Broadway. His Father was attacked by a thug with a hammer in his shop, and suffered a stroke and lost his speech as a result. He died two years later. Jonathan's Mother Margaret died some years later.

He then moved on to the Nottingham Playhouse, where he directed and acted and after that, he was never short of work. His first TV role was as a policeman in 'Doomwatch', but just a few years later, he was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company and also starting a successful film career.