Actor Toby Jones awarded honorary doctorate

Richard Price
BBC News, West Midlands
Keele University Actor Toby Jones is standing alongside Neil Baldwin. Jones is wearing a purple gown and black cap with gold tassle. Mr Baldwin is sitting in a wheelchair and is wearing a red baseball cap with white letters that read "Nello". He is also wearing his MBE medal and a number of pin badges.Keele University
Actor Toby Jones was reunited on Thursday with Neil "Nello" Baldwin, who he played in the BBC drama Marvellous

Bafta award-winning actor Toby Jones has collected an honorary doctorate from a university in Staffordshire.

Keele University awarded him the honour in recognition of his contribution to drama and acting.

Jones is known for his roles in The Detectorists and Mr Bates vs The Post Office, as well as for playing local man Neil Baldwin in the BBC drama Marvellous.

On Thursday, he was reunited with Mr Baldwin, better known as "Nello", during a ceremony at the university campus.

"We're delighted to award an honorary degree to acclaimed actor Toby Jones, in recognition of his extraordinary contribution to drama and acting and a career that has led to him being widely regarded as one of the UK's most brilliantly versatile actors," a university spokesperson said.

It is more than a decade since Marvellous first aired, with a subsequent theatre version taking to the stage in 2022.

The pair's reunion was described as "an emotional and joyful moment for everyone who remembers the magic" of the film.

Jones' upcoming projects include ITV's The Hack with David Tennant, a second series of Apple's Hijack, Duke Johnson's The Actor, and Bharat Nalluri's Flavia.

The 58-year-old is also due to return to the stage this October in Othello at Theatre Royal Haymarket in London.

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