Tim Healy, the younger son of Timothy Malcolm Healy and Sadie Wilson, spent his early years in Coulson Street, Benwell, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, where his mother ran a small shop. At the age of 10, his family relocated to Ouston.
He received his primary education at Pelton Modern School, where he earned 2 Grade 4 CSEs.
At 16, Tim began an apprenticeship with Birtley Caterpillar, earning £26 a week, but he soon grew to dislike the work. He enrolled at Durham Technical College, but unfortunately, he failed all his exams except for O-level drama.
Tim then went on to study A-levels in drama and started performing stand-up comedy at various clubs, making his debut at a club in Sunderland. During this time, he could tour all the clubs in a year without playing any of them twice.
Tim's natural talent for acting was inherited from his father, Timothy Malcolm Healy, who was an amateur actor and had aspirations to become a professional but was thwarted by World War II. After marrying and starting a family, his father's dreams of an acting career came to an end. However, when Tim started performing at clubs, his father would wait up for him to hear about his performances.
As a child, Tim appeared in several productions with the Birtley Amateur Operatic Society. His career gained momentum when he played the role of a court jester at Langley Castle in Northumberland, followed by performances as Robin Hood, Dracula, and Old King Cole.
Eventually, Tim took on the responsibility of running the productions, writing scripts, directing shows, hiring bands, and more. He formed a double act called Unit Two with a friend, which led to television and stage work, as well as a three-year stint as a stand-up club comic.
Tim's big break came in 1983 when he landed the role of a site foreman in the television comedy drama series 'Auf Wiedersen Pet' alongside fellow Geordies Keven Whately and Jimmy Nail. The show ran for five series from 1983 to 2004.
In 1988, Tim married actress Denise Welch and has two sons, Matthew, the lead singer of the band 'The 1975', and Louis, an actor. His younger brother is a child care officer in Stanley, Co Durham.
