Glasgow actor Freddie Boardley dies aged 66

Glaswegian actor Freddie Boardley has died at the age of 66.

Karl Howman and Boardley in the BBC comedy Bad Boys.

He passed away from cancer at his home in Glasgow on 22 December, according to reports.

Fans of Brookside may recall his recurrent appearances as Alasdair Finnegan between 1997-1999 in the cul-de-sac based saga.

The crime-based Finnegan family were involved in storylines with Lindsey Corkhill (Claire Sweeney) and Barry Grant (Paul Usher). Alasdair often had to keep his younger brother Callum (Gerard Kelly) in check, even talking Lindsey out of shooting him on one occasion.

Alasdair and wife Rose were eventually bumped off by psycho Callum in the Channel 4 saga’s plots.

Boardley in Channel 4 soap Brookside.

During an acting career spanning thirty years, Boardley was often cast as the hard man. His CV also includes Charles Endell, Esq; High Road; Coronation Street; Strangers; Taggart; Monarch of the Glen and Rockface.

Following a few turns in Rab C. Nesbitt, the sitcom’s creator Ian Pattison cast him in his new BBC One comedy Bad Boys in 1995. The series followed the exploits of mismatched crooks Fraser Hood (Boardley) and Wayne Todd (Karl Howman). Pattison had sought to recapture the chemistry Boardley had had with Howman in an advert for McEwans Export.

Boardley also toured with the National Theatre in London working with a number of high profile stars including John Hurt, Tilda Swinton, Gregor Fisher and Robbie Coltrane.

He was born in Ayr in September 1950 and joined the army briefly as a young man before deciding he wanted to become an actor.