Michael Winterbottom has worked with actors.
John Ronald Simm ( born 10 July 1970 ) is an English stage and screen actor . Kieran O'Brien ( born 1973 in Oldham , Lancashire ) is an English actor . Michael Winterbottom . Winterbottom often works with the same actors ; many faces can be seen in several of his films , including Shirley Henderson , Paul Popplewell , John Simm , Steve Coogan , Rob Brydon , Raymond Waring and Kieran O'Brien . Paul Popplewell ( born 1977 ) , became a professional actor at 16 , leaving college after gaining the lead role of Simon in the multi award winning BBC Television Drama ` Criminal ' , for which he won Best Actor at the Golden Chest Film Festival and was nominated for Best Actor at the Royal Television Society Awards alongside Pete Postlethwaite and Tom Wilkinson . Raymond Waring ( born 21 July 1977 ) is an English actor . Robert Brydon Jones , ( born 3 May 1965 ) , known professionally as Rob Brydon , is a Welsh actor , comedian , radio and television presenter , singer and impressionist . Shirley Henderson ( born 24 November 1965 ) is a Scottish actress . Stephen John Coogan ( born 14 October 1965 ) is an Irish-English actor , stand-up comedian , impressionist , screenwriter , and producer .