Inside All Creatures Great and Small star Nicholas Ralph's life with famous relative

James Herriot is star of All Creatures Great and Small (Image: Getty) All Creatures Great and Small's Nicholas Ralph on animal co-stars

Nicholas Ralph has become a regular face on our screens after first appearing in on popular TV series All Creatures Great and Small. Set in the late 1930s, the Scottish actor currently plays veterinary surgeon James Herriot in the Channel 5 show who later joins the war effort.

Nicholas was once warned by his teachers that he would end up struggling for work and living in a car if he pursued an acting career. But he has become a successful actor and won plaudits for his performance as the real-life vet of which his works are the basis of the TV period drama.

But Nicholas is not the only famous name in his family. Not many people will know his cousin is a Scottish international footballer who still plays to this day.

Here is what we know about his early life, how he became an actor and his famous cousin.

Nicholas Ralph's early life and career

Born in 1990, Ralph was born in Cape Town in South Africa before he was raised in Nairn in the Scottish Highlands.

During his time at Nairn Academy, Nicholas had a love of football and played youth football for Ross Country and Nairn County.

Nicholas told the Daily Record: “I did acting from a young age but as soon as I went into secondary school, drama wasn’t a subject you could do.

“I was very sporty. I played football with Ross County through the levels and as a junior with Nairn County.

“I played for Ross County from primary school until I was 17 then the travelling back and forth to Dingwall became a bit much so I played for Nairn County under-19s.

“It was a great time training twice a week then having a game on a Sunday."

But he wanted to purse his dream of acting - something his teachers thought was a poor idea. He said: “At the end of sixth year, I told my guidance teacher I wanted to be an actor and she laughed at me. I then said to my English teacher, who did amateur dramatics, ‘I want to be an actor.’

“He said, ‘You don’t want to be an actor. You’ll end up living out of the back of a car. It’s a terrible career choice.’

“So, that’s the two bits of advice I had on leaving secondary school.”

He studied drama at Inverness College then, in Glasgow, at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, graduating from the latter in 2017. Until All Creatures Great and Small, his only roles had been in theatre and panto – including playing a dog and Prince Charming in a production at Glasgow’s Citizens Theatre.

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Who is Nicholas Ralph’s famous cousin?

Julia Ralph Scott (left) playing for Doncaster Rovers Belles (Image: Getty)

Nicholas has an older cousin called Julia Ralph Scott, who currently plays for Scottish Women's championship team, Inverness Caledonian Thistle Women. Both Nicholas and Julia grew up in Nairn, which is a town in the Scottish Highlands.

The midfielder first made headlines when she made her international debut for the senior Scotland team in 2000 at just 17 years old. Her time representing the Tartan Army was sadly short-lived and she only made 14 caps for Scotland.

During her time with Hibernian Ladies Football Club, she won the Scottish League and Cup titles and competed in the UEFA Cup Championships in 2004.

Julia moved to America to further her studies and played college football in America and then for Toronto Lynx in Canada.

After returning to the UK, she competed at the highest level in Scotland for Inverness City, Hibernian, Celtic, Aberdeen and Forfar Farmington and played in the newly established FA WSL in 2011.

Ralph Scott signed for Doncaster Rovers Belles where she played with future England stars and Euros winners Millie Bright, Mary Earps and Bethany England.

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In 2014, Ralph Scott briefly played for Glasgow City before having time away from the game to have her daughter. Ralph Scott returned to football and played for Forfar Farmington, before she signed for her current team Inverness Caledonian Thistle Women.

Nicholas currently sponsors his cousin for the 2024/2025 season. Now aged 41, she fondly looks back on her career but often thinks about what could’ve been, especially with the recent growth of the women’s game.

“It does make your stomach turn a bit,” Ralph Scott said. “You start thinking if only I was 15 or 20 years younger then you could’ve had some of that limelight for playing at the highest level.

“Women’s football has just boomed since then and because of England’s win in the summer.

“I’ve got so many highlights from my career: from playing all over the world with Scotland and playing at all the clubs. Football has saved my life, it’s been really awesome.”

Inside All Creatures Great and Small star Nicholas Ralph's life with famous relative

Inside All Creatures Great and Small star Nicholas Ralph's life with famous relative

Inside All Creatures Great and Small star Nicholas Ralph's life with famous relative

Inside All Creatures Great and Small star Nicholas Ralph's life with famous relative

Inside All Creatures Great and Small star Nicholas Ralph's life with famous relative