TRIBUTES have been paid to a Glasgow actor who died tragically just days before Christmas.

Freddie Boardley, 66, was famous for playing a typical ‘hard man’ character and starred in Brookside, BBC comedy Bad Boys, had stints in Taggart and once even played Elsie Tanner’s lodger in Coronation Street.

The star of stage and screen died on December 22 at his home in the West End after a battle with cancer.

Throughout his 30-year-long career, Freddie toured with the prestigious National Theatre in London, worked with a range of stars including John Hurt, Tilda Swinton, Gregor Fisher and Robbie Coltrane, and played a leading role in John Byre’s renowned play Slab Boys.

Freddie starred as Alan in the play, and attended the premier of the show when it was relaunched last year at the Citizens Theatre.

Despite his tough-guy roles on screen and stage, Freddie was nothing like his characters in real life according to his friends and family.

In an interview he gave to The Evening Times in 2008 he admitted he was "a bit of a hooligan at school" but his rebel attitude soon wore off.

One of four children and the son of a fish merchant, Freddie was born in Ayr in September 1950 and joined the army briefly as a young man before deciding he wanted to become an actor.

His younger sister Lynn said: “He made his own rules, Freddie. He was a very colourful character who just wanted to party.

“There were many layers to him, he had a lot of depth. He was very sensitive and loved poetry and books. When we were younger he used to be a very avid reader.

“Everybody used to think he was wonderful as he was so handsome, and he was an actor. He would come down to Ayr and we were all so proud of my big brother.”

Along with his success as an actor, Freddie enjoyed the party lifestyle with his favourite tipple - vodka - being the drink of choice.

Friend and artist Douglas Timmins met Freddie decades ago when he was dating his former flatmate, and the two bonded.

Douglas explained: “I’ll miss him, very much.

“He was well read, very smart, he was in to stage acting big time. He loved that.

“He didn’t really rate film acting so much, he was right in to the stage.”

A hit with the ladies, Douglas said he had many female admirers and took care over his appearance often donning a leather jacket and jeans on trips to West End bars.

One thing which he wasn’t fond of, however, was his height.

Douglas said: "His height drove him potty. He was 5ft 10in and everyone called him ‘wee Freddie’.

“He was deceptive, he didn’t look that height.A lot about him was deceptive,

“He could be exceptionally grumpy but he was never egotistical. Freddie just assumed he owned the world anyway, being famous was just an addition to that. He was as normal as he was ever going to be.”