Purdon was born in May 1983 in
Greenock,
Inverclyde. A teenage Purdon made his screen debut in 1999, as an
extra in
Ratcatcher. He then appeared in the 2002 film
Sweet Sixteen. He was up against
Martin Compston for the lead role, but as Compston was chosen, Purdon was given a minor role in the film. Whilst studying at
Langside College, he was contacted by a casting director who informed him of a new Scottish soap opera being made for the
BBC,
River City. He auditioned for the part of Shellsuit Bob, which he initially believed was a joke and was disappointed to hear nothing for a while. Then, whilst working in a clothing shop in his local area, he received a call to inform him he had gotten the part of
Bob O'Hara. Purdon told his manager he was quitting, but asked him to reserve the job in case
River City did not work out. Since joining
River City, Purdon has made annual appearances in pantomimes in
Glasgow, notably at the
Pavilion Theatre. In 2019, he portrayed Scottish boxer
Benny Lynch in
Rally Roon the Rangers at the Pavilion. Purdon has been married to wife Nicola McLaughlin since 2011, with whom he shares two children. ==Filmography==