John Bowler was educated in Yorkshire, and trained at The Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama Glasgow.
in 1988, after a number of TV appearances in his early career, he portrayed the regular character David Lynch in the romantic sitcom Watching, alongside Emma Wray.
[1] His television credits includes regular roles in DCI Banks, Steel River Blues, Woof!, Castles, Peak Practice, Auf Wiedersehen Pet, The Tide of Life, and guest appearances in Agatha Christie's Poirot, Casualty, Heartbeat, Kavanagh QC, Dangerfield, Grange Hill, Drop The Dead Donkey, Minder, Holby City and Wycliffe.
Bowler then played Dougie Slade in EastEnders, John Wilding in Coronation Street and Ethan Black in Crossroads.
In 2016 DCI Banks Season 5, John had the recurring role as the pathologist Dr Justin Wallace.