He appeared in the low-budget Danny Boyle film "Shallow Grave" (1994), in which he co-starred with actor Ewan McGregor. The same year, he won the part of Nicky Hutchinson in the epic BBC drama serial "Our Friends in the North", whose broadcast on BBC Two in 1996 helped make him a household name in the UK. Eccleston starred in an ensemble cast that included actors Mark Strong and Gina McKee, as well as Daniel Craig. In 1996, he took the part of Trevor Hicks—a man who lost both of his daughters in the 1989 Hillsborough disaster—in the television drama film "Hillsborough", penned by Jimmy McGovern. In real life, he was the best man to Trevor Hicks at his wedding in March 2009.