Jimmy McGovern nasceu em setembro de 1949 em Liverpool, Merseyside, Inglaterra. É autor e produtor, conhecido pelo seu trabalho em The Street (2006), Time (2021) e Cracker (1993).
A lot of his work has included characters that have stammers. McGovern himself had a stammer until he was 9 years old and had to have his brother Joey to translate for him.
[on finding out Robbie Coltrane was to be cast as Fitz in Cracker] I was suicidal.....I thought it was the biggest mistake ever made...because I had this thin wiry guy in mind. I was going to walk, I was on the phone to my agent and then the first few rushes came out .... and he was absolutely astounding.
