Ian Mcshane


Actor

About

Birth Place
Blackburn, England, GB
Born
September 29, 1942

Biography

British actor Ian McShane had a long, venerable career, though for most of it he remained unknown to American audiences, despite frequent appearances on television and in movies. One of his better known roles - as the smooth-talking criminal mastermind Teddy Bass in Jonathan Glazer's stylish crime thriller, "Sexy Beast" (2001) - allowed McShane a proper introduction. Though most of the a...

Family & Companions

Suzanne Farmer
Wife
Actor. Married in 1965; divorced in 1968.
Ruth Post
Wife
Second wife; mother of his two oldest children; divorced in 1976.
Gwen Humble
Wife
Actor. Married in August 1980.

Notes

"[U]p until the middle of the 1980's, I wasn't that bothered about the career, as long as I was making money and have a great time. And I did have a great f***ing time. There are some jobs that I don't even remember doing, in the blizzard of alcohol and drugs."---McShane to The Sunday Herald, September 19, 2004.

Biography

British actor Ian McShane had a long, venerable career, though for most of it he remained unknown to American audiences, despite frequent appearances on television and in movies. One of his better known roles - as the smooth-talking criminal mastermind Teddy Bass in Jonathan Glazer's stylish crime thriller, "Sexy Beast" (2001) - allowed McShane a proper introduction. Though most of the accolades went to fellow Englishman Ben Kingsley for his scathing performance as the barking-mad bank robber Don Logan, McShane received his share of good notices for his portrayal of the sinister financier of a heist that eventually goes bad. But his most recognized and rewarded role came 42 years after his first onscreen performance. Playing the beguiling Al Swearengen, a cruel, calculating saloon owner on the acclaimed Western revival, "Deadwood" (HBO, 2003-06), McShane had the chance to play what the actor called "the best role I ever had," while finally making himself a household name. Following that success, McShane moved into a comfortable string of character roles on series including "Ray Donovan" (Showtime 2013- ) and "Game of Thrones" (HBO 2011- ).

Born on Sept. 29, 1942 in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, McShane was enamored with cowboys and Indians as a child - a fascination that later paid off when he turned actor. His father, Harry McShane, played football for Manchester United, and though his son was a fair player, he never harbored any ambitions of becoming a professional footballer. McShane got into acting as a student in secondary school when a teacher recognized his talent and asked him to perform in a play. He did and felt comfortable with the experience. The same teacher later helped McShane get into the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), where the lad honed his craft until 1962 when he left the academy a semester shy of graduation to appear in his first motion picture, "The Wild and the Willing" (1962). In this low-key drama, McShane played a troublemaker prone to drinking and lashing out at his elitist professors. Though not a commercial or critical hit, the movie did offer McShane a spotlight to display his nascent talents.

McShane spent the next couple of decades amassing an impressive array of film, television and theater credits. After playing a handsome gypsy who woos a traumatized rural woman - much to the chagrin of her parents - in "Gypsy Girl" (1966), McShane starred alongside such notable British actors as Michael Caine, Trevor Howard and Harry Andrews in Guy Hamilton's World War II epic, "The Battle of Britain" (1969). Between the two film projects, he appeared onstage in the original version of "Loot" (1965) by playwright Joe Orton, one of McShane's good drinking buddies, then made his Broadway debut in a production of "The Promise" (1967). He returned to film alongside another drinking buddy, Richard Burton, for "Villain" (1971), in which he played a petty thief and bisexual lover of a gang leader (Burton) who gets involved in blackmailing sexually deviant members of Parliament. In 1973, he joined another all-star cast for the suspenseful murder-mystery, "The Last of Sheila," co-starring James Mason, James Coburn and Raquel Welch.

During the mid-1970s, McShane appeared in several high-profile miniseries, including David Wolper's seminal work, "Roots" (ABC, 1977), and "Jesus of Nazareth" (CBS, 1977), in which he played Judas, the disciple who betrayed Jesus. Numerous other projects small and large attracted McShane: he played Ali Ben Yousef in the sprawling historical drama, "Marco Polo" (NBC, 1982), then in "Grace Kelly" (ABC, 1983) he was Prince Rainier of Monaco, who marries the elegant Oscar-winning actress. Next he was the son of a prosperous Fifth Avenue family who has an affair with the wife (Lesley Ann Warren) of a wealthy entrepreneur (Armand Assante) in the three-part miniseries, "Evergreen" (NBC, 1985). In "A.D." (NBC, 1985), an historical drama that picked up where "Jesus of Nazareth" left off, McShane played Sejanus, a powerful member of the Praetorian Guard during the reign of the Emperor Tiberius who was later responsible for dating the death of Jesus. After a supporting role as Philip Rule in the epic 12-part miniseries "War and Remembrance" (ABC, 1988), McShane then appeared as Roger Bushell in "The Great Escape II: The Untold Story" (NBC, 1988), a two-part miniseries based upon the final section of the novel that inspired the classic World War II film, "The Great Escape" (1963).

In the late 1980s, the actor formed McShane Productions, which produced the beloved BBC series, "Lovejoy" (BBC, 1986-1994; A&E, 1991-96). McShane produced and directed episodes while starring as the title character, a loveable rogue who cannot avoid living hand-to-mouth while running an antiques store. Despite the show's popularity and success, McShane kept a low profile for much of the 1990s, popping up now and then in episodes of "Babylon 5" (syndicated, 1993-99), "The Naked Truth" (NBC/ABC, 1995-98), and "The West Wing" (NBC, 1999-2006). The impact of "Sexy Beast," which took many by surprise, helped reinvigorate his film career. He appeared soon after in the spy comedy, "Agent Cody Banks" (2003), starring Frankie Muniz.

With his role in "Deadwood," as the fictionalized version of the real-life Swearengen - a violent, but pragmatic capitalist who ran the 1870s mining camp with an iron fist - McShane essayed the role that many considered one of the most compelling villains to grace the small screen in decades. Cynical, amoral and unflinchingly violent, McShane's Swearengen stopped at nothing to serve his business interests, even if it meant butting heads with ruthless gold-mining magnate George Hearst (Gerald McRaney). For his riveting portrayal, McShane won a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama, and earned nominations for an Emmy Award in 2005 and a Screen Actors Guild Award in 2006. Meanwhile, he was part of a strong ensemble cast in Rodrigo Garcia's "Nine Lives" (2005), an episodic drama centered around nine different women thematically connected through their various travails. McShane played a disabled man whose daughter (Amanda Seyfried) refuses to attend an elite eastern college in order to mediate the failing marriage between him and his long suffering wife (Sissy Spacek).

While the third season of "Deadwood" was in full swing, McShane took a ninety-degree turn into comedy with "Scoop" (2006), playing an acclaimed journalist stuck in limbo after being killed and who contacts a naĂ¯ve journalism student (Scarlett Johansson) and a mediocre magician (Woody Allen) in order to find the identity of the infamous Tarot Card Killer. Meanwhile, McShane's days as the indelible Swearengen came to an end when HBO suddenly released all the actors of "Deadwood" from their contracts, effectively canceling the beloved series. Though an agreement between the network and creator David Milch was reached to conclude the interrupted series with two feature-length episodes, all parties were resigned to going their separate ways.

Returning to film, McShane played the grieving father of a football player killed in a plane crash in "We Are Marshall" (2006), starring Matthew McConaughey as an outsider who rebuilds the school's spirit after its team is decimated in the accident. McShane made his first foray into animated features in "The Golden Compass" (2007), giving voice to Ragnar Sturlsson and the previously silent Captain Hook in "Shrek the Third" (2007). After a supporting role in the lighthearted sports comedy, "Hot Rod" (2007), McShane voiced the evil snow leopard Tai Lung in the animated hit "Kung Fu Panda" (2008), before appearing in "Death Race" (2008), a futuristic thriller about a group of prisoners-turned-drivers using heavily armed vehicles in a violent race. Meanwhile, back on Broadway, McShane played Max in a 40th anniversary revival of Harold Pinter's "The Homecoming." Following another voiceover role in the charming but edgy animated feature "Coraline" (2009), McShane was wooed back to primetime to star in "Kings" (NBC, 2009), a daring drama set in a modern day kingdom where McShane starred as a King David-based ruler whose future is uncertain. The same year, McShane co-starred alongside Renee Zellweger in the psychological thriller "Case 39" (2009) and headed back to his homeland to appear in "44-inch Chest" (2009), a drama in which he starred as a man who discovers his wife is having an affair and whose thuggish friends step in to kidnap the "other man."

McShane returned to the small screen for the epic historical miniseries, "The Pillars of the Earth" (Starz, 2010), which was set in 12th century England in the fictitious town of Kingsbridge and followed the lives of three men amidst the building of a cathedral while they grapple with politics, war, romance and personal ambition. Recalling his days as Al Swearengen, McShane cast an evil pall as the cleric Waleran Bigod, who uses any deplorable means to realize his ambition to become bishop. McShane's performance was honored by the Hollywood Foreign Press with a Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television. McShane continued to appear in character roles in big-budget films including "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" (2011), "Snow White and the Huntsman" (2012), and "Hercules" (2014), as well as a self-referential role in the Sacha Baron Cohen action-comedy "Grimsby" (2016). McShane also appeared in the drama series "Ray Donovan" (Showtime 2013- ) and fantasy epic "Game of Thrones" (HBO 2011- ).

Filmography

 

Cast (Feature Film)

Deadwood: The Movie (2019)
John Wick: Chapter 3 - Para Bellum (2019)
Hellboy (2018)
John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017)
Pottersville (2017)
Jawbone (2017)
The Man on Carrion Road (2016)
Bilal: A New Breed of Hero (2016)
Voice
The Brothers Grimsby (2016)
Cuban Fury (2014)
Hercules: The Thracian Wars (2014)
John Wick (2014)
Jack the Giant Slayer (2013)
Snow White and the Huntsman (2012)
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)
Case 39 (2010)
44 Inch Chest (2010)
Coraline (2009)
Voice
Kung Fu Panda (2008)
Voice
Death Race (2008)
Hot Rod (2007)
Shrek the Third (2007)
The Golden Compass (2007)
The Seeker (2007)
Scoop (2006)
We Are Marshall (2006)
Nine Lives (2005)
Cast
Agent Cody Banks (2003)
Sexy Beast (2000)
Teddy Bass
Babylon 5: River of Souls (1998)
Con Man (1992)
Rest in Peace, Mrs. Columbo (1990)
Perry Mason: The Case of the Desperate Deception (1990)
The Murders in the Rue Morgue (1986)
Ordeal By Innocence (1985)
Philip Durrant
Braker (1985)
Torchlight (1984)
Sidney
Grace Kelly (1983)
Exposed (1983)
The Letter (1982)
Geoff Hammond
Too Scared to Scream (1982)
Yesterday's Hero (1980)
Cheaper to Keep Her (1980)
Dr Alfred Sunshine
The Fifth Musketeer (1979)
Code Name: Diamond Head (1977)
Sean Donavan/Father Horton/Colonel Butler
Journey Into Fear (1976)
The Lives of Jenny Dolan (1975)
Sanders
Ransom (1974)
The Last Of Sheila (1973)
Antony
Sitting Target (1972)
Birdy Williams
Villain (1971)
Wolfe Lissner
Tam Lin (1971)
Tom Lynn
Pussycat, Pussycat, I Love You (1970)
Fred Dobbs
If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium (1969)
Charlie
Battle of Britain (1969)
Sergeant Pilot Andy
Gypsy Girl (1966)
Roibin
The Pleasure Girls (1966)
Keith
Young and Willing (1964)
Harry

Producer (Feature Film)

Deadwood: The Movie (2019)
Executive Producer

Cast (Special)

Terror in Moscow (2004)
Narrator
Monty Roberts: A Real Horse Whisperer (1998)
Narration
Backstage at Masterpiece Theatre: A 20th Anniversary Special (1991)
Young Charlie Chaplin (1989)
Chain Letter (1989)
The Messenger
Barrington (1987)
Rocket to the Moon (1986)

Cast (TV Mini-Series)

Lovejoy: The Lost Colony (1994)
In the Frame (1989)
Blood Sport (1989)
Twice Shy (1989)
Grand Larceny (1989)
The Great Escape II: Untold Story (1988)
War and Remembrance (1988)
Evergreen (1985)
A.D. (1985)
Marco Polo (1982)
Harold Robbins' The Pirate (1978)
Roots (1977)
Jesus of Nazareth (Do Not Use) (1977)

Life Events

1962

Made his London stage debut in "Infanticide in the House of Fred Ginger"

1962

Made his film debut in "The Wild and the Willing"; cast while still a student at RADA

1965

Played Tom in London revival of "The Glass Menagerie"

1965

Toured the U.K. in Joe Orton's black comedy "Loot"

1966

Landed his first starring role in film opposite Hayley Mills in "Gypsy Girl"

1967

Originated role of Marat in "The Promise"; reprised part on Broadway; co-starred with Judi Dench and Ian McKellen

1969

Co-starred in comedy "If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium"

1973

Acted in ensemble of comedy thriller "The Last of Sheila"

1977

Portrayed Judas Iscariot in NBC miniseries "Jesus of Nazareth"

1977

Cast in a featured role in groundbreaking ABC miniseries "Roots"

1978

Cast as Elizabethan playwright Christopher Marlowe in "Life of Shakespeare"

1979

Acted in a California staging of "As You Like It"

1979

Garnered praise for his performance in title role of biographical miniseries "Disraeli"

1982

Appeared opposite Lee Remick in ABC remake of "The Letter"

1983

Played Prince Rainier in ABC biopic "Grace Kelly"

1983

Played regular role of Greek millionaire Niko Theophilus on NBC primetime serial "Bare Essence"

1985

Co-starred in NBC miniseries "A.D."

1985

Last stage role for more than a decade, "Inadmissible Evidence"

1986

Played title role as an antiques dealer who solves mysteries on British series "Lovejoy" (BBC), also produced through his production company McShane Productions

1987

Last feature for five years, "Grand Larceny"

1988

Featured in ABC miniseries "War and Remembrance"

1989

Joined cast of CBS primetime serial "Dallas" as screenwriter Don Lockwood

1989

Starred as David Cleveland, a freelance investigator in a series of TV movies adapted from mystery novels by Dick Francis

1991

Reprised "Lovejoy" in second set of episodes (aired in the U.S. on A&E)

1992

Made one-shot return to movies in "Con Man"

1996

Played title role on British TV series "Madson"

1997

Returned to British stage in "The Admirable Crichton" at Chichester Festival

1998

Acted onstage in L.A. in "The Yield of the Long Bond"

2000

Returned to West End to make musical debut as Darryl Van Horne in "The Witches of Eastwick"

2001

Featured in the Jonathan Glazer's critically acclaimed indie "Sexy Beast"

2004

Portrayed historical figure Al Swearengen on HBO series "Deadwood"; received Emmy (2005) and SAG (2006) nominations for Best Actor

2005

Joined Rodrigo GarcĂ­a's ensemble "Nine Lives," a series of vignettes offering glimpses into the lives of nine women

2006

Co-starred with Matthew McConaughey in sports drama "We Are Marshall," directed by McG

2006

Played a dead journalist in Woody Allen's "Scoop"

2007

Voiced Captain Hook in "Shrek the Third"

2007

Voiced Ragnar Sturlsson in feature adaptation "The Golden Compass"

2008

Lent voice to animated feature "Kung Fu Panda"

2008

Co-starred in Paul W.S. Anderson's remake of 1975 film "Death Race"

2008

Received rave reviews for Daniel Sullivan's Broadway revival of Harold Pinter's "The Homecoming"

2009

Starred on short-lived NBC drama series "Kings"

2010

Co-starred with Renée Zellweger in thriller "Case 39"

2010

Starred in "The Pillars of the Earth," an eight-part miniseries adapted from Ken Follett's novel

2011

Nominated for the 2011 Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-series or Motion Picture Made for Television ("The Pillars of the Earth")

2011

Portrayed Blackbeard, pirate captain of the Queen Anne's Revenge in "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides"

2012

Was cast as one of the eight dwarfs in "Snow White and the Huntsman" opposite Kristen Stewart and Charlize Theron

2012

Played a murderous Santa Claus in FX miniseries "American Horror Story: Asylum"

2013

Was cast as King Brahmwell in action fantasy film "Jack the Giant Slayer"

2014

Was cast in Keanu Reeves vehicle "John Wick"

2015

Had a recurring role on Showtime's "Ray Donovan"

2016

Appeared on an episode of "Game of Thrones"

2017

Reprised role in "John Wick: Chapter 2"

2017

Began playing Mr. Wednesday on Starz adaptation "American Gods"

2018

Voiced the titular Grump in animated adventure "Here Comes the Grump"

2019

Reprised role of Al Swearengen for HBO's long-awaited "Deadwood" movie

Videos

Movie Clip

Battle Of Britain, The (1969) -- (Movie Clip) Buck Up The Civilians Opening with action over France, May, 1940, director Guy Hamilton introduces Christopher Plummer as Brit Squadron Leader Harvey, irritated with flier Jamie (James Cosmo) for showing off, greeting Robert Shaw as colleague Skipper, Edward Fox and Ian McShane recognizing the signs, in Battle Of Britain, 1969.
If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium (1969) -- (Movie Clip) Sayeth Solomon Opening with appearances by Sandy Baron, Norman Fell, Reva Rose, Marty Ingels (with cameos by Ben Gazzara and John Cassavetes), Michael Constantine, Peggy Cass, Suzanne Pleshette, Murray Hamilton and Hilarie Thompson, part of the tour group in If It’s Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium, 1969.
If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium (1969) -- (Movie Clip) Lord Of The Reedy River Now in Switzerland, resolute American Samantha (Suzanne Pleshette) withstands the further advances of tour-guide Charlie (Ian MacShane) offering fondue, while the kids (Hilarie Thompson, Luke Halpin) hit a hostel where Donovan offers an original composition, in If It’s Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium, 1969.
If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium (1969) -- (Movie Clip) Sort Of Foreign Looking Arrived at London, Suzanne Pleshette appoints herself to seek the tour guide (Ian MacShane as Charlie) who’s running late, then Norman Fell, Michael Constantine, Sandy Baron, Murray Hamilton, Peggy Cass, Hilarie Thompson, Pamela Britton, Marty Ingels and others in the roll call, early in If It’s Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium, 1969.
Villain (1971) -- (Movie Clip) It's A Bit Sordid Ian MacShane as Wolfe is hustling a bit in London, but picked up by goons (Tony Selby, John Hallam) who work for idiosyncratic crime boss Vic (Richard Burton), who’s been looking for him, their relationship only sort-of revealed in their first real scene together, in Villain, 1971.
Gypsy Girl -- (Movie Clip) I Like Graves First scene in which Brydie (Hayley Mills. directed by her father John), visits the grave of a boy she knew, meeting grave-digger Slim (Hamilton Dyce) and gypsy youth Roibin (Ian McShane), in Gypsy Girl, 1966.

Trailer

Family

Harry McShane
Father
Professional football player. Played for Manchester United.
Irene McShane
Mother
Kate McShane
Daughter
Born in 1971.
Morgan McShane
Child
Born in 1975.

Companions

Suzanne Farmer
Wife
Actor. Married in 1965; divorced in 1968.
Ruth Post
Wife
Second wife; mother of his two oldest children; divorced in 1976.
Gwen Humble
Wife
Actor. Married in August 1980.

Bibliography

Notes

"[U]p until the middle of the 1980's, I wasn't that bothered about the career, as long as I was making money and have a great time. And I did have a great f***ing time. There are some jobs that I don't even remember doing, in the blizzard of alcohol and drugs."---McShane to The Sunday Herald, September 19, 2004.