# Alexander Morton

Alexander Morton (born 24 March 1945) is a Scottish actor.

## Acting career

Glasgow-born Morton trained in London at the Central School of Speech and Drama from 1965 to 1968 and is well known for his roles in several leading drama series, such as Taggart, Second Sight, Between the Lines, Minder, and Casualty; movies such as Croupier and London to Brighton; and single dramas The One That Got Away (1996), Looking After Jo Jo (1998), and The Man-Eating Wolves of Gysinge (2005).
He is best known for playing the ghillie Golly Mackenzie in the BBC TV series Monarch of the Glen (2000–2005, appearing in all 64 episodes), and before that made regular appearances over the 1980s and 1990s as the evil Andy Semple in Scottish soap Take the High Road. From 2012 to 2015, Morton played Criminal Billy Kennedy in Scottish soap opera River City. He appeared again as Billy Kennedy in the 20th anniversary episode of the show in 2022.
Highlights of his stage career include his work with Raindog Theatre Company in the early 1990s. He was a founder member, along with Robert Carlyle, Caroline Paterson and Stuart Davis and others. Leading roles with Raindog included his Scots rendition of Shakespeare's Macbeth and R.P. McMurphy in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, both directed by Robert Carlyle. Morton also worked regularly with theatre companies 7:84 and Borderline, and has appeared at the Traverse, the Lyceum, the Bush, the Royal Court, as well as appearing in pantomime, notably two years running at the Eden Court Theatre in Inverness with Andy Gray, and at Glasgow's King's Theatre.
In 2006, Morton played the Prince of Darkness in the BBC Radio adaptation of Dracula (Voyage of the Demeter, 2006). He was also the first actor to play Detective Inspector John Rebus in the BBC Radio 4 adaptation of Ian Rankin's Rebus series of books. He also provided voices for video games, including Heavenly Sword, Viking: Battle for Asgard and he played Zoltan Chivay in series 2 and 3 of The Witcher. He was the narrator on three albums by the Swiss Celtic / Melodic Death Metal band Eluveitie.

## Personal life

Morton has been married three times, and has two children – Kerry (b. 1970) and Jamie (b. 1980) – from each of his first two marriages. His first wife was Pam Scotcher; his second was Denise; and his third is Jane, whom he met before filming for Monarch of the Glen got underway. She was his landlady while he was doing television work in London.

## Film and television credits

* 1971: Get Carter (film) Hubert - directed by Mike Hodges
* 1971: Manipulators (TV) written and directed by Mike Hodges
* 1979: Play for Today (TV): Ploughman's Share - Dave
* 1980-1994: Take the High Road (TV) - Andy Semple
* 1981: Play for Today (TV): The Good Time Girls - Alec Park
* 1984: Minder (TV): Windows - Alex
* 1985: Taggart (TV): Dead Ringer - David Balfour
* 1986: Waiting for Elvis (TV) Ike Morrison - directed by Hal Duncan
* 1987: Extras (TV) - Frank Riley - directed by David Andrew
* 1987: Bookie (TV) - Ross
* 1989: Winners and Losers (TV) - Ross
* 1990: Silent Scream - Don Winters
* 1992: Rab C. Nesbitt (TV) - Police Inspector Mccrae
* 1992-1994: Firm Friends (TV) - D.I. Hogg
* 1993: Between the Lines (TV) - Superintendent Tyrell
* 1993: Taggart (TV): Death Benefits - John Fraser
* 1994: Jolly a Man for All Seasons - Police Sergeant Watson
* 1994: Crime Story - John McVicar
* 1994: The Tales of Para Handy - John Cruickshank
* 1996: Bad Boys - Dick
* 1996: The One that Got Away - Big Bob (credited as Sandy Morton)
* 1996: Nightlife (TV movie) - D.C.Dave
* 1997: Looking After Jo Jo - DS Alistair Wright
* 1997: Bombay Blue - Jack Grey
* 1997: Love Me Tender (TV) - Tommy
* 1998: Croupier (film) David Reynolds
* 1999-2000: Second Sight (TV) - DS Julian
* 1999: Life Support (TV) - Alan Carswell
* 2000-2005: Monarch of the Glen (TV) - Golly Mackenzie in all 64 episodes
* 2005: The Man-Eating Wolves of Gysinge (TV) - Malmberg Nilsson
* 2006: Casualty (TV)
* 2006: London to Brighton (film) - Duncan Allen
* 2007: Kitchen (TV) - Mr. Glasgow
* 2008: Casualty (TV)
* 2009: Valhalla Rising (film) - Chieftain Barde
* 2010: Taggart: (TV) The Rapture - James Hardie
* 2010: Luther (TV) - Bill Winingham
* 2012-2015: River City (TV) - Billy Kennedy
* 2013: Shetland (TV) - Joseph Wilson
* 2022: River City (TV) - Billy Kennedy

## Selected theatre credits

Selected stage productions :
| Year | Play | Role | Notes |
| 1976 | An Me Wi a Bad Leg Tae | Peter | Original production of Billy Connolly's first play, directed by Stuart Mungall |
| 1979 | Slab Boys Trilogy | Mr. Curry/Workman | John Byrne's critically acclaimed series of stage plays |
| 1984 | William Wallace | William Wallace | Borderline Theatre Company, Directed by Stuart Mungall. |
| 1985 | The Bruce | Robert the Bruce | Edinburgh Festival |
| 1986 | Robert Burns | Robert Burns | By Joe Corrie, Scottish Theatre Company; Directed by David Hayman |
| 1986 | The Gorbals Story | Peter Reilly | By Robert Mcleish. 7:84 Theatre Co. Directed by David Hayman |
| 1989 | The Sash | William MacWilliam | By Hector MacMillan. 7:84 Theatre Co. Directed by Gerard Kelly |
| 1991 | Red Riding Hood: The Sequel | Wolverine | Directed by Andy Gray. |
| 1991 | One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest | R.P.McMurphy | Raindog Theatre Company. Directed by Robert Carlyle |
| 1992 | Macbeth: In the Scots Tongue | Macbeth | Raindog Theatre Company. Best Director Award: Robert Carlyle |
| 1994 | Dick Wittington | King Rat | With Christopher Biggins. King's Theatre, Glasgow |
| 1995 | Follow Follow: The Rangers Story | Max Factor | King's Theatre Glasgow/Glasgow Rangers FC; Directed by Ron Bain |
| 1996 | The Architect | Leo Black | Directed by Philip Howard, Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh |
| 1998 | Buried Treasure | Frank McCoig | Directed by Robin Lefevre, Lyric Theatre, London |

## Radio credits

Selected BBC Radio plays :
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1982 | The Thirty Nine Steps | Franklin P. Scudder | Considered the most faithful adaptation of John Buchan's book. |
| 1988 | Death of a Fly | Alec Bodine | Murder mystery told from the perspective of a fly. |
| 1995 | The Serpent's Back | Cully | First adaptation of Ian Rankin's Cully series |
| 1998 | Tunes of Glory | Basil Barrow | |
| 1999 | Let It Bleed | DI John Rebus | First adaptation of Ian Rankin's Rebus books |
| 2004 | Dr Korczak's Example | Dr. Janusz Korczak | BBC Radio 4 Saturday Play directed by Lu Kemp |
| 2005 | The Tragical Comedy or Comical Tragedy of Mr. Punch | Swatchell | BBC Radio 3 The Wire directed by Lu Kemp |
| 2007 | Voyage of the Demeter | Count Dracula | Morton offers a terrifying rendition of the Prince of Darkness |
| 2008 | They Have Oak Trees in North Carolina | Ray | BBC Radio 4 Friday Play directed by Gaynor Macfarlane |
| 2011 | Occupation | Kenny Gall | BBC Radio 4 Afternoon Play directed by Gaynor Macfarlane |