# Ian McElhinney

Ian McElhinney (born 30 June 1948) is a Northern Irish actor and director. He has appeared in many television series in a career spanning more than forty years; notable appearances include Taggart, Hornblower, Cold Feet, and The Tudors. In recent times his best known roles are as Barristan Selmy in Game of Thrones, Morgan Monroe in The Fall, and Granda Joe in Derry Girls.

## Early life

McElhinney was born in Belfast, the son of a Church of Ireland (Anglican) clergyman and teacher. He studied international affairs at Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts. He worked as a teacher at Goole Grammar School, now Goole Academy, in Yorkshire, England, for several years before becoming an actor. He started acting professionally at the age of 30, playing Bill Sikes in a theatre production of Oliver!.

## Personal life

He is married to playwright and actress Marie Jones; in 2009 the couple started their own company, Rathmore Productions Ltd. They live in Belfast and have three sons.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Film | Role |
| 1982 | Angel | Groom |
| 1983 | Acceptable Levels | Andy |
| 1984 | Anne Devlin | Major Sirr |
| 1985 | Lamb | Maguire |
| 1986 | The End of the World Man | Architect |
| 1987 | A Prayer for the Dying | Lodger |
| 1988 | Reefer and the Model | Reefer |
| 1990 | Hidden Agenda | Jack Cunningham |
| 1990 | Fools of Fortune | The Stranger |
| 1992 | The Playboys | Joe Cassidy |
| 1996 | The Boy from Mercury | Brother Dowdall |
| 1996 | Small Faces | Uncle Andrew |
| 1996 | Michael Collins | Belfast Detective |
| 1996 | Hamlet | Barnardo |
| 1997 | This Is the Sea | Da Stokes |
| 1997 | The Boxer | Reggie Bell |
| 1998 | Divorcing Jack | Alfie Stewart |
| 1999 | A Love Divided | Reverend Hamilton |
| 2000 | Borstal Boy | Verreker |
| 2001 | Mapmaker | Sergeant Devlin |
| 2006 | The Front Line | Mikey |
| 2007 | Closing the Ring | Cathal Thomas |
| 2008 | City of Ember | Builder |
| 2009 | A Shine of Rainbows | Father Doyle |
| 2009 | Swansong: Story of Occi Byrne | Skip |
| 2009 | Triage | Ivan |
| 2010 | Leap Year | Priest |
| 2010 | Cup Cake | Rusty Rafferty |
| 2015 | A Patch of Fog | Freddie Clarke |
| 2016 | The Truth Commissioner | James Fenton |
| 2016 | The Journey | Rory McBride |
| 2016 | Rogue One: A Star Wars Story | General Jan Dodonna |
| 2016 | Sacrifice | D.I. McKie |
| 2017 | Bad Day for the Cut | Eamon |
| 2017 | Zoo | Mr. Shawcross |
| 2022 | The Ulysses Project | Mr. Deasy / Barrister JJ Molloy |
| 2023 | The Last Rifleman | Tom Malcolmson |
| 2023 | The Boys in the Boat | Elderly Joe Rantz |

### Television

| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1981 | Cowboys | Driver | Television film |
| 1982 | BBC2 Playhouse | Mousey | Episode: "Potatohead Blues" |
| 1984 | After You've Gone | Mike | Television film |
| 1984 | Fire at Magilligan | Loyalist Leader | Television film |
| 1984 | A Woman Calling | Mr. Burke | Television film |
| 1985 | The Price | Priest | Episode #1.6 |
| 1985 | Ties of Blood | Maj. Watson | Episode: "McCabe's Wall" |
| 1986 | Screen Two | Damien / Inspector McBride | Episode: "Shergar" Episode: "Naming the Names" |
| 1987 | Dead Entry | Martin Galbraith | 3 episodes |
| 1987 | The Rockingham Shoot | John Reilly | Television film |
| 1987 | Lapsed Catholics | Derek O'Gorman | Television film |
| 1987 | First Sight | Joe | Episode: "The Last of a Dyin' Race" |
| 1987 | Brond | Kennedy | 3 episodes |
| 1988 | Wipe Out | Max Raines | TV miniseries, 5 episodes |
| 1988 | The Grasscutter | Brian Devlin | Television film |
| 1989 | Streetwise | Denny Moss | Episode: "Home Truths" |
| 1990 | Who Bombed Birmingham? | Sinn Fein Leader | Television film |
| 1990 | Shoot to Kill | Assistant Chief Constable Trevor Forbes | Television film |
| 1990 | The Lilac Bus | Billy | Television film |
| 1990–1991 | 4 Play | Eddie / McQuire | Episode: "Valentine Falls" Episode: "In the Border Country" |
| 1991 | Children of the North | O'Hare | 3 episodes |
| 1992 | The Bill | Mickey Felcher | Episode: "Trial and Error" |
| 1992 | Screenplay | Reggie Devine | Episode: "You, Me & Marley" |
| 1993 | Spender | Flynn | Episode: "Bad Company" |
| 1993 | Lovejoy | Cieran Stow | Episode: "Ducking and Diving" |
| 1993 | Circle of Deceit | Father Fergel | Television film |
| 1993 | Between the Lines | Chief Superintendent Trevor Dunne | Episode: "The Great Detective" |
| 1993 | A Woman's Guide to Adultery | Martin | 3 episodes |
| 1993 | Taggart | Archie Rae / Sean O'Donnell | Episode: "Death Without Dishonour" Episode: "Cause and Effect" |
| 1994 | Blind Justice | Father Malone | Television film |
| 1995 | Beyond Reason | Smythe QC | Television film |
| 1995 | Hearts and Minds | Alex | 4 episodes |
| 1995 | Life After Life | Working Out Governor | Television film |
| 1995 | Roughnecks | | 2 episodes |
| 1996 | Safe and Sound | Higgins | Episode: "Hope" |
| 1997 | Wokenwell | Sergeant Duncan Bonney | 6 episodes |
| 1998 | Touch and Go | Clive Bevan | Television film |
| 1998 | Hornblower: The Examination for Lieutenant | Captain Hammond | Television film |
| 1998–1999 | Maisie Raine | C.S. Jack Freeman | 12 episodes |
| 1999 | Durango | Vestor McCarthy | Television film |
| 1999–2000 | Queer as Folk | Clive Jones | 2 episodes |
| 2000 | Queer as Folk 2 | Clive Jones | Television film |
| 2000 | In Defence | DCS David Dillne | Episode #1.3 |
| 2001 | Hornblower: Retribution | Captain Hammond | Television film |
| 2002 | No Tears | Padraig McFadden | TV miniseries |
| 2003 | Murphy's Law | Fulton | Episode: "Manic Munday" |
| 2003 | Holby City | Brian Chapman | Episode: "For Better, for Worse" |
| 2003 | Cold Feet | Bill Williams | Season 5 |
| 2003 | Doctors | Howard Brackley | Episode: "Faking the Dead" |
| 2003 | The Clinic | Joseph McGarry | 5 episodes |
| 2003 | Hornblower: Loyalty | Captain Hammond | Television film |
| 2004 | Omagh | Stanley McCombe | Television film |
| 2005 | Coronation Street | Father Thomas | 5 episodes |
| 2005 | Pure Mule | Harry Kilroy | Episode: "Kevin's Weekend" |
| 2007 | Rough Diamond | Tim Regan | 2 episodes |
| 2007 | The Tudors | Pope Clement VII | Episode: "Message to the Emperor" |
| 2007 | Casualty | Robert Finch | Episode: "Communion" |
| 2007 | Single-Handed | Ex-Garda Sergeant Gerry Driscoll | Episodes: "Home Parts 1 & 2" and "Stolen Child Parts 1 & 2" |
| 2007, 2010 | Brilliant! | Principal / Carson | 2 episodes |
| 2008 | Fairy Tales | Vice-Chancellor Ralph Graham | Episode: "Cinderella" |
| 2008 | Clay | Father O'Mahoney | Television film |
| 2008 | Last Man Hanging | The Narrator | Television film |
| 2008 | Little Dorrit | Mr. Clennam | 2 episodes |
| 2008 | Raw | Phillip | Episode #1.6 |
| 2009 | Scapegoat | H.A. McVeigh QC | Television film |
| 2010 | New Tricks | Fintan MacEntee | Episode: "Coming Out Ball" |
| 2010 | An Old Fashioned Christmas | Sean Bassett | Television film |
| 2010 | Three Wise Women | David | Television film |
| 2011 | Brendan Smyth: Betrayal of Trust | Abbot Smith | Television film |
| 2011 | The Sea | Alfred Blunden | Based on The Sea |
| 2011–2015 | Game of Thrones | Ser Barristan Selmy | 25 episodes |
| 2012 | Titanic: Blood and Steel | Sir Henry Carlton | 12 episodes |
| 2012–2014 | Ripper Street | Theodore P. Swift | 3 episodes |
| 2013 | Moonfleet | Reverend Glennie | 2 episodes |
| 2013 | Wodehouse in Exile | Major Cussen | Television film |
| 2013–2014 | The Fall | Morgan Monroe | 4 episodes (main cast) Episode: "These Troublesome Disguises" (guest star) |
| 2013–2016 | Ripper Street | Theodore Swift | 4 episodes |
| 2014 | Quirke | Bill Latimer | Episode: "Elegy For April" |
| 2014 | Babylon | Maher | Episode: "Hackney Wick" |
| 2016 | Rebellion | Edward Butler | 5 episodes |
| 2016 | Barbarians Rising | Tagus | Episode: "Resistance" |
| 2017 | The Frankenstein Chronicles | Dr. Lennox | 2 episodes |
| 2017 | Redwater | Lance Byrne | 3 episodes |
| 2018 | Dave Allen At Peace | Priest | Television film |
| 2018 | Mrs Wilson | Father Timothy | 3 episodes |
| 2018–2019 | Krypton | Val-El | 20 episodes |
| 2018–2022 | Derry Girls | Granda Joe | Main cast |
| 2019 | Silent Witness | Pat Walsh | 2 episodes |
| 2020 | Doctor Who | Ko Sharmus | Episode: "Ascension of the Cybermen" Episode: "The Timeless Children" |
| 2020 | The Deceived | Hugh Callaghan | 3 episodes |
| 2020–2022 | The Split | Professor Ronnie | Recurring role |
| 2021 | Bloodlands | Adam Corry | 3 episodes |
| 2021–2024 | The Outlaws | John Sr. | 12 episodes |
| 2022 | Suspicion | Grandad | Episode: "Rooms For Doubt" |
| 2023 | Unforgotten | Lord Tony Hume | 6 episodes |
| 2023 | A Small Light | Johannes Kleiman | 8 episodes |
| 2024 | High Country | Sam Dryson | 8 episodes |

### Radio

| Date | Title | Role | Author | Director | Station |
| 24 April 2012 | The Biggest Issues | Clive Watson | Annie McCartney | Eoin O'Callaghan | BBC Radio 4 Afternoon Drama |

### Web series

| Year | Show | Role | Notes |
| 2016 | Game Grumps | Himself | 1 episode |