# James Faulkner (actor)

James Sebastian Faulkner (born 18 July 1948) is a British actor. He is best known for playing Pope Sixtus IV in the television series Da Vinci's Demons (2013–2015), Randyll Tarly in the television series Game of Thrones (2016–2017), and Saint Paul in the film Paul, Apostle of Christ (2018).

## Early life

James Faulkner was born in Hampstead, on 18 July 1948. He attended the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, where he studied acting and graduated from after three years.

## Career

In 1972, Faulkner made his acting debut as Josef Strauss in the musical film The Great Waltz at the age of 24.
In 2016, Faulkner was cast as Randyll Tarly, the strict father of Samwell Tarly, in the HBO fantasy television series Game of Thrones, for the show's sixth season. In 2018, Faulkner has portrayed the title character in the Christian film Paul, Apostle of Christ.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role |
| 1972 | The Great Waltz | Josef Strauss |
| 1974 | The Abdication | Magnus de la Gardie |
| 1975 | Conduct Unbecoming | 2nd Lt. Edward Millington |
| 1976 | Whispering Death | Terrick |
| 1979 | Zulu Dawn | Teignmouth Melvill |
| 1980 | Flashpoint Africa | Ramon Funes |
| 1981 | Priest of Love | Aldous Huxley |
| 1983 | Eureka | Roger |
| 1989 | The Shadow Trader | |
| 1992 | Carry On Columbus | Torquemada |
| 1992 | Lovejoy 'Friends in High Places' | Alfredo Pereira |
| 1996 | Crimetime | Crowley |
| 1997 | A Kid in Aladdin's Palace | Luxor |
| 2001 | Burning Down the House | Hal Lander |
| 2001 | Bridget Jones's Diary | Uncle Geoffrey |
| 2003 | I Capture the Castle | Aubrey Fox-Cotton |
| 2004 | Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason | Uncle Geoffrey |
| 2004 | Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London | Lord Duncan Kenworth |
| 2005 | Colour Me Kubrick | Oliver |
| 2006 | The Conclave | Cardinal Guillaume D'Estouteville |
| 2006 | The Good Shepherd | Lord Cooper |
| 2006 | Day of Wrath | Friar Anselmo |
| 2007 | Hitman | Smith Jamison |
| 2008 | The Bank Job | Guy Singer |
| 2011 | X-Men: First Class | Swiss Bank Manager |
| 2016 | Bridget Jones's Baby | Uncle Geoffrey |
| 2016 | Underworld: Blood Wars | Cassius |
| 2017 | Final Portrait | Pierre Matisse |
| 2017 | Atomic Blonde | Chief C |
| 2018 | Paul, Apostle of Christ | Saint Paul |
| 2018 | The Sonata | Sir Victor Ferdinand |
| 2021 | All Those Small Things | Jonathan Robbins |
| 2022 | The Devil Conspiracy | Cardinal Vincini |
| 2023 | Awareness | El Americano |
| 2024 | Chief of Station | Deputy Director Williams |
| 2025 | The Last Supper | Caiaphas |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1976 | I, Claudius | Herod Agrippa | TV serial, 6 episodes |
| 1978 | Hazell | Gordon Gregory | 6 episodes |
| 1985 | The Bill | Sidney Sharman | Episode: Burning the Books |
| 1985 | Minder on the Orient Express | Ted Moore | TV Film spin off. |
| 1986 | First Among Equals | Simon Kerslake | TV serial |
| 1988 | The Hound of the Baskervilles | Stapleton | Alongside Jeremy Brett and Edward Hardwicke for the Granada TV production |
| 1989 | Frederick Forsyth Presents | Markus Vogel | Just Another Secret (1989) |
| 1989 | Agatha Christie's Poirot | Major Eustace | Episode: Murder in the Mews (Series 1 Episode 2) |
| 1991 | Inspector Morse | Basilios Vasilakis | Episode: Greeks Bearing Gifts (Series 5 Episode 4) |
| 1992 | The Blackheath Poisonings | Roger Vandervent | 3 episodes |
| 1994 | Wycliffe | Steven Lander | Episode: The Dead Flautist (Series 1 Episode 2) |
| 1998 | Taggart | Colonel Robert Falkirk | Episode: Dead Reckoning (Series 14 Episode 41) |
| 2010 | Ben Hur | Marcellus | TV mini-series, 2 episodes |
| 2010 | Spooks | Robert Westhouse | Series 9 Episode 2 |
| 2013–2015 | Da Vinci's Demons | Pope Sixtus IV | 24 episodes |
| 2014 | Downton Abbey | Lord Sinderby | 4 episodes |
| 2016–2017 | Game of Thrones | Randyll Tarly | 5 episodes |
| 2016 | Life on Earth: A New Prehistory | Narrator | 3 episodes |
| 2018 | Death in Paradise | Frank O'Toole | Episode: Written in Murder (Series 7 Episode 3) |
| 2018 | Watership Down | Frith | Episode: The Journey |
| 2020 | The Alienist | Cornelius Vanderbilt II | Recurring role |
| 2020 | Wizards: Tales of Arcadia | King Arthur/Green Knight | Main Voice Role |
| 2021 | Tribes of Europa | General Cameron | Recurring role |
| 2022 | Slow Horses | Charles Partner | Recurring role - Episodes 2 & 6 |

### Video games

| Year | Title | Role |
| 2001 | Walking with Beasts: Operation Salvage | Voice |
| 2009 | Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince | Professor Severus Snape (voice) |
| 2012 | Blades of Time | Narrator, Brutal Lich (voices) |
| 2014 | Dragon Age: Inquisition | Cassandra's Associate (voice) |
| 2016 | The Turing Test | T.O.M (voice) |
| 2018 | League of Legends | Swain (voice) |