Ian McShane

Ian David McShane (born 29 September 1942) is an English actor, producer, and director. He is known for his television performances, particularly as the title role in the BBC series Lovejoy (1986–1994), as Al Swearengen in Deadwood (2004–2006) and its 2019 film continuation, and as Mr. Wednesday in American Gods (2017–2021). For the original series of Deadwood, McShane won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama and received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series; for the film, he (as producer) was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie.
His film roles include Harry Brown in The Wild and the Willing (1962), Charlie Cartwright in If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium (1969), Wolfe Lissner in Villain (1971), Teddy Bass in Sexy Beast (2000), Frank Powell in Hot Rod (2007), Captain Hook in Shrek the Third (2007), Tai Lung in Kung Fu Panda (2008), Blackbeard in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011), and Winston in the John Wick film series (2014–present).
==Early life==
McShane was born Ian David McShane in Blackburn, Lancashire, on 29 September 1942, the only child of Irene (née Cowley; 1921–2021) and professional footballer Harry McShane (1920–2012). His father was Scottish, from Holytown, Lanarkshire, and his mother, who was born in England, was of Irish and English descent. McShane grew up in Davyhulme, Lancashire, and attended Stretford Grammar School. After being a member of the National Youth Theatre, he studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), alongside Anthony Hopkins and John Hurt. McShane shared a flat with Hurt, whom he called his "oldest friend in the business", and was still a student at RADA when he appeared (along with Hurt) in his first film The Wild and the Willing (1962). He went on to play Satan in the York Mystery Plays in 1963.
==Career==
In the United Kingdom, McShane's best known role is antiques dealer Lovejoy in the eponymous series. He also enjoyed success in the United States as British film director Don Lockwood in Dallas. Long before Lovejoy he was a pin-up as a result of appearances in television series, such as Wuthering Heights (1967, as Heathcliff), Jesus of Nazareth (1977, as Judas Iscariot), and Disraeli (1978)—as well as films like Sky West and Crooked (1965) and Battle of Britain (1969).
In the United States, he is known for the role of historical figure Al Swearengen in the HBO series Deadwood, for which he won the 2005 Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Television Drama. He was also nominated at the 2005 Emmy Award and Screen Actors Guild Awards.
Among science fiction fans, McShane is known for playing the character Robert Bryson in Babylon 5: The River of Souls. In a 2004 interview with The Independent, McShane stated that he wished that he had turned down the role of Bryson as he had struggled with the technical dialogue and found looking at Martin Sheen, who was wearing an eye in the middle of his forehead, to be the most embarrassing experience that he had ever had while acting.
In 1985, he appeared as an MC on Grace Jones' Slave to the Rhythm, a concept album which featured his narration interspersed throughout and which sold over a million copies worldwide.
His other roles include that of armed robber and gangland boss Jack Last in the Minder episode The Last Video Show. As Captain Hook in Shrek the Third, Ragnar Sturlusson in The Golden Compass, Tai Lung in Kung Fu Panda (for which he received an Annie Award nomination), and Mr. Bobinsky in Coraline. In live-action, he has performed in Hot Rod, the action/thriller Death Race, and The Seeker. He has appeared in The West Wing as a Russian diplomat. During 2007–08, he starred as Max in the 40th anniversary Broadway revival of Harold Pinter's The Homecoming, co-starring Eve Best, Raúl Esparza, and Michael McKean, and directed by Daniel Sullivan, at the Cort Theatre (16 December 2007 – 13 April 2008).
In 2009, he appeared in Kings, which was based on the biblical story of David. His portrayal of King Silas Benjamin, an analogue of King Saul, was highly praised with one critic saying: "Whenever Kings seems to falter, McShane appears to put bite marks all over the scenery."Gordon Haber, David, My David: Israel's Most Charismatic King Comes to TV, forward.com, 25 March 2009.
In 2010, McShane starred in The Pillars of the Earth as Bishop Waleran Bigod. The series was a historical drama set in 12th-century England and adapted from Ken Follett's novel of the same name. That same year, the Walt Disney Company confirmed that McShane would portray Blackbeard in On Stranger Tides.
In 2013, he played King Brahmwell in Bryan Singer's Jack the Giant Slayer.
Since 2010, McShane has narrated the opening teases for each round of ESPN's coverage of The Open Championship. In 2012, McShane had a guest role for two episodes as Murder Santa, a sadistic serial killer in the 1960s in the second season of American Horror Story. In 2016, he joined the cast of Game of Thrones in Season 6 as Ray.
McShane announced on 20 April 2017 that a script for a two-hour Deadwood movie had been submitted by creator David Milch to HBO and that a film is as close as ever to happening. "[A] two-hour movie script has been delivered to HBO. If they don't deliver [a finished product], blame them," McShane said. The film began production in October 2018. Deadwood: The Movie was released on 31 May 2019, concluding the story of the series.
==Personal life==
McShane married and divorced Suzan Farmer in the 1960s. Then he married model Ruth Post with whom he had two children, Kate and Morgan. In 1977, he began a relationship with Sylvia Kristel after meeting her on the set of The Fifth Musketeer. On 30 August 1980, McShane married Gwen Humble. They live in Venice, California. Through his daughter Kate, McShane has three grandchildren.
He supports Manchester United Football Club.
==Filmography==
===Film===
Year	Title 	Role 	Notes
1962	The Wild and the Willing 	Harry Brown 	
1965	The Pleasure Girls 	Keith Dexter 	
1966	Sky West and Crooked 	Roibin 	
1969	If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium 	Charlie Cartwright 	
1969	Battle of Britain 	Sgt. Pilot Andy 	
1970	Pussycat, Pussycat, I Love You 	Fred C. Dobbs 	
1970	Tam-Lin 	Tom Lynn 	
1971	Freelance 	Mitch 	
1971	Villain 	Wolfe Lissner 	
1972	Left Hand of Gemini 	 	
1972	Sitting Target 	Birdy Williams 	
1973	The Last of Sheila 	Anthony Wood 	
1974	Ransom 	Ray Petrie 	
1975	Journey into Fear 	Banat 	
1979	The Great Riviera Bank Robbery 	The Brain 	
1979	The Fifth Musketeer 	Fouquet 	
1979	Yesterday's Hero 	Rod Turner 	
1981	Cheaper to Keep Her 	Dr. Alfred Sunshine 	
1983	Exposed 	Greg Miller 	
1985	Ordeal by Innocence 	Philip Durant 	
1985	Too Scared to Scream 	Vincent Hardwick 	
1985	Torchlight 	Sidney 	
2000	Sexy Beast 	Teddy Bass 	
2002	Bollywood Queen 	Frank 	
2003	Agent Cody Banks 	Dr. Brinkman 	
2003	Nemesis Game 	Jeff Novak 	
2005	Nine Lives 	Larry 	
2006	Scoop 	Joe Strombel 	
2006	We Are Marshall 	Paul Griffen 	
2007	Shrek the Third 	Captain Hook 	Voice
2007	Hot Rod 	Frank Powell 	
2007	The Seeker 	Merriman Lyon 	
2007	The Golden Compass 	Ragnar Sturlusson 	Voice
2008	Kung Fu Panda 	Tai Lung 	Voice
2008	Death Race 	Coach 	
2009	Coraline 	Mr. Bobinsky 	Voice
2009	Case 39 	Detective Mike Barron 	
2009	44 Inch Chest 	Meredith 	Also executive producer
2010	The Sorcerer's Apprentice 	Narrator 	Uncredited
2011	Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides	Blackbeard 	
2012	Snow White and the Huntsman 	Beith 	
2013	Jack the Giant Slayer 	King Brahmwell 	
2014	Cuban Fury 	Ron Parfitt 	
2014	Hercules 	Amphiaraus 	
2014	John Wick 	Winston 	
2014	El Niño 	El Inglés 	
2015	Bilal 	Umayya 	Voice
2016	Grimsby 	MI6 Spy Boss 	Uncredited
2016	The Hollow Point 	Sheriff Leland Kilbaught	
2017	John Wick: Chapter 2 	Winston 	
2017	Jawbone 	Joe Padgett 	
2017	Pottersville 	Bart 	
2018	Here Comes the Grump 	The Grump 	Voice
2019	Hellboy 	Trevor Bruttenholm 	
2019	Bolden 	Judge Leander Perry 	
2019	John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum 	Winston 	
2022	My Father's Dragon 	 	Voice; post-production
2023	John Wick: Chapter 4 	Winston 	Post-production
2028	Jim Button and the Wild 13 	King Lormoral 	Voice
===Television===
Year 	Title 	Role 	Notes
1964 	Redcap 	Sapper Russell 	Episode: "Epitaph for a Sweat"
1964 	Spanner in the Grass Works 	Frank Barnes 	
1964 	The Sullavan Brothers 	David Hemming 	1 episode
1966 	You Can't Win 	Joe Lunn 	7 episodes
1967 	Wuthering Heights 	Heathcliff 	4 episodes
1972 	Whose Life Is It Anyway? 	Ken Harrison 	Television play
1975 	Space: 1999 	Anton Zoref 	Episode: "Force of Life"
1975 	The Lives of Jenny Dolan 	Saunders 	Television film
1976 	The Fantastic Journey 	Sir James Camden 	Episode: "The Fantastic Journey"
1977 	Roots 	Sir Eric Russell 	Episode: "Part Nine"
1977 	Jesus of Nazareth 	Judas Iscariot 	2 episodes
1977 	Code Name: Diamond Head 	Sean Donovan 	Television film
1978 	Will Shakespeare 	Christopher Marlowe 	Episode: "Dead Shepherd"
1978 	Disraeli 	Benjamin Disraeli 	4 episodes
1978 	The Pirate 	Rashid 	Television film
1980 	Armchair Thriller - High Tide 	Curtis 	4 episodes
1981–1982	Magnum, P.I. 	David Norman / Edwin Clutterbuck	2 episodes
1982 	The Letter 	Geoff 	Television film
1982 	Marco Polo 	Ali Ben Yussouf 	2 episodes
1983 	Bare Essence 	Niko Theophilus 	11 episodes
1983 	Grace Kelly 	Prince Rainier of Monaco 	Television film
1985 	Evergreen 	Paul Lerner 	3 episodes
1985 	A.D. 	Sejanus 	5 episodes
1985 	Braker 	Alan Roswell 	Television film
1986 	American Playhouse 	Willy Wax 	Episode: "Rocket to the Moon"
1986,
1991–1994	Lovejoy 	Lovejoy 	71 episodes
1987 	Grand Larceny 	Flanagan 	Television film
1987
1989	Miami Vice 	Esteban Montoya 	2 episodes
1988 	The Dirty Dozen 	Lindberger 	1 episode
1988 	War and Remembrance 	Philip Rule 	4 episodes
1988 	Chain Letter 	The Messenger of Death 	Television film
1989 	Dallas 	Don Lockwood 	13 episodes
1989 	Wonderworks: Young Charlie Chaplin 	Charles Chaplin Sr. 	6 episodes
1989 	Minder 	Jack Last 	Episode: "The Last Video Show"
1989 	Miami Vice 	Gen. Manuel Borbon 	Episode: "Freefall"
1989 	Dick Francis Mysteries: Blood Sport 	David Cleveland 	Television film
1989 	Dick Francis Mysteries: In The Frame 	David Cleveland 	Television film
1989 	Dick Francis Mysteries: Twice Shy 	David Cleveland 	Television film
1990 	Perry Mason: The Case of the Desperate Deception	Andre Marchand 	Television film
1990 	Columbo 	Leland St. John 	Episode: "Rest in Peace, Mrs. Columbo"
1990 	Mistress of Suspense 	Steven Castle 	Episode: "Sauce for the Goose"
1994 	White Goods 	Ian Deegan 	Television film
1995 	Soul Survivors 	Otis Cooke 	2 episodes
1996 	Madson 	John Madson 	6 episodes
1997 	The Naked Truth 	Leland Banks 	2 episodes
1998 	Babylon 5: The River of Souls 	Robert Bryson, PhD 	Television film
1999 	D.R.E.A.M. Team 	Oliver Maxwell 	Television film
2001 	Thieves 	Jack 	Episode: "Jack's Back"
2002 	The West Wing 	Nikolai Ivanovich 	Episode: "Enemies Foreign and Domestic"
2002 	In Deep 	Jamie Lamb 	2 episodes
2002 	Man and Boy 	Marty Mann 	Television film
2003 	Trust 	Alan Cooper-Fozzard 	6 episodes
2003 	The Twilight Zone 	Dr. Chandler 	Episode: "Cold Fusion"
2004–2006	Deadwood 	Al Swearengen 	36 episodes
2008 	SpongeBob SquarePants 	Gordon 	Voice
Episode: "Dear Vikings"
2009 	Kings 	King Silas Benjamin 	12 episodes
2010 	The Pillars of the Earth 	Waleran Bigod 	8 episodes
2010 	Kung Fu Panda Holiday Special 	Tai Lung 	Voice
Television film
2012 	American Horror Story: Asylum 	Leigh Emerson 	2 episodes
2015 	Ray Donovan 	Andrew Finney 	9 episodes
2016 	Doctor Thorne 	Sir Roger Scatcherd 	3 episodes
2016 	Game of Thrones 	Brother Ray 	Episode: "The Broken Man"
2017–2021	American Gods 	Mr. Wednesday 	24 episodes
2019 	Deadwood: The Movie 	Al Swearengen 	Television film; also executive producer
2019 	Law & Order: Special Victims Unit 	Sir Tobias Moore 	Episode: "I'm Going To Make You a Star"
2021 	The Simpsons 	Artemis 	Voice
Episode: "The Last Barfighter"
===Video games===
Year	Title 	Voice role
2019	John Wick Hex	Winston
==Awards and nominations==
Year	Association 	Category 	Nominated work 	Result
2004	Television Critics Association Awards	Individual Achievement in Drama 	Deadwood| 	
2005	Golden Globe Awards 	 	Deadwood| 	
2005	Gotham Awards 	Best Ensemble Cast 	 	
2005	Primetime Emmy Awards 	Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series 	Deadwood| 	
2005	Satellite Awards 	 	Deadwood| 	
2005	Television Critics Association Awards	 	Deadwood| 	
2006	Screen Actors Guild Awards 	 	Deadwood| 	
2007	Screen Actors Guild Awards 	 	Deadwood| 	
2009	Annie Awards 	Best Voice Acting in an Animated Featured Production	 	
2010	San Diego Film Critics Society Awards	Best Ensemble Performance 	 	
2010	Satellite Awards 	Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film 	The Pillars of the Earth|	
2011	Golden Globe Awards 	 	The Pillars of the Earth|	
2011	Golden Nymph Awards 	 	The Pillars of the Earth|	
2011	Teen Choice Awards 	Choice Movie: Villain 	 	
2018	Critics' Choice Television Awards 	Best Actor in a Drama Series 	 	
2019	Primetime Emmy Awards 	Outstanding Television Movie (as executive producer)	 	
==References==
==External links==
 
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*"A Conversation with Actor Ian McShane" (Max)—The Charlie Rose Show, PBS, broadcast of 24 March 2008. Accessed 25 March 2008. ("A conversation with actor Ian McShane about his role in the 40th Anniversary Broadway revival of Harold Pinter's The Homecoming.")
*The Homecoming on Broadway—Official site of the 40th anniversary Broadway revival at the Cort Theatre. Accessed 25 March 2008.
Category:Voice actors
Category:1942 births
Category:Living people
Category:20th-century English male actors
Category:21st-century English male actors