Ray Stevenson

George Raymond Stevenson (born 25 May 1964) is an actor from Northern Ireland. He is known for playing Dagonet in the film King Arthur (2004) and Titus Pullo in the BBC/HBO television series Rome (2005–2007). He has portrayed two Marvel Comics characters: Frank Castle / The Punisher in Punisher: War Zone (2008) and The Super Hero Squad Show, and Volstagg in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (2011–2017). His other films include Kill the Irishman (2011), where he portrayed mobster Danny Greene, The Three Musketeers, and RRR (2022), where he portrayed the villainous Governor Scott. His television roles include Ukrainian mobster Isaak Sirko in the seventh season of Dexter, Blackbeard in the third and fourth seasons of Black Sails, and voicing Gar Saxon in Star Wars Rebels and Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
== Early life ==
George Raymond Stevenson was born in Lisburn on 25 May 1964, the second of three sons born to Irish parents. His father was a Royal Air Force pilot. He moved to England with his family at the age of eight, first settling in the Lemington area of Newcastle upon Tyne and later in Seaton Delaval. He attended the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, graduating at the age of 29.
== Career ==
=== Film ===
Stevenson made his film debut in The Theory of Flight (1998) as a gigolo hired to help Helena Bonham Carter's character lose her virginity. In 2002, he starred in the short film No Man's Land, which was the antipodal picture from actor/director Edward Hicks prior to his graduation from the London Film School. In the 12 minute film, set during World War I, Stevenson portrayed an experienced private who is forced to help a novice officer (David Birkin) back to safety after they both find themselves trapped and isolated in "No Man's Land" during the Battle of Ypres. In 2004, he starred in King Arthur as Dagonet, a knight of the round table who sacrifices his life for his comrades. His first leading role in a film was in the Scottish horror picture Outpost (2008), portraying a mercenary pitted against Nazi zombies in a bunker somewhere in Eastern Europe. That same year, he also starred in Punisher: War Zone, as Frank Castle / The Punisher, a former Marine turned vigilante after the murder of his family. In 2010, he played an antagonist in the comedy The Other Guys.
In 2011, Stevenson appeared in the film Kill the Irishman, based on the book To Kill the Irishman: The War That Crippled the Mafia, as Danny Greene, the Irish mob boss who took on the Italian-American Cleveland crime family during the 1970s. He starred as Volstagg, one of Thor's trusted comrades, in the 2011 Marvel film Thor. Also that year, he played Porthos in Paul W. S. Anderson's adaptation of The Three Musketeers. He played Firefly in G.I. Joe: Retaliation, released in 2013. He appeared in the Finnish-American thriller film Big Game. In 2014, he starred in the film Divergent, based on the first book of The Divergent Series. He reprised his role in the sequels, The Divergent Series: Insurgent, released in March 2015, and The Divergent Series: Allegiant, released in March 2016.
=== Television ===
Stevenson is known for playing legionary Titus Pullo in the BBC/HBO series Rome. Other television work includes guest appearances in popular series including Waking the Dead and Murphy's Law as well as lead roles in City Central and At Home with the Braithwaites. He has also appeared in several TV films such as Some Kind of Life in 1995, and The Return of the Native. Some of his earliest parts were in two Catherine Cookson films: The Dwelling Place (1994) and The Tide of Life (1996). Stevenson reprised his role this time as the voice of the Punisher in The Super Hero Squad Show and played the role of Isaak Sirko in the seventh season of Dexter in 2012.
On 24 March 2015, it was announced by producers that Stevenson would be joining the cast of the STARZ series Black Sails as the character Edward Teach.
=== Stage ===
Stevenson's stage work includes playing the part of Jesus Christ in the York Mystery Plays in 2000 at York Minster. In 2001, he took the part of Roger in the play Mouth to Mouth by Kevin Elyot, at the Albery Theatre in London with Lindsay Duncan and Michael Maloney. His most well-known part is perhaps that of the Cardinal in The Duchess of Malfi by John Webster with Janet McTeer at the Royal National Theatre in 2003.
== Personal life ==
In 1997, Stevenson married English actress Ruth Gemmell in London; they had met on the set of Band of Gold (1995), and later played a married couple in Peak Practice (1997). They divorced in 2005 after eight years of marriage. Since 2005, Stevenson has been in a relationship with Elisabetta Caraccia, with whom he has three sons.
== Filmography ==
=== Film ===
Year	Title 	Role 	Notes
1998	The Theory of Flight 	Gigolo 	
1999	G:MT - Greenwich Mean Time 	Mr. Hardy 	
2004	King Arthur 	Dagonet 	
2006	Cosmolina: Payback 	Phillip Atkinson 	English dub; voice
2008	Outpost 	DC 	
2008	Punisher: War Zone 	Frank Castle / Punisher	
2009	Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant	Murlough 	
2010	The Book of Eli 	Redridge 	
2010	The Other Guys 	Roger Wesley 	
2011	Kill the Irishman 	Danny Greene 	
2011	Thor 	Volstagg 	
2011	The Three Musketeers 	Porthos 	
2013	G.I. Joe: Retaliation 	Firefly 	
2013	Jayne Mansfield's Car 	Phillip Bedford 	
2013	Thor: The Dark World 	Volstagg 	
2014	Divergent 	Marcus Eaton 	
2014	Big Game 	Morris 	
2015	The Divergent Series: Insurgent 	Marcus Eaton 	
2015	The Transporter: Refueled 	Frank Martin Sr. 	
2016	The Divergent Series: Allegiant 	Marcus Eaton 	
2017	Thor: Ragnarok 	Volstagg 	
2017	Cold Skin 	Gruner 	
2018	Accident Man 	Big Ray 	
2018	Final Score 	Arkady Belav 	
2022	RRR 	Governor Scott Buxton 	Indian film
2022	Memory 	Detective Danny Mora 	
2022	Accident Man: Hitman's Holiday 	Big Ray 	Completed
=== Television ===
Year 	Title 	Role 	Notes
1993 	A Women's Guide to Adultery 	Journalist 	
1994 	A Dwelling Place 	Matthew Whitwell 	3 episodes
1994 	The Return of the Native 	Clym Yeobright 	TV movie
1995 	Band of Gold 	Steve Dickson 	12 episodes
1995 	Some Kind of Life 	Steve 	TV movie
1996 	The Tide of Life 	Larry Birch 	
1997 	Peak Practice 	Joe Higson 	Episode: "Home Truths"
1997 	Drover's Gold 	Armstrong 	5 episodes
1998 	City Central 	DI Tony Baynham 	32 episodes
1999 	Love in the 21st Century 	Alex 	Episode: "Toyboys"
2000 	Holby City 	Laurence Haney 	Episode: "Taking It on the Chin"
2000 	The Bill 	Sgt. Gartland 	Episode: "Over the Edge"
2001 	At Home with the Braithwaites	Graham Braithwaite 	11 episodes
2001 	Dalziel and Pascoe 	Jeff Parry 	Episode: "Truth and Consequences
2003 	Red Cap 	Sgt. Chris Roxborough 	Episode: "Cover Story"
2003 	Murphy's Law 	Robert Eaglan 	Episode: "Kiss and Tell"
2004 	Waking the Dead 	Dr. Tim Faulkner 	Episode: "Fugue States"
2005-07	Rome 	Titus Pullo 	22 episodes
2007 	Life Line 	Peter Brasco 	TV movie
2009 	The Super Hero Squad Show 	Frank Castle / The Punisher (voice)	Episode: Night in the Sanctorum"
2012 	Dexter 	Isaak Sirko 	9 episodes
Nominated – Saturn Award for Best Guest Starring Role on Television
2014 	Crossing Lines 	Miles Lennon 	4 episodes
2015 	Saints & Strangers 	Stephen Hopkins 	TV miniseries
2016-17	Black Sails 	Edward Teach / Blackbeard 	11 episodes
2016-17	Star Wars Rebels 	Gar Saxon (voice) 	2 episodes
2017 	Relik 	DSI Edward Benton 	6 episodes
2019 	Reef Break 	Jake Elliot 	13 episodes
2019 	Medici 	Ferdinand I of Naples 	2 episodes
2020 	The Spanish Princess 	James IV of Scotland 	2 episodes
2020 	Vikings 	Ohthere of Hålogaland 	11 episodes
2020 	Star Wars: The Clone Wars 	Gar Saxon (voice) 	2 episodes
2022 	Das Boot 	Commander Jack Swinburne 	8 episodes
2023 	Ahsoka 	TBA 	Upcoming Disney+ series
Category:1964 births
Category:Jak & Daxter Voice Actors
Category:1960s births
Category:Northern Irish actors
Category:Northern Irish Voice Actors
Category:People
Category:Real life
Category:Voice actors