Hamish Macbeth - articles This article appeared in THE BIG ISSUE IN SCOTLAND March 1996. From bampot Begbie to nice copper Hamish Macbeth...has Robert Carlyle gone soft? Iain S Bruce finds out What does Robert Carlyle think he's playing at? After winning acclaim for hard-hitting, controversial roles in Cracker and Trainspotting, what was the attraction of going back to playing an easy-going Highland plod in a show that at first glance appears to be a bizarre cross between Local Hero and The Bill. Carlyle candidly accepts that his title role in the BBC's Hamish Macbeth isn't the meatiest part he's been offered, but he strenuously denies that the show is merely a tartan copy of the 'rural cop saves the day and wallows in nostalgia' formula of the astoundingly popular Heartbeat: "Heartbeat is a very successful show, but it's not something I'd want to be involved in." "Obviously there are restrictions on a prime-time slot, but some of our episodes are very dark and deep.

They're as punishing as anything I've done as an actor and I think we've come up with something that's as good as you're going tee get on a Sunday night." Ten million viewers, he adds, have also raised his profile far more than any of his more exalted roles, and he is delighted that it has brought in floods of offers for new parts in a diverse range of productions. Doubtless the money comes in handy too. Nor can it be particularly unpleasant to play a man who has every single woman in town between the ages of 16 and 40 throwing themselves at him. The softly spoken Carlyle's newfound status as a sex symbol is one he intends to remain unaccustomed to: "I just can't see myself that way," he laughs. "I mean look at me, I'm five foot nothing. Guys like Mel Gibson - they're sex symbols, no' me. Maybe I've got some kind of cute Glaswegian thing going on but I cannae see it myself." Carlyle's star may be rising faster than practically any other Scots actor's but he seems genuinely uncomfortable with most aspects of celebrity, and confesses to being "absolutely stunned" by the enthusiastic reaction to Trainspotting.

Born and bred in Glasgow's Maryhill and trained by the Royal Scottish Academy of Dramatic Art, Carlyle owns that the rising prominence of the Scottish arts has been a contributory factor in his success: "There is a real focus of attention moving towards Scotland and hopefully I can ride along on the back of that. The problem for Scottish actors in the past has been that there were far too many of them for the number of productions actually underway in the country at any one time. With a bit of luck, the recent upsurge in interest should go some way to solving that." Isn't it surprising, then, that he turned down parts in both Braveheart and Rob Roy? Although quick to point out that both were fine films, Carlyle takes the view that he and his country are better served through other dramatic routes: "I'm interested in showing the current face of Scotland. While Braveheart kicks into the nationalist part of our psyche, Trainspotting does the opposite.

I suppose the simple answer is that I'm more interested in today than yesterday, and I think we can achieve more by confronting the issues facing us now, not 600 years ago." As an actor, he admits to being more interested in the characters he plays than the subjects tackled, and that his part in Hamish Macbeth affords him a pleasant divergence from more psychologically taxing roles. Yet Carlyle is obviously keen to maintain a political edge to his work. He speaks passionately of his role as a homeless man sleeping rough in London for Safe, one of his earliest films, and is outraged by what it taught him: "I slept out for eight days in preparation. I experienced that kind of life first hand and frankly, I think a society that allows that is a f***ing disgrace." Some might question, however, what impact an airy-fairy, arty production could actually have on the socio-political climate. Carlyle takes the point, but hopes that if he can do anything at all, it is to inform people of some aspects of society's problems that they might otherwise have been unaware of.

Drawing on his recent experiences filming amidst devastating poverty with director Ken Loach in Nicaragua, he cites the example of the USA's involvement in that country as an area he hopes to do some good in: "If it does anything, perhaps the film will make people aware of the terrible crimes America is committing in Nicaragua. I'm a lucky man to be able to use my political voice." Given the current entertainment craze for 'gritty' drama, embodied by everything from Prime Suspect to Pulp Fiction, Carlyle should have plenty more opportunities to extend his realist and political bents Far from being delighted by the situation, however, he is appalled by what he considers to be a drop in standards as television's top boys jump on the bandwagon: "Take that Silent Witness," he says. "Totally formulaic, pure garbage. It's a disgrace that sub-standard, so-called 'gritty drama' like that is being pumped out." After all, he adds, an anaesthetised, formulaic depiction of real life is what we already get by the bucket-load from Hollywood.

But then entertainment is a fickle industry, prone to hailing one genre after another as the be-all-and-end-all, only to have completely forgotten about it and moved onto pastures new within 12 months (witness 60s experimental theatre and Hugh Grant). Carlyle is very aware of this, but points out that when they opened, Trainspotting took more at the box office than Sense and Sensibility while showing at only half the number of cinemas. It is, he hopes, evidence that harsh realism is gaining a grip on a British film industry previously devoted to churning out "dreary period dramas". Just in case this isn't so, he's moving off now to explore new avenues, starting with a comedy set in Sheffield. Though it does, he adds with a smile, involve 'gritty' steel workers and their 'gritty' redundancies. Joking aside, Carlyle maintains a deep commitment to turning the film industry in Britain away from the gentle nostalgia he perceives it to be rooted in, and which he condemns as catering for "a conservative, middle-class audience with very little relevance to real people today." He knows his view is controversial; not everyone prefers reality to escapism.

But he remains steadfast in his view that it is an artform of far greater worth: "Trainspotting enlightened an audience who didn't know that there are people out there who choose not to choose life. If drama has any value at all, then it must be to explain to people that there are miseries out there that they don't and should know about." Amazon.com: Hamish Macbeth - Series Two: Robert Carlyle, Shirley Henderson, Nicholas Renton, Patrick Lau, Sid Roberson: Movies & TV Movies & TV Free Shipping for Prime Members | Fast, FREE Shipping with Amazon Prime Only 10 left in stock. Sold by SOUTHWEST MEDIA and Fulfilled by Amazon . Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) is a service we offer sellers that lets them store their products in Amazon's fulfillment centers, and we directly pack, ship, and provide customer service for these products. Something we hope you'll especially enjoy: FBA items qualify for FREE Shipping and . If you're a seller, Fulfillment by Amazon can help you increase your sales. We invite you to learn more about Fulfillment by Amazon . Hamish Macbeth - Series T...

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Show details Buy the selected items together This item:Hamish Macbeth - Series Two by Robert Carlyle DVD $10.05 Only 10 left in stock. Sold by SOUTHWEST MEDIA and ships from Amazon Fulfillment. FREE Shipping on orders over $49. Details Hamish Macbeth - Series One by Robert Carlyle DVD $12.79 Only 16 left in stock. Sold by Outlet Promotions and ships from Amazon Fulfillment. FREE Shipping on orders over $49. Details Agatha Raisin, Series 1 by Ashley Jensen DVD $32.12 In Stock. Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. FREE Shipping on orders over $49. Details Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought Page 1 of 1 Start over Page 1 of 1 This shopping feature will continue to load items. In order to navigate out of this carousel please use your heading shortcut key to navigate to the next or previous heading. Page 1 of 1 Start over Sponsored Products are advertisements for products sold by merchants on Amazon.com. When you click on a Sponsored Product ad, you will be taken to an Amazon detail page where you can learn more about the product and purchase it.

To learn more about Amazon Sponsored Products, click here . Ad feedback Special Offers and Product Promotions Save Big On Open-Box & Pre-owned: Buy "Hamish Macbeth - Series Twoâ from Amazon Warehouse Deals and save 77% off the $34.98 list price. Product is eligible for Amazon's 30-day returns policy and Prime or FREE Shipping. See all Open-Box & Pre-owned offers from Amazon Warehouse Deals. Product Description Amazon.com Hamish Macbeth may technically be a British mystery series, but the quirky BBC show, set in Scotland, is more Local Hero meets Northern Exposure than Miss Marple, as series 2 shows. The residents of tiny Lochdubh, Scotland, are an eccentric bunch, and actor Robert Carlyle, for better or worse, is the town's sole lawman/sheriff. Carlyle is in prime deadpan form in the role of Hamish Macbeth, who presides over the crimes and just plain weird happenings of the burgh. The series, based on characters created by M.C.

Beaton, doesn't always even seem to feature a mystery, until the final moments of an episode, as in "A Perfectly Simple Explanation." The episode features slightly manic members of a fundamentalist sect, the Church of the Stony Path, and Hamish comes under their fire-and-brimstone curses for living out of wedlock with his insecure girlfriend, Alex. Then there's the new age cult leader who conducts his conversations on a particularly sloshy waterbed. The oddball characters come and go, and somewhere, woven around their interactions, is a plot that becomes strangely satisfying by an episode's finale, but which is not at all the reason for watching. The steadfast but affectionate take on the residents' quirkiness is compulsively addictive, and Carlyle proves again what a talented, multifaceted actor he is. As the blustery minister shrieks at Macbeth about the sin and wantonness of his town, Carlyle never lets Macbeth show he's ruffled. "If the Lord thinks so much of you," he says, when the reverend pauses to catch his breath, "then why is He lettin' me dog wee on your leg?" Visit Lochdubh and you'll likely never want to leave.

--A.T. Hurley Special Features 6 episodes on 2 discs Behind the Scenes featurette Format: Multiple Formats, Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC, Subtitled Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo) Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats. ) Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 DVD Release Date: October 23, 2007 Run Time: 300 minutes Page 1 of 1 Start over Sponsored Products are advertisements for products sold by merchants on Amazon.com. When you click on a Sponsored Product ad, you will be taken to an Amazon detail page where you can learn more about the product and purchase it. To learn more about Amazon Sponsored Products, click here . By Stephanie De Pue VINE VOICE on October 5, 2006 Format: DVD "Hamish MacBeth," a British Broadcasting television series based on characters created by the Scottish woman author M.C. Beaton, and set in Scotland, had its American tv premier in 1999.

It's set in a small village, Lochdubh, in the Scottish highlands, big sky country of mountain and loch, populated by eccentric, country-music loving characters, men who drink hearty, wear kilts-- surprisingly often, considering the climate, and gorgeous hand-knit sweaters. It's nominally a mystery series, though some of the mysteries are mild, indeed, and it's just full of surprises. You'd have to call it a village cosy mystery, I think, not the slightest tartan noir flavor to this one: minimal blood and violence, although lots of welcome slightly bent humor. Biggest surprise to me, the starring actor, Robert Carlyle, raised in Maryhill, Glasgow, Scotland, rather a young man when this series was made; his trademark intensity greatly subdued. He plays the title character, Hamish MacBeth, the local law, who finds himself bending the law as often as he enforces it. It's not a town to run by the book.

Carlyle, who first caught the wider public's eye as "Gaz" in The Full Monty ; generally plays things deadpan in "Hamish Macbeth", leaving the breathtaking scenery unchewed: he's ably supported by an excellent cast, a cute Westie terrier, and the flavorful great outdoors. Plots vary from the complex to the simple, and are frequently shot through with that sly subversive Scottish humor: they also occasionally feature the supernatural. One episode is about an older woman, walking on the beach by the loch, who accidentally steps on a live World War II land mine, and cannot step off it until it's disarmed. MacBeth, who's come down to the loch to drown himself, must instead rescue her. Several episodes in this series are credited to Danny Boyle, who has gone on to greater things on the bigger screen. One, in particular, deals with the (fictional) rough Scottish equivalent of the Irish Blarney Stone, supposedly used for centuries in the coronations of Scottish kings. It's been taken some centuries ago by the English, and is currently on display in Westminster Abbey, London.

A number of the local lads, wearing their kilts, of course, so they'll blend right in, liberate it from London and hide it by a local waterfall. Pleasurable chaos ensues. Chief among the pleasures of this episode is the supposed long-lost brother of one of the more important supporting cast characters. This long-lost brother has had the most remarkable bad luck in his attempts to live a life of crime, and has lived most of his adult life in jail: most recently an Argentinian one, a life not likely to be pleasurable to a Scot. He has also had remarkably bad luck in regard to accidents and injuries, and is as close as he can come to a bionic man without entering the realm of science fiction. Yet he steadfastly, furiously, refuses to admit he's had bad luck. So his nonexistent bad luck finally, in this particular episode, bites not only him, but also his brother, Mac Beth's right-hand man. Now I love mysteries, generally the bloodier the better. But the Scottish, positively non-twee charm of the Hamish Mac Beth series wins me over. So try it, you might like it.

By Helen on January 5, 2007 Format: DVD|Verified Purchase I now own series one and two of this fabulous series. What a pleasure it is to watch really interesting and engaging stories suberbly acted by a cast that make it all so very believable - well almost. And what a delight the Scottish scenery is. Without going into the story lines I would simply say that these programes are well worth watching, and well worth spending a hard earned dollar on! Like Monarch of the Glen and Ballykissangel, you can't go wrong. Sadly, we now have to wait until the third series comes out. Perhaps Amazon could speed it up a little :) By cognetic on January 27, 2007 Format: DVD|Verified Purchase Hamish Macbeth is a brilliant series... notably Scottish with a hint of Northern Exposure flavor. The interplay and depth of the characters is amazing... the storylines are humorous with a great perspective on human nature... there is constancy, mysticism, passion, trust, and mystery in every episode. Series two keeps building the story. Every episode has me wanting to move to LochDubh and joining the village folk at the pub for a pint!!

Contrary to previous posters lament on offensive material, this could be nothing further from the truth. Our family has learned to love this Scottish town and the people in it... We laugh and talk about the twists and always want to see more... We can't wait for the third season to come out!! Every now and then we pull out the discs and start watching!! Makes the bad weather outside all go away... and our hearts are warmed by the expereince! Buy Series 1 and 2.. then start looking for the third!! I'm trying to collect the hardback books... just can't get enough!! By Atheen on July 29, 2010 Format: DVD This is a delightful series. I had read many of the Macbeth books by M. C. Beaton some time ago, but I don't recall enjoying them nearly as much as I do the TV series. Although the TV series shares some of the Macbeth self-immolation characteristic of the books, over all it seems to find some underlying goofiness, joy, and growth in the lives of its characters.

Like Midsomer Murders, Midsomer Murders - The Early Cases Collection , which shares some of this boisterous background to murder, it entangles the viewer before they realize what they've gotten themselves into. More than anything, I enjoy the stick-togetherness of the village people, and the almost magic combination of their silly insanity with stark tragedy is almost Shakespearean. In the midst of tragedy appears a bit of comedy, and occasionally even a fool can be wiser than the wisest. It's like a roller coaster with emotions up and down and all around in the small space of one two hour episode, and in the end the viewer comes out feeling somehow revitalized. For those who've seen Series One, Series Two is a welcome return to a familiar venue. As in good soap operas, the series characters have caught us up in the ongoing events of their lives, and we almost feel like they're personal friends. This collection develops them all still further, while losing one who was close to us. My favorite of this series is No Man Is an Island, since it reveals that self revelation can be painful but that life goes on; and it does so because of others in our lives.

It also involves us in an almost Keystone Cops slapstick as the entire village becomes involved in an effort to keep Macbeth from being promoted and his temporary replacement from becoming permanent. The most delightfully insane of the set is A Perfectly Simple Explanation which is anything but! The Robert Carlyle Picture Pages Gaz the Full Monty Background: “I hate that term, ‘Method.’ It's definitely been given to me over the years, but I don't know if it's true. My belief is that every actor's got their own method and as long as it works that's OK.” Robert Carlyle Scottish actor Robert Carlyle was popular among TV viewers in his home country while portraying the title role of the kind-hearted Highland police constable in the eponymous BBC Scotland comedy-drama series "Hamish Macbeth" (1995-1997). Moviegoers probably best remember him as the volatile thug Begbie in “Trainspotting” (1996) and the unemployed steel worker-turned-male stripper Gaz in “The Full Monty” (1997).

An actor since the early 1990s, Carlyle has starred in such films as “Priest” (1994), “Go Now” (1995), “Carla's Song” (1996), “Face” (1997), “Plunkett & Macleane” (1999), “The World Is Not Enough” (1999), “Angela's Ashes” (1999), “The Beach” (2000), “The 51st State” (2001), “Eragon” (2006) and “28 Weeks Later” (2007). He will star in the upcoming films “Stone of Destiny,” “The Tournament,” “The Meat Trade,” and “I Know You Know.” One of the best British actors of the modern era who ranked seventh in the 2001 Orange Film Survey of greatest British actors, Carlyle was awarded an OBE in the 1999 New Years honors list. More personally, the 5' 8" actor was romantically linked to Caroline Patterson in the early 1990s.

He has been married to make-up artist Anastasia Shirley since 1997 and has three kids. Bobby Childhood and Family: In Glasgow, Scotland, UK, Robert Carlyle, nicknamed Bobby, was born on April 14, 1961. He was raised by his father, Joseph, in a commune after the actor's mother, Liz McDonald, abandoned him when he was 4 years old. His father died at age 76 on January 7, 2006, and was buried in Maryhill, Glasgow, on January 14. Dropping out of school at age 16, Carlyle enrolled in acting class at the age of 21 at the Glasgow Arts Centre. This led to a stint at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama where he studied for one term before becoming disenchanted with the institution. On December 28, 1997, Carlyle married Anastasia Shirley, a make-up artist. They have three children together: a daughter named Ava (born in 2002), and two sons: Harvey (born in 2004) and Pearce Joseph (born in April 2006).

Carlyle was awarded an OBE in 1999. Trainspotting Career: Acting by age 15, Robert Carlyle took an acting class at the Glasgow Arts Centre and began performing in amateur theatres. He also honed in on his skills at the Royal Scottish Academy of Drama, but left after only one term. The novice thespian made his professional stage debut as Oberon in The Royal Scottish Orchestra's production of William Shakespeare's classic romantic comedy "A Midsummer Night's Dream" with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. His solid performance earned him a coveted Actor's Equity card. Carlyle subsequently acted in films, starting with director David Hayman's biopic about convicted murderer Larry Winters (played by Iain Glen), “Silent Scream” (1990). That same year, he landed his first starring role in Ken Loach's brilliant independent film, “Riff-Raff” (opposite Emer McCourt), which won the European Film Award for Best Picture.

He also made his first appearance on television guest starring in an episode of the long-running Scottish detective drama series "Taggart," playing a political candidate, and the long-running British cop-drama “The Bill.” The next year, in 1991, Carlyle and four actor friends founded an acting company called Raindog Theatre (named after Tom Waits' album "Rain Dog," one of Carlyle's favorites). The company is dedicated to innovative, improvisational-based work, as well as re-workings of the classics. Back on the screen, Carlyle made his first collaboration with director Antonia Bird in the made-for-television movie on BBC-2, “Safe” (1993; alongside Kate Hardie, George Costigan and Steven Mackintosh). For his role, Carlyle researched what it was like living in the Waterloo area of London. Afterward, Carlyle co-starred in Bird's critically acclaimed and very controversial film, “Priest” (1994), in which he played the tender gay lover of a Catholic priest (played by Linus Roache).

Also in 1994, Carlyle was originally cast as journalist Alex Law in Danny Boyle's directorial debut, the thriller/dark comedy “Shallow Grave,” but dropped out of the project and was replaced by then-unknown Ewan McGregor. 1995-1997 saw Carlyle starring in the BBC Scotland comedy-drama series based on characters created by M.C. Beaton, "Hamish Macbeth." Portraying the titular character, Carlyle won a Best Actor from the Royal Television Society and from BAFTA Scotland. He was also nominated for Best Actor at the BAFTA TV Awards. During his three-year stint in "Hamish Macbeth," Carlyle went on to play various different roles, such as a young Scottish soccer player in the Michael Winterbottom-directed TV drama “Go Now” (Juliet Aubrey played his live-in girlfriend; film released theatrically in 1998), which won him a Sant Jordi award for Best Foreign Actor (Mejor Actor Extranjero), and a psychotic villain who killed Christopher Eccleston's character in his US TV debut on A&E drama series, “Cracker,” which won him a BAFTA Scotland award for Best Actor.

He also reunited with director Ken Loach in his period romantic drama “Carla's Song” (1996; released in the USA in 1998). His performance later won him a Best Actor from Evening Standard British Film. No stranger to critical appreciation, Carlyle was nominated for a BAFTA Scotland Award for Best Actor for his turn as the drunken, raving psychotic in Danny Boyle's Academy Award-nominated, BAFTA-winning cult classic film adaptation from the 1993 novel by Scottish writer Irvine Welsh, “Trainspotting” (1996; opposite Ewan McGregor and Jonny Lee Miller). He also won an Evening Standard British Film Award for Best Actor for portraying an aging ex-socialist-turned-bank robber in his third film with director Antonia Bird, “Face,” loosely based on the work of Irish writer Ronan Bennett.

In 1997, Carlyle played the down-and-out Gary "Gaz" Schofield, an unemployed steelworker who joins a ragtag group to perform a male striptease act to earn their living, in Peter Cattaneo's Academy Award-winning sleeper hit comedy “The Full Monty,” with Mark Addy, William Snape, Steve Huison, Tom Wilkinson, Paul Barber and Hugo Speer. For his outstanding performance in the film, Carlyle won a Screen Actors Guild (Outstanding Performance by a Cast), a BAFTA (Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role), an Evening Standard British Film (Best Actor), a London Critics Circle Film (British Actor of the Year), and a Sant Jordi (Best Foreign Actor). He was also nominated for an MTV Movie Award for Best Dance Sequence.

Carlyle spent the rest of the 1990s acting in the television movie “Looking After Jo Jo” and Jake Scott's period drama “Plunkett and Macleane.” He was also seen in the 1999 film adaptation of McCourt's first memoir, “Angela's Ashes,” in which he co-starred with Emily Watson, playing the senior Malachy McCourt (father of author Frank McCourt). The role handed him a nomination for Best British Actor at the Empire Awards. He also did a cinema commercial for Jerwood Film Prize. “The intensity and concentrated power in all that Bobby (Robert Carlyle) does can sometimes shake you as a director and it’s hard not to be impressed with his work.” “Angela's Ashes” director Alan Parker on Robert Carlyle Still in the late 1990s, Carlyle portrayed the villain to Pierce Brosnan's James Bond in “The World Is Not Enough,” helmed by Michael Apted. He was also reunited with director Antonia Bird for the dark comedy film “Ravenous” (both in 1999), in which he portrayed the dual role of the evil Colonel Ives and a Scottish stranger named Colquhoun.

Entering the new millennium, Carlyle had a featured role in Danny Boyle's adaptation of Alex Garland's novel, “The Beach.” He then took the role of a coach in John Hay's sport drama/comedy “There's Only One Jimmy Grimble,” starring Lewis McKenzie in the title role. In 2001, Carlyle appeared as himself in the hit Scottish comedy sketch show starring Ford Kiernan, Greg Hemphill and Karen Dunbar, “Chewin' the Fat.” He also worked in David L. Cunningham's true story-based war drama inspired by the autobiography of Ernest Gordon, “To End All Wars,” alongside Kiefer Sutherland. About the project, Carlyle explained, “The short cut is 'Bridge over the River Kwai.’ That's exactly what it's about, but it's the true story of what happened to these men. I'd been offered a couple of war films. I didn't wanna get involved with that, glorifying it.

I thought if I'm going to do a war film, I want to do something that says war is pretty shitty.” After co-starring as Felix DeSouza in Ronny Yu's action/comedy “Formula 51” (2002; opposite Samuel L. Jackson and Emily Mortimer), Carlyle appeared in an “Oasis” music video for their song "Little By Little" from the band's fifth studio album “Heathen Chemistry.” The following year, he was cast as Jimmy, a sexy small-time crook, in Shane Meadows' drama comedy feature “Once Upon a Time in the Midlands” (2003). Carlyle was also handed the title role as the legendary German dictator who plunged the planet into World War II in the 2003's Emmy Award-winning television movie, “Hitler: The Rise of Evil.” His performance later received a nomination at the Golden Satellite Awards for Best Performance by an Actor in a Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for Television.

Caryle was cast as Durza in first-time director Stefen Fangmeier's “Eragon” (2006) and co-starred in Randall Miller's “Marilyn Hotchkiss Ballroom Dancing and Charm School.” He also received an Emmy nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie for his role in the made-for-television movie "Human Trafficking," which also stars Mira Sorvino and Donald Sutherland. Recently, Carlyle could be seen in Juan Carlos Fresnadillo's post-apocalyptic science fiction horror film “28 Weeks Later,” a sequel to the 2002 film “28 Days Later,” in which he played the part of Catherine McCormack's husband, Don, one of the main characters. He also starred as a marine engineer in Tony Mitchell's disaster film inspired by Richard Doyle's novel, “Flood” (both in 2007). Carlyle will soon complete an upcoming miniseries titled "The Last Enemy" and writer/director Charles Martin Smith’s “Stone of Destiny,” starring Charlie Cox.

He is currently filming Scott Mann's action film “The Tournament,” alongside Ving Rhames, Kelly Hu, Ian Somerhalder and Scott Adkins, and Antonia Bird's dark comedy “The Meat Trade,” opposite Colin Firth.

He will also star as a spy whose son (played by Ewen Bremner) gets caught up in his undercover work, in writer/director Justin Kerrigan's coming-of-age drama set in Wales, “I Know You Know.” Awards: Screen Actors Guild: Outstanding Performance by a Cast, “The Full Monty,” 1998 BAFTA: Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role, “The Full Monty,” 1998 Evening Standard British Film: Best Actor, “The Full Monty,” 1998 Evening Standard British Film: Best Actor, “Carla's Song,” 1998 Evening Standard British Film: Best Actor, “Face,” 1998 London Critics Circle Film: ALFS, British Actor of the Year, “The Full Monty,” 1998 Sant Jordi: Best Foreign Actor (Mejor Actor Extranjero), “The Full Monty,” 1998 Sant Jordi: Best Foreign Actor (Mejor Actor Extranjero), “Go Now,” 1998 Royal Television Society: Best Actor - Male, “Hamish Macbeth,” 1996 BAFTA Scotland: Best Actor - TV

, “Cracker,” 1995 BAFTA Scotland: Best Actor - TV, “Hamish Macbeth,” 1995 Hamish Macbeth (TV series) Hamish Macbeth (TV series) Edit Block Hamish Macbeth is a television series made by BBC Scotland and first aired in 1995.

It is loosely based on a series of mystery novels by M. C. Beaton (Marion Chesney), published in the UK by Constable & Robinson. The series concerns a local police officer, Constable Hamish Macbeth in the fictitious town of Lochdubh on the north coast of Scotland. The titular character was played by Robert Carlyle. It ran for three series from 1995 to 1997, with the first two series having six episodes and the third having eight. Plot Edit Block Macbeth, accompanied by his dog, a West Highland Terrier named Wee Jock, keeps the peace in the small town of Lochdubh (pronounced with the gutteral 'ch' sound, LoCH-DOO). MacBeth does this in his own way, without undue reliance on the letter of the law and with every intention of avoiding being promoted out of what is his ideal job. He strongly dislikes involvement from Inverness police, and sometimes his main work doesn't seem to be the capture of local very petty criminals, but to keep them away from prison and penalties.

The major running theme of the series is the tension caused by Hamish's attraction to both the journalist of the local newspaper, Isobel Sutherland (Shirley Henderson) and the aristocratic Alexandra Maclean (Valerie Gogan). Other themes include the clairvoyance of Hamish's friend and co-worker "TV John", John McIver (Ralph Riach), the not-so-secret romance between the school-teacher Esme Murray and the shopkeeper Rory Campbell, the volatile marriage of the publican Barney Meldon and his wife Agnes, and the schemes of the two Lachie MacCraes, father and son. The series had a slightly surreal quality to it, drawing on the superstitious natures of some of the characters and the somewhat eerie beauty of the remote and misty location, and enhanced by the Gaelic music of John Lunn. Production Edit Block The series was filmed on location in the village of Plockton, the town of Kyle of Lochalsh and the surrounding area. It was directed mainly by Nicholas Renton, with Mandie Fletcher directing four episodes and Jonas Grimas directing two episodes in 1997.

DVD Edit Block The series were released on DVD in the UK and the US in 2005 and 2006 with the exception of the first series episode West Coast Story. This was due to rights issues surrounding the episode's extensive use of excerpts from West Side Story. The third and final series was released in April 2006. Cast Publicity Notes - Season 1 Publicity Notes HAMISH MACBETH General Introduction to Series 1 major new drama series set in the Scottish Highlands, "Hamish Macbeth" starts transmission on BBC ! on Sunday, 26th March. The 6x1 hr series stars rising young Scots actor Robert Carlyle in the title role. Hamish Macbeth is a young policeman whose beat is the apparently sleepy Highland village of Lochdubh. Serious crime isn't much of a problem in Lochdubh, but life is never dull. Passions run high in a small community - petty sqabbles turn into violent feuds, things go missing and so - occasionally - do people. Hamish has one great ambiion: to avoid promotion.

Pomotion would mean leaving his home in Lochdubh and Wee Jock, his beloved West Highland terrier. So, the less his superior officers in Inverness know of his policing activities, the better. In any case, Hamish is moe interested in natural justice than in the letter of the law. "He sees himself as h sheriff of a one-horse ton," explains Robert Carlyle, who plays Hamish. "To him Lochdubh is the Wild West and he has his own way of dealing wih crimes and misdemeanours." A team of colourful characters make up the close-knit community of Lochdubh, including Hamish's friend and general factotum, TV John (Ralph Riach); father and son ne'er-do-wells Lachlan an Lachie Junior (Jimmy Yuill and Stuart Davids); Doctor Dougal Brown (Duncan Duff); the proprietor of the village store, Rory Campbell and his secret love, Esme (Brian Pettifer and Anne Lacey); and Barney and Agnes Meldrum (Stuart McGugan and Barbara Rafferty), landlord and lady of the Lochdubh Hotel, local watering hole and the hub of village life.

Hamish is unhappily in love with Alexandra Maclean (Valerie Gogan), the laird's daughter, but she has left Lochdubh to pursue a writing career in London. Her occasional visits home inevitable rekindle his passion, which is a shame because, unnoticed by Hamish, local girl Isobel Sutherland (Shirley Henderson), a reporter on the Lochdubh Listener, has loved him for years. Meanwhile, Hamish's closest friend is Wee Jock. The little terrier goes everywhere with him and jealously guards his bed when an attractive woman is in town. Wee Jock is played by newcomer, Zippy, a West Highland White from Dumfries. Robert Carlyle's new role as Hamish is in stark contrast to his most recent television appearance playing Albie, the chilling shaven-headed psychopath in the latest series of Cracker. Other recent TV work includes Preston in the first series of 99-1; and a vicious dread-locked punk in Antonia Bird's award-winning TV drama Safe. On film Robert has appeared in Being Human directed by Bill Forsythe, and Silent Scream directed by David Hayman.

He played the lead in Riff Raff directed by Ken Loach (winner of the European Film of the Year Award), and also stars as Linus Roache's gay lover in Antonia Bird's controversial new film Priest, which was the surprise hit of the Toronto Film Festival earlier this year (1996) and is now set for release on 17th March. In the theatre he has worked with 7:48, TAG and the Traverse Theatre. He is also a director with Glasgow's Rain Dog Theatre Company which he co-founded. "Hamish Macbeth" was filmed entirely in and around the beautiful village of Plockton on the North West Coast of Scotland. Previously famous for the palm trees which unexpectedly fringe its pretty harbour, Plockton is now set to become much better known as television's fictional village of Lochdubh. "We looked at practically every village on the West Coast of Scotland," explains producer Deirdre Keir.

"We had very particular requirements and Plockton fitted th bill perfectly." Andrea Calderwood, Head of Television Drama at BBC Scotland says, "Hamish is a very exceptional policeman and the goings-on in his village of Lochdubh offer a fresh and entertaining view of contemporary life in the Highlands." "Hamish Macbeth" is an independent poduction for the BBC Scotland by Zenith and Skyline. Skyline is a major Scottish-based company making documentary, music and drama programmes for television. Zenith's many credits include: Inspector Morse; 99-1 starring Leslie Grantham; and Finney, a six-part thriller for ITV. Inspired by the books of M.C. Beaton, "Hamish Macbeth' is produced by Deidre Keir (Inspector Morse; The Widow Maker; Saracen; The One Game; Firm Friends).

Scripts are by Daniel Boyle (Inspector Morse; Meat; Leaving; A View of Harry Clarke), Stuart Hepburn (Taggart; Van der Valk; Sam Saturday, Winners and Losers; Loose Ends), Bryan Elsley (Casualty; London's Burning; A Nuclear Accident; The Govan Ghost Story), Julian Spilsbury (The Bill; Boon) and Dominic Minghella, who is also script editor for the series. Nicholas Renton (Rough Justice; The Entertainer; Maigret; Underbelly) directed three episodes. The other directors are Ian Knox (Between The Lines; 99-1; Spender), Patrick Lau (99-1, Doctor Finlay; The Bill; Game, Set and Match) and Sid Robertson (Harry; Robin of Sherwood; The Sweeney). Executive Producers are Andrea Calderwood (BBC Scotland), Trevor Davies (Skyline) and Scott Meek (Zenith). M.C. Beaton's original Hamish Macbeth novels - Death of a Cad, Death of a Gossip, Death of a Perfect Wife and Death of an Outsider - are published in the UK for the first time in Bantam paperback in April and May.

Critic Consensus: No consensus yet. Movie Info Before his breakout performances in Trainspotting and The Full Monty, the intense Robert Carlyle starred in the quirky mystery series Hamish Macbeth. As the constable of a small village in the Scottish highlands known as Lochdubh, Macbeth struggles to maintain the social balance of his tight-knit town, solving crimes along the way. In fact, the show as a whole leans more towards character drama than whodunnit; when a newcomer to Lochdubh (Phyllida Law, The Winter Guest) receives threatening notes, finding their source is little more than the hook for a web of characters' portraits and social observation. This may disappoint hard-core mystery fans (and fans of the books the series is based on), but the quality of the writing and the performances gives the show an emotional richness few mysteries can muster. Two episodes in particular--one in which Macbeth seeks revenge for his dead dog and one where he tries to keep a corporate team-building exercise from turning deadly--are unexpectedly wrenching. Other episodes are more comic; in one, lobsters are the key to a local bully's disappearance, and another hinges on tubs of raspberry ripple ice cream.

But even when the show turns whimsical, Carlyle's live-wire presence keeps you glued to the screen, ably supported by a solid cast--especially impish Shirley Henderson (Yes, Topsy-Turvy), whose quiet yearning for Macbeth strikes a plaintive note and leads to a nerve-wracking series-ending cliffhanger. (Two caveats: The Scottish accents are occasionally impenetrable--though the stories are always clear enough--and the fourth episode of this six-episode first series could not be included on this dvd set.) --Bret Fetzer Rating: Hamish Macbeth - Robert Carlyle OBE Robert Carlyle OBE Hamish Macbeth Synopsis Hamish Macbeth is based on a series of books of the same name and adapted by BBC Scotland television. It ran for three series between 1995 and 1997, with the first two series having six episodes and the third having eight. Macbeth, aided by his dog, a West Highland Terrier named Wee Jock, keeps the peace in his own way without undue reliance on the letter of the law, and with every intention of avoiding being promoted out of what is his ideal job.

(Wikipedia) Starring Robert Carlyle Anne Lacey Brian Pettifer Stuart Davids Ralph Riach Barbara Rafferty Shirley Henderson David Ashton Duncan Duff Valerie Gogan Jimmy Yuill Billy Riddoch Links S01E01 The Great Lochdubh Salt Robbery S01E02 A Pillar of the Community S01E03 The Big Freeze S01E06 A Bit of an Epic Series 2 1996 S02E01 A Perfectly Simple Explanation S02E02 In Search of a Rose S02E03 Isobel Pulls It Off S02E04 Radio Lochdubh S02E05 No Man Is an Island S02E06 The Lochdubh Deluxe S03E05 The Trouble with Rory S03E06 More Than a Game S03E07 Destiny (1) Click on the thumbnails for full-sized versions. Covers Promotional photos and episode stills Interview with Robert Carlyle, ETV, Issue 7, May/June 1997 “Farewell Lochdubh?

Robert Carlyle has filmed his third and last series of Hamish Macbeth – but is this really the end? Maybe, maybe not, as he tells John Binns and Hilary Bonner...” Actors can normally consider themselves lucky if they have one major success in their career. For Robert Carlyle it’s rather different: the runaway success that is Hamish Macbeth has been just another line on a very impressive CV, which also includes films like Trainspotting, Go Now, Priest and Carla’s Song, and a wealth of television roles (most notably as the unhinged Albie Kinsella in Cracker). Hamish Macbeth, though, is the show that has made him a household name to millions of viewers. Playing the unconventional face of policing in the tiny Scottish village of Lochdubh has brought him a legion of followers, and much of the fan mail is from adoring women – many of them, apparently, besotted with his ‘pixie ears’. “I don’t even know what it means!” Robert giggles a little nervously. “But I get loads of letters about my pixie ears.

There must be lots of people out there with ear fetishes...” During filming for the first series, he says, he received a lot of unexpected calls. “I got these funny phone calls, lots of them, and from different people,” he explains. In later series the producers had to take his name off the call-sheet to prevent it happening. “When you are on television for six weeks playing to audiences of 10 million and more, it is a transformation in your life. You may have done well-received work before, but it has nothing like the effect of that,” says Robert. “It’s done a lot for me,” he continues. “I’ll be eternally grateful for Hamish Macbeth, because it allowed people to put a name to the face. I think prior to Hamish I was known probably more within the business, the film and TV world. Obviously Hamish brought me in front of 10 million people every week, so that does change things.” He has lost some of his privacy, of course – people in the street often recognise and talk to him – but it’s not something that bothers him too much. “You can never be annoyed by that,” he says.

“99% of the people who approach me and talk to me are fantastic. It’s a consequence of what you do, and you can’t possibly feel annoyed, because if that wasn’t happening I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing.” More and more though, people are recognising Robert as Hamish Macbeth, rather than as Albie from Cracker or Begbie from Trainspotting. Robert’s wish not to get ‘tied down’ to the role is, he says, one of the reasons why he’s not doing a fourth series. “I think there’s always that danger. You don’t want to be rooted to the one spot for too long. I’ve always been fortunate that I’ve been able to diversify.” He stresses, though, that the decision not to do another series wasn’t entirely his. “It was a collective decision. Zenith [the production company], the BBC, myself, and Danny Boyle [the creator and writer] decided that for the moment enough was enough. You’re dealing with a very small community, Lochdubh. If there was a murder every week, there’d be nobody left in the village! The danger is obviously that you start to repeat yourself.

We’ve filmed 20 very different episodes so far, and that was the way we wanted to try and keep it. “And of course like anything else, Hamish will hopefully improve with age. Perhaps people will look back and think that it’s even better than it is, which normally happens. I feel that perhaps people are just beginning to come to terms with Hamish Macbeth now, but that’s the ideal time to go!” Other series have finished on a regular basis, though, and gone on to continue as one-offs and specials. As far as Robert at least is concerned, this could be the way forward for the show. “We’d have to talk to the various producers about it, but talking personally I would feel that perhaps the one-off format would be better for Hamish – specials and stuff like that – because people know the characters now. You don’t have to have a whole series to educate people about the programme.” But from the start, Hamish has had fans of all ages – and not just in the UK, either. “The Australians went mad for the programme, they really seemed to enjoy it. We had busloads of Australians descending on the village last year which was very interesting.

Plockton [where Hamish is filmed] was voted the best tourist village in Scotland even before Hamish Macbeth went there, so it was always doing okay for tourism, but anything that helps the area is great. It’s a wonderful place.” Australia is the base for the Wee Jock Appreciation Society, a club devoted to Hamish’s West Highland White. Robert says he doesn’t mind being upstaged by the little fellow from time to time, as long as he remembers who the star of the show is: “You know what dogs are like, they demand too much! They want their money, they want their wine; you’ve got to just keep them in their place sometimes!” Now that filming on Hamish has finished, Robert says he is taking a well-earned break for the first time in a couple of years. “The one thing that I will definitely be doing this year is a film called Divorcing Jack, from the novel by Colin Bateman, which is set in Belfast. I play a journalist who basically insults both halves of the divide in Belfast, so he’s hated by all.

It’s a political thriller, but it’s also very, very funny...” The BBC have just commissioned a script from his production company, Raindog, for a film set in the 1830s about the life of a real-life Glasgow boxer called Benny Lynch. “He was Scotland’s first world champion at anything, so he’s quite a unique character. It’s very much a rags to riches to rags story. He went to the very height, won the world title and then threw it all away on alcohol...” Robert plans to play the role, and will be doing some training to look the part. We’ll also be seeing Robert in two films this year after Hamish has finished. “The first one that’ll be out probably is called Full Monty, which was filmed in Sheffield. You’ll see quite a lot of me!” he says with a coy smile. “It’s the story of five ex-steelworkers who are redundant. They all need money for different reasons, so they form a kind of Chippendale-type act and take their clothes off for one night only, to try and get the money that they need. “The second one is called Face, and it’s a heist film, a robbery film.

What makes it different from other films in that genre is that the bad guys, as it were, have a life. There’s a psychotic character in Face – not played by me for a change! – who’s as violent and as aggressive as anything you’ve seen on screen. But you see this guy at home with his baby.” One thing Robert won’t be doing for his career just yet is moving from his native Glasgow. Living outside London, he says, isn’t as detrimental to an actor as it once was: “Maybe 10 years ago that was the case, but I think things have changed quite dramatically since I left drama school in 1986. At that point the done thing, even then, was to come to London. “I love Glasgow. It’s changed a great deal, over the years. But it’s got a vitality and it’s got a life, and it’s got a humour that I understand. And the people in Glasgow are my people, it’s where I come from. I just like to be there.” There perhaps more than anywhere, Robert can get away from being a star and just be himself. “I try to disguise myself as much as possible, and just be as normal as you can be.

A few nights ago I went to see a football match – Morton v Falcutt – there were about a thousand people there and I loved it, you know, I had my pie and my Bovril and I enjoyed myself, and I can become anonymous. That’s very important for me. “The most important thing for an actor is observing life, observing people, how they move, how they conduct themselves, how they talk. And it’s very difficult to do that when they’re looking at you!” The locations Hamish Macbeth was set in the fictional village of Lochdubh, and was filmed in the village of Plockton on the West coast of Scotland. The following photos were taken by Judith, Donna and Rachael

Question: Who played the title role in ‘Hamish Macbeth’?
Answer: ROBERT CARLYLE