Peter Mullan | |
|---|---|
 Mullan in 2005 | |
| Born | (1959-11-02)2 November 1959 (age 66) Peterhead,Aberdeenshire, Scotland |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1988–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 4 |
Peter Mullan (/ˈmʌlən/; born 1959) is a Scottish actor and filmmaker. His credits includeRiff-Raff (1991),Shallow Grave (1994),Braveheart (1995),Trainspotting (1996),My Name Is Joe (1998),The Claim (2000),Neds (2010),War Horse (2011),The Fixer (2008),Top of the Lake (2013),Mum (2016–2019),Ozark (2017–2018),Westworld (2018–2020),Cursed (2020),The North Water (2021),The Underground Railroad (2021),The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022–2024),After the Party (2023), andBaghead (2023).
He won aGolden Lion at59th Venice International Film Festival for his direction ofThe Magdalene Sisters (2002).
Peter Mullan was born in 1959[1] inPeterhead,Aberdeenshire,Scotland, the son of Patricia (a nurse) and Charles Mullan (alab technician atGlasgow University).[2] The seventh of eight children, Mullan was brought up in a working class Roman Catholic family.[3][4] They later moved toMosspark,[5] a district inGlasgow. Mullan's father, an alcoholic, became increasingly tyrannical and abusive; he died fromlung cancer when Mullan was 17.[6]
For a brief period, Mullan was a member of astreet gang while at secondary school,[6][7] and worked as abouncer in a number of south-side pubs.[8] He was homeless for short periods at the ages of 15 and 18.[9]
Mullan went on to theUniversity of Glasgow to study economic history and drama, where he began acting on stage.[10]
Mullan continuedstage acting after graduation. He had roles in films alongside actors such asRobert Carlyle inRiff-Raff (1991),[11] withMel Gibson inBraveheart (1995),[11] and withEwan McGregor inDanny Boyle'sShallow Grave (1994) andTrainspotting (1996).[11]
Mullan's role as a recovering alcoholic inMy Name Is Joe (1998) won him theBest Actor Award at the1998 Cannes Film Festival.[12]
As a director, his film,Orphans (1998), won awards at theVenice Film Festival 1998 andFestival du Film de Paris 1999.[13]
He won the World Dramatic Special Jury Prize for Breakout Performances at2011 Sundance Film Festival for his work onPaddy Considine'sTyrannosaur (2011).[14]
Mullan has appeared as supporting or guest actor in numerous cult movies, includingSession 9 (2002),[11]Young Adam (2003),[11]Children of Men (2006),[11] the final twoHarry Potter films (2010–2011),[11] andWar Horse (2011).[11]
In television, he played a lead role in the 2008ITV seriesThe Fixer.[11] Mullan appeared inGerard Lee's andJane Campion's 2013 miniseriesTop of the Lake[11] as Matt Mitcham, head of the Mitcham family and father of Tui Mitcham, whose disappearance is the main topic of the series. He was nominated for aPrimetime Emmy Award for his work in the series. From 2016 to 2019, he starred in theBBC Two sitcomMum,[11] and from 2017 to 2018, Mullan appeared in the first two seasons of theNetflix seriesOzark.[11] In 2018 and 2020, he starred in the second and third season ofHBO'sWestworld,[11] in a recurring and guest capacity respectively. Also in 2020, he starred in the first season of the Netflix seriesCursed.[11]
Mullan appeared in the 2021 miniseriesThe North Water[11] andThe Underground Railroad.[11] He also starred as Dwarf king Durin III in theAmazon Prime Video seriesThe Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, which premiered in 2022.[11]
In 2023 he starred in the New Zealand drama seriesAfter the Party,[11] and alongsideFreya Allan inBaghead (2023).[11]
Mullan is anarthouse movie director. In 2002, he returned to directing and screenwriting with the controversial filmThe Magdalene Sisters,[11] based on life in an IrishMagdalene asylum. He won aGolden Lion at59th Venice International Film Festival for the film, listed by many critics among the best films of 2003 and nominated forBAFTA Award for Best British Film,[14] andEuropean Film Award for best film.[14]
He also won aGolden Shell atSan Sebastián International Film Festival forNeds (2010).[14]
He won top prizes both for acting (Cannes Best Actor award forMy Name Is Joe)[14] and for the best film (Golden Lion forThe Magdalene Sisters)[14] at major European film festivals.[14]
Mullan married Ann Swan, an actress and scriptwriter, in 1989; they divorced in 2006. He has four children – three with Swan, including one son withautism, and one with former girlfriend, activistRobina Qureshi.[15] He is in a relationship with New Zealand actressRobyn Malcolm, whom he met while filmingTop of the Lake in 2013.[16]
A self-describedMarxist,[6] Mullan continues to supportsocialist causes and was a leading figure in theleft-wing theatre movement that blossomed inScotland during theMargaret Thatcher andJohn MajorConservative governments in the 1980s and early to mid-1990s. These included stints with the7:84 and Wildcat Theatre companies. An outspoken critic ofTony Blair andGordon Brown’sNew Labour governments, he toldThe Guardian "theTUC and theLabour Party sold us [theworking class] out big style, unashamedly so".[17] Ahead of the1999 Scottish Parliament election, Mullan pledged support for the newScottish Socialist Party and their leaderTommy Sheridan. Mullan took part in a 2006 occupation of the Glasgow offices of theUK Immigration Service, protesting against the UKIS's "dawn raid" tactics when deporting failed asylum seekers.[18]
In January 2009, Mullan joined other actors in protesting against theBBC's refusal to screen aDisasters Emergency Committee appeal forGaza. They told BBC director general Mark Thompson: "Like millions of others, we are absolutely appalled at the decision to refuse to broadcast the appeal. We will never work for the BBC again unless this disgraceful decision is reversed. We will urge others from our profession and beyond to do likewise."[19] Mullan has agreed to appear in an adaptation ofIain Banks's novelStonemouth after the BBC aired a DEC appeal for Gaza in late 2014.[20]
Mullan was a supporter of theYes Scotland campaign in the2014 Scottish independence referendum.[21] In 2015, he criticised theBBC for "horrendous bias" against the Yes campaign and told theRadio Times that "to see the BBC used as a political cudgel against a legitimate democratic movement ... really broke my heart."[22]
In September 2025, Mullan was attacked in Glasgow while attempting to intervene in an assault; the assailant was subsequently jailed for 18 months.[23]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | The Big Man | Vince | ||
| 1991 | Riff-Raff | Jake | European Film Award for Best European Film[14] | |
| 1992 | Sealladh | Sim | Short film | |
| 1993 | Close | Vincent | Short film; also writer and director | |
| 1994 | Shallow Grave | Andy | ||
| 1995 | Fridge | - | Short film, writer and director | |
| Good Day for the Bad Guys | John | Short film, also writer and director | ||
| Narance | Uncle Josef | |||
| Braveheart | Veteran | |||
| 1996 | Trainspotting | Johnny "Mother Superior" Swan | ||
| 1997 | Poor Angels | Gordon | Short film | |
| Fairy Tale: A True Story | Sergeant Farmer | |||
| 1998 | Duck | Mick | Short film | |
| My Name Is Joe | Joe Kavanagh | Cannes Award for Best Actor[14] | ||
| Orphans | - | Writer and director | ||
| 1999 | Miss Julie | Jean | ||
| The Escort | Patricia's Husband | |||
| 2000 | Ordinary Decent Criminal | Stevie | ||
| The Claim | Daniel Dillon | |||
| 2001 | Session 9 | Gordon Fleming | ||
| 2002 | The Magdalene Sisters | Mr. O'Connor | Also writer and director Winner ofGolden Lion[14] | |
| 2003 | Young Adam | Les Gault | ||
| Kiss of Life | John | |||
| 2004 | Out of This World | Jim | Original title:Kono yo no sotoe - Club Shinchugun | |
| Criminal | William Hannigan | |||
| Blinded | Francis Black | |||
| Waves | Him | Short film | ||
| 2005 | On a Clear Day | Frank Redmond | ||
| 2006 | Cargo | Brookes | ||
| Children of Men | Syd | |||
| True North | Riley | |||
| 2007 | The Last Legion | Odoacer | ||
| Dog Altogether | Joseph | Short film | ||
| Boy A | Terry | |||
| 2008 | Stone of Destiny | Harris Hamilton, Ian's Father | ||
| 2009 | King Bastard | Granddad | Short film | |
| Connolly | James Connolly | |||
| 2010 | The Neighbours | Ernest | Short film | |
| Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 | Death Eater Corban Yaxley | |||
| Neds | Mr. McGill | Also writer and director Winner ofGolden Shell[14] | ||
| 2011 | Tyrannosaur | Joseph | World Cinema Special Jury Prize: Dramatic (Male)[14] | |
| Long Distance Information | Jack | Short film | ||
| War Horse | Ted Narracott | |||
| 2012 | The Man Inside | Gordon Sinclair | ||
| 2013 | Sunshine on Leith | Robert 'Rab' Henshaw | ||
| The Liability | Peter | |||
| Welcome to the Punch | Roy Edwards | |||
| 2014 | Hercules | General Sitacles | ||
| 2015 | Sunset Song | John Guthrie | ||
| Hector | Hector McAdam[24] | |||
| 2016 | Edith | Jake | Short film | |
| Tommy's Honour | Old Tom Morris | |||
| 2017 | Hostiles | Lt. Col. Ross McCowan | ||
| 2018 | Pearl | Al | ||
| The Vanishing | Thomas | |||
| Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle | Akela (voice) | Voice and motion capture | ||
| 2019 | Chips | Chips (voice) | Short film | |
| 2020 | Fatbaws | Unknown | ||
| Marionette | Dr. McVittie | |||
| 2021 | Don vs Lightning | Don | Short film | |
| 2022 | The Hanging Sun | Dad | ||
| 2023 | Baghead | Owen Lark | ||
| 2025 | I Swear | Tommy Trotter | Completed | |
| 2026 | The Fall of Sir Douglas Weatherford† | Kenneth | Post-production | |
| TBA | Elsinore† | TBA |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | The Steamie | Andy | Television film | |
| 1990 | Your Cheatin' Heart | Tonto | Mini-series; Episodes 3–5 | |
| Taggart | Peter Lewis / Peter Latimer | Series 5, Episode 4: "Love Knot", and Series 6, Episode 7: "Rogue's Gallery" | ||
| 1991 | Jute City | Mallet | Episodes 1–3 | |
| 1992 | Rab C. Nesbitt | Peter the Warlock | Series 2, Episode 6: "Life Has Meaning" | |
| 1993 | Encounters | Willy | Series 2; Episode 3: "Opium Eaters" | |
| Seeker Reaper[25] | George Campbell Hay | Bilingual drama about the life of Scottish poet George Campbell Hay (1915–1984) | ||
| 1994 | The Priest and the Pirate | Billy Hill | Television films | |
| 1995 | Ruffian Hearts | Chez | ||
| Harry | Jimmy | Series 2, Episode 6 | ||
| 1996 | Nightlife | Billy | Television film | |
| 1997 | The Longest Memory | Sanders Sr. | Television film.Whitbread First Novel Award for First Novel[14] | |
| Bogwoman | Barry | Television films | ||
| 2003 | This Little Life | Neonatologist | ||
| Richard & Judy | Himself | Series 2; Episode 92 | ||
| 2004 | Shoebox Zoo | Michael Scot | Recurring role. Series 1; 12 episodes | |
| 2005 | Sunday Morning Shootout | Himself | Series 2; Episode 15 | |
| 2006 | Seanchaí | Calgach | Episode 3: "An Triall" | |
| 2007 | British Film Forever | Himself | Mini-series; Episode 3: "Hardship, Humour and Heroes: The Story of British Realism" | |
| The Trial of Tony Blair | Gordon Brown | Television film | ||
| 2008–2009 | The Fixer | Lenny Douglas | Recurring role. Series 1 & 2; 12 episodes | |
| 2009 | Red Riding: 1974 | Martin Laws | Television films | |
| Red Riding: 1980 | ||||
| Red Riding: 1983 | ||||
| Scotland on Screen | Himself / Actor / Director | |||
| 2012 | The Fear | Richie Beckett | Mini-series; Episodes 1–4 | |
| 2013 | Top of the Lake | Matt Mitcham | Series 1; Episodes 1–7 Nominated –AACTA Award for Best Guest or Supporting Actor in a Television Drama[14] Nominated –Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Movie/Miniseries Supporting Actor[14] Nominated –Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie[14] | |
| 2014 | Olive Kitteridge | Jim O'Casey | HBO mini-series; Episodes 1–3 | |
| 2014–2017 | Lily's Driftwood Bay | Captain Salty Dog (voice) | Series 1 & 2; 3 episodes | |
| 2015 | Stonemouth | Don Murston | Mini-series; Parts 1 & 2 | |
| 2016 | Quarry | The Broker | Episodes 1–8 | |
| 2016–2019 | Mum | Michael | Recurring role. Series 1–3; 18 episodes | |
| 2017 | Gunpowder | FatherHenry Garnet | Mini-series; Episodes 1–3 | |
| 2017–2018 | Ozark | Jacob Snell | Recurring role. Series 1 & 2; 20 episodes | |
| 2018, 2020 | Westworld | James Delos | Series 2 & 3; 4 episodes | |
| 2020 | Cursed | Father Carden | Recurring role. 9 episodes | |
| 2021 | The Underground Railroad | Ridgeway Senior | Mini-series; 5 episodes | |
| The North Water | Priest | Episodes 4 & 5: "The Devils of the Earth" and "To Live Is to Suffer" | ||
| 2022 | Skint | Donny | Episode 6: "The Taking of Balgrayhill Street" | |
| Chivalry | Fraser Schwartz | Episode 3 | ||
| 2022–2024 | The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power | King Durin III | Series 1 & 2; 9 episodes | |
| 2023 | Liaison | Richard Banks | Episodes 1–6 | |
| Payback | Cal Morris | Episodes 1–6 | ||
| After the Party | Phil | Episodes 1–6 | ||
| 2025 | The Bombing of Pan Am 103 | DCSJohn Orr | Mini-series; Episodes 1–6[26] | |
| Outlander: Blood of My Blood | Red Jacob MacKenzie | |||
| 2026 | Steal | Sir Toby Gould | Series 1, Episode 4 |
