Ray Stevenson | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Stevenson in 2014 | |
| Born | George Raymond Stevenson (1964-05-25)25 May 1964 Lisburn, Northern Ireland |
| Died | 21 May 2023(2023-05-21) (aged 58) Ischia, Campania, Italy |
| Education | Bristol Old Vic Theatre School |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1993–2023 |
| Spouse | |
| Partner | Elisabetta Caraccia |
| Children | 3 |
George Raymond Stevenson (25 May 1964 – 21 May 2023) was a Northern Ireland-born actor, best known for his film and television work. He had a starring role aslegionaryTitus Pullo on theBBC/HBO television seriesRome (2005–07), and portrayed twoMarvel Comics characters:Frank Castle / The Punisher inPunisher: War Zone (2008) andThe Super Hero Squad Show andVolstagg in theMarvel Cinematic Universe (2011–17).
His other notable film roles includedDagonet inKing Arthur (2004), mobsterDanny Greene inKill the Irishman (2011),Porthos inThe Three Musketeers (also 2011), and the villainousGovernor-General Scott Buxton inRRR (2022). His television roles include Ukrainian mobsterIsaak Sirko in the seventh season ofDexter (2012), for which he received aSaturn Award nomination;Blackbeard in the third and fourth seasons ofBlack Sails (2016–17), voicing Gar Saxon inStar Wars Rebels (2016–17) andStar Wars: The Clone Wars (2020), Othere in 11 episodes ofVikings (2020), and portrayingBaylan Skoll inAhsoka (2023).
Stevenson was married to English actressRuth Gemmell for eight years, and had three sons with Italian anthropologist Elisabetta Caraccia.
George Raymond Stevenson was born inLisburn inCounty Antrim, Northern Ireland, on 25 May 1964, the second of three sons born to a British father and an Irish mother. His father was aRoyal Air Force pilot.[1] He moved to England with his family at the age of eight, first settling in theLemington area ofNewcastle upon Tyne and later inSeaton Delaval. He attended Bath Lane College (Newcastle upon Tyne) on a design course, then theBristol Old Vic Theatre School, graduating at the age of 29.[citation needed]
Stevenson made his film debut inThe Theory of Flight (1998) as agigolo hired to helpHelena Bonham Carter's character lose her virginity.[2] In 2002, he starred in the short filmNo Man's Land, which was the antipodal picture from actor/director Edward Hicks prior to his graduation from theLondon Film School. In the 12-minute film, set duringWorld 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 theBattle of Ypres. In 2004, he starred inKing Arthur asDagonet, aknight of the round table who sacrifices his life for his comrades.[2] His first leading role in a film was in the Scottish horror pictureOutpost (2008), portraying a mercenary pitted againstNazizombies in a bunker somewhere inEastern Europe. That same year, he also starred inPunisher: War Zone, asFrank Castle / The Punisher, a formerUnited States Marine turned vigilante after the murder of his family. In 2010, he played an antagonist in the comedyThe Other Guys.[2]
In 2011, Stevenson appeared in the filmKill the Irishman, based on the bookTo Kill the Irishman: The War That Crippled the Mafia, asDanny Greene, theIrish mobboss who took on theItalian-AmericanCleveland crime family during the 1970s.[3] He starred asVolstagg, one ofThor's trusted comrades, in the 2011 Marvel filmThor. Also that year, he playedPorthos inPaul W. S. Anderson's adaptation ofThe Three Musketeers.[2] He playedFirefly inG.I. Joe: Retaliation, released in 2013. He appeared in the Finnish-American thriller filmBig Game.[4] In 2014, he starred in the filmDivergent, based on the first book ofThe Divergent Series. He reprised his role in the sequels,The Divergent Series: Insurgent, released in March 2015, andThe Divergent Series: Allegiant, released in March 2016.[2]
In 2019, Stevenson was announced as a lead antagonist in theTelugu filmRRR, directed byS. S. Rajamouli and released in 2022. This marked his debut inIndian cinema.[5]
Stevenson playedlegionaryTitus Pullo in theBBC/HBO seriesRome. His other television work included guest appearances inWaking the Dead,Murphy's Law and lead roles inCity Central andAt Home with the Braithwaites.[6] He also appeared in TV films, includingSome Kind of Life in 1995, andThe Return of the Native. Some of his earliest parts were in twoCatherine Cookson films:The Dwelling Place (1994) andThe Tide of Life (1996).[2] Stevenson reprised his role as the Punisher as a voice actor inThe Super Hero Squad Show and played the role of Isaak Sirko in the seventh season ofDexter in 2012.[2]
On 24 March 2015, it was announced by producers that Stevenson would be joining the cast of the Starz seriesBlack Sails as the characterEdward Teach.[7]
Stevenson also appeared in Season 6 of the series Vikings as Othere, which ran from 2013 to 2020. He also appeared in Season 3 of the seriesDas Boot as Commander Jack Swinburne in 2022.[8]
AtStar Wars Celebration 2023, Stevenson was announced as playing the Dark Jedi Baylan Skoll inAhsoka, a miniseries debuting onDisney+.[9] After the series' debut following Stevenson's death, Stevenson's Skoll quickly became a fan favorite.[10][11] In an interview on Stevenson's part, showrunnerDave Filoni noted that when he was told to play Skoll as a villain, "[Stevenson] was like, 'I don't think so.' I'm like, 'Okay, I appreciate that you don't think so, and Baylan wouldn't think he's the villain, but you are a villain in this.' And he's like, 'We'll see.' It was kind of perfect."[12] Stevenson also offered input on the design of his character'slightsaber hilt.[13]
Stevenson's performance inAhsoka also received considerable praise from critics.Metro described his work as "one of the highlights of the entireStar Wars series",[14] whileCollider described Stevenson as having "an inescapable gravitas" and that he "gave a masterclass in character building".[13]
Stevenson's stage work included playing the part ofJesus Christ in theYork Mystery Plays in 2000 atYork Minster. In 2001, he took the part of Roger in the playMouth to Mouth byKevin Elyot, at theAlbery Theatre in London withLindsay Duncan andMichael Maloney. His best-known part was perhaps that of the Cardinal inThe Duchess of Malfi byJohn Webster withJanet McTeer at theRoyal National Theatre in 2003.[15]
In 1997, Stevenson married English actressRuth Gemmell inLondon; they had met on the set ofBand of Gold (1995), and later played a married couple inPeak Practice (1997). They divorced in 2005 after eight years of marriage.[16]
Stevenson had three sons with Italian anthropologist Elisabetta Caraccia.[17]
Stevenson died on 21 May 2023, at age 58, four days before his 59th birthday.[18][9] Although no cause of death has been revealed, his partner, Elisabetta Caraccia, spoke on theWellness World USA podcast in 2024, explaining that although Stevenson's death was a surprise, it was due to continuing heart problems. He was reportedly hospitalised while on set filmingCassino in Ischia on the Italian island ofIschia.[19][20] Stevenson's co-stars, includingRosario Dawson,Scott Adkins, andJames Purefoy, paid tribute.[19] Stevenson's role inCassino in Ischia was taken over byDominic Purcell.[21]
The first episode ofAhsoka, released just over three months after Stevenson's death on 22 August 2023, includes a dedication to him: "For our friend, Ray".[22]Ivanna Sakhno, who playedShin Hati, Stevenson's on-screen apprentice inAhsoka, wrote in commemoration that she would be "forever his Wolf", in tribute to their characters being named after thetwowargs who pursued the moon and sun inNorse mythology.[23] Stevenson was succeeded in the role of Skoll byRory McCann inAhsoka's second season. McCann was a good friend of Stevenson and was given the blessing of his partner in taking up the role.[24]
The filmCanary Black (2024), which features Stevenson, is also dedicated to him.
| † | Denotes films that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | A Woman's Guide to Adultery | Journalist | ||
| 1994 | The Dwelling Place | Matthew Whitwell | 3 episodes | [2] |
| The Return of the Native | Clym Yeobright | Television film | [2] | |
| 1995 | Band of Gold | Steve Dickson | 12 episodes | [16] |
| Some Kind of Life | Steve | Television film | [2] | |
| 1996 | The Tide of Life | Larry Birch | 3 episodes | [2] |
| 1997 | Peak Practice | Joe Higson | Episode: "Home Truths" | |
| Drover's Gold | Armstrong | 5 episodes | [6] | |
| 1998 | City Central | Detective Inspector Tony Baynham | 32 episodes | [6] |
| 1999 | Love in the 21st Century | Alex | Episode: "Toyboys" | [6] |
| 2000 | Holby City | Laurence Haney | Episode: "Taking It on the Chin" | |
| The Bill | Sergeant Gartland | Episode: "Over the Edge" | ||
| 2001 | At Home with the Braithwaites | Graham Braithwaite | 11 episodes | [2] |
| Dalziel and Pascoe | Jeff Parry | Episode: "Truth and Consequences" | [2] | |
| 2003 | Red Cap | Sergeant Chris Roxborough | Episode: "Cover Story" | |
| Murphy's Law | Robert Eaglan | Episode: "Kiss and Tell" | [2] | |
| 2004 | Waking the Dead | Dr. Tim Faulkner | Episode: "Fugue States" | |
| 2005–2007 | Rome | Titus Pullo | 22 episodes | [2] |
| 2007 | Life Line | Peter Brasco | Television film | [6] |
| 2009 | The Super Hero Squad Show | Frank Castle / Punisher | Voice, Episode: "Night in the Sanctorum!" | [27][2] |
| 2012 | Dexter | Isaak "Volk" Sirko | 9 episodes Nominated –Saturn Award for Best Guest Starring Role on Television | [2] |
| 2014 | Crossing Lines | Miles Lennon | 4 episodes | |
| 2015 | Saints & Strangers | Stephen Hopkins | Miniseries | [2] |
| 2016–2017 | Black Sails | Edward Teach / Blackbeard | 11 episodes | [2] |
| Star Wars Rebels | Gar Saxon | Voice, 2 episodes | [9] | |
| 2017 | Rellik | Detective Sergeant Inspector Edward Benton | 6 episodes | [2] |
| 2019 | Reef Break | Jake Elliot | 13 episodes | [2] |
| Medici | Ferdinand I of Naples | 2 episodes | [9] | |
| 2020 | The Spanish Princess | James IV of Scotland | 2 episodes | [2] |
| Vikings | Ohthere of Hålogaland | 11 episodes | [2] | |
| Star Wars: The Clone Wars | Gar Saxon | Voice, 2 episodes | [9] | |
| 2022 | Das Boot | Commander Jack Swinburne | 8 episodes | [9] |
| 2023 | Ahsoka | Baylan Skoll | Main role, 8 episodes; posthumous release | [9] |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | York Mystery Plays | Christ | [28] | |
| 2001 | Mouth to Mouth | Roger | [28] | |
| 2003 | The Duchess of Malfi | The Cardinal | [15] |
She married fellow Band of Gold actor Ray Stevenson in 1997, but the couple divorced in 2005.
