English actor (born 1942)
Ian David McShane [ 1] (born 29 September 1942) is an English actor. His television performances include the title role in theBBC seriesLovejoy (1986, 1991–1994),[ 2] Al Swearengen inDeadwood (2004–2006) and its2019 film continuation , and Mr. Wednesday inAmerican Gods (2017–2021). For the original series ofDeadwood , McShane won theGolden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama and received a nomination for thePrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series . As a producer of the film, he was nominated for thePrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie .
His film roles include Harry Brown inThe Wild and the Willing (1962),[ 3] Charlie Cartwright inIf It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium (1969), Wolfe Lissner inVillain (1971), Teddy Bass inSexy Beast (2000), Frank Powell inHot Rod (2007), Tai Lung inKung Fu Panda (2008), reprised the role inKung Fu Panda 4 (2024),Blackbeard inPirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011), and Winston Scott in theJohn Wick franchise (2014–present).
McShane was born inBlackburn , Lancashire on 29 September 1942. He is the child of professional footballerHarry (1920–2012) and Irene McShane (née Cowley; 1922–2020).[ 4] [ 2] [ 5] [ 6] His father was Scottish, fromHolytown ,Lanarkshire . His mother, who was born in England, was of Irish and English descent.[ 7] McShane grew up inDavyhulme ,Manchester and attendedStretford Grammar School . After being a member of theNational Youth Theatre ,[ 8] he studied at theRoyal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), withAnthony Hopkins andJohn Hurt . McShane shared a flat with Hurt, whom he called his "oldest friend in the business",[ 4] and was still a student at RADA when he appeared with Hurt in his first filmThe Wild and the Willing in 1962.[ 2] He later played Satan in theYork Mystery Plays in 1963.
McShane as Satan in theYork Mystery Plays in 1963 In theUnited Kingdom , McShane's best known role is antiques dealerLovejoy in theeponymous series (1986, 1991–1994).[ 4] [ 2] [ 5] Long beforeLovejoy , McShane was a pin-up as a result of appearances in such television series asWuthering Heights (1967, asHeathcliff ),Jesus of Nazareth (1977, asJudas Iscariot ), andDisraeli (1978)—as well as films likeSky West and Crooked (1965),[ 9] If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium ,Battle of Britain (both 1969),Pussycat, Pussycat, I Love You (1970),Sitting Target (1972),The Last of Sheila (1973), andThe Fifth Musketeer (1979).[ 10] [ 11]
He has also enjoyed success in theUnited States as Don Lockwood inDallas , and is known for the role ofAl Swearengen in theHBO seriesDeadwood ,[ 5] for which he won the 2005Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Television Drama.[ 2] He was also nominated at the 2005Emmy Award andScreen Actors Guild Awards.
Amongscience fiction fans, McShane is known for playing Robert Bryson inBabylon 5: The River of Souls .[ 12] In a 2004 interview withThe Independent , McShane stated that he wished he had turned down the role of Bryson as the technical dialogue was a struggle. and he found looking atMartin Sheen , who wore an eye in the middle of his forehead, to be the most embarrassing experience that he had ever had while acting.[ 13]
In 1985, McShane appeared as MC onGrace Jones 'Slave to the Rhythm , aconcept album featuring his narration interspersed throughout. It sold over a million copies worldwide.[ 14] [ 15]
In 1992, he recorded and released a solo studio album,From Both Sides Now , in which he sangcover versions of popular songs.[ 16] [ 17] The album reached number 40 in theUK Albums Chart .[ 18]
McShane in 2006 His other roles include that ofarmed robber andgangland boss Jack Last in theMinder episodeThe Last Video Show. [ 19] AsCaptain Hook inShrek the Third ,Ragnar Sturlusson inThe Golden Compass ,[ 20] Tai Lung inKung Fu Panda [ 21] (for which he received anAnnie Award nomination), crime boss Teddy Bass inSexy Beast , and Mr. Bobinsky inCoraline .[ 22] In live-action, he has performed inHot Rod ,[ 23] the action/thrillerDeath Race ,[ 24] andThe Seeker .[ 25] He has appeared inThe West Wing as a Russian diplomat.[ 26] During 2007–08, he starred as Max in the 40th anniversaryBroadway revival ofHarold Pinter 'sThe Homecoming , co-starringEve Best ,Raúl Esparza , andMichael McKean , and directed byDaniel Sullivan , at theCort Theatre (16 December 2007 – 13 April 2008).[ 27]
In 2009, he appeared inKings , which was drawn from the biblical story ofDavid . His portrayal of King Silas Benjamin, an analogue ofKing Saul , was highly praised, with one critic writing: "WheneverKings seems to falter, McShane appears to put bite marks all over the scenery."[ 28]
In 2010, McShane starred inThe Pillars of the Earth as Bishop Waleran Bigod.[ 29] The series was a historical drama set in 12th-century England and adapted fromKen Follett 'snovel of the same name .[ 30] That same year, it was confirmed that McShane would portrayEdward "Blackbeard" Teach in theWalt Disney Company /Jerry Bruckheimer filmPirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides .[ 31] McShane reprised the role of Blackbeard inPirates of the Caribbean inDisneyland andWalt Disney World ,[ 32] [ 33] as well as the interactive questA Pirate's Adventure: Treasure of the Seven Seas atMagic Kingdom .[ 34]
In 2013, he played King Brahmwell inBryan Singer 'sJack the Giant Slayer .[ 35]
Since 2010, McShane has narrated the opening teases for each round ofESPN 's coverage ofThe Open Championship .[ 36] In 2012, McShane had a guest role for two episodes as Murder Santa, a sadistic serial killer in the 1960s in thesecond season ofAmerican Horror Story .[ 37] In 2016, he joined the cast ofGame of Thrones inSeason 6 as Septon Ray.[ 38] [ 39]
McShane announced in 2017 that a script for a two-hourDeadwood film was submitted by creatorDavid Milch to HBO and that a film was close to happening. "[A] two-hour movie script has been delivered to HBO. If they don't deliver [a finished product], blame them," McShane said.[ 40] The film began production in October 2018.[ 41] Deadwood: The Movie was released on 31 May 2019, concluding the story of the series.[ 42]
In 1965, McShane married English actressSuzan Farmer and they divorced in 1968. He married his second wife, English model Ruth Post, on 8 June 1968, and they had two children, Kate and Morgan.[ 2] In 1977, he began a five-year relationship withSylvia Kristel after meeting her on the set ofThe Fifth Musketeer ;[ 43] the affair ended his marriage to Post. On 30 August 1980, McShane married American actress Gwen Humble. They live inVenice, California . Through his elder daughter, McShane has three grandchildren.[ 2]
Key † Denotes film or TV productions that have not yet been released
Theme park attractions [ edit ] Awards and nominations [ edit ] ^ "Ian McShane, Esq's Biography" . Debrett's. 2009. Archived fromthe original on 3 January 2011. Retrieved1 September 2010 .^a b c d e f g Gilbey, Ryan (16 March 2013)."Ian McShane: rogue trader" .The Guardian . Retrieved18 March 2013 . ^ Vagg, Stephen (20 July 2025)."Forgotten British Film Studios: The Rank Organisation, 1962" .Filmink . Retrieved20 July 2025 . ^a b c Bertodano, Helena de (3 June 2017)."Ian McShane: 'Believe me, the hell-raising years were a lot of fun' " .The Times . Retrieved29 April 2019 . ^a b c Stevens, Christopher (2010).Born Brilliant: The Life of Kenneth Williams . John Murray. p. 385.ISBN 978-1-84854-195-5 . ^ "Ian McShane biography" . Film Reference. Retrieved13 January 2015 .^ "Start building your family tree today" . Thegenealogist.co.uk. Retrieved13 January 2015 .^ NIGHT, DAY & (7 March 2016)."Ian McShane: Working-class actors must get more help" .Express.co.uk . Retrieved14 February 2018 . ^ Vagg, Stephen (11 August 2025)."Forgotten British Film Studios: The Rank Organisation, 1965 to 1967" .Filmink . Retrieved11 August 2025 . ^ "Ian McShane" .TV Guide . Retrieved14 February 2018 .^ "Filmography for Ian McShane" .Turner Classic Movies . Retrieved14 February 2018 .^ "Babylon 5: The River of Souls" .scifimusings.blogspot.ca . 13 January 2010. Retrieved30 September 2016 .^ "Ian McShane: You Ask the Questions" .The Independent . 15 September 2004. Retrieved11 February 2018 .^ Billboard – Google Livros . 22 November 1986. Retrieved29 March 2011 .^ Billboard – Google Livros . 13 December 1986. Retrieved29 March 2011 .^ "Ian McShane - From Both Sides Now Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.^ "Ian McShane - From Both Sides Now" . 21 July 1992 – via www.discogs.com.^ "IAN MCSHANE | Official Charts" .Official Charts . 21 November 1992.^ "#7.4 the Last Video Show" .^ Ebert, Roger."The Golden Compass Movie Review (2007) | Roger Ebert" .www.rogerebert.com . Retrieved30 September 2016 . ^ "Kung Fu Panda - Ian McShane Interview" .movieweb.com . Archived fromthe original on 12 May 2011. Retrieved30 September 2016 .^ "Coraline - Ian McShane Interview" .movieweb.com . Archived fromthe original on 2 October 2016. Retrieved30 September 2016 .^ "Ian McShane Joins The Cast of Hot Rod" .movieweb.com . 18 June 2006. Retrieved30 September 2016 .^ Hewitt, Chris (8 August 2007)."Ian McShane Enters The Death Race" .Empire . Retrieved30 September 2016 . ^ "Interview: Ian McShane, Star of 'The Seeker: The Dark is Rising' " .AOL Moviefone . 4 October 2007. Retrieved30 September 2016 .^ "35 People You Might Not Realize Appeared on 'The West Wing' " .mentalfloss.com . 22 October 2014. Retrieved30 September 2016 .^ "The Homecoming @ Cort Theatre | Playbill" .Playbill . Retrieved10 June 2016 .^ Gordon Haber,David, My David: Israel's Most Charismatic King Comes to TV , forward.com, 25 March 2009. ^ Hale, Mike (22 July 2010)."Ian McShane in Starz Mini-Series of Ken Follett Book" .The New York Times .ISSN 0362-4331 . Retrieved14 February 2018 . ^ MacInnes, Paul (16 October 2010)."The Pillars of the Earth: episode one" .The Guardian . Retrieved10 June 2016 . ^ "EXCLUSIVE: 'Pirates 4' Producer Jerry Bruckheimer Confirms Geoffrey Rush Return, Penelope Cruz As Blackbeard's Daughter » MTV Movies Blog" . Archived fromthe original on 20 January 2013. Retrieved22 May 2017 .^a b "Blackbeard Comes Aboard at Disneyland Park and Magic Kingdom Park May 20 « Disney Parks Blog" . Archived fromthe original on 9 May 2011. Retrieved6 May 2011 .^a b "Lights! Camera! Attraction! - D23" . 10 August 2011.^a b "A Pirate's Adventure: Treasures of the Seven Seas - "Blackbeard" Raid" . Retrieved16 May 2013 .^ Kit, Borys (21 March 2011)."Ian McShane Joins Bryan Singer's 'Jack the Giant Killer' " .The Hollywood Reporter . Archived fromthe original on 23 March 2011. Retrieved22 March 2011 . ^ 2010 BRITISH OPEN THURSDAY onYouTube ^ Mitovich, Matt Webb (10 October 2012)."Horror Story Taps Deadwood's Ian McShane to 'Tussle' With Jessica Lange" .TVLine . Archived fromthe original on 12 October 2012. Retrieved30 September 2016 . ^ "Ian McShane cast in Game of Thrones season 6" . Watchers on the Wall. 1 August 2015.^ "Ian McShane Has No Regrets About Spoiling Game of Thrones" .Vulture.com . 24 July 2016. Retrieved30 September 2016 .^ Gunderman, Dan (20 April 2017)."Actor Ian McShane says 'Deadwood' creator submitted revival movie script to HBO" . Collider. Retrieved20 April 2017 . ^ " 'Deadwood' Movie Starts Filming with Majority of Cast Returning" .The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved5 November 2018 .^ HBO PR (21 March 2019)."HBO Films' DEADWOOD Debuts May 31" .Medium . Retrieved10 August 2020 . ^ Ross, Deborah (30 June 2007)."Interview: Sylvia Kristel, the world's most famous porn star" .The Independent . London. Archived fromthe original on 20 November 2011. Retrieved12 January 2014 . ^a b c d e "Ian McShane (visual voices guide)" . Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved10 March 2024 . A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.^ Maher, Kevin."The Sorcerer's Apprentice" . ^ Grater, Tom (5 October 2017)."Lily Collins, Ian McShane, Toby Kebbell to voice 'Here Comes The Grump' (exclusive)" .Screen Daily . Retrieved1 February 2018 . ^ Sachdeva, Maanya (29 December 2024)."Kung Fu Panda fans praise 'legendary' new villain as trailer for fourth film released" .The Independent . Retrieved10 March 2024 . ^ " 'Deadwood' Star Ian McShane Joins Showtime's 'Ray Donovan' " .thewrap.com . 21 January 2015. Retrieved30 September 2016 .^ Heritage, Stuart (7 March 2016)."Ian McShane: why he'll always be an antiques dealer with a mullet" .The Guardian . Retrieved30 September 2016 . ^ "Ian McShane to Star in 'American Gods' for Starz" .The Hollywood Reporter . 2 March 2016. Retrieved30 September 2016 .^ "Episode Title: (SI-3215) "The Last Barfighter" " .The Futon Critic . Retrieved4 May 2021 .
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