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1-50 of 128
- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Robbie Coltrane, one of Britain's most popular comedians who was head of debating society at school and won prizes for his art, is now a film star who played in two James Bond films and in the "Harry Potter" franchise.
Coltrane was born Anthony Robert McMillan on March 30, 1950, in Rutherglen, a suburb of Glasgow, Scotland, UK. His mother, Jean Ross (Howie), was a teacher and pianist. His father, Ian Baxter McMillan, was a general surgeon who also worked for police pathology. Young Robbie was fond of art, music, films and cars. He was a voracious reader of his dad's books on medicine and crime. At age 12 he made his acting debut on stage at Glenalmond College, delivering rants from "Henry V". At that time he was fascinated with Marlon Brando and Orson Welles.
He attended Glasgow Art School, majoring in drawing, painting and film, then studied art at Edinburgh's Moray House College of Education for a year. In 1973 he made a documentary titled "Young Mental Health", which was voted Film Of The Year by the Scottish Education Council. At that time Robbie took the name Coltrane, due to his love of jazz, and began a career of a stand-up comedian at night clubs, at the Edinburgh Festival, as well as an actor with Edinburgh's renowned Traverse Theatre.
In 1980 Coltrane made his debut on television as "Border Guard" in BBC's mini-series The Lost Tribe (1980), then made his big screen debut as a limousine driver in Death Watch (1980). In 1981 he appeared in his first leading role as Detective Fritz Langley in Subway Riders (1981), by famed underground director Amos Poe.
He became a well-known face through appearances in The Comic Strip series, then in Alfresco (1983) and Comic Strip movies The Supergrass (1985) and The Pope Must Diet (1991), among other films. At that time Coltrane had a drinking problem, downing as much as a bottle of whiskey a day. In 1986 he flew to a clinic in Mexico and was treated for obesity. In 1987 his partner for 15 years, Robin Paine, left him for good, leaving her portrait in Coltrane's barn.
In 1988 Coltrane met then 18-year-old Rhona Gemmell in a pub. They married and had a son, Spencer, and a daughter, Alice. His career took off during the early 1990s with the leading role as Dr. Eddie "Fitz" Fitzgerald, a forensic psychologist, in the popular TV series Cracker (1993).
He made such a good performance as Valentin Zukovsky, a KGB man turned St. Petersburg mafia lord, in GoldenEye (1995) the producers called him back for the same character in The World Is Not Enough (1999). Then Coltrane hit another lucrative franchise; he was personally selected by J.K. Rowling as her choice to play half-giant Rubeus Hagrid in the 'Harry Potter' films.
In early 1990s Coltrane wrote an autobiography, "Coltrane in a Cadillac", and also starred in the eponymous TV series, Coltrane in a Cadillac (1993), in which he indulges his passion for vintage cars and tells with great humor about his 4000-mile journey across America from Los Angeles to New York. In 2003 he separated from his wife. His interests outside of his acting profession had been reading books, and rebuilding and collecting vintage cars. Robbie Coltrane resided in a converted farmhouse in Stirlingshire, Scotland, UK.- Sara Vickers grew up in Edinburgh. A stage and screen actor best known for her role as Joan Thursday, in ITV's Inspector Morse prequel, Endeavour (2013-2016), as well as Sunshine on Leith (2013) and Shetland (2016). She moved to London to train at RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Art), graduating in 2010.
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Scottish character actor and occasional leading man who enlivened scores of fine films in Britain and America. His father was a lawyer in a small town in Lanarkshire. Bannen served in the army and attended Ratcliffe College, Leicestershire. His first acting role came in a 1947 Dublin production of "Armlet of Jade". He became a successful figure on the London stage, making a name for himself in the plays of both William Shakespeare and Eugene O'Neill. He was an original member of the Royal Shakespeare Company and appeared on Broadway as well. His film debut occurred in the mid-1950s, and he quickly rose to prominence, primarily in a wide range of supporting roles. His performance as "Crow" in The Flight of the Phoenix (1965) won him an Oscar nomination as Best Supporting Actor. Thirty years and scores of films later, Bannen was given the Lifetime Achievement Award of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Long after his leading man days had passed, he won new acclaim for his role as the touchingly crafty villager in Waking Ned Devine (1998). The following year he died in an automobile accident. He was survived by his wife of 23 years.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Laurie Brett was born and raised in Hamilton, Scotland on 28 March 1969. She toured with a travelling circus in Mexico and Central America with Circo Magico and studied at the London Studio Centre. She starred in fringe productions and made her television debut in "London's Burning" (as an office girl) in 1992. Her singing and dancing skills made her a regular in the musical theatre and she appeared in several television advertisements.- Stuart performed in 'Macbeth' at Trafalgar Studios starring James McAvoy and directed by Jamie Lloyd (2013) before reappearing in 'Richard III' alongside Martin Freeman, again directed by Lloyd (2014). He starred as 'Marcus' in 'The Hunt' at The Almeida Theatre. He was nominated for 'Best Actor in a Play' At The Stage Debut Awards 2019 for his performance. Stuart is represented by Gordon and French.
- Actor
- Soundtrack
The character actor Andrew Keir (originally Andrew Buggy) was born in 1926 in the coal-mining town of Shotts in Lanarkshire, Scotland, of Irish Catholic extraction, and raised there with his five brothers John, Tom, Michael, Patrick, and Hugh, and a sister, Maggie. The son of a coal miner, Keir worked in the coal mines from age 14 to 20, at which point he joined the Glasgow Citizen's Theatre to train as an actor. Shortly thereafter, Keir established himself professionally in British theater, television, and film, debuting in The Lady Craved Excitement (1950). His bluff, no-nonsense demeanor was perfect for authoritarian and military roles, especially Roman soldiers, as in Cleopatra (1963), The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964), and The Viking Queen (1967).
He hooked up with Hammer Productions early on (his debut film) and continued the association in a number of horror films, e.g., Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966) and Blood from the Mummy's Tomb (1971). One of his best-known and most popular performances was that of the title role in Quatermass and the Pit (1967). Keir made numerous appearances in television throughout his career, notably in Adam Smith (1972) and in the Australian series The Outsiders (1976). Keir, true to his heritage, frequently played Scotsmen, especially in the latter part of his career.- James MacPherson was born on 18 March 1960 in Hamilton, Lanarkshire, Scotland, UK. He is an actor, known for Taggart (1983), The Bill (1984) and Still Game (2002). He has been married to Jacqueline since 1986. They have three children.
- Actress
- Producer
- Script and Continuity Department
Elaine Collins was born on 21 April 1958 in Lanarkshire, Scotland, UK. She is an actress and producer, known for EastEnders (1985), Soft Top Hard Shoulder (1992) and Play for Today (1970). She has been married to Peter Capaldi since June 1991. They have one child.- His father, a wine importer loved the theatre and encouraged his acting ambitions and got him his first job at 16 touring with a Shakespearean company painting scenery and doing walk on parts. His mother disapproved thinking it wasn't a job for a respectable middle class young man. By 1939 he'd graduated to leading roles but then the war came. He joined the army and rose through the ranks to become a major. Within four days of leaving the service he was back in the theatre in a play 'Fifty Fifty' and the 'Seagulls Over Sorento' which ran five years.
- Carly Steel was born in Lanarkshire, Scotland, UK. She is an actress, known for Entertainment Tonight (1981), Tommy (2020) and Romantically Speaking (2015).
- Ryan Fletcher was born in 1983 in Blantyre, South Lanarkshire, Scotland, UK. He is an actor, known for Pennyworth (2019), Outlander (2014) and Beats (2019).
- Gay Hamilton was born on 29 April 1943 in Uddingston, Lanarkshire, Scotland, UK. She is an actress, known for A Challenge for Robin Hood (1967), Barry Lyndon (1975) and Space: 1999 (1975).
- Writer
- Producer
- Actor
Mark Millar is the New York Times best-selling writer of Jupiter's Legacy, Kick-Ass, Kingsman, The Magic Order, Wanted, Old Man Logan, Marvel Civil War and Superman: Red Son.
He is also President of Netflix's Millarworld Division in Los Angeles and serves as an executive producer on all his Hollywood properties.
Marvel and DC In Summer 2000, Marvel brought Millar in as part of a new team to revitalise their comic-book line. He worked with the best artists in the industry and launched his X-Men revamp at number one with Ultimate X-Men, re-thinking The Avengers next and shattering his own sales numbers with The Ultimates before creating the Marvel Civil War storyline in 2006, remaining Marvel's most financially successful event of the 21st century and their best-selling graphic novel of all time.
Screen-writer Zak Penn credits The Ultimates as his template for the 2012 Avengers movie and both Civil War and his classic Wolverine: Old Man Logan provided the inspiration for two blockbuster movies of the same name.
His Superman book, Red Son, is the highest-selling Superman graphic novel in history and was adapted by Warner Bros as an animated movie in 2020.
Millarworld On the advice of Stan Lee, Mark decided to branch out from Marvel and create his own characters while still working at the company.
Wanted was his first comic-book under the Millarworld banner, a huge hit that spawned the 2008 movie starring Angelina Jolie. Wanted grossed $342 million on a $70 million budget and paved the way for the successful adaptation of his Kick-Ass comic in 2010, starring Nicolas Cage.
Quitting Marvel soon after, Millar focused all his attention on Millarworld and co-created properties which include Jupiter's Legacy, The Magic Order, American Jesus, Super Crooks, Sharkey The Bounty Hunter, Empress, Superior, Kingsman: The Secret Service, Chrononauts, Starlight, Nemesis, Space Bandits, MPH and Huck.
Kingsman was released as a movie in 2015 and, like Kick-Ass has spawned at least one sequel. The most recent Kingsman movie, The King's Man, is released on March 12th, 2021.
Netflix Netflix bought Millarworld in 2017 and now owns the full rights to all 17 properties purchased, later hiring Mark and his wife Lucy to act as President and CEO of their Millarworld line and help develop these comic-books into big-budget original movies, shows and animated series.
The first of these to be streamed is Jupiter's Legacy in 2021, Super Crooks, Huck, Sharkey The Bounty Hunter, Space Bandits, The Magic Order, Prodigy and more are all either in production now or in active development.
The only franchises excluded from this sale were Kick-Ass and Kingsman, which Mark still co-owns independently.
Awards and honours Mark has received or been nominated for numerous industry honours over the years including Eagles, Eisners, UKCAC, Speakeasy and Wizard awards.
Outside of comics, he has won the Glenfiddich Spirit of Scotland award for writing, the Scottish Press Awards Hall of Fame, the SFX Award for Best Comic, Time Magazine's Comic-Book of the Decade (for The Ultimates) and two GLAAD awards for excellence.
He was awarded and honorary doctorate for literature from Glasgow Caledonia University in 2012 and in 2013 received an MBE from the Queen at Buckingham Palace for services to Film and Literature.
Personal life Mark was born in Coatbridge, Scotland, on December 24th 1969. He is the youngest of six children and married to Lucy Millar, CEO of Netflix's Millarworld Division. He has three daughters.- Dee Hepburn was born on 7 November 1961 in Airdrie, Lanarkshire, Scotland, UK. She is an actress, known for Gregory's Girl (1980), The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1978) and Crossroads (1964). She is married to Dewar Docherty. She was previously married to Neil Rossiter.
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Sean Scanlan was born on 18 August 1948 in Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland, UK. He was an actor, known for Airline (1982), Casualty (1986) and The Tales of Para Handy (1994). He was married to Barbara Rafferty. He died on 17 April 2017 in Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland, UK.- Darren spent the first half of his life in Scotland and immigrated to Australia at age 12. Always having a propensity for acting, he would quite often fake illnesses to avoid school. One class he would never miss, however, was Drama. His continued love of the arts sees him studying with the likes of Warner Loughlin and Larry Moss. Darren's career spans three continents and he can currently be seen on TV shows in the UK, Australia and America.
His career started at MTV, where he both hosted and acted in shows that he helped create. His first adventure into prime time, network television, came as the host of the quirky and irreverent game show 'Minute To Win It' in Australia; a show that would later catapult his career into the UK, when he was asked to host the local version for ITV. Darren's quick wit and sharp comedic timing, made him a perfect fit to host BBC1's Saturday night, live show 'The Magicians'. His breakout role in America was on NBC's prime-time 'Love in the Wild.' McMullen has also been host of 'The Voice' and 'The Voice Kids' in Australia over five seasons with coaches such as Ricky Martin, Seal, Kylie Minogue, Keith Urban, Mel B and Will.I.Am.
In 2014, McMullen joined the star-studded cast of House Husbands, one of Australia's top rating dramas. Darren plays the much-loved character 'Alex Larden', who has explored some very topical issues on the show, including gay marriage and surrogacy.
In his National Geographic show 'Darren McMullen's Outsiders' we see Darren traveling the world to meet some very interesting characters; from time-traveling Italians (The Damanhur), to Alien worshipers (The Raelians). We see some very different sides to Darren, as he fully immerses himself into the lives of the weird and wondering sub cultures he explores.
Darren currently lives in Los Angeles and is putting the finishing touches on two screenplays, romantic comedy 'The Rebound Guy' and drama 'Fade To Black'. - Stunts
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Tom Steele was born on 12 June 1909 in Carluke, Lanarkshire, Scotland, UK. He was an actor, known for The Blues Brothers (1980), Scarface (1983) and Zombies of the Stratosphere (1952). He died on 30 October 1990 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Tommy Dysart was born on 24 December 1935 in Maryhill, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland, UK. He was an actor, known for The Man from Snowy River (1982), Prisoner (1979) and Against the Wind (1978). He was married to Joan Brockenshire. He died on 7 June 2022 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
- Additional Crew
- Actor
- Location Management
Norman Campbell Rees was born on 4 April 1957 in Coatbridge, Lanarkshire, Scotland, UK. He is an actor, known for Snow White and the Huntsman (2012), John Carter (2012) and Quantum of Solace (2008).- Anthony Baird was born on 1 January 1919 in Hillhead, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland. He was an actor, known for The Adventures of Robin Hood (1955), Reluctant Heroes (1952) and The Avengers (1961). He was married to Evelyn Millicent Amelia Hardwick. He died on 27 August 1995 in Westminster, London, England, UK.
- Caroline Ashley was born on 4 March 1958 in Lanark, Lanarkshire, Scotland, UK. She is an actress, known for Take the High Road (1980) and Win, Lose or Draw! (1990).
- Teri Lally was born on 21 April 1961 in Coatbridge, Lanarkshire, Scotland, UK. She is an actress, known for Comfort and Joy (1984), Restless Natives (1985) and Take the High Road (1980). She is married to Scott Ferguson. They have one child. She was previously married to Kenny MacKenzie.
- Ian Muir was born in Lanarkshire, Scotland, UK. He was an actor, known for Time Bandits (1981), Telephone (1985) and Theatre Box (1981). He died on 4 February 2024.
- Sandy McDonald was born on 5 November 1937 in Bishopbriggs, Lanarkshire, Scotland, UK. He was an actor, known for Ready, Steady, Cook (1994), Doctor Who Confidential (2005) and National Television Awards (2015). He was married to Essdale Helen McLeod. He died on 17 March 2016 in Bishopton, Renfrewshire, Scotland, UK.
- Actor
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Art Department
Jim Scott was born on 2 March 1934 in Lanark, Lanarkshire, Scotland, UK. He is an actor and assistant director, known for The Groundstar Conspiracy (1972), Shadow of the Hawk (1976) and Lost and Found (1979). He is married to Joanne Scott. They have three children.