Advanced search
- TITLES
- NAMES
- COLLABORATIONS
Search filters
Enter full date
to
or just enter yyyy, or yyyy-mm below
to
Only includes names with the selected topics
to
or just enter yyyy, or yyyy-mm below
to
1-50 of 69
- Actor
- Producer
- Director
A natural at portraying complex villains, anti-heroes, and charming heavies, Ian McShane is the classically trained, award-winning actor who has grabbed attention and acclaim from audiences and critics around the world with his unforgettable gallery of scoundrels, kings, mobsters and thugs.
And, now, a god as well!
McShane just completed his third season (as star and executive producer) on the hit Starz series, "American Gods," the TV adaptation of Neil Gaiman's 2001 novel. As Mr. Wednesday, a shifty, silver-tongued conman, he masks his true identity - that of the Norse god of war, Odin, who's assembling a team of elders to bring down the new false idols. A series McShane calls "like nothing else I've seen on television."
It's a comment that also befits McShane's critically-acclaimed role of the charismatic, menacing and lawless 19th century brothel-and-bar keep, Al Swearengen, in the profound and profane HBO western series "Deadwood," which ran for just 36 episodes over three seasons from 2004-06. For his work on the series' second season, McShane won the 2005 Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Television Drama (in addition to Emmy and Screen Actors Guild nominations as Outstanding Lead Dramatic Actor). He also received the Television Critics Association Award for Individual Achievement in Drama for his work in the show's debut season (with a second nomination in 2005).
It is a role and performance the New York Times dubbed "one of the most interesting villains on television." And, a recent online poll called Swearengen a more compelling onscreen gangster over the likes of Tony Soprano and Michael Corleone. After a twelve-year hiatus from portraying maybe his most iconic character ("it was the most satisfyingly creative three years of my professional career" he says), McShane recently reprised the unforgettable rogue when HBO resurrected the 1870s western in a two-hour telefilm, "Deadwood: The Movie," nominated for the Outstanding Television Movie Emmy.
At an age when many successful thespians turn to cameo appearances and character parts, McShane's busy career (which dates back to 1962) also includes three very different starring roles on the big screen. He was seen alongside David Harbour in Neil Marshall's reimagined comic book epic, "Hellboy." McShane also co-starred with Gary Carr in the Dan Pritzker drama, "Bolden," the biopic of musician Buddy Bolden, the father of jazz and a key figure in the development of ragtime music (McShane portrays Bolden's nemesis, Judge Perry). And, he reprised his role (reuniting with Keanu Reeves) as Winston, the suave and charming owner of the assassins-only Tribeca hotel in the latest installment of director Chad Stahelski's action trilogy, "John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum," which opened to enormous box office success.
Years before his triumphant role in "Deadwood," McShane had compiled a long and diverse career on both British and American television. He produced and starred in the acclaimed series "Lovejoy" for the BBC (and A&E in the U.S.), directing several episodes during the show's lengthy run. The popular Sunday night drama (which attracted 18 million viewers weekly during its run from 1990-94) saw McShane in the title role of an irresistible, roguish Suffolk antiques dealer. He would reunite with the BBC by producing and starring in the darker and more serious drama, Madson.
He collected a second Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Miniseries for his portrayal of the scheming Waleran Bigod in Starz's Emmy-nominated "Pillars of the Earth." The production, which originated on the U.K.'s Channel 4, was based on Ken Follett's bestselling historic novel about the building of a 12th-century cathedral during the time known as "the Anarchy" after King Henry I had lost his only son in the White Ship disaster of 1120. It's a character McShane says "would fit into the Vatican."
He is also well-known to TV audiences for his roles in FX's "American Horror Story," Showtime's "Ray Donovan" and, more recently, Amazon's "Dr. Thorne" and HBO's juggernaut, "Game of Thrones" ("I loved the character and did it because my three grandkids, big fans of the show, wouldn't have forgiven me if I hadn't"). And, he first worked with "American Gods" producer Michael Green on the short-lived NBC drama, "Kings," a show (inspired by The Book Of Samuel) he calls "far too revolutionary for network television."
Other notable small screen roles include his appearance in David Wolper's landmark miniseries "Roots" (as the British cockfighting aficionado), "Whose Life Is it Anyway?," Heathcliff in the 1967 miniseries "Wuthering Heights" and Harold Pinter's Emmy-winning "The Caretaker." McShane has also played a variety of real-life subjects like Sejanus in the miniseries "A.D.," the title role of Masterpiece Theater's "Disraeli: Portrait of A Romantic" and Judas in NBC's "Jesus of Nazareth" (directed by Franco Zeffirelli).
McShane, who shows no signs of slowing down in a career now entrenched in its sixth decade ("acting is the only business where the older you get, the parts and the pay get better"), began his career during Britain's New Wave Cinema of the early 1960s. He landed his first lead role in the 1962 English feature "The Wild and the Willing," which also starred another acting upstart and fellow Brit - McShane's lifelong friend, the late John Hurt. McShane later revealed that he had ditched class at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art to audition for the role.
Since that 1962 motion picture debut, McShane has enjoyed a fabulous run of character roles such as the sinister Cockney mobster, Teddy Bass, opposite Ray Winstone and Ben Kingsley in "Sexy Beast"; the infamous pirate, Blackbeard, alongside Johnny Depp and Penelope Cruz in "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides"; and Richard Burton's bi-sexual partner, Wolfie, in the 1971 heist film, "Villain." He gave Hayley Mills her first onscreen kiss as a smoldering gypsy in 1965's "Sky West and Crooked," was part of the stellar ensemble cast (James Mason, James Coburn, Dyan Cannon) in the Stephen Sondheim-Anthony Perkins scripted big screen mystery, "The Last of Sheila," and played a retired sheriff with a violent past opposite Patrick Wilson in the gritty drama, "The Hollow Point."
Other film credits include Guy Hamilton's all-star WWII epic, "The Battle of Britain," the romantic comedy "If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium," "Pottersville," "Hercules," "Snow White and the Huntsman" and "Jawbone" (reuniting with fellow Brit Ray Winstone in both), "Jack the Giant Slayer," Woody Allen's "Scoop," Rodrigo Garcia's indie drama "Nine Lives" (Gotham Award nominee for Best Ensemble Performance) and the darkly perverse crime drama, "44 Inch Chest," a film in which McShane not only starred, but also produced.
While also making his professional theatre debut in 1962 ("Infanticide in the House of Fred August," Arts Theatre, London), McShane appeared onstage in the original 1965 production of Joe Orton's "Loot." Two years later, he starred alongside Ian McKellen and Judi Dench in the hit stage play, "The Promise," a production which transferred to Broadway in 1967 (with Eileen Atkins replacing Dench). He would return to Broadway one more time forty years later (2008), starring in the 40th anniversary staging of Harold Pinter's "The Homecoming," for which he shared a Drama Desk Award as Best Cast Ensemble.
McShane also returned to the West End boards in 2000, charming audiences as the seductive, sex-obsessed Darryl Van Horne while making his musical stage debut in Cameron Mackintosh's "The Witches of Eastwick," an adaptation of the 1987 film. At the esteemed Matrix Theatre in Los Angeles, he appeared in Harold Pinter's "Betrayal," and John Osborne's "Inadmissible Evidence," earning a pair of Los Angeles Drama Critics' Awards for Lead Performance in the process. He also starred in the world premiere of Larry Atlas' "Yield of the Long Bond."
In addition to his work in front of the camera, McShane is also well-known for his voiceover work, with his low, distinctive baritone on display in a variety of projects. He voiced the eccentric magician, Mr. Bobinsky, in Henry Selick's award nominated "Coraline" (scripted by "American Gods" author Neil Gaiman), lent a sinister air to Tai Lung, the snow leopard adept at martial arts, in "Kung Fu Panda" (Annie Award nominee), and created the notorious Captain Hook in "Shrek the Third." He also narrated Grace Jones' 1985 album, Slave to the Rhythm, succumbing to producer Trevor Horn's request to take the job because, per Horn," Orson Welles was dead, and I needed a voice." The album sold over a million copies worldwide. In the virtual reality domain, he recently lent his voice to the award- winning VR animated short "Age of Sail" in the role of the elderly sailor, William Avery, adrift alone in the North Atlantic.
After almost sixty years entertaining audiences across the performance spectrum, McShane admits he did not set out for a career in the footlights while growing up in Manchester, England (he was actually born in Blackburn). It was by unexpected circumstances after McShane broke his leg playing soccer that he ended up performing in the school play production of Cyrano De Bergerac where he met his life-long friend and teacher, Leslie Ryder. Before he knew it, he auditioned for the Royal Academy of Arts where he was accepted and then left a term early to appear in the film, "The Wild and The Willing".
McShane never looked back.- Actress
- Camera and Electrical Department
Amy Abigail Nuttall is an English actress and singer known for playing Chloe Atkinson in the ITV soap opera Emmerdale from 2000 until 2005, and housemaid Ethel Parks in ITV period drama Downton Abbey. Nuttall was born in Blackburn, Lancashire. She was educated at Bury Grammar School for Girls and trained at Tring Park School for the Performing Arts. She performed with the National Youth Music Theatre, notably playing the lead role of Princess Ismene in Aurelius at the Tyne Opera House, Newcastle and the Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh in August 1997.- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Steve Pemberton is a BAFTA winning actor and writer born in Blackburn, UK. He graduated from Bretton Hall in Yorkshire with a BA (Hons) in Theatre Arts in 1989. After leaving college Steve spent time producing and starring in small-scale theatre productions in London and working part-time for Variety as assistant editor of the International Film Guide. In 1996 Steve and his college friends Mark Gatiss, Reece Shearsmith and Jeremy Dyson went to Edinburgh with comedy show The League of Gentlemen, winning the coveted Perrier Comedy prize a year later. The group then went on to record a radio series and four TV series for the BBC as well as staging three live tours and making a film.
In 2009 Steve and Reece wrote and starred in the multi-award winning black comedy Psychoville which ran for two series and a Halloween special. The pair's acclaimed anthology show Inside No 9 began in 2014 and Steve was awarded with a BAFTA for Best Male Comedy Performance in 2019. The show also won BAFTAs for Scripted Comedy and Comedy Writing. Steve lives in North London with his partner and three children.- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Michael took an English degree at Oxford then trained in film at Bristol and London breaking into television via the cutting room at Thames Television. He made his directorial debut with two documentaries on Ingmar Bergman His production of Love Lies Bleeding won the Silver Award at the 1993 New York Television Festival and the 4 part serial 'Family' has collected numerous awards at film and television festivals around the world. He also directed the opening story in the first series of the multi award winning Cracker- Rhiannon Clements was born on 1 December 1994 in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Death on the Nile (2022), Hollyoaks (1995) and Big Boys (2022).
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Anthony Valentine was born on 17 August 1939 in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Scobie in September (1969), The Fifth Corner (1992) and Callan (1967). He was married to Susan Valentine. He died on 2 December 2015 in Guildford, Surrey, England, UK.- David Ross is a British actor from Blackburn, Lancashire. He is most known for his work in television series, where he has enjoyed a lengthy career. He has also appeared stage productions and films.
David Ross' most famous role was that of Kryten during his first appearance on comedy series Red Dwarf (1988) and he was also the one who provided the voice for the Talkie Toaster on the same show. As a stage actor, David Ross is known for his part in the play Having a Ball, alongside Maggie Dence and Jacki Weaver.
David Ross' very first role was a small part in the drama Dixon of Dock Green (1955), in the episode The Mercenary. He then went on to appear on some of the iconic TV productions of the UK, such as the police procedural Midsomer Murders (1997) and the sitcom The Green Green Grass (2005). David Ross has also portrayed Mr. Sherwin in the historical drama Basil (1998), starring Jared Leto. - Actress
- Soundtrack
Although British actress Kathleen Harrison was born in 1892 in the Lancashire town of Blackburn, she was fondly known for her cockney characters throughout her career. Trained for the stage at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art she first married and lived overseas in Argentina for nearly eight years. Upon her return she made her initial stage appearance in "The Constant Flirt" in 1926. In the 30s she found her way onto the screen, taking many of her delightful theatre roles to film, including Line Engaged (1935), Night Must Fall (1937) (probably her most noteworthy), and Who Is Guilty? (1939). She added immeasurable Dickensian flavor as various maids and mums to such classics as Oliver Twist (1948), A Christmas Carol (1951) and The Pickwick Papers (1952).
She was also openly received as Mrs. Huggett in the "Huggett Family" series that ran a few years in the late 40s. In her five decade career, Kathleen 'toiled' as various servile characters in nearly 80 films. As popular in England as similar 'working class' as character player Thelma Ritter was in America, Kathleen also enjoyed a slight shot of TV popularity late in her career, notably in the brief series Mrs Thursday (1966) as a cleaning lady who inherits her boss's vast fortune. Kathleen's last years were spent in a nursing home, living to the ripe old age of 103.- Actor
- Writer
- Additional Crew
Michael Billington was born on 24 December 1941 in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, UK. He was an actor and writer, known for UFO (1970), The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) and The Onedin Line (1971). He was married to Katherine Kristoff. He died on 3 June 2005 in Margate, Kent, England, UK.- A.J. Odudu was born on 12 February 1988 in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Married at First Sight UK: Afters (2021), Dodge's Pup School (2024) and The Big Interiors Battle (2023).
- Cat Simmons was born on 4 May 1981 in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, UK. She is an actress, known for The Holiday (2021), Ordinary Lies (2015) and Chuck Chuck Baby (2023).
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Susan Boyle was born on 1 April 1961 in Blackburn, West Lothian, Scotland, UK. She is an actress, known for Zoolander 2 (2016), The Christmas Candle (2013) and Million Dollar Arm (2014).- Anthony Green was born on 4 April 1970 in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, UK. He is an actor, known for The Bourne Identity (2002), Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) and The Scarlet Pimpernel (1999).
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Madge Hindle was born on 19 May 1938 in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Nearest and Dearest (1968), Nearest and Dearest (1972) and Coronation Street (1960). She has been married to Michael Hindle since 1962. They have two children.- Wendi Peters was born on 29 February 1968 in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Coronation Street (1960), Bad Girls (1999) and Coronation Street: Out of Africa (2008). She has been married to Kenny Linden since 30 October 1992. They have one child.
- Herbert Ramskill was born on 29 May 1913 in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Red Letter Day (1976), A Divorce (1976) and Coronation Street (1960). He was married to Valerie Patricia Roskams. He died on 4 June 1977 in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, UK.
- Malcolm Patton was born on 4 September 1945 in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, UK. He was an actor, known for A Kind of Loving (1962), Tom Grattan's War (1968) and Softly Softly (1966). He died in October 1989 in Westminster, London, England, UK.
- Margaret Bert was born on 4 June 1896 in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Campus Sleuth (1948), Sarge Goes to College (1947) and Panic! (1957). She died on 1 May 1971 in Sacramento, California, USA.
- Director
- Producer
- Editor
The critically acclaimed short film "Waiting For Time" by The Bashford Twins, which delves into the sensitive topic of men's mental health and stars Ariyon Bakare (known for "His Dark Materials" on BBC), received nominations at the prestigious Oscar and BAFTA qualifying LA Shorts International Film Festival and Rhode Island International Film Festival. Their work has gained worldwide recognition, with over 20 awards and 60 nominations across various festivals. With a background of eight years at Pinewood Studios, where they honed their skills working alongside BAFTA-winning producers and directors, The Bashford Twins have expanded their portfolio to include diverse projects. Their recent venture, they Produced a Bollywood Action/Thriller Feature "Bloodline," which is set for release in 2024. Moreover, they have collaborated with renowned production companies like Entertainment One and contributed to projects for major brands such as L'Oreal, Blackrock, Snapchat, British Airways, and Soap & Glory.- Frank Moorey was born on 23 November 1936 in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Love Actually (2003), Nana (1968) and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (1979). He was married to Stefa Gabrielle Wastie (stage name Gabrielle Laye). He died on 20 November 2003 in Brighton, Sussex, England, UK.
- Producer
- Writer
- Actor
Russell Harty was born on 5 September 1934 in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, UK. He was a producer and writer, known for BBC2 Playhouse (1973), The Kids Are Alright (1979) and Russell Harty Plus (1972). He died on 8 June 1988 in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, UK.- Writer
- Actress
Karen Kay was born on 18 July 1947 in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, UK. She is a writer and actress, known for Who Do You Do (1972), Karen Kay (1983) and Lennie and Jerry (1978).- Talent Agent
- Manager
- Actress
Ellen Gallagher was born on 30 October 1986 in Blackburn, England, UK. She is a talent agent and manager.- Music Department
- Composer
- Writer
Although many reference sources inexplicably give Barry Gray's year of birth as 1925, he was in fact born John Livesey Eccles in Blackburn on 18 July 1908. His father John Haworth Eccles was a stationery traveller by profession, but both parents were said to be musically talented, and John Junior went to study at the Royal Manchester College of Music and at Blackburn Cathedral, learning composition from Matyas Seiber. His professional music career began with London publishers B. Feldman & Co. where he arranged scores for variety theatres, and he also worked for Radio Normandy. After war service with the R.A.F. he became a freelance composer and lyricist for radio, records and film music libraries. He joined the Performing Right Society in 1947 under his real name, but later changed it by deed poll to John Livesey Barry Gray. After several years as musical assistant to Eartha Kitt, Hoagy Carmichael and Vera Lynn, in 1956 he began a long and successful association with producers Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, scoring popular marionation series such as Twizzle, Supercar, Fireball XL5, Stingray and Thunderbirds. He continued to compose independently, sometimes using the pseudonyms John Livesey, Gene Durant or Martin Jerbourg (a character in Bergerac). Barry Gray himself moved to the Channel Islands in 1970, settling in St Peter-in-the-Wood in Guernsey and with a music studio in St Peter Port, and occasionally guesting as pianist at island venues. He died of heart disease at Guernsey's Princess Elizabeth Hospital on 26 April 1984, age 75. His music continues to find favour with film makers, particularly the ever-popular Thunderbirds March which enjoyed a notable revival in the expensive Thunderbirds remake of 2004.- Director
- Producer
- Editor
Liam and Kyle Bashford began their careers in Blackburn, Lancashire, making short horror films. At just 19, they won Best Director for one of their work based on the urban legend, Bloody Mary. Since then, they've collaborated with talent from hit shows like "Stranger Things" and crew members from "The Last of Us" and the "Mission Impossible" franchise.
Their acclaimed short film "Waiting For Time," which tackles men's mental health and stars Ariyon Bakare (BBC's "His Dark Materials"), earned nominations at the Oscar and BAFTA-qualifying LA Shorts International Film Festival and Rhode Island International Film Festival. With over 20 awards and 60 nominations globally, their work has gained worldwide recognition.
With eight years of experience at Pinewood Studios, where they honed their craft alongside BAFTA-winning producers and directors, The Bashford Twins have expanded their portfolio to diverse projects. Their recent venture, the Indian action-thriller "Bloodline," premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival and is set for theatrical release across India in 2024.