Angus Macfadyen(I)
- Actor
- Writer
- Director
Best known as Robert the Bruce in
Braveheart (1995), Angus McFadyen has
enjoyed a fine career in the film business. He has been in a variety of
different films and television shows over his life, playing such well
known roles as Edward
'Blackbeard' Teach, Robert the
Bruce, and Orson Welles.
Born in Glasgow, Scotland on the twenty-first of September in 1963,
Angus lived a colourful childhood, being raised in such places as the
Philippines, Singapore, and France. Angus found himself back in
Britain, however, when it came to education. He enrolled in the
University of Edinburgh, and Central School of Speech and Drama in
London.
Angus' first role was the role of Philip in the film made for
television,
The Lost Language of Cranes (1991).
The film centers on a young man (Angus) who must tell his parents that
he is gay. Playing the role of his father was fellow Scottish actor
Brian Cox. Angus then acted in the
television film
15: The Life and Death of Philip Knight (1993)
and also on the television show
Takin' Over the Asylum (1994)
which was about a salesman who runs a radio station in an institution.
This led to the biggest role of Angus's career.
In 1995, Mel Gibson's epic classic,
Braveheart (1995) was released, with
Angus in the role of Robert the Bruce. Next to the flamboyantly hero of
William Wallace, Robert the Bruce was the human character, the man who
wanted to make the right choice, but was drawn to compromise. The
brilliant portrayal of the Bruce was sadly unnoticed by any awards, a
tragic insult to Angus's brilliant performance.
After Braveheart (1995) won Best
Picture, Angus acted in the independent film
Nevada (1997), before giving the most
over-the-top performance of his career in the action/fantasy
Warriors of Virtue (1997).
While the movie was a disaster critically and commercially, Angus's
performance as the demented villain Komodo is fondly remembered by a
cult following to this day. Another role for Angus was in the romantic
comedy Still Breathing (1997).
Regrettably, none of these matched up to
Braveheart (1995)'s success. He moved
on to Joseph's Gift (1999) which
starred Freddy Rodríguez. Angus
also co-starred alongside such names as
Don Cheadle and
Ray Liotta when he played Peter Lawford in
the HBO film
The Rat Pack (1998).
Angus also played the role of Orson Welles
in Tim Robbins's third directorial
film Cradle Will Rock (1999).
Although the film received a nomination for the Palme D'Or at Cannes,
it was a financial flop, but Angus rebounded with the Shakespearean film
Titus (1999) which also featured
Anthony Hopkins,
Jonathan Rhys Meyers,
Alan Cumming and
Jessica Lange. Angus played the
role of Lucius, eldest son of Titus Andronicus (played by Hopkins).
Directed by Julie Taymor, who would go on
to direct
Across the Universe (2007),
the film was a critical triumph and Angus delivered a solid
performance, but with mediocre box office results. With the new
millennium, Angus once again took up a very well-known character: the
Greek God Zeus in
Jason and the Argonauts (2000).
After the noir film
Second Skin (2000), Angus acted
in a number of poorly received films. One such film was the action film
Styx (2001) which starred
Peter Weller. A year later, Angus
acted in the comedy film
Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (2002)
alongside a number of famous names as
Sandra Bullock,
Ellen Burstyn,
Maggie Smith, and
Ashley Judd. The film was a commercial hit,
albeit with mixed reviews. That same year, Angus took the role of
Vice-Counsel Dupont in
Equilibrium (2002). The film, also
starring Christian Bale,
Sean Bean,
Taye Diggs, and
Emily Watson, is about a world set
in the future, where a Fascist regime forbids all emotions from being
shown. The film, though clearly well-made and well-acted by all, did
not get a wide release. It had already made a profit through
international sales, and the studio chose to keep it a successful
profit rather than risk a big release.
Equilibrium (2002) has since gained a
cult following, but at the time of its initial release, Angus moved on
to act in the television series
Miracles (2003) which was about the
supernatural.
After "Miracles", Angus acted as Marcus Crassus in a more historically
accurate version of
Stanley Kubrick's film
Spartacus (1960), the character of Bill
in "The Pleasure Drivers", and the lead in the dramatic film
The Virgin of Juarez (2006).
He then played the pirate warlord Blackbeard in a television film of
the same name. The film received mixed reviews.
What then emerged was the second major role of MacFadyen's career: the role
of Jeff Denlon in Saw III (2006).
Denlon is a man obsessed with revenge, and he is led into a series of
traps that test his ability to forgive. The film was a smash hit for
its 10 million dollar budget, earning almost two hundred million
dollars worldwide. Angus co-starred in the box office bomb
Redline (2007) the same year as he
returned to the "Saw" franchise with the fourth film. It was also a
success at the box office, though reviews for this film were lower than
the previous films.
Angus continues making films, starring as the outlaw Will Tunney in his
new western film
Shadowheart (2009), which may
be a reference to the film that made him famous. Angus has appeared on
television in the series "Californication" and "Killer Wave". He has
also acted in the upcoming mystery film "San Saba (2008)" and the
thriller film Unnatural Causes (2008). His
character of Jeff makes a reappearance in
Saw V (2008), and he acted in two
thrillers. One is the film
Pound of Flesh (2010) alongside
Malcolm McDowell which revolves around
a corrupt college professor, and the other is the crime thriller
Assassins Run (2013)
alongside Christian Slater. Angus
also acted in the second season of
Lie to Me (2009), to positive
acclaim, and the
Cameron Crowe comedy
We Bought a Zoo (2011), starring
Matt Damon.
After a number of independent films, Angus found success playing two different historical figures on television in 2014. The first was detective and spy Allan Pinkerton in the Canadian series The Pinkertons (2014). Although it was short-lived, the second one was much more impactful; the British frontiersman and army officer Robert Rogers in the highly acclaimed AMC series TURN: Washington's Spies (2014). Angus appeared in 31 episodes across four seasons, even as he also made his directorial debut with the Shakespearean film Macbeth Unhinged (2016), which featured a number of collaborators from "Turn" and "Titus".
Since then, Angus has continued to find steady work, including as a guest star in the historical series Strange Angel (2018), and in the independent comedy Business Ethics (2019). He also returned to his iconic film role in a sequel film titled Robert the Bruce (2019). Angus not only reprised his role as the Bruce, he also co-wrote the film's screenplay. Sadly, the film was mostly overlooked by critics and audiences, arguably due to the film Outlaw King (2018) released by Netflix the prior year. Angus later rebounded with a recurring role of Jor-El on the well-liked CW television series Superman & Lois (2021).
Braveheart (1995), Angus McFadyen has
enjoyed a fine career in the film business. He has been in a variety of
different films and television shows over his life, playing such well
known roles as Edward
'Blackbeard' Teach, Robert the
Bruce, and Orson Welles.
Born in Glasgow, Scotland on the twenty-first of September in 1963,
Angus lived a colourful childhood, being raised in such places as the
Philippines, Singapore, and France. Angus found himself back in
Britain, however, when it came to education. He enrolled in the
University of Edinburgh, and Central School of Speech and Drama in
London.
Angus' first role was the role of Philip in the film made for
television,
The Lost Language of Cranes (1991).
The film centers on a young man (Angus) who must tell his parents that
he is gay. Playing the role of his father was fellow Scottish actor
Brian Cox. Angus then acted in the
television film
15: The Life and Death of Philip Knight (1993)
and also on the television show
Takin' Over the Asylum (1994)
which was about a salesman who runs a radio station in an institution.
This led to the biggest role of Angus's career.
In 1995, Mel Gibson's epic classic,
Braveheart (1995) was released, with
Angus in the role of Robert the Bruce. Next to the flamboyantly hero of
William Wallace, Robert the Bruce was the human character, the man who
wanted to make the right choice, but was drawn to compromise. The
brilliant portrayal of the Bruce was sadly unnoticed by any awards, a
tragic insult to Angus's brilliant performance.
After Braveheart (1995) won Best
Picture, Angus acted in the independent film
Nevada (1997), before giving the most
over-the-top performance of his career in the action/fantasy
Warriors of Virtue (1997).
While the movie was a disaster critically and commercially, Angus's
performance as the demented villain Komodo is fondly remembered by a
cult following to this day. Another role for Angus was in the romantic
comedy Still Breathing (1997).
Regrettably, none of these matched up to
Braveheart (1995)'s success. He moved
on to Joseph's Gift (1999) which
starred Freddy Rodríguez. Angus
also co-starred alongside such names as
Don Cheadle and
Ray Liotta when he played Peter Lawford in
the HBO film
The Rat Pack (1998).
Angus also played the role of Orson Welles
in Tim Robbins's third directorial
film Cradle Will Rock (1999).
Although the film received a nomination for the Palme D'Or at Cannes,
it was a financial flop, but Angus rebounded with the Shakespearean film
Titus (1999) which also featured
Anthony Hopkins,
Jonathan Rhys Meyers,
Alan Cumming and
Jessica Lange. Angus played the
role of Lucius, eldest son of Titus Andronicus (played by Hopkins).
Directed by Julie Taymor, who would go on
to direct
Across the Universe (2007),
the film was a critical triumph and Angus delivered a solid
performance, but with mediocre box office results. With the new
millennium, Angus once again took up a very well-known character: the
Greek God Zeus in
Jason and the Argonauts (2000).
After the noir film
Second Skin (2000), Angus acted
in a number of poorly received films. One such film was the action film
Styx (2001) which starred
Peter Weller. A year later, Angus
acted in the comedy film
Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (2002)
alongside a number of famous names as
Sandra Bullock,
Ellen Burstyn,
Maggie Smith, and
Ashley Judd. The film was a commercial hit,
albeit with mixed reviews. That same year, Angus took the role of
Vice-Counsel Dupont in
Equilibrium (2002). The film, also
starring Christian Bale,
Sean Bean,
Taye Diggs, and
Emily Watson, is about a world set
in the future, where a Fascist regime forbids all emotions from being
shown. The film, though clearly well-made and well-acted by all, did
not get a wide release. It had already made a profit through
international sales, and the studio chose to keep it a successful
profit rather than risk a big release.
Equilibrium (2002) has since gained a
cult following, but at the time of its initial release, Angus moved on
to act in the television series
Miracles (2003) which was about the
supernatural.
After "Miracles", Angus acted as Marcus Crassus in a more historically
accurate version of
Stanley Kubrick's film
Spartacus (1960), the character of Bill
in "The Pleasure Drivers", and the lead in the dramatic film
The Virgin of Juarez (2006).
He then played the pirate warlord Blackbeard in a television film of
the same name. The film received mixed reviews.
What then emerged was the second major role of MacFadyen's career: the role
of Jeff Denlon in Saw III (2006).
Denlon is a man obsessed with revenge, and he is led into a series of
traps that test his ability to forgive. The film was a smash hit for
its 10 million dollar budget, earning almost two hundred million
dollars worldwide. Angus co-starred in the box office bomb
Redline (2007) the same year as he
returned to the "Saw" franchise with the fourth film. It was also a
success at the box office, though reviews for this film were lower than
the previous films.
Angus continues making films, starring as the outlaw Will Tunney in his
new western film
Shadowheart (2009), which may
be a reference to the film that made him famous. Angus has appeared on
television in the series "Californication" and "Killer Wave". He has
also acted in the upcoming mystery film "San Saba (2008)" and the
thriller film Unnatural Causes (2008). His
character of Jeff makes a reappearance in
Saw V (2008), and he acted in two
thrillers. One is the film
Pound of Flesh (2010) alongside
Malcolm McDowell which revolves around
a corrupt college professor, and the other is the crime thriller
Assassins Run (2013)
alongside Christian Slater. Angus
also acted in the second season of
Lie to Me (2009), to positive
acclaim, and the
Cameron Crowe comedy
We Bought a Zoo (2011), starring
Matt Damon.
After a number of independent films, Angus found success playing two different historical figures on television in 2014. The first was detective and spy Allan Pinkerton in the Canadian series The Pinkertons (2014). Although it was short-lived, the second one was much more impactful; the British frontiersman and army officer Robert Rogers in the highly acclaimed AMC series TURN: Washington's Spies (2014). Angus appeared in 31 episodes across four seasons, even as he also made his directorial debut with the Shakespearean film Macbeth Unhinged (2016), which featured a number of collaborators from "Turn" and "Titus".
Since then, Angus has continued to find steady work, including as a guest star in the historical series Strange Angel (2018), and in the independent comedy Business Ethics (2019). He also returned to his iconic film role in a sequel film titled Robert the Bruce (2019). Angus not only reprised his role as the Bruce, he also co-wrote the film's screenplay. Sadly, the film was mostly overlooked by critics and audiences, arguably due to the film Outlaw King (2018) released by Netflix the prior year. Angus later rebounded with a recurring role of Jor-El on the well-liked CW television series Superman & Lois (2021).