Line #43 Creator/IanMcShane


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/image_8317.jpeg]]
2	->''"Every actor has to love and loathe the character he plays."''
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4	Ian David [=McShane=] (born 29 September 1942) is a versatile English actor with a distinctive, purring voice. He first solidified his reputation in the British series ''Series/{{Lovejoy}}'', but his career experienced in renaissance with his fierce performance as Al Swearengen in ''Series/{{Deadwood}}'', which led to a prolific later career in a wide range of high-profile film and television productions.
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6	His many roles on screen have been predominantly villainous, including Judas Iscariot in ''Series/JesusOfNazareth'', Blackbeard in ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanOnStrangerTides'', Tai Lung in ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda1'', and bisexual {{Gayngster}} Teddy Bass in ''Film/SexyBeast''. However, he also plays good guys, such as Mr. Bobinsky in ''WesternAnimation/{{Coraline}}'' and King Brahmwell in ''Film/JackTheGiantSlayer''. Incidentally, he was at drama school with Creator/JohnHurt and they shared an apartment, leading to a lifelong friendship.
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8	Oh, and that picture of him up there? [[OlderThanTheyLook He's over 80]], by the way.
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10	----
11
12	!!Film Roles
13	* ''Film/IfItsTuesdayThisMustBeBelgium'' (1969) as Charlie Cartwright
14	* ''Film/BattleOfBritain'' (1969) as Andy
15	* ''Film/TheLastOfSheila'' (1973) as Anthony Wood
16	* ''Film/CodeNameDiamondHead'' (1977) as Sean Donovan
17	* ''Film/OrdealByInnocence'' (1984) as Philip Durant
18	* ''[[Film/BabylonFiveTheRiverOfSouls Babylon 5: The River of Souls]]'' (1998) as Robert Bryson
19	* ''Film/SexyBeast'' (2000) as Teddy Bass
20	* ''Film/AgentCodyBanks'' (2003) as Dr. Brinkman
21	* ''Film/NemesisGame'' (2003) as Jeff Novak
22	* ''Film/{{Scoop}}'' (2006) as Joe Strombel
23	* ''Film/WeAreMarshall'' (2006) as Paul Griffen
24	* ''WesternAnimation/ShrekTheThird'' (2007) as Captain Hook (voice)
25	* ''Film/HotRod'' (2007) as Frank Powell
26	* ''Film/TheSeeker'' (2007) as Merriman Lyon
27	* ''Film/TheGoldenCompass'' (2007) as Ragnar Sturlusson (voice)
28	* ''Franchise/KungFuPanda'' as Tai Lung (voice)
29	** ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda1'' (2008)
30	** ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda4'' (2024)
31	* ''Film/DeathRace'' (2008) as Coach
32	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Coraline}}'' (2009) as Mr. Bobinsky (voice)
33	* ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanOnStrangerTides'' (2011) as Blackbeard
34	* ''Film/SnowWhiteAndTheHuntsman'' (2012) as Beith
35	* ''Film/JackTheGiantSlayer'' (2013) as King Brahmwell
36	* ''Film/CubanFury'' (2014) as Ron Parfitt
37	* ''Film/{{Hercules\|2014}}'' (2014) as Amphiaraus
38	* ''Franchise/JohnWick'' as Winston Scott
39	** ''Film/JohnWick'' (2014)
40	** ''Film/JohnWickChapter2'' (2017)
41	** ''Film/JohnWickChapter3Parabellum'' (2019)
42	** ''Film/JohnWickChapter4'' (2023)
43	* ''Film/{{Hellboy\|2019}}'' (2019) as Professor Trevor "Broom" Bruttenholm
44	* ''Literature/MyFathersDragon'' (2022) as Saiwa the Gorilla (voice)
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46	!Television Roles
47	* ''Literature/WutheringHeights'' (1967) as Heathcliff
48	* ''Series/Space1999'' (1975) as Anton Zoref (1 episode)
49	* ''Series/JesusOfNazareth'' (1977) as Judas Iscariot
50	* ''Series/{{Lovejoy}}'' (1986–1994) as Lovejoy
51	* ''Series/MiamiVice'' (1987, 1989) as Esteban Montoya (2 episodes) and General Manuel Borbon (1 episode)
52	* ''Series/{{Dallas}}'' (1989) as Don Lockwood
53	* ''Series/{{Minder}}'' (1989) as Jack Last (1 episode)
54	* ''Series/{{Columbo}}'' (1990) as Leland (episode "[[Recap/ColumboS09E04 Rest in Peace, Mrs. Columbo]]")
55	* ''Series/TheWestWing'' (2002) as Nikolai Ivanovich (1 episode)
56	* ''Series/{{Deadwood}}'' (2004–2006) as Al Swearengen
57	* ''Series/{{Kings}}'' (2009) as King Silas Benjamin
58	* ''Series/ThePillarsOfTheEarth'' (2010) as Waleran Bigod
59	* ''Series/AmericanHorrorStoryAsylum'' (2012) as Leigh Emerson
60	* ''Series/RayDonovan'' (2015) as Andrew Finney
61	* ''Series/GameOfThrones'' (2016) as Septon Ray
62	* ''Series/{{American Gods\|2017}}'' (2017) as Mr. Wednesday[=/=][[spoiler:Odin]]
63	* ''Series/{{One Piece\|2023}}'' (2023) as Narrator
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65	----
66	!!Tropes related to his works:
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68	* AffablyEvil: His characters are usually pretty untrustworthy but that doesn't stop them from being charming, even if [[FauxAffablyEvil it's insincere]] due to his incredible charisma and dry wit.
69	* ClassicallyTrainedExtra: This is averted with his roles in ''Franchise/KungFuPanda'', ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanOnStrangerTides'', ''Series/AmericanHorrorStory'', and ''Film/JackTheGiantSlayer'', which he, apparently, enjoyed immensely. He seems to enjoy the weirder, blockbuster-y roles just as much as classical theater. Though he does have fun with it and doesn't take it too seriously, famously referirng to ''Series/GameOfThrones'' with:[[MemeticMutation "Get a fucking life! It's just tits and dragons!"]]
70	* CoolOldGuy: Some of his later roles have him as this, most notably [[Film/JohnWick Winston]] and [[Series/GameOfThrones Septon Ray]].
71	* DeadpanSnarker: His characters tend to get the best lines.
72	* EvilBrit: Frequently.
73	* EvilOldFolks: Can still play menacing villains well into his seventies.
74	* EvilSoundsDeep: He has a very deep voice and he plays villains a lot.
75	* OlderThanTheyLook: He's aged very well. He's 81, but looks to be in his early sixties at the most and was sixty when he started ''Series/{{Deadwood}}'' but looked to be in his mid-forties/early fifties at the most.
76	* OopNorth: He is from Manchester and has a notable accent.
77	* PlayingAgainstType:
78	** In ''Series/GameOfThrones'', where he plays one of the [[NiceGuy few unashamedly and unambiguous good characters]] in the series.
79	** Even moreso in ''WesternAnimation/{{Coraline}}'', where he's a downright goofy Russian entertainer.

Context Creator / IanMcShane