[[quoteright:280:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/markstrong.jpg]]

->''"If you think about [[Creator/WilliamShakespeare Shakespeare]], you remember Theatre/RichardIII and Theatre/{{Macbeth}} before you remember Ferdinand, whose role is just to fall in love and be a bit of a wimp. I love the baddies. More important, though, is making the baddies somehow, weirdly, understood."''

Mark Strong (born Marco Giuseppe Salussolia on 5 August 1963 in Islington, London) is a British actor of Italian and Austrian descent.

He is especially known for his villainous performances — such as Prince Septimus in ''Film/{{Stardust}}'' or Lord Blackwood in Creator/GuyRitchie's ''Film/{{Sherlock Holmes|2009}}'' — though he's been impeccably playing the KnightInShiningArmor, a morally gray hitman, and pretty much everything in between as well.

If Creator/GuyRitchie or Creator/MatthewVaughn is working on a new project, it's safe to say that they will at least consider their friend for a part in it.

[[folder:Filmography:]]
* ''Series/OurFriendsInTheNorth'' (1995) as Tosker
* ''Film/{{Emma}}'' (1996) as Mr. Knightley
* ''Literature/FeverPitch'' (1997) as Steve
* ''The Man with Rain in his Shoes'' (1998) as Dave Summers
* ''Sunshine'' (1999) as István Sors
* ''The Long Firm'' (2004) as Harry Starks
* ''Film/{{Revolver|2005}}'' (2005) as Sorter
* ''Literature/OliverTwist'' (2005) as Toby Crackit
* ''Film/{{Syriana}}'' (2005) as Mussawi
* ''Film/TristanAndIsolde'' (2006) as Wicktred
* ''{{Film/Sunshine}}'' (2007) as Pinbacker
* ''Film/{{Stardust}}'' (2007) as Septimus
* ''Film/MissPettigrewLivesForADay'' (2008) as Nick Cordorelli
* ''Flashbacks of a Fool'' (2008) as Mannie Miesel
* ''Film/BabylonAD'' (2008) as Finn
* ''Film/RocknRolla'' (2008) as Archy
* ''Film/BodyOfLies'' (2008) as Hani
* ''Film/TheYoungVictoria'' (2009) as Sir John Conroy
* ''Film/{{Sherlock Holmes|2009}}'' (2009) as Lord Henry Blackwood
* ''Film/KickAss'' (2010) as Frank D'Amico
* ''Film/{{Robin Hood|2010}}'' (2010) as Godfrey
* ''Film/TheWayBack2010'' as Khabarov
* ''Film/{{The Eagle|2011}}'' (2011) as Guern
* ''Anime/{{Arrietty}}'' (2011) as Pod (UK dub)
* ''Film/{{Green Lantern|2011}}'' (2011) as Thaal Sinestro
* ''Film/TinkerTailorSoldierSpy'' (2011) as Jim Prideaux
* ''Film/TheGuard'' (2011) as Clive Cornell
* ''VideoGame/Warhammer40000SpaceMarine'' (2011) as Captain Titus
* ''Film/JohnCarter'' (2012) as Matai Shang
* ''Film/ZeroDarkThirty'' (2012) as George
* ''Film/WelcomeToThePunch'' (2013) as Jacob Sternwood
* ''VideoGame/TotalWarRomeII'' (2013) as Silanus
* ''Series/LowWinterSun'' (2013) - Frank Agnew [[note]]based on the 2006 British miniseries of which he played the same character.[[/note]]
* ''WesternAnimation/JustinAndTheKnightsOfValour'' (2013) as Heraclio
* ''Film/TheImitationGame'' (2014) as Stewart Menzies
* ''Film/BeforeIGoToSleep'' (2014) as Dr. Nasch
* ''Film/{{Kingsman}}'' as Merlin
** ''Film/KingsmanTheSecretService'' (2015)
** ''Film/KingsmanTheGoldenCircle'' (2017)
* ''Film/MissSloane'' (2016) as Rodolfo Schmidt
* ''Film/TheCatcherWasASpy'' (2018) as Werner Heisenberg
* ''Series/DeepState'' (2018-) as Max Easton
* ''[[Film/Shazam2019 SHAZAM!]]'' (2019) as Doctor Thaddeus Sivana
* ''Series/TheDarkCrystalAgeOfResistance'' (2019) as Ordon
* ''Film/NineteenSeventeen'' (2019) as Captain Smith
* ''Film/{{Cruella}}'' (2021) as Boris
* ''WesternAnimation/Charlotte2021'' (2021) as Alfred Wolfsohn
* ''Film/{{Tar}}'' (2022) as Eliot Kaplan
* ''Film/TheEndWeStartFrom''
* ''Dune: Prophecy'' (TBA) as Emperor Javicco Corrino
[[/folder]]
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!!Tropes associated with his works:

* AwesomeDearBoy: He's made clear that he loves playing villains, saying they're always the most fun.
* BaldOfEvil: He's bald and has played a lot of pretty rotten characters. He's even said going bald improved his career, allowing him to go from the generic leading men to juicier villain roles.
* BritishTeeth: Strong's teeth are a bit crooked, particularly one of his front incisors, which is put on particular display in the opening scene of ''Sherlock Holmes''. The funniest thing is that he has no British ancestry.
* DeathGlare: The man can pull off some truly terrifying stares.
* EvilBrit: He even provides part of the page quote.
* EvilSoundsDeep: By virtue of playing villains and having a very deep voice.
* FauxAffablyEvil: Some of his villains can be very charming in a way which only enhances their evil nature.
* PlayingAgainstType: He's so associated with villains that viewers are often surprised when he plays good or simply neutral characters. ''Film/{{Tar}}'' (2022) even has him play a fairly wimpy investment banker and composer who gets utterly trounced in a fight by Creator/CateBlanchett.
* PlaysGreatEthnics: This Austro-Italian Englishman has portrayed Jordanian and Lebanese men.
* SharpDressedMan: Archie in ''Rock 'n Rolla'' takes the cake. So does Merlin in the climax of both of his ''Kingsman'' films.
* SmokingIsCool: A few of his characters fall under here, but particular notice goes to Dr. Neil Barnard from ''Endgame'', who snaps the filters off of his cigarettes before lighting up.
* StarMakingRole: Septimus in ''Film/{{Stardust}}'', the role that kick-started his career as a villain actor.
* TallDarkAndHandsome: He's 6'2" and quite ruggedly handsome.
* ThoseTwoActors: With Creator/ColinFirth in ''Literature/FeverPitch'', ''Film/TinkerTailorSoldierSpy'', ''Film/BeforeIGoToSleep'' and ''Film/{{Kingsman}}''.
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