Ian McShane

Born: 29th September 1942
Where: Blackburn, Lancashire

Ian McShane is one of Britain's best loved actors. He trained for the stage at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and has turned out to be another of its distinguished products.

Lancashire-born Ian made his professional stage, film and TV debut all in the same year: 1962.

The Wild and The Willing, starring Virginia Maskell was his first feature, and Funny Noises With Their Mouths opposite Michael Caine was Ian's TV debut.

Ian's screen career soon took off and he was cast almost immediately in Gerry O'Hara's The Pleasure Girls and John Mills's Sky West and Crooked.

His first TV starring role came in 1966 with You can't Win, and he also played Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights, opposite Angela Scoular's Cathy.

Movies such as Funeral Games; Pussycat, Pussycat I love you; Villain; Sitting Target and Tam Lin, made Ian McShane a British household name.

In 1977 Ian came across one of his most acclaimed roles to date: He played Judas in the internationally produced Jesus of Nazareth. He followed up this role with the title character in the British mini Disraeli in 1979.

After a decade of further major and minor British roles, Ian finally made a name for himself in the States. He became a regular on the 1989-90 season of Dallas, playing Don Lockwood.

As soon as he finished his stint on Dallas, he returned to the UK to huge acclaim and recognition for the Lovejoy series, and began working on other features such as Con Man, White Goods and Soul Survivor.

In 1999 Ian appeared on the popular TV series DREAM team and he has most recently appeared alongside Ben Kingsley in the critically acclaimed British gangster movie Sexy Beast.