Ken Stott
| Ken Stott | |
|---|---|
| Born | Kenneth Campbell Stott 19 October 1954 Edinburgh, Scotland, UK |
| Occupation | Actor |
Kenneth Campbell "Ken" Stott (born 19 October 1954) is a Scottish actor, particularly known in the United Kingdom for his many roles in television.
Contents |
[edit] Early life
Stott was born in Edinburgh to a Scottish father who was a teacher and educational administrator, and Antonia Sansica, a Sicilian lecturer.[1] He was brought up as a Roman Catholic.[2] Stott was educated at George Heriot's School. For three years in his youth he was a member of a band called Keyhole, members of which later went on to form the Bay City Rollers. After attending Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in London, Stott began working in the theatre for the Royal Shakespeare Company, but for some years his earnings from acting were minimal and he was forced to support himself by also working as a double glazing salesman. This is echoed in the character he plays in Takin' Over the Asylum.
[edit] Career
Stott's early work focused on theatre with a notable leading role in the dramatization of Dominic Behan's play about the Northern Ireland troubles 'The Folk Singer; (Belfast Lyric Theatre). Stott appeared in small roles in BBC series such as Secret Army (1977), The Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare (King Lear, 1982), and Dennis Potter's The Singing Detective (1986). He also featured in an advert for the British COI's "Drinking And Driving Wrecks Lives" campaign, playing a fireman. He eventually began to earn starring roles on television in the 1990s.[3]
His highest-profile television roles have included hospital radio DJ Eddie McKenna in BBC Scotland's Takin' Over The Asylum the leading character, DCI Red Metcalfe, in the BBC crime drama series Messiah (BBC One, 2001–05); DI Chappell in ITV police drama The Vice (1999–2003); as a drunk who fantasises about finding redemption by joining the Salvation Army in Promoted to Glory (ITV, 2003); as Adolf Hitler in Uncle Adolf (ITV, 2005) and as a fictional Chancellor of the Exchequer in Richard Curtis's The Girl in the Café (BBC One, 2005). 2006 saw him take over the title character in detective series Rebus, a television adaptation of the Ian Rankin novels which had previously starred John Hannah. In 2008 Stott was nominated for a Scottish BAFTA for his performance as comedian Tony Hancock in BBC Four's Hancock and Joan. His most recent television role was as the father of cookery writer Nigel Slater in the BBC One adaptation of Slater's autobiographical novel Toast, opposite Helena Bonham Carter and Freddie Highmore.
On the big screen, he has tended to play mostly supporting parts, such as DI McCall in Shallow Grave (1994), Ted in Fever Pitch (1997), Marius Honorius in King Arthur (2004), an Israeli arms merchant in Charlie Wilson's War (2007) and Trufflehunter, a badger loyal to Prince Caspian in The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008). However, he has had occasional starring roles in the cinema, most notably opposite Billy Connolly and Iain Robertson in The Debt Collector (1999) and Plunkett and Macleane of the same year. Most recently he has been cast as Balin in the upcoming live-action adaptation of The Hobbit. Stott played a supporting role as Dexter Mayhew's father in "One Day" (2011) starring Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess.
Stott has continued to act on stage, and in 1997 was nominated for Best Actor at the Laurence Olivier Awards for his role in the Yasmina Reza play Art in which had appeared with Albert Finney and Tom Courtney. In 2008 Stott starred in another West End production of a Reza play, this time God of Carnage, alongside Tamsin Greig, Janet McTeer and Ralph Fiennes at the Gielgud Theatre. He starred in a revival of Arthur Miller's A View From The Bridge at the Duke of York's Theatre in early 2009 and reprised his role of Michael in God of Carnage on Broadway (as a replacement for James Gandolfini) at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre in New York.
He is a popular choice for voice work, as narrator for series such as Trawlermen, a documentary following North Sea trawlers, and Send in the Dogs, following the work of UK Police Officers and their K9 partners.
[edit] Personal life
Stott has a son, David (born 1985), by his marriage, which ended in divorce. He has not remarried.[4] He currently lives with his partner, the artist Nina Gehl.[5]
Stott is a supporter of Hearts, a Scottish Premier League football club.[6] With this in mind, Stott said that having to play the part of a Hibs fan in Rebus was harder than playing Adolf Hitler.[6]
[edit] Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Secret Army | Baroja | TV |
| 1982 | King Lear | Curan | TV |
| 1983 | The Beggar's Opera | Jemmy Twitcher | TV |
| 1985 | Taggart | Dr. MacNaughten | TV Series: 1 Episode |
| 1986 | The Singing Detective | Uncle John | TV Mini-Series: 2 Episodes |
| 1988 | For Queen and Country | Civil Servant | |
| 1990 | Your Cheatin' Heart | Fraser Boyle | TV Series: 6 Episodes |
| 1993 | Elvis and the Colonel: The Untold Story | - | TV Role Unknown |
| Anna Lee: Headcase | Bernie Schiller | TV | |
| Franz Kafka's Its a Wonderful Life | Woland the Knifeman | Short Film | |
| Being Human | Gasper Diez | ||
| 1994 | Takin' Over the Asylum | Eddie | TV Series: 6 Episodes |
| Shallow Grave | DI McCall | ||
| 1996 | Saint-Ex | Prevot | |
| Silent Witness | Sergeant Bob Claire | TV Series: 2 Episodes | |
| A Mug's Game | McCaffrey | ||
| Rhodes | Barney Barnato | TV Mini-Series: 5 Episodes | |
| 1997 | The Boxer | Ike Weir | |
| Stone, Scissors, Paper | Redfern | TV | |
| Fever Pitch | Ted, the Headmaster | ||
| 1999 | Dockers | Tommy Walton | TV |
| The Debt Collector | Gary Keltie | ||
| Plunkett & Macleane | Chance | ||
| Vicious Circle | Martin Cahill | TV | |
| 1999-2003 | The Vice | DI Pat Chappel | TV Series: 16 Episodes Nominated - British Academy Television Award for Best Actor |
| 2000 | The Miracle Maker | Simon Peter | Voice Only |
| 2001 | Messiah (aka Messiah I: The First Killings) | DCI Red Metcalfe | TV Mini-Series |
| 2002 | Messiah 2: Vengeance is Mine | DCI Red Metcalfe | TV Mini-Series |
| 2003 | Promoted to Glory | Mike | TV |
| The Key | Billy | TV | |
| I'll Sleep When I'm Dead | Turner | ||
| 2004 | Messiah (TV series) | DCI Red Metcalfe | TV Mini-Series |
| King Arthur | Marius Honorius | ||
| Spivs | Jack | ||
| 2005 | Casanova | Dalfonso | |
| Messiah: The Harrowing | DCI Red Metcalfe | TV Mini-Series | |
| The Girl in the Café | Chancellor | ||
| The Mighty Celt | Good Joe | ||
| Uncle Adolf | Adolf Hitler | TV | |
| 2006-2007 | Rebus | DI John Rebus | TV Series: 10 Episodes |
| 2007 | Charlie Wilson's War | Zvi Rafiah | |
| 2008 | The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian | Trufflehunter | Voice Only |
| Hancock and Joan | Tony Hancock | TV Scottish BAFTA for Best Acting Performance in Television Nominated - British Academy Television Award for Best Actor |
|
| 2010 | Toast | Dad | |
| 2012 | The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey | Balin | [7] |
| 2013 | The Hobbit: There And Back Again |
[edit] References
- ^ "Ken Stott Film Reference biography". Filmreference.com. http://www.filmreference.com/film/17/Ken-Stott.html. Retrieved 2010-09-21.
- ^ Fulton, Rick (December 8, 2005). "Born to be rebus". Daily Record. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/2005/12/08/born-to-be-rebus-86908-16458882/. Retrieved September 19, 2010.
- ^ imdb filmography
- ^ "Ken Stott's press interview". Kenstott.info. http://www.kenstott.info/press5.htm. Retrieved 2010-09-21.
- ^ Black, Claire. "Ken Stott interview: View from the top - The Scotsman". Thescotsman.scotsman.com. http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/interviews/Ken-Stott-interview-View-from.5287064.jp. Retrieved 2010-09-21.
- ^ a b "''Daily Record'' interview". Dailyrecord.co.uk. 2005-12-08. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/tm_objectid=16458882&method=full&siteid=66633&headline=born-to-be-rebus--name_page.html. Retrieved 2010-09-21.
- ^ "TORN EXCLUSIVE: CATE BLANCHETT, KEN STOTT, SYLVESTER MCCOY, MIKAEL PERSBRANDT JOIN CAST OF PETER JACKSON’S “THE HOBBIT”". 7 December 2010. http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2010/12/07/41135-torn-exclusive-cate-blanchett-ken-stott-sylvester-mccoy-mikael-persbrandt-join-cast-of-peter-jackson%E2%80%99s-%E2%80%9Cthe-hobbit%E2%80%9D/. Retrieved 7 December 2010.
[edit] External links
- Ken Stott at the Internet Movie Database
- 1954 births
- Living people
- Alumni of the Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts
- People educated at George Heriot's School
- Scottish people of Italian descent
- People from Edinburgh
- Scottish film actors
- Scottish stage actors
- Scottish television actors
- Scottish radio actors
- Scottish voice actors
- Audio book narrators
- Shakespearean actors
- Royal Shakespeare Company members
- Royal National Theatre Company members
- Laurence Olivier Award winners
- Italian British actors
