Mark Strong

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Mark Strong
Mark Strong.jpg
Strong in 2010
Born Marco Giuseppe Salussolia
(1963-08-30) 30 August 1963 (age 49)
London, England, UK
Occupation Actor
Years active 1989–present
Spouse(s) Liza Marshall (2 children)

Mark Strong (born Marco Giuseppe Salussolia; 30 August 1963) is an English actor. He is best known for his roles in films such as RocknRolla, Body of Lies, Syriana, The Young Victoria, Sherlock Holmes, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Kick-Ass, Green Lantern, Zero Dark Thirty, Robin Hood, and John Carter. He often portrays villains or antagonists.

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Early life [edit]

Strong was born in London, England, to an Austrian mother, Waltraud D. (née Schrempf), and an Italian father, Giuseppe A. Salussolia.[1] His father left the family soon after his birth, and he was brought up by his mother, who worked as an au pair. His English name is not a stage name; when he was a child, his mother changed his name by deed poll to help him fit in with his peers.[2] He was baptised a Catholic.[3] He speaks fluent German and some Italian.[4][5]

Strong attended Wymondham College, where he sang in the punk bands, the Electric Hoax and Private Party (the name of the latter was based on the idea that the band's shows would not be attended, due to prospective audiences thinking that the event was a "private party").[6] His original ambition was to become a lawyer, but after studying at university in Munich for one year, he decided to change his direction in life and returned home to London.[7] There, he studied English and Drama at Royal Holloway, and later attended Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.[8][9]

Career [edit]

Strong is a familiar face on British television. He appeared in two Prime Suspect serials for ITV as Inspector (later Detective Chief Superintendent) Larry Hall, in "Prime Suspect 3" (1993) and "Prime Suspect 6" (2003). He also had starring roles in two BBC Two drama serials, Our Friends in the North (1996) and The Long Firm (2004), for which he earned a BAFTA nomination. He also played the villainous Colonel Brand in Sharpe's Mission (1996). He played the romantic lead, Mr. Knightley, in the ITV adaptation of Jane Austen's novel Emma.

Strong at the 61st Berlin International Film Festival in 2011

In feature films, Strong played Steve in the 1997 adaptation of Nick Hornby's Fever Pitch, opposite Colin Firth, and was also featured in Roman Polanski's Oliver Twist (2005). He played Mussawi in the film Syriana, and played an assassin called Sorter in Revolver (2005). In 2006, Strong portrayed the traitorous Wictred in Tristan & Isolde, showing his talent with swordplay. He played Pinbacker in the science fiction film Sunshine (2007), and had to spend six hours a day in the makeup chair to create the character's facial scars. Coincidentally, Strong had previously appeared in a 1999 film also entitled Sunshine.

Strong was one of the final two actors considered for the part of Anton Chigurh in No Country for Old Men, despite the persistence of rumours that he was never offered the part.[10] In Body of Lies, he played Hani Salaam, head of Jordanian Intelligence. In most of Strong's films, he is virtually unrecognisable due to his tendency to change his look for each character; he has long hair in Stardust and Tristan + Isolde, he sports a receding hairline in RocknRolla and The Long Firm, he is completely bald in Kick-Ass, he has a full head of hair in Body of Lies and Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, and wore extremely heavy makeup in the aforementioned Sunshine. His characters in Low Winter Sun, Heartlands, and Fever Pitch most resemble his own physical appearance.

For his role in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night at the Donmar Warehouse in 2002, Strong was nominated for the 2003 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role. He played a lead part in the Channel 4 film Endgame (2009).[11] Since 2006, he has provided the narration in the BBC's genealogy series Who Do You Think You Are?. He played Lord Blackwood, the main villain in Sherlock Holmes (2009), and played Thaal Sinestro in the superhero film Green Lantern (2011).[12]

Strong voices the character Captain Titus of the Ultramarines Chapter in the video game Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine. Recently, and most notably, he played the role of Jim Prideaux in the remake of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, which was earlier played by Ian Bannen in the iconic original 1979 BBC series starring Alec Guinness.

Personal life [edit]

Strong lives in London with his wife, Liza Marshall, and sons Gabriel and Roman (born 5 October 2007).[13][14] He is a longtime friend of actor Daniel Craig, who is the godfather of Strong's younger son, Roman.

Filmography [edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1993 Buddha of Suburbia, TheThe Buddha of Suburbia Television producer
1993 Prime Suspect 3 Inspector Larry Hall
1993 Century Policeman
1994 Captives Kenny
1996 Our Friends in the North Terry "Tosker" Cox
1996 Sharpe's Mission Brand
1996 Emma Mr. Knightley
1997 Fever Pitch Steve
1997 Gold Ed Smithson
1998 Spoonface Steinberg Father
1998 Man with Rain in His Shoes, TheThe Man with Rain in His Shoes Dave Summers
1999 Trust Michael Mitcham
1999 Births, Marriages and Deaths Terry
1999 In the Name of Love Chris Monroe
1999 Elephant Juice Frank
1999 Sunshine István Sors
2000 Bomber Colonel Chris Forsyth
2000 Anna Karenina Oblonsky
2001 To End All Wars Dusty Miller
2001 Hotel Ferdinand
2001 Martins, TheThe Martins Doug
2001 Superstition Antonio Gabrieli
2002 Fields of Gold Dr. Tolkin
2002 Heartlands Ian
2002 Falling Apart Pete
2003 Some Place Safe Dad Short film
2003 It's All About Love Arthur
2003 Henry VIII Duke of Norfolk
2003 Prime Suspect 6: The Last Witness Det. Chief Supt. Larry Hall
2004 Long Firm, TheThe Long Firm Harry Starks Nominated – British Academy Television Award for Best Actor
2005 Revolver Sorter
2005 Oliver Twist Toby Crackit
2005 Walk Away and I Stumble Andy Spader
2005 Syriana Mussawi
2006 Tristan & Isolde Wictred
2006 Low Winter Sun Det. Sgt. Frank Agnew
2006 Scenes of a Sexual Nature Louis
2006–present Who Do You Think You Are? Narrator
2007 Sunshine Pinbacker
2007 Stardust Septimus
2008 Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day Nick
2008 Flashbacks of a Fool Mannie Miesel
2008 Babylon A.D. Finn
2008 RocknRolla Archy
2008 Body of Lies Hani Salaam Nominated – London Critics Circle Film Award for Best British Supporting Actor
2008 Good Philipp Bouhler
2009 Endgame Dr. Niel Barnard
2009 Young Victoria, TheThe Young Victoria Sir John Conroy
2009 Sherlock Holmes Lord Henry Blackwood Nominated – MTV Movie Award for Best Fight (shared with Robert Downey, Jr.)
2010 Kick-Ass Frank D'Amico Nominated – MTV Movie Award for Best Fight (shared with Chloë Grace Moretz)
2010 Robin Hood Sir Godfrey
2010 Way Back, TheThe Way Back Khabarov
2011 Story of Earth, TheThe Story of Earth Narrator
2011 Guard, TheThe Guard Clive Cornell
2011 Eagle, TheThe Eagle Guern
2011 Green Lantern Thaal Sinestro
2011 Secret World of Arrietty, TheThe Secret World of Arrietty Pod Voice
2011 Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy Jim Prideaux Central Ohio Film Critics Association Award for Best Cast
Georgia Film Critics Association Award for Best Cast
YouMovie Award for Best Cast
Nominated – Chlotrudis Award for Best Cast
2011 Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine Captain Titus Voice
2011 Black Gold Sultan Amar
2012 John Carter Matai Shang
2012 Zero Dark Thirty George
2013 Welcome to the Punch Jacob Sternwood
2013 Mindscape John
2013 Justin and the Knights of Valour Voice/Post-production

References [edit]

  1. ^ Imogen Edwards-Jones (14). "Brightest star in Mamet's plow". Peter Gill, playwright and theatre director (from The Times). John Pavel. Retrieved 18 August 2012. 
  2. ^ Olga Craig (20 December 2009). "Mark Strong: how I put the fear factor into Sherlock Holmes". The Telegraph (London). 
  3. ^ Vincent, Sally (16 April 2005). "Hard man, soft heart". The Guardian (London). Retrieved 21 June 2010. "He was christened [sic] a Catholic" 
  4. ^ Day, Elizabeth (9 May 2010). "Robin Hood star Mark Strong: 'Real knights would have needed tea breaks'". The Observer (London). Retrieved 6 July 2010. 
  5. ^ Griffin, Susan (13 May 2010). "Interview: Mark Strong". Yorkshire Evening Post. Retrieved 6 July 2010. 
  6. ^ Wymondham College Remembered (15). "Rock & Roll Performers". Wymondham College Remembered. Wymondham College Remembered. Retrieved 18 August 2012. 
  7. ^ John Preston (18 February 2009). "Mark Strong: the strong, violent type". The Telegraph (London). 
  8. ^ "Interview: Why actor Mark Strong is an accidental anti-hero". The Independent (London). 19 October 2007. Retrieved 12 May 2010. 
  9. ^ Strong, Mark (9 May 2009). "'Your acting technique should be hidden". The Guardian (London). 
  10. ^ Total Film (25). "Mark Strong refutes No Country casting rumour". Total Film. Future Publishing Limited. Retrieved 18 August 2012. 
  11. ^ Hemley, Matthew (26 March 2008). "C4 season to feature apartheid thriller Endgame". The Stage. Retrieved 17 April 2008. 
  12. ^ Rob M .Worley (18). "Mark Strong Circling GREEN LANTERN?". Mania. Mania. Retrieved 18 August 2012. 
  13. ^ "Interview: Why actor Mark Strong is an accidental anti-hero". The Independent (London). 19 October 2007. Retrieved 17 November 2010. 
  14. ^ Preston, John (18 February 2009). "Mark Strong: the strong, violent type". The Telegraph (London). Retrieved 18 November 2010. 

External links [edit]

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