Mark Strong

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Mark Strong
Born Marco Giuseppe Salussolia
August 1963
London, England
Occupation Actor
Years active 1989–present

Mark Strong (born August 1963)[1] is an English actor.

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[edit] Early life

Strong was born Marco Giuseppe Salussolia in London to an Italian father and an Austrian mother, and attended Wymondham College in Norfolk.[2] His English name is not a stage name, it was changed by deed poll by his mother when he was a boy to help him fit in with his peers. At school he was the singer in punk rock bands called The Electric Hoax and Private Party. His original ambition was to become a lawyer, but after studying for a year at University in Munich, Germany he decided to change his direction in life and returned home to London. There he enrolled in a joint English and Drama degree at Royal Holloway, and later attended Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.

[edit] Career

Strong is a familiar face on British television and has appeared in such drama series as 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, and 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, with Kate Beckinsale in the title role.

In film, one of Strong's most prominent roles was as Steve in the 1997 adaptation of Nick Hornby's Fever Pitch, co-starring opposite Colin Firth, and Strong also features in Roman Polanski's 2005 version of Oliver Twist. He played Mussawi in the film Syriana, and in 2005 appeared in Revolver, where he played Sorter, a nerveless, steely assassin "who never misses". In 2006, Strong portrayed the traitorous Wictred in Tristan & Isolde, showing his talent with swordplay. The following year he played Pinbacker in the science-fiction film Sunshine. He had to spend six hours a day in makeup to get Pinbacker's scars. Coincidentally, Strong also appeared in a 1999 film also titled Sunshine.

He got down to the last two considered for the part of Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem's role) in No Country for Old Men, but despite the persistence of rumours he was never offered the part.[3] In Body of Lies, he played Hani Salaam, head of Jordanian Intelligence. In most of Strong's films he's virtually unrecognizable because he changes his look for each character; in Stardust and Tristan + Isolde, he has long hair, in RocknRolla and The Long Firm he sports a receding hairline, whilst in Body of Lies and Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day he has a full head of hair). His characters in Low Winter Sun, Heartlands and Fever Pitch, however, most resemble his true self.

In his theatre career, Strong was nominated in 2003 for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role for his role in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night at the Donmar Warehouse in 2002. He has a lead part in the Channel 4 film Endgame (2009).[4]

Since 2006, Strong has provided the narration in the BBC genealogy series Who Do You Think You Are?.

In Sherlock Holmes, he plays Lord Blackwood, the main antagonist.

[edit] Filmography

Year Film Role Other notes
1993 The Buddha of Suburbia Second TV Producer TV serial
Prime Suspect 3 Insp. Larry Hall TV film
Century Policeman
1994 Captives Kenny
1996 Sharpe's Mission Brand TV film
Emma Mr. Knightly TV film
1997 Fever Pitch Steve
1998 Spoonface Steinberg Father TV film
The Man with Rain in His Shoes Dave Summers
1999 Trust Michael Mitcham TV film
Births, Marriages and Deaths Terry TV film
In the Name of Love Chris Monroe TV film
Elephant Juice Frank
Sunshine Istvan Sors
2000 Bomber Col. Chris Forsyth TV film
Anna Karenina Oblonsky TV mini-series
2001 To End All Wars Dusty Miller
Hotel Ferdinand
The Martins Doug
Superstition Antonio Gabrieli
2002 Fields of Gold Dr. Tolkin TV film
Heartlands Ian
Falling Apart Pete TV film
2003 Some Place Safe Dad short film
It's All About Love Arthur
Henry VIII Duke of Norfolk TV serial
Prime Suspect 6: The Last Witness Det. Chief Supt. Larry Hall TV film
2004 The Long Firm Harry Starks TV film
2005 Revolver Sorter
Oliver Twist Toby Crackit
Walk Away and I Stumble Andy Spader TV film
Syriana Mussawi
2006 Tristan + Isolde Wictred
Low Winter Sun Det. Sgt. Frank Agnew TV film
Scenes of a Sexual Nature Louis
2007 Sunshine Pinbacker
Stardust Septimus
2008 Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day Nick
Flashbacks of a Fool Mannie Miesel
Babylon A.D. Finn
RocknRolla Archy
Body of Lies Hani Salaam
Good Bouhler
2009 Endgame Dr. Niel Barnard
The Young Victoria Sir John Conroy
Sherlock Holmes Lord Blackwood
2010 Kick-Ass Frank D'Amico
Robin Hood Sir Godfrey
The Way Back Khabarov
The Eagle of the Ninth Guern
The Guard Clive Cornell

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[edit] External links