Jason Flemyng
Jason Flemyng | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Flemyng in 2013 | |
| Born | Jason Iain Flemyng 25 September 1966 Putney, London, England |
| Alma mater | London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1990–present |
| Spouse |
Elly Fairman (m. 2008) |
| Children | 2 |
Jason Iain Flemyng[1] (born 25 September 1966) is an English actor. He is known for his work with British filmmakers Guy Ritchie and Matthew Vaughn appearing in the Ritchie films Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) and Snatch (2000), (both films were also produced by Vaughn) and appearing in Vaughn's films Layer Cake (2004), Kick-Ass (2010), and X-Men: First Class (2011).
He has also appeared in Hollywood productions such as Rob Roy (1995), the Alan Moore comic book adaptations From Hell (2001) and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003), Transporter 2 (2005), and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008). He has also appeared in prominent roles in both theatre and television in the UK. Flemyng speaks French fluently, and has made three films in that language.[2] He won the Best Actor Award at the Geneva Film Festival for his role in 1996's Alive and Kicking.[3]
Early life
Flemyng was born on 25 September 1966 in Putney, London, the son of Scottish television and film director Gordon Flemyng.[2] He decided he wanted to become an actor after appearing in theatrical productions at his school, Christ's Hospital in Sussex. "I always wanted to be an actor," he later told the BBC. "From the time I fancied a girl who played Dorothy in the school production of The Wizard of Oz. I auditioned for the role of the scarecrow so that I could have the most stage time with her, but she ended up running off with the tin man!"[4]
In the 1980s, he was involved with the National Youth Theatre and the political organisation the Young Socialists.[2] He also became involved with Militant, an entryist group active within the Labour Party, and in 1987 was expelled from Labour for selling the Militant newspaper.[2] Flemyng has subsequently claimed that both his theatrical and political activities at this time were simply a way of meeting girls.[2] In 1990 he studied acting at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA),[5] where he was a classmate of Hermione Norris.[4] Following his graduation from LAMDA in the early 1990s he joined the Royal Shakespeare Company.[2]
Career
One of his first prominent roles on screen was a guest appearance in the American television series The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles in 1992.[6] He was then a regular in the ITV drama series Doctor Finlay from 1993 to 1996.[2]
His first film appearance was in the 1994 version of The Jungle Book.[2] His first major cinema role was in Angela Pope's 1996 drama Hollow Reed, where he played a child abuser, followed by a main role in Guy Ritchie's popular 1998 London gangster film Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. Flemyng later claimed to have lost so much money while playing poker with the film's backers in between takes on set that he had to work on the four days of re-shoots the film required for no fee.[7] He went on to appear in films such as The Red Violin and Deep Rising (1998), Snatch (2000), George A. Romero's Bruiser (2000) and Rock Star (2001).[6] Flemyng also starred in the short film Feeling Good, written by Dexter Fletcher, whom he met while working on Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.
In the early 2000s he featured in two big-budget Hollywood films which were adaptations of Alan Moore comic books; as John Netley in 2001's From Hell, with Johnny Depp, and 2003's The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, with Sean Connery, in which Flemyng played Dr. Henry Jekyll and Edward Hyde.[8] The latter film was a disappointment, but Flemyng commented that: "It was a bit of a nightmare... the film cost a fortune and didn't make back the money it was meant to... But I still get a huge kick out of doing films like that and From Hell. Any day you walk onto a set and Sean Connery or Johnny Depp or Brad Pitt is there has to be a good day."[8]
In parallel with his film career, Flemyng has continued to take various television roles. He told BBC News Online in 2004 that: "Of the 40 feature films I've made, 15 of them failed to make it onto the screen and have only ever been seen by cast and crew. It is very frustrating when a film you really believe in remains unseen. That's not a problem with television. If you're a painter you don't paint a picture and then stick it under the bed – you want people to see it."[8] In 2005 he played the famous science-fiction role of Professor Bernard Quatermass when digital television channel BBC Four produced a live remake of the 1953 serial The Quatermass Experiment.[9] In 2005 he also played the part of Dimitry, a Russian ex-biological weapons specialist, in Transporter 2, where he was briefly reunited with Jason Statham.
In 2009, Flemyng joined the cast of the ITV science fiction cult drama series Primeval during its third series, as maverick ex-policeman Danny Quinn.[10] He received top billing as the series' new star, taking over from Douglas Henshall. In March 2010 Flemyng earned a lead role as Cpl. Callow in the war/horror film The 4th Reich.[11]
On 15 August 2010, it became public that he had been cast in the role of Azazel in the X-Men prequel, X-Men: First Class, directed by Matthew Vaughn.[12]
In 2011, Flemyng reprised his character of Danny Quinn in the last episode of Primeval's fourth series, it is said that he would return as Danny Quinn one last time before the finale of the shows fifth series.
In 2012, he starred in I Give It a Year (released in Feb 2013), as the bride's brother-in-law in a British romcom by Working Title.[13]
After two years Jason just completed work on the feature film 'The Journey' on which he also serves as Producer, in which he plays Ozzy. The film was written especially for him and took two years to complete, it was filmed in Greece and London and is directed by Lance Nielsen[14][15] In January 2015, Flemyng signed with UK-based Evolution Pictures to direct the vampire film Eat Locals.[16]
Flemyng appears as himself in the 2018 short film To Trend on Twitter in aid of young people with cancer charity CLIC Sargent with comedians Reece Shearsmith, Steve Pemberton, Helen Lederer and David Baddiel.[17]
In 2021, Audible released Flemyng's recording of William Gibson's acclaimed sci-fi novel Neuromancer.
Personal life
For nine years, Flemyng and actress Lena Headey were a couple; the relationship ended in 2001.[18] Flemyng married Elly Fairman in the summer of 2008, in Tuscany, Italy.[19] The pair have twin boys, Noah and Cassius, who were born in 2012. In 2020, Flemyng said they had all suffered from COVID-19.[20] Flemyng enjoys long-distance running and has completed several marathons.[21] Flemyng is a supporter of Chelsea F.C.[22]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | The Jungle Book | Lieutenant John Wilkins | |
| 1995 | Rob Roy | Gregor | |
| 1996 | Stealing Beauty | Gregory | |
| Hollow Reed | Frank Donally | ||
| Indian Summer | Tonio | Also known as Alive & Kicking | |
| 1997 | The James Gang | Frank James | |
| The Life of Stuff | Willie Dobie | ||
| Spice World | Brad | Also known as Spiceworld: The Movie | |
| 1998 | Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels | Tom | |
| The Red Violin | Frederick Pope | ||
| Deep Rising | Mulligan | ||
| 1999 | Tube Tales | Luke | Segment: "Mr. Cool" |
| 2000 | Snatch | Darren | |
| 2000 | Bruiser | Henry Creedlow | |
| 2001 | Anazapta | Nicholas | |
| The Body | Father Walter Winstead | ||
| From Hell | John Netley | ||
| Mean Machine | Bob Likely | ||
| The Bunker | Cpl. Bruno Baumann | ||
| Rock Star | Bobby Beers | ||
| 2002 | Below | Stumbo | |
| 2003 | The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen | Dr. Henry Jekyll / Mr. Edward Hyde | |
| 2004 | Lighthouse Hill | Charlie Davidson | |
| Aaltra | L'Anglais à la moto | ||
| Atomik Circus – Le retour de James Bataille | James Bataille | ||
| Drum | Jim Bailey | ||
| Layer Cake | Crazy Larry | ||
| Seed of Chucky | Santa Claus | ||
| 2005 | A Woman in Winter | David | |
| Transporter 2 | Dimitri | ||
| 2006 | Pu-239 | Vlad | |
| Rollin' with the Nines | Capt. Fleming | ||
| Telling Lies | Jack Munro | ||
| Backwaters | Jason Weiss | ||
| 2007 | Stardust | Primus | |
| The Death and Life of Bobby Z | Brian Cervier | ||
| The Riddle | Don Roberts | ||
| 2008 | Mirrors | Larry Byrne | |
| Shifty | Glen | ||
| The Curious Case of Benjamin Button | Thomas Button | Nominated – Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Cast Nominated – Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture | |
| 2009 | Solomon Kane | Malachi | |
| City of Life | Guy Berger | ||
| 2010 | Clash of the Titans | Acrisius / Calibor | |
| Kick-Ass | Lobby Goon | ||
| The Social Network | Spectator | Uncredited | |
| Made in Romania | Himself | ||
| Dead Cert | Chelsea Steve | ||
| Ironclad | Beckett | ||
| 2011 | X-Men: First Class | Azazel | |
| Jack Falls | Damien | ||
| Hanna | Sebastian | ||
| Lost Christmas | Frank | ||
| 2012 | Hamilton: In the Interest of the Nation | Rob Hart | |
| Great Expectations | Joe Gargery | ||
| 2013 | I Give It a Year | Hugh | |
| Welcome to the Punch | Harvey Crown | ||
| Sunshine on Leith | Harry Harper | ||
| Words of Everest | Edmund Hillary | ||
| 2014 | Viy | Jonathan Green | |
| Top Dog | Dan | ||
| Gemma Bovery | Charles Bovery | ||
| The Journey | Ozzy | ||
| Stonehearst Asylum | Swanwick | ||
| 2015 | Meet Pursuit Delange: The Movie | Jonty Smith | |
| 2016 | Sweet Maddie Stone | Mr. Straker | Short film |
| 2017 | Access All Areas | Pete Kurtz | |
| Revolt | Stander | ||
| The Black Prince | Dr. Login | ||
| 2018 | Walk Like a Panther | Ginger Frost | |
| 2019 | Viy 2: Journey to China | Jonathan Green | |
| Military Wives | Crooks | ||
| Homeless Ashes | Gavin | ||
| 2021 | Boiling Point | Alastair Skye | |
| 2022 | The 355 | Elijah Clarke | |
| 2024 | Firecracker | Detective Gray | |
| Ka Whawhai Tonu | Daniel Morgan | ||
| Deadpool & Wolverine | Azazel | ||
| 2025 | Levon's Trade | TBA | |
| TBA | Pegasus Bridge | Nigel Poett | |
| TBA | Viy 3: Journey to India | Jonathan Green |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Rich Tea and Sympathy | John Merrygrove | 6 episodes |
| Screen One | Colin | Episode: "A Question of Attribution" | |
| 1992 | The Good Guys | Dave Gilchrist | Episode: "Find the Lady" |
| The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles | Emile | 2 episodes | |
| Witchcraft | Assistant Director | 2 episodes | |
| 1993 | Lovejoy | Danny | Episode: "God Helps Those" |
| 1993–1994 | Doctor Finlay | Dr. David Neil | 12 episodes |
| 1996 | Beck | Laurie Quinn | Episode: "Pride Before a Fall" |
| 1997 | The Ruth Rendell Mysteries | Peter Milton | Episode: "The Double" |
| The Temptation of Franz Schubert | Franz von Schober | Television film | |
| The Hunger | Young Man | Episode: "Menage a Trois" | |
| 1998 | Tess of the D'Urbervilles | Alec D'Urberville | Television film |
| 1999 | Alice in Wonderland | The Knave of Hearts | Television film |
| Chasseurs d'écume | William Callaghan | Miniseries | |
| Love in the 21st Century | Nick | Episode: "Commitment" | |
| 2004 | When I'm 64 | Little Ray | Television film |
| Agatha Christie's Marple | Lawrence Redding | Episode: "The Murder at the Vicarage" | |
| 2005 | The Quatermass Experiment | Professor Bernard Quatermass | Television film |
| Faith | Martin | Television film | |
| Manhunters | Jim Corbett | Episode: "The Man-Eating Leopard of Rudraprayag" | |
| The Ghost Squad | DS Jimmy Franks | Episode: "Firewall" | |
| 2006 | Losing Gemma | Zac | 2 episodes |
| 2009–2011 | Primeval | Danny Quinn | 9 episodes |
| 2011 | Jean-Claude Van Damme: Behind Closed Doors | Narrator | Documentary |
| 2013 | Black Mirror | Jack Napier | Episode: "The Waldo Moment" |
| 2014 | The Musketeers | Vadim | Episode: "Sleight of Hand" |
| The Missing | Mark | 8 episodes | |
| 2015 | The Last Kingdom | King Edmund | Episode: "Episode 2" |
| 2017 | SS-GB | Colonel George Mayhew | 5 episodes |
| 2017–2018 | Jamestown | Sir George Yeardley | 13 episodes |
| 2018 | Save Me | Tam | 6 episodes |
| 2019–2022 | Pennyworth | Lord Harwood | Main role |
| 2019–2022 | Love, Death & Robots | Paln | Episode: "Bad Travelling" |
| 2019 | A Christmas Carol | The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come | Miniseries |
| 2020 | Two Weeks to Live | DI Alan Brooks | Main role |
| 2022 | The Walk-In | Nick Lowles | Main role |
| 2023 | A Town Called Malice | Albert Lord | Main role |
| TBA | Prime Target | Upcoming miniseries |
References
- ^ Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, 1916–2005.; at ancestry.com
- ^ a b c d e f g h Covell, Adge (2004). "Martin – Jason Flemyng". StainforthOnline.co.uk. Archived from the original on 23 April 2007. Retrieved 20 May 2007.
- ^ Jason Flemyng biography and filmography: Mirrors Actor. Tribute.ca. Retrieved 30 April 2011.
- ^ a b "Jason Flemyng plays Little Ray". BBC. 2 July 2004. Retrieved 20 May 2007.
- ^ "Meet our LAMDA Acting Alumni". lamda.ac.uk. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
- ^ a b Brett, Anwar (10 October 2003). "Jason Flemyng – The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen". BBC. Retrieved 20 May 2007.
- ^ "Jason Flemyng". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 May 2007.
- ^ a b c Bishop, Tom (4 August 2004). "Actor Flemyng tackles age drama". BBC News. Retrieved 20 May 2007.
- ^ "The Quatermass Experiment". BBC. 2005. Archived from the original on 17 October 2007. Retrieved 20 May 2007.
- ^ "Ben Miller ('Primeval')". Digital Spy. 25 March 2009. Retrieved 26 March 2009.
- ^ "Jason Flemyng Goosesteps His Way to The 4th Reich – Dread Central". 12 March 2010. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
- ^ Mortimer, Ben (15 August 2010). "Jason Flemyng Joining X-Men: First Class". Superhero Hype!. Retrieved 15 August 2010.
- ^ "I give it a year next year". stephenmerchant.com. 22 November 2012. Archived from the original on 3 February 2013. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
- ^ thejourneythemovie.com
- ^ "A Film 'The Journey' by Lance Nielsen in Aegina – Discover Aegina Greece – Visitors Guide to Aegina Greece – Municipality of Aegina". Retrieved 31 October 2016.
- ^ "Jason Flemyng Embarks on a Reign of Blood – Dread Central". 28 January 2015. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
- ^ "Top Comics Join Short Film". Chortle. 13 August 2018. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
- ^ lena-headey.com
- ^ News from Jase, 1/31/08 in Messages from Jason Forum. Jasonflemyngfans57164.yuku.com. Retrieved 30 April 2011.
- ^ "Jason Flemyng interview: 'Most great actors I've worked with have addiction or mental health problems'". The Independent. 4 July 2020. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
- ^ "FindArticles.com – CBSi". Retrieved 31 October 2016.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Players, legends and celebrities unite to give Cancer a Kicking". Chelsea F.C. 15 October 2018. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
External links
- 1966 births
- 20th-century English male actors
- 21st-century English male actors
- Alumni of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
- English male film actors
- English male Shakespearean actors
- English male stage actors
- English male television actors
- English people of Scottish descent
- Living people
- Male actors from London
- National Youth Theatre members
- People educated at Christ's Hospital
- Actors from the London Borough of Wandsworth
- Royal Shakespeare Company members
- People from Putney