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Iain Glen

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Iain Glen
Glen in 2012
Born
Iain Alan Sutherland Glen[1]

(1961-06-24) 24 June 1961 (age 63)
Edinburgh, Scotland
Education
OccupationActor
Years active1986–present
Spouses
​
​
(m. 1993; div. 2004)​
Charlotte Emmerson
​
(m. 2017)​
Children3

Iain Alan Sutherland Glen (born 24 June 1961) is a Scottish actor.[2] He has appeared as Dr. Alexander Isaacs/Tyrant in three films of the Resident Evil film series (2004–2016) and as Jorah Mormont in the HBO fantasy television series Game of Thrones (2011–2019). Other notable film and television roles include John Hanning Speke in Mountains of the Moon (1990), Larry Winters in Silent Scream (1990) for which he won the Silver Bear for Best Actor at the Berlin International Film Festival, Manfred Powell in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001), Brother John in Song for a Raggy Boy (2003), the title role in Jack Taylor (2010–2016), Sir Richard Carlisle in Downton Abbey (2011), James Willett in Eye in the Sky (2015), and Bruce Wayne in Titans (2019–2021).

An accomplished stage actor, Glen has acted in a wide array of theatre including playing the titular roles in Shakespeare productions like Hamlet, Macbeth and Henry V. He received three Laurence Olivier Award nominations for his performances in the original production of the musical Martin Guerre, the West End production of The Blue Room and the 2006 West End revival of The Crucible, portraying John Proctor.

Early life and education

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Glen was born on 24 June 1961 in Edinburgh, Scotland, and educated at the Edinburgh Academy,[3] an independent school for boys (now co-educational), followed by the University of Aberdeen.[3] He then trained in acting at the RADA in London,[4] due to it being the only one holding auditions at that moment.[3] He graduated in 1985 with an Acting (RADA) Diploma,[4] having won the Bancroft Gold Medal. His older brother is Hamish Glen, artistic director of the Belgrade Theatre, Coventry[3] and former artistic director of the Dundee Repertory Theatre.[5]

Career

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Glen's big screen debut came in the 1988 film Paris by Night, alongside Charlotte Rampling and Michael Gambon.[3] The same year, Glen appeared in Gorillas in the Mist with Sigourney Weaver.[3] In 1990, Glen won the Silver Bear for Best Actor at the 40th Berlin International Film Festival for his role in Silent Scream.[6] That year he was cast as Hamlet, Prince of Denmark in Tom Stoppard's film adaptation of his play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, which won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival.[7]

In 1998, Glen was nominated for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor for his performance in The Blue Room starring opposite Nicole Kidman.[8]

In 2002, Glen starred with Emilia Fox in the Italian-French-British romance-drama film The Soul Keeper, directed by Roberto Faenza.[9] In 2008, Glen was Samson in the BBC Radio 3 production of Samson Agonistes directed by John Tydeman.[10]

Glen starred as John Fielding in the 2008 British TV mini-series City of Vice. Ian McDiarmid plays Henry Fielding (author of the novel Tom Jones) who along with his brother, John, started London's first professional police force.

In 2009, it was announced that Glen had joined the cast of the HBO series Game of Thrones, starring as Ser Jorah Mormont, a knight in exile from Westeros, who becomes adviser to Daenerys Targaryen (played by Emilia Clarke) when she joins the Dothraki.[11]

In 2010, he played the role of Father Octavian, leader of a sect of clerics who were on a mission against the Weeping Angels in "The Time of Angels"[12] and "Flesh and Stone",[13] a two-episode story which formed part of the fifth season of the revived television series Doctor Who (played by Matt Smith).[12][13] He appeared in the second series of Downton Abbey as Sir Richard Carlisle, a tabloid publisher who is a suitor to, and subsequently engaged to, Lady Mary.[14]

From 2010 to 2016, Glen played the title character in the Irish TV crime series Jack Taylor, adapted from the novels by Ken Bruen, and set in Galway, Ireland.[15][16]

In the 2012 BBC drama series Prisoners' Wives, he plays Paul, the husband of Francesca, whose comfortable life comes crashing down when he is imprisoned for drug trafficking.[17] The same year, he starred in a new four-part BBC Radio 4 adaptation of The Count of Monte Cristo, written by Sebastian Baczkiewicz, and directed by Jeremy Mortimer and Sasha Yevtushenko.[18]

From December 2013 until early January 2014, Glen starred alongside Richard McCabe in Fortune's Fool at the Old Vic, directed by Lucy Bailey.[19] He had been due to appear in the full run until late February 2014,[20] but was forced to withdraw early to recover from illness, with his role taken by his understudy Patrick Cremin and then by William Houston, who joined the cast at around the same time as Glen's departure.[21]

In 2019, it was revealed that Glen would be portraying Bruce Wayne on the DC Universe TV series Titans.[22]

In 2023, Glen starred as Magnus MacMillan, in charge of the Kinloch Bravo oil rig in The Rig, in a cast that included Emily Hampshire, Martin Compston and Mark Addy.[23] The same year, he starred as William Carr in Operation Napoleon, a thriller directed by Óskar Þór Axelsson and based on Arnaldur Indriðason's best selling book of the same name.[24]

Glen plays Leonard in the upcoming Belgian film The Last Front, a story about a broken man who takes a stand during the First World War.[25][needs update]

Glen has received numerous nominations and awards for his performance in Game of Thrones. Notably, he won the Best Actor award at the 2016 Taormina Film Fest.[26]

Personal life

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Glen lives in south London with his wife and three children.[27]

He is a keen cricketer, and has played for the Actors XI.[28]

Filmography

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Iain Glen as Ser Jorah Mormont on the set of Game of Thrones
Key
† Denotes works that have not yet been released

Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1988 Paris by Night Wallace Sharp
Gorillas in the Mist Brendan
1990 Mountains of the Moon John Hanning Speke
Silent Scream Larry Winters [6]
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead Hamlet
Fools of Fortune William Quinton
1991 30 Door Key Joey
1993 The Young Americans Edward Foster
1998 Mararía Bertrand
2000 Beautiful Creatures Tony
Paranoid Stan
2001 Lara Croft: Tomb Raider Manfred Powell
Gabriel & Me Dad
2002 Darkness Mark
The Soul Keeper Dr. Carl Gustav Jung [9]
2003 Song for a Raggy Boy Brother John
Spy Sorge Richard Sorge
2004 Resident Evil: Apocalypse Dr. Alexander Isaacs
2005 Man to Man Alexander Auchinleck
Vagabond Shoes Alec Murray Short film
Tara Road Danny
Kingdom of Heaven Richard Cœur de Lion
2006 Small Engine Repair Doug
2007 The Last Legion Orestes
Resident Evil: Extinction Dr. Alexander Isaacs / Tyrant
Mrs Ratcliffe's Revolution Frank Ratcliffe
2008 Slapper Red / Michael Simmons Short film
2009 Pope Joan Village Priest
Harry Brown S.I. Childs
The Case of Unfaithful Klara Denis
2011 The Iron Lady Alfred Roberts
2013 Kick-Ass 2 Uncle Ralph
2014 Guy Martin's Spitfire Narrator (voice) Documentary
Monsters Behind the Iron Curtain Narrator (voice) Documentary
2015 The Bad Education Movie Pasco
Eye in the Sky James Willett
2016 Resident Evil: The Final Chapter Dr. Alexander Isaacs
Dusty and Me Mickey the Bubble
2017 My Cousin Rachel Nick Kendall
2019 The Flood Philip
The Fabric of You Isaac (voice) Short film
Isabel Colin Short film
2020 The Windermere Children Jock Lawrence
The Racer Sonny
Black Beauty John Manly
2021 Tides Gibson
2022 The Lost Girls Hook
2023 Operation Napoleon William Carr
2024 The Last Front Leonard Released in Belgium
What About Love † American Ambassador Post-production

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1986 Taggart Scott Adair Episode: "Knife Edge"
1986–1989 Screen Two Allan Innes / Sailor / Ray 3 episodes
1988 The Fear Carl Galton 5 episodes
1991 Adam Bede Adam Bede Television film
1992 Frankie's House Tim Page 4 episodes
Screen One Cmdr Powell Episode: "Black and Blue"
1993 Missus Father Pietro Salviati, Missus Television film
1996 Death of a Salesman Biff Television film
1997 Painted Lady Sebastian Stafford 2 episodes
1998 Trial & Retribution Damon Morton 2 episodes
1999 Wives and Daughters Mr. Preston 4 episodes
2000 Glasgow Kiss Stuart Morrison 6 episodes
The Wyvern Mystery Charles Fairfield Television film
Anchor Me Nathan Carter Television film
2002 Impact Marcus Hodge Television film
2003 Carla Daniel Television film
2005 Kidnapped Alan Breck 2 episodes
2007 Starting Over Gregor Dewhurst Television film
The Relief of Belsen James Johnston Television film
2008 City of Vice John Fielding 5 episodes
2009 The Diary of Anne Frank Otto Frank 5 episodes
Law & Order: UK Luke Slade Episode: "Unsafe"
Into the Storm King George VI Television film
2010 Doctor Who Father Octavian 2 episodes[12][13]
Spooks Vaughn Edwards 8 episodes
2010–2016 Jack Taylor Jack Taylor Series of television films
2011 Strike Back: Project Dawn Crawford 2 episodes
Downton Abbey Sir Richard Carlisle 6 episodes[14]
2011–2019 Game of Thrones Ser Jorah Mormont 52 episodes[11]
2012 Haven Roland Holloway Episode: "Real Estate"
Henry IV, Part II Earl of Warwick Episode of The Hollow Crown
2012–2013 Prisoners' Wives Paul 10 episodes[17]
2013 Borgia Girolamo Savonarola 2 episodes
Ripper Street Colonel Madoc Faulkner Episode: "The Weight of One Man's Heart"
Agatha Christie's Poirot Dr. David Willoughby Episode: "Elephants Can Remember"
Breathless Inspector Ronald Mulligan 6 episodes
2014 The Red Tent Jacob 2 episodes
2014–2017 Autopsy: The Last Hours of... Narrator (voice) 10 episodes
2016–2017 Cleverman Jarrod Slade 12 episodes
2016–2019 Delicious Leo 12 episodes
2018 The Sidemen Show Narrator (voice) 7 episodes
Mrs Wilson Alexander "Alec" Wilson 3 episodes
2019 Ice Age: Return of the Mammoth Narrator (voice) Television documentary
2019–2021 Titans Bruce Wayne 11 episodes
2021–present Reyka Angus Speelman 8 episodes
2023 The Rig Magnus MacMillan 6 episodes[23]
Silo Dr. Pete Nichols 6 episodes
Castlevania: Nocturne Juste Belmont (voice) 2 episodes

Selected theatre

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Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Work Result
1990 Silver Bear Best Actor Silent Scream[6] Won
1991 Evening Standard British Film Award Best Actor Mountains of the Moon, Fools of Fortune, Silent Scream Won
Ian Charleson Award Special commendation[30] Hamlet Won
1994 Evening Standard Theatre Award Best Actor Henry V Nominated
1997 Laurence Olivier Award Best Actor in a Musical Martin Guerre Nominated
1999 Best Actor The Blue Room[8] Nominated
Drama League Award Best Actor Nominated
2007 Whatsonstage.com Award Best Actor The Crucible Nominated
Laurence Olivier Award Best Actor Nominated
2012 Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Game of Thrones Nominated
2013 Nominated
Downton Abbey Won
2014 Game of Thrones Nominated
2015 Nominated
2016 Nominated
2018 Nominated
2020 Nominated
2016 Taormina Film Fest Best Actor Game of Thrones Won
2019 IGN Summer Movie Awards Best TV Ensemble[31] Game of Thrones Won
2021 Almeria Film Festival Land of Cinema Award N/A (Lifetime Award) Won

References

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  1. ^ Morrison, Lennox (28 October 2001). "Gabriel and Me". Scotland on Sunday. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
  2. ^ Murphy, Mekado (2008). "The New York Times". Movies & TV Dept. Baseline & All Movie Guide. Archived from the original on 30 June 2008. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Fisher, Mark (23 April 1993). "Out, out damned spotlight". The List. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
  4. ^ a b "RADA Student & graduate profiles - Iain Glen". rada.ac.uk. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  5. ^ "10 years at the top for our Artistic Director, Hamish Glen". Belgrade Theatre Coventry. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
  6. ^ a b c "41st Berlin International Film Festival – Prizes & Honours 1991". Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin. Archived from the original on 23 December 2019. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
  7. ^ "Berlinale: 1990 Prize Winners". Berlinale.de. Archived from the original on 24 January 2011. Retrieved 20 March 2011.
  8. ^ a b c "1999 Olivier Nominees Announced; Many To Reach Broadway". playbill.com. 14 January 1999.
  9. ^ a b "The Soul Keeper". variety.com. 21 January 2003.
  10. ^ "John Milton season on Radio 3 - Drama On 3: Samson Agonistes". bbc.co.uk. 20 November 2008.
  11. ^ a b "Game of Thrones Cast and Characters". hbo.com. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  12. ^ a b c "The Time of Angels - Doctor Who Series 5 Episode 4 of 13". bbc.co.uk. 7 March 2014.
  13. ^ a b c "Flesh and Stone - Doctor Who Series 5 Episode 5 of 13". bbc.co.uk. 7 March 2014.
  14. ^ a b "The 20 most despicable characters in Downton Abbey history, ranked". sbs.com.au. 18 April 2016.
  15. ^ Robinson, Joanna (27 March 2017). "Iain Glen's Jack Taylor Is the Perfect Fix for Your Game of Thrones Withdrawal". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on 30 March 2017. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
  16. ^ "Game of Thrones actor plays hard-case private investigator Jack Taylor". The New Zealand Herald. 31 March 2017. Archived from the original on 12 February 2021. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
  17. ^ a b "Prisoners' Wives returns to BBC One". bbc.co.uk. 21 December 2012.
  18. ^ "Radio 4 - Alexandre Dumas - The Count of Monte Cristo". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  19. ^ "Fortune's Fool; Middlemarch – review". theguardian.com. 5 January 2014.
  20. ^ "Fortunes Fool". Archived from the original on 9 October 2013.
  21. ^ "Game of Thrones star Iain Glen quits play with mystery illness". Evening Standard. 9 January 2014. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
  22. ^ Boucher, Geoff (11 April 2019). "'Game Of Thrones' Star Will Portray Bruce Wayne/Batman On 'Titans'".
  23. ^ a b "Meet the cast of The Rig". radiotimes.com. 6 January 2023.
  24. ^ Leo Barraclough; Elsa Keslassy (2 February 2023). "Beta Cinema Sells Thriller 'Operation Napoleon,' Starring Iain Glen, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, to Key Territories (Exclusive)". Variety. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  25. ^ De Wilde, Bas (25 August 2022). "Kortrijk wordt decor voor oorlogsfilm "The Last Front"". VRT NWS (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 28 August 2022. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
  26. ^ "Taormina International Film Festival (2016)". IMDb. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
  27. ^ Glen, Iain (28 April 2022). "Iain Glen: 'The worst thing about being an actor? Producers think that we'll take drugs and get lost'". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
  28. ^ Parkinson, Justin (26 July 2014). "Authors and actors revive cricket rivalry". BBC News Magazine. Retrieved 11 April 2019.
  29. ^ "Fortune's Fool". Oldvictheatre.com. 4 October 2013. Archived from the original on 9 October 2013. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
  30. ^ Lees, Caroline. "Classic recipes for success". Sunday Times. 9 February 1992
  31. ^ "Iain Glen | Actor, Producer, Soundtrack". IMDb. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
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