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- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Robbie Coltrane, one of Britain's most popular comedians who was head of debating society at school and won prizes for his art, is now a film star who played in two James Bond films and in the "Harry Potter" franchise.
Coltrane was born Anthony Robert McMillan on March 30, 1950, in Rutherglen, a suburb of Glasgow, Scotland, UK. His mother, Jean Ross (Howie), was a teacher and pianist. His father, Ian Baxter McMillan, was a general surgeon who also worked for police pathology. Young Robbie was fond of art, music, films and cars. He was a voracious reader of his dad's books on medicine and crime. At age 12 he made his acting debut on stage at Glenalmond College, delivering rants from "Henry V". At that time he was fascinated with Marlon Brando and Orson Welles.
He attended Glasgow Art School, majoring in drawing, painting and film, then studied art at Edinburgh's Moray House College of Education for a year. In 1973 he made a documentary titled "Young Mental Health", which was voted Film Of The Year by the Scottish Education Council. At that time Robbie took the name Coltrane, due to his love of jazz, and began a career of a stand-up comedian at night clubs, at the Edinburgh Festival, as well as an actor with Edinburgh's renowned Traverse Theatre.
In 1980 Coltrane made his debut on television as "Border Guard" in BBC's mini-series The Lost Tribe (1980), then made his big screen debut as a limousine driver in Death Watch (1980). In 1981 he appeared in his first leading role as Detective Fritz Langley in Subway Riders (1981), by famed underground director Amos Poe.
He became a well-known face through appearances in The Comic Strip series, then in Alfresco (1983) and Comic Strip movies The Supergrass (1985) and The Pope Must Diet (1991), among other films. At that time Coltrane had a drinking problem, downing as much as a bottle of whiskey a day. In 1986 he flew to a clinic in Mexico and was treated for obesity. In 1987 his partner for 15 years, Robin Paine, left him for good, leaving her portrait in Coltrane's barn.
In 1988 Coltrane met then 18-year-old Rhona Gemmell in a pub. They married and had a son, Spencer, and a daughter, Alice. His career took off during the early 1990s with the leading role as Dr. Eddie "Fitz" Fitzgerald, a forensic psychologist, in the popular TV series Cracker (1993).
He made such a good performance as Valentin Zukovsky, a KGB man turned St. Petersburg mafia lord, in GoldenEye (1995) the producers called him back for the same character in The World Is Not Enough (1999). Then Coltrane hit another lucrative franchise; he was personally selected by J.K. Rowling as her choice to play half-giant Rubeus Hagrid in the 'Harry Potter' films.
In early 1990s Coltrane wrote an autobiography, "Coltrane in a Cadillac", and also starred in the eponymous TV series, Coltrane in a Cadillac (1993), in which he indulges his passion for vintage cars and tells with great humor about his 4000-mile journey across America from Los Angeles to New York. In 2003 he separated from his wife. His interests outside of his acting profession had been reading books, and rebuilding and collecting vintage cars. Robbie Coltrane resided in a converted farmhouse in Stirlingshire, Scotland, UK.- Actress
- Casting Director
- Music Department
Her dancing career started in Leicestershire where her father worked in an aircraft factory. She went into pantomime as a chorus girl and eventually became known when she did a chocolate commercial which led to work on television and films, Despite what other people say she doesn't think that shes a good dancer. She met actor Peter Gilmore and became engaged to him in 1953 and married in 1958 and live in Radlett, Hertfordshire. Her ambitions are to have a family, and to pass her advanced driving test. She makes some of her own clothes,- Brian McCardie was born in Glasgow, Scotland, UK. He was an actor, known for Time (2021), Filth (2013) and Rob Roy (1995). He died on 28 April 2024 in Scotland, UK.
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Born in Airdrie, Lanarkshire he was the only son of a solicitor and was educated at an English public school and served as a corporal in the army. He launched his career at Dublin's Gate Theatre then went to the Royal Shakespeare Company starting as a spear carrier. By the late 50's he'd established himself as a leading young stage actor and soon graduated to leading roles notably appearing opposite Vanessa Redgrave in As You Like It. The West End followed with A View From the Bridge, The Iceman Cometh and Long Days Journey Into Night in which he starred. In the 60's he was one of the most sought after character actors and worked with John Huston, Orson Welles and James Stewart. He won an Oscar nomination for The Flight of the Phoenix in which he was a plane crash survivor. He was once a drinking companion of Peter O'Toole and Richard Burton but had to give up due to hepatitis. In 1996 his career was recognised by BAFTA with a lifetime achievement award. He was 48 when he married Marilyn Salisbury, a former Ministry of Agriculture assistant, after she'd persuaded a cousin to take her to see him in Hamlet at Stratford and unknowingly parked in his reserved space and couldn't start her car again when he appeared. They became friends for 17 years before they married. He was killed in a crash in Scotland which over turned his car on November 3rd 1999. He was on a break from filming the provisionally titled Strictly Sinatra. His wife, who had to be cut free had slight injuries.- Actor
- Soundtrack
The imposing Scottish character actor Graham Crowden was one of the most recognizable and reliable British screen actors who worked for over half a century. He was the third of four children of a Scottish Presbyterian classics teacher. His first job was in a tannery in Edinburgh. He joined the Royal Scots Youth Battalion in 1940, but was invalided out after being accidentally shot by his own platoon sergeant. After studies at Edinburgh Academy, he worked for the stage in 1944 as student assistant stage manager at the Memorial Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon. This was followed by repertory experience in Dundee, Glasgow, Nottingham and with the Bristol Old Vic. A prolific actor at the Royal Court from the mid-1950's, and later with the Royal Shakespeare Company and Laurence Olivier's National Theatre. Tall and possessed of an incisive manner, resonant voice and larger-than-life personality, Crowden was at his best in eccentric portrayals as mad scientists or flawed men-of-the-cloth.
One of his most memorable film appearances was as the maniacal chief surgeon in Lindsay Anderson's Britannia Hospital (1982). In television, he turned down the role of Doctor Who (1963) in 1974 but later appeared in it opposite Tom Baker, who had been cast as the Doctor instead, to give the series one of its most memorably over-the-top villains. He also achieved success in later life in television comedies such as A Very Peculiar Practice (1986) and opposite Stephanie Cole in Waiting for God (1990). He continued to act until shortly before his death.- Actor
- Soundtrack
A Russian-born stage and screen actor who usually plays a military man in lots of spy thrillers and war films, Alexander Molchanoff was born in Petrograd in 1921. He was the eldest son of Colonel Paul Molchanoff, of the Semionovsky regiment. In 1924 his family left Russia via Finland and Germany finally ending up in London,where Alexander's grandmother had a house in Harley Street. Alexander was educated in Monmouth School. After that he became an assistant to the Russian tenor Vladimir Rosing at Covent Garden. Later he joined the RAF and after being invalided out he turned into Richard Marner and started his long career as a stage and film actor.
His first success was a title role in a stage version of Dracula where he made a memorable performance. He went on with his work in theatre but he started appearing in films as well. A small part in The African Queen (1951) was one of his first. He continued with roles in plenty of films where he usually played German or Russian officers. He acted in classic films such as The Dirty Dozen and The Spy Who Came in from the Cold and also had a part in James Bond's You Only Live Twice.
While working as an actor he supplemented his income by working as a sales agent for a costume jewellery manufacturer. In the 1980s Marner played the part of Colonel Von Strohm in the British comedy classic "Allo Allo" which was his most famous and loved performance as an actor. His last film was The Sum of All Fears where he played the Russian president.- Elizabeth II was Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms.
Elizabeth was born in London, the first child of the Duke and Duchess of York, later King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, and she was educated privately at home. Her father ascended the throne on the abdication of his brother King Edward VIII in 1936, from which time she was the heir presumptive. She began to undertake public duties during the Second World War, serving in the Auxiliary Territorial Service. In 1947, she married Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, a former prince of Greece and Denmark, with whom she had four children: Charles, Prince of Wales; Anne, Princess Royal; Prince Andrew, Duke of York; and Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex.
When her father died in February 1952, Elizabeth became head of the Commonwealth and queen regnant of seven independent Commonwealth countries: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, and Ceylon. She reigned as a constitutional monarch through major political changes, such as devolution in the United Kingdom, Canadian patriation, and the decolonization of Africa. Between 1956 and 1992, the number of her realms varied as territories gained independence, and as realms, including South Africa, Pakistan, and Ceylon (renamed Sri Lanka), became republics. Her many historic visits and meetings included a state visit to the Republic of Ireland and visits to or from five popes. Significant events included her coronation in 1953 and the celebrations of her Silver, Golden, and Diamond Jubilees in 1977, 2002, and 2012, respectively. In 2017, she became the first British monarch to reach a Sapphire Jubilee. She was the longest-lived and longest-reigning British monarch. She was the longest-serving female head of state in world history, and the world's oldest living monarch, longest-reigning monarch, and oldest and longest-serving head of state. - Neil Connery was a Scottish actor who was the brother of Sean Connery and the uncle of Jason Connery. He appeared in a few films during the late 1960s and then left to run a business in Glasgow. Neil was known for his role in the movie MD Experiment 508 Operation Kid Brother A.K.A. Operation Double 007 (as Dr. Neil Connery), a James Bond knock-off (featured on Mystery Science Theater 3000 as Operation Double 007) and the film The Body Stealers (as Jim Radford).
- Mary Riggans was born on 19 July 1935 in Glasgow, Scotland, UK. She was an actress, known for Dear Frankie (2004), Take the High Road (1980) and Killer (1983). She was married to Malcolm Taylor. She died on 2 December 2013 in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.
- Actor
- Director
- Soundtrack
Avuncular character actor Glynn Edwards became best known to TV audiences as the gullible bartender Dave who presided over Arthur Daley's favourite watering hole in Minder (1979). He was born in Malaya the son of a rubber planter and brought up by his grandparents in Portsmouth. He started acting professionally in his 20s while living in Trinidad and working as assistant manager of a country club. Upon his return to England Glynn enrolled at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London. Upon graduation, he joined Joan Littlewood's Theatre Workshop for ten years. Under Littlewood's direction he acted on the West End and had a leading role on Broadway in Brendan Behan's play The Hostage. His screen career began in the mid-50s when he began enjoying regular employment in British television as supporting or guest actor, often cast as police constables or detectives. Among his numerous credits have been Sir Francis Drake (1961), Z Cars (1962), The Baron (1966) and The Saint (1962). Infrequent film appearances included a small role in the epic Zulu (1964) (Glynn recalled in a later interview that a series of Kelloggs commercials, also filmed in Africa, turned out to be ten times more profitable). After Minder finished in 1994, Glynn went into semi- retirement, splitting his time between Spain, Edinburgh and a houseboat on the River Thames. He was formerly married to George & Mildred (1976) actress Yootha Joyce and had a son from his second marriage to Christine Pilgrim.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Iain Cuthbertson was born on 4 January 1930 in Glasgow, Scotland, UK. He was an actor, known for Gorillas in the Mist (1988), Doctor Who (1963) and Scotch on the Rocks (1973). He was married to Janet Mary Smith and Anne Kristen. He died on 4 September 2009 in Ayr, South Ayrshire, Scotland, UK.- Born in Hamilton, Mark acted in school plays such as Macbeth and Julius Caesar. On finishing school he followed his father working in the pits but soon became restless and disillusioned with Britain and wanted to travel so saved his money from his job as a timber porter and went to Australia where he joined a small theatrical touring company doing potted versions of Shakespearean classics. He also did 4 films there including Mick Jagger's 'Ned Kelly' When he was broke he spent some time as a boxer resulting in getting his nose broken. After having it reshaped he returned to Britain where he did road repair work, worked in a Bookies. He started to get small acting jobs in such series as Sam. The Borrowers, Stramgers and Bullman. His first appearance in Taggert was in 1983 in an episode called 'Killer' in 1983. His interests include fishing. gardening and breeding butterflies
- Russell Hunter was born on 18 February 1925 in Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland, UK. He was an actor, known for Callan (1974), Callan (1967) and The Gaffer (1981). He was married to Una McLean, Caroline Blakiston and Marjorie Thomson. He died on 26 February 2004 in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.
- Ralph Riach was born on 26 January 1936 in Elgin, Scotland, UK. He was an actor, known for Cloud Atlas (2012), Braveheart (1995) and Death Defying Acts (2007). He died on 20 March 2022 in Scotland, UK.
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Jane Hylton was born on 16 July 1927 in London, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Here Come the Huggetts (1948), My Brother's Keeper (1948) and Passport to Pimlico (1949). She was married to Euan Lloyd and Peter Dyneley. She died on 28 February 1979 in Glasgow, Scotland, UK.- He was educated at Rugby where he became interested in acting. He spent a year in Canada studying agriculture then returned to England and taught at a prep school in Surrey. In 1950 he joined the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art and on completing the course joined and toured with Dundee Repertory Theatre.
- Jake D'Arcy was born in 1945 in Scotland, UK. He was an actor, known for Tutti Frutti (1987), Gregory's Girl (1980) and Huntingtower (1978). He died on 30 May 2015 in Glasgow, Scotland, UK.
- Frequently bearded Scottish character actor John Stahl became best known for playing Lord Richard Karstark, an erstwhile ally but subsequent betrayer of Robb Stark, in seasons two and three of HBO's Game of Thrones (2011). A classically trained thespian, Stahl also acted in many theatrical productions and had stints at the Royal Shakespeare Company and at the National Theatre. Trained at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, he first worked as an assistant director for a stage company. He appeared on screen from 1976, initially coming to prominence as Tom Inverdarroch Kerr, a recurring character in the British soap Take the High Road (1980) set in the fictional Scottish village of Glendarroch. In 2016, Stahl was cast as Scottish regent Murdac (or Murdoch) Stewart (1362-1425) in Rona Munro's play James I, which opened in Edinburgh and subsequently toured New Zealand, Australia and Canada. A fervent supporter of Scottish independence, Stahl died on the Isle of Lewis on March 2 2022.
- The character actor Robert Urquhart was born in 1921 in Ullapool, Scotland. His stage debut came in 1947 and his film debut 5 years later. He worked steadily until the late 1980s in both film and television, usually playing the stalwart, dependable type. He became particularly well known on television as a regular in a number of British series, including Pathfinders (1972) and The Aweful Mr. Goodall (1974). His one film, made in the 1990s, Master of the Moor: Part 1 (1994), was his last before his death in 1995.
- Writer
- Actor
Alasdair Gray was born on 28 December 1934 in Glasgow, Scotland, UK. He was a writer and actor, known for Poor Things (2023), Here I Stand... (1977) and Thirty-Minute Theatre (1965). He was married to Morag McAlpine and Inge Sorenson. He died on 29 December 2019 in Shieldhall, Glasgow, Scotland, UK.- Duncan Macrae was born on 20 August 1905 in Glasgow, Scotland, UK. He was an actor, known for Casino Royale (1967), Tunes of Glory (1960) and Wee Geordie (1955). He was married to Margaret Scott. He died on 23 March 1967 in Glasgow, Scotland, UK.
- John Cairney made his stage debut at the Park Theatre, Glasgow, before enrolling at the RSAMD in Glasgow. After graduation, he joined the Wilson Barrett Company as Snake in 'The School for Scandal'. A season at the Glasgow Citizens' Theatre followed before going on to the Bristol Old Vic where he appeared in the British premiere of Arthur Miller's 'The Crucible'. He returned to the Citizens from time to time, most notably as Hamlet in 1960. He also appeared in the premiere of John Arden's 'Armstrong's Last Goodnight' in 1964.
Other stage work until 1991 included King Humanitie in 'The Thrie Estaites' for Tyrone Guthrie at the Edinburgh Festival, Archie Rice in 'The Entertainer' at Dundee (1972), as the title character in 'Cyrano de Bergerac' at Newcastle (1974), Becket in 'Murder in the Cathedral' at the Edinburgh Festival of 1986 and 'Macbeth' in the same Festival in 1989. He also wrote and appeared in his own productions of 'An Edinburgh Salon', 'At Your Service', 'The Ivor Novello Story' and 'A Mackintosh Experience" while continuing to tour the world in his solo 'The Robert Burns Story'. His affiliation with Robert Burns began in 1965 with Tom Wright's solo play 'There Was A Man' at the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, and at the Arts Theatre, London. The solo was televised twice nationally and was also an album recording for REL Records, Edinburgh, as well as a video for Green Place Productions, Glasgow. From Burns he moved on to other solos on William McGonagall, Robert Service and Robert Louis Stevenson until he worked with New Zealand actress Alannah O'Sullivan at the Edinburgh Festival of 1978. They married in 1980. As Two For A Theatre they toured the world for P&O Cruises and the British Council as well as the Keedick Lecture Bureau, New York, with programmes on Byron, Wilde and Dorothy Parker until 1986.
Cairney's first film was Night Ambush (1957) for the Rank Organisation, followed by Windom's Way (1957), Shake Hands with the Devil (1959), Victim (1961), Jason and the Argonauts (1963), Cleopatra (1963), The Devil-Ship Pirates (1964) and A Study in Terror (1965), among others. His many television parts include Branwell Bronte, Edgar Allan Poe and Robert the Bruce, and featured in such television series as Dr. Finlay's Casebook (1962), Secret Agent (1964), The Avengers (1961), Jackanory (1965), Elizabeth R (1971), Taggart (1983), and as Ian Craig in the BBC2's This Man Craig (1966). Also, he wrote and recorded his own songs for EMI at Abbey Road.
As a writer, he published 'Worlds Apart', 'A Scottish Football Hall of Fame', 'Heroes Are Forever', and 'A Year Out In New Zealand'. He wrote three books about Robert Burns for Luath Press (Edinburgh) as well as biographies of R.L. Stevenson and C.R. Mackintosh and a book of essays on Glasgow ('Glasgow by the Way, But'). 'Flashback Forward' was published for Random House (New Zealand), and his book on acting, 'Greasepaint Monkey', was due for publication by Luath Press, Edinburgh in 2010.
Cairney earned a Master of Letters degree from Glasgow University for a "History of Solo Theatre" in 1988 and, in 1994, a PhD from Victoria University, Wellington, NZ, for his study of Stevenson and Theatre. Having spent 17 years in New Zealand, John and Alannah returned to live in Scotland. - Writer
- Producer
- Actor
Simon Carlyle was born on 6 May 1975 in Irvine, Ayrshire, Scotland, UK. He was a writer and producer, known for Two Doors Down (2016), Changing Ends (2023) and Boy Meets Girl (2015). He died on 8 August 2023 in Scotland, UK.- Actor
- Soundtrack
John Young was born on 16 June 1916 in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. He was an actor, known for Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975), Monty Python's Life of Brian (1979) and Chariots of Fire (1981). He died on 30 October 1996 in Glasgow, Scotland, UK.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Alan Gifford was born on March 11, 1911 in Taunton, Massachusetts, USA as John Lennox. He was an actor, known for 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), The Saint (1962), and Phase IV (1974). He was married to Blanch. He later remarried to Beatrix Gifford, taking her surname as his stage name. Together they had one daughter. He died on March 20, 1989 in Blairgowrie, Perthshire, Scotland.