Ian David McShane (born 29 September 1942) is an English actor. His television performances include the title role in the BBC series Lovejoy (1986, 1991–1994), Al Swearengen in Deadwood (2004–2006) and its 2019 film continuation, and Mr. Wednesday in American Gods (2017–2021). For the original series of Deadwood, McShane won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama and received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. As a producer of the film, he was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie.
His film roles include Harry Brown in The Wild and the Willing (1962), Charlie Cartwright in If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium (1969), Sgt.Pilot Andy Moore in Battle of Britain (1969), Wolfe Lissner in Villain (1971), Teddy Bass in Sexy Beast (2000), Frank Powell in Hot Rod (2007), Tai Lung in Kung Fu Panda (2008) and Kung Fu Panda 4 (2024), Blackbeard in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011), and Winston Scott in the John Wick franchise (2014–present).
Early life
McShane was born in Blackburn, Lancashire on 29 September 1942. He is the child of professional footballer Harry (1920–2012) and Irene McShane (née Cowley; 1921–2021). His father was Scottish, from Holytown, Lanarkshire. His mother, who was born in England, was of Irish and English descent. McShane grew up in Davyhulme, Lancashire (now in Greater Manchester), and attended Stretford Grammar School. After being a member of the National Youth Theatre, he studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) with Anthony Hopkins and John Hurt. McShane shared a flat with Hurt, whom he called his "oldest friend in the business", and was still a student at RADA when he appeared with Hurt in his first film, The Wild and the Willing, in 1962. He later played Satan in the York Mystery Plays in 1963.
Career
In the United Kingdom, McShane's best known role is antiques dealer Lovejoy in the eponymous series (1986, 1991–1994). Long before Lovejoy, McShane was a pin-up as a result of appearances in such television series as Wuthering Heights (1967, as Heathcliff), Jesus of Nazareth (1977, as Judas Iscariot), and Disraeli (1978)—as well as films such as Sky West and Crooked (1965), If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium, Battle of Britain (both 1969), Pussycat, Pussycat, I Love You (1970), Sitting Target (1972), The Last of Sheila (1973) and The Fifth Musketeer (1979).
He has also enjoyed success in the United States as Don Lockwood in Dallas and is known for the role of Al Swearengen in the HBO series Deadwood, for which he won the 2005 Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Television Drama. He was also nominated at the 2005 Emmy Award and Screen Actors Guild Awards.
Among science fiction fans McShane is known for playing Robert Bryson in Babylon 5: The River of Souls. In a 2004 interview with The Independent, McShane stated that he wished he had turned down the role of Bryson since the technical dialogue was a struggle and he found looking at Martin Sheen, who wore an eye in the middle of his forehead, to be the most embarrassing experience that he had ever had while acting.
In 1985 McShane appeared as MC on Grace Jones' Slave to the Rhythm, a concept album featuring his narration interspersed throughout. It sold more than a million copies worldwide.
In 1992 he recorded and released a solo studio album, From Both Sides Now, in which he sang cover versions of popular songs. The album reached number 40 in the UK Albums Chart.
His other roles include that of armed robber and gangland boss Jack Last in the Minder episode "The Last Video Show". As Captain Hook in Shrek the Third, Ragnar Sturlusson in The Golden Compass, Tai Lung in Kung Fu Panda (for which he received an Annie Award nomination), crime boss Teddy Bass in Sexy Beast, and Mr. Bobinsky in Coraline. In live-action he has performed in Hot Rod, the action/thriller Death Race, and The Seeker. He has appeared in The West Wing as a Russian diplomat.
In July 2000, he created the role of Darryl Van Horne for the Original London production of the musical version of The Witches of Eastwick at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in London's West End. He stayed in the role until the show transferred to the Prince of Wales Theatre in March 2001. During 2007–08, he starred as Max in the 40th anniversary Broadway revival of Harold Pinter's The Homecoming, co-starring Eve Best, Raúl Esparza, and Michael McKean, and directed by Daniel Sullivan, at the Cort Theatre (16 December 2007 – 13 April 2008).
In 2009 he appeared in Kings, which was drawn from the biblical story of David. His portrayal of King Silas Benjamin, an analogue of King Saul, was highly praised, with one critic writing: "Whenever Kings seems to falter, McShane appears to put bite marks all over the scenery."Gordon Haber, David, My David: Israel's Most Charismatic King Comes to TV, forward.com, 25 March 2009.
In 2010 McShane starred in The Pillars of the Earth as Bishop Waleran Bigod. The series was a historical drama set in 12th-century England and adapted from Ken Follett's novel of the same name. That same year it was confirmed that McShane would portray Edward "Blackbeard" Teach in the Walt Disney Company/Jerry Bruckheimer film Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. McShane reprised the role of Blackbeard in Pirates of the Caribbean in Disneyland and Walt Disney World, as well as the interactive quest A Pirate's Adventure: Treasure of the Seven Seas at Magic Kingdom.
In 2013 he played King Brahmwell in Bryan Singer's Jack the Giant Slayer.
Since 2010 McShane has narrated the opening teases for each round of ESPN's coverage of The Open Championship. In 2012 McShane had a guest role for two episodes as Murder Santa, a sadistic serial killer in the 1960s in the second season of American Horror Story. In 2016, he joined the cast of Game of Thrones in Season 6 as Septon Ray.
McShane announced in 2017 that a script for a two-hour Deadwood film had been submitted by creator David Milch to HBO and that a film was close to happening. "[A] two-hour movie script has been delivered to HBO. If they don't deliver [a finished product], blame them," McShane said. The film began production in October 2018. Deadwood: The Movie was released on 31 May 2019, concluding the story of the series.
Personal life In 1965, McShane married English actress Suzan Farmer and they divorced in 1968. He married his second wife, English model Ruth Post, on 8 June 1968, and they had two children, Kate and Morgan. In 1977, he began a five-year relationship with Sylvia Kristel after meeting her on the set of The Fifth Musketeer; the affair ended his marriage to Post. On 30 August 1980, McShane married American actress Gwen Humble. They live in Venice, California. Through his elder daughter, McShane has three grandchildren.
Filmography Film + Year Title Role Notes 1962 The Wild and the Willing Harry Brown 1965 The Pleasure Girls Keith Dexter 1966 Sky West and Crooked Roibin 1969 If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium Charlie Cartwright Battle of Britain Sgt. Pilot Andy Moore 1970 Pussycat, Pussycat, I Love You Fred C. Dobbs Tam Lin Tom Lynn 1971 Freelance Mitch Villain Wolfe Lissner 1972 Left Hand of Gemini Sitting Target Birdy Williams 1973 The Last of Sheila Anthony Wood 1975 Ransom Ray Petrie Journey into Fear Banat 1979 The Great Riviera Bank Robbery The Brain The Fifth Musketeer Fouquet Yesterday's Hero Rod Turner 1981 Cheaper to Keep Her Dr. Alfred Sunshine 1983 Exposed Greg Miller 1985 Ordeal by Innocence Philip Durant Too Scared to Scream Vincent Hardwick Torchlight Sidney 2000 Sexy Beast Teddy Bass 2002 Bollywood Queen Frank 2003 Agent Cody Banks Dr. Brinkman Nemesis Game Jeff Novak 2005 Nine Lives Larry 2006 Scoop Joe Strombel We Are Marshall Paul Griffen 2007 Shrek the Third Captain Hook Voice A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information. Hot Rod Frank Powell The Seeker Merriman Lyon The Golden Compass Ragnar Sturlusson Voice 2008 Kung Fu Panda Tai Lung Death Race Coach 2009 Coraline Mr. Bobinsky Voice Case 39 Detective Mike Barron 44 Inch Chest Meredith Also executive producer 2010 The Sorcerer's Apprentice Narrator Uncredited 2011 Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides Edward "Blackbeard" Teach 2012 Snow White and the Huntsman Beith 2013 Jack the Giant Slayer King Brahmwell 2014 Cuban Fury Ron Parfitt Hercules Amphiaraus John Wick Winston Scott El Niño El Inglés 2015 Bilal: A New Breed of Hero Umayya Voice 2016 Grimsby MI6 Spy Boss Uncredited The Hollow Point Sheriff Leland Kilbaught 2017 John Wick: Chapter 2 Winston Scott Jawbone Joe Padgett Pottersville Bart 2018 Here Comes the Grump The Grump Voice 2019 Hellboy Trevor Bruttenholm Bolden Judge Leander Perry John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum Winston Scott 2022 My Father's Dragon Saiwa the Gorilla Voice 2023 John Wick: Chapter 4 Winston Scott 2024 American Star Wilson Kung Fu Panda 4 Tai Lung Voice 2025 Ballerina Winston Scott Deep CoverMetcalfe
Television