Ian McShane

Ian McShane is a British film, television and theater actor who starred as Al Swearengen on the HBO series Deadwood from 2004-06. McShane won his first major award for the role, winning the Best Actor Golden Globe in 2005 for his portrayal of Swearengen, the fictionalized version of the actual man.http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0574534/awards Since his role on Deadwood, he has appeared in such films as We Are Marshall and Death Race, and supplied his voice for such animated movies as Coraline and Kung Fu Panda.http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0574534/

Ian McShane began his acting career in the early 1960s when he was just 20 years old and has been appearing in numerous film, television and theater productions ever since. In 2010, he starred as Waleran Bigod in the Ken Follett miniseries The Pillars of the Earth, a role that garnered him a Golden Globe nomination on December 13, 2010. The nomination was for Best Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television.http://www.goldenglobes.org/blog/2010/12/the-68th-annual-golden-globe-awards-nominations/

Ian McShane was born on September 29, 1942, in Blackburn, Lancashire, England. His father, Harry McShane, was a football player for Manchester United, but rather than pursue his father's sport, McShane opted for a career in acting after a teacher recognized his talent at a young age. He later enrolled in the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), but dropped out a semester short of graduation to star in the 1962 film The Wild and the Willing.http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800032720/bio

Throughout the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, Ian McShane appeared in numerous films. He also worked on several television series, television movies, and television mini-series as well. Some of his work included the Alex Haley mini-series Roots, the mini-series War and Remembrance, and a brief stint in 1989 on the television show Dallas. In 2004, McShane was cast as Al Swearengen in Deadwood, a role that garnered him attention from both fans and critics. Since then, he has continued to appear in film and television roles, including a turn in the mini-series The Pillars of the Earth.http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800032720/bio

• 1966: Gypsy Girl

• 1967: Wuthering Heights (TV series)

• 1975: Journey Into Fear

• 1977: Roots (TV mini-series)

• 1977: Jesus of Nazareth (TV mini-series)

• 1986-94: Lovejoy" (TV series)

• 1988-89: War and Remembrance (TV mini-series)

• 1989: Dallas (TV series)

• 1995: Soul Survivors (TV movie)

• 2000: Sexy Beast

• 2003: Agent Cody Banks

• 2004-06: Deadwood (TV series)

• 2006: We are Marshall

• 2008: Death Race

• 2009: 44 Inch Chest

• 2010: The Pillars of the Earth (TV mini-series)

• 2011: Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tideshttp://www.imdb.com/name/nm0574534/

• None at all. Work it out on your own, son.—on the best advice he has ever receivedhttp://www.esquire.com/features/television/ian-mcshane-0509

• If any man says he understands women, he’s out of his mind. Women are marvelous creatures, but wonderfully different and scary at times. I met my wife 30 years ago, and twice a day my eyes roll up and I think, Where did that one come from?—on what men should know about womenhttp://www.mensjournal.com/survival-skills-ian-mcshane