Although it may have seemed like Ian McShane came out of nowhere when he gained much critical acclaim as the charismatic villain of
Deadwood, this British actor already had four decades of experience under his belt. The darkly appealing performer starred on both stage and screen in his homeland, most notably as the title character in the BBC series
Lovejoy, and made occasional appearances on American TV, including
Roots and a one-year stint on
Dallas. Married to Gwen Humble since 1981, McShane was a grandfather by the time
Deadwood earned him his first Emmy nomination in 2005.
Ian McShane Fast Facts:
- Son of professional soccer player Harry McShane, who played for Manchester United.
- Made his movie debut in 1962's The Wild and the Willing.
- Played Judas in the acclaimed 1977 Franco Zeffirelli miniseries Jesus of Nazareth.
- Produced, directed and starred in the popular BBC/A&E series Lovejoy.
- Received the Television Critics Association award for Individual Achievement in Drama in 2004 for Deadwood; nominated in the same category in 2005.
- Often does voice-over work for commercials, documentaries and films, including Shrek the Third (2007), Kung Fu Panda (2008) and Coraline (2009).
- Ian McShane Relationships:
- Gwen Humble - Wife
- Henry McShane - Father
- Irene McShane - Mother
- Kate - Daughter
- Morgan - Son
- Ruth Post - Ex-wife
- Suzan Farmer - Ex-wife
- Ian McShane Awards:
- 2005 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama - Winner
- 2005 Emmy: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series - Nominee
- College:
- Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, London, England
