Peter Mullan (born 2 November 1959) is a Scottish actor and filmmaker who is best known for his roles in Trainspotting, My Name Is Joe and the Harry Potter film series.
Early life
Mullan was born in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, the son of Patricia (a nurse) and Charles Mullan (a lab technician at Glasgow University). The second youngest of eight children, Mullan was brought up in a working class Roman Catholic family. They later moved to Mosspark, a district in Glasgow. An alcoholic and sufferer from lung cancer, Mullan's father became increasingly tyrannical and abusive. For a brief period, Mullan was a member of a street gang while at secondary school, and worked as a bouncer in a number of south-side pubs. His father died on the day Mullan began studying economic history and drama at the University of Glasgow.
Career
Mullan began acting at university and continued stage acting after graduation. He had roles in films such as Shallow Grave, Trainspotting, Braveheart and Riff-Raff. His first full-length film, Orphans, won an award at the Venice Film Festival. In 2002, he returned to directing and screenwriting with the controversial film The Magdalene Sisters, based on life in an Irish Magdalene asylum. Mullan won a Golden Lion award at the Venice Film Festival.
Mullan's role as a recovering alcoholic in My Name Is Joe won him the Best Actor Award at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival. He appeared in the lead role in 2001's Session 9. In 2004, he starred in On a Clear Day and Criminal. He also played Michel Scot in the BBC series Shoebox Zoo. In 2006, he had a small role in Children of Men. In 2007, he played a prominent role in the Channel 4 adaptation of Boy A, and starred as James Connolly in the movie Connolly.
He co-starred in the Red Riding Trilogy and in two seasons of the ITV crime drama The Fixer. Mullan appeared in the last two Harry Potter films as Yaxley, and starred in Paddy Considine's Tyrannosaur. His latest film as director, Neds, was released in October 2010. He also appeared in the Steven Spielberg 2011 film War Horse. In December 2012, he starred in Channel 4's four-part drama series The Fear.
Personal life
Mullan is a lifelong supporter of Celtic Football Club. A Marxist, he was a leading figure in the left-wing theatre movement which blossomed in Scotland during the Conservative Thatcher government, including stints in the 7:84 and Wildcat Theatre companies. A passionate critic of Tony Blair's New Labour government, he told The Guardian "the TUC and the Labour Party sold us [the working class] out big style, unashamedly so". Mullan took part in a 2005 occupation of the Glasgow offices of the UK Immigration Service, protesting against the UKIS's "dawn raid" tactics when deporting failed asylum seekers.
In January 2009, Mullan joined other actors in protesting against the BBC's refusal to screen a Disasters Emergency Committee appeal for Gaza. They told BBC director general Mark Thompson: "Like millions of others, we are absolutely appalled at the decision to refuse to broadcast the appeal. We will never work for the BBC again unless this disgraceful decision is reversed. We will urge others from our profession and beyond to do likewise." Mullan has agreed to appear in an adaptation of Iain Banks’ Stonemouth after the BBC aired a DEC appeal for Gaza in late 2014.
Peter has three children from his long-term partner Anne Swan.
Filmography
Film
Television
References and notes
External links
- Peter Mullan at the Internet Movie Database
- Fan site: Peter Mullan Fan Site