Christian McKay | |
---|---|
![]() Christian McKay in 2013 | |
Born | Christian Stuart McKay [1] 30 December 1973 [2] |
Nationality | British |
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 2001–present |
Spouse | Emily Allen (m. 2006) |
Children | 2 |
Christian Stuart McKay (born 30 December 1973 [2] ) is an English stage and screen actor. He is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Orson Welles in the 2008 film Me and Orson Welles , for which he was nominated for over two dozen awards including the BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor. He also appeared in movies such as Florence Foster Jenkins , The Theory of Everything , Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and Rush .
McKay was born in Bury, Lancashire. He has a sister, Karen. His mother, Lynn, worked as a hairdresser, and his father, Stuart, was a railway worker. [3] He studied piano as a youth, [4] and performed the Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 3 at age 21. [3] McKay subsequently halted his concert career [5] and enrolled at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art to study acting.
McKay's television appearances include portraying conductor Pierre Monteux in the BBC TV production Riot at the Rite (2005). [6] His first film appearance was in Abraham's Point (2008).
After seeing a performance of Rosebud at the 2007 "Brits Off Broadway" festival, Richard Linklater cast McKay as Welles in his film Me and Orson Welles , retaining McKay over the subsequent producer objections to his casting. [7] In this, his second film and first lead role, McKay received critical praise for his performance as Orson Welles. [8] [9] [10] [11]
McKay has recently been seen in the biographical drama Rush , alongside Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Brühl, the BAFTA-nominated music film Northern Soul , and the Oscar-winning biographical drama The Theory of Everything , alongside Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones. All of these were met with critical acclaim, with The Theory of Everything receiving a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Picture.
McKay has portrayed Orson Welles in the one-man play Rosebud: The Lives of Orson Welles at a number of venues, including the Edinburgh Festival [12] and King's Head (London). [13] He subsequently reprised the role in the US at the 2007 "Brits Off Broadway" festival. [14]
In 2013, McKay played Gerard in Strangers on a Train [15] at London's Gielgud Theatre. [16]
McKay was married to Emily Allen. They divorced in 2021. [4] He has two children, Maximilian Sidney McKay, born 2011 and Aniela Rita Lynn McKay, born 2015.
Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|
2004 | Doctors | Neville Gordon | Episode: "Pardon" | |
2005 | Riot at the Rite | Pierre Monteux | TV film | |
2008 | Agatha Christie's Poirot | Jefferson Cope | Episode: "Appointment with Death" | |
2009 | A Short Stay in Switzerland | Carsten | TV film | |
Margaret | John Whittingdale | |||
2010 | The Road to Coronation Street | Harry Elton | ||
2011–2013 | Borgia | Cardinal Sforza | ||
2012 | Getting On | Dr. Nigel Hoskins | Episode #3.3 | |
2015 | Jekyll and Hyde | Maxwell Utterson | ||
2016 | Churchill's Secret | Christopher Soames | TV film | |
Frontier | Father James Coffin | |||
2019 | Grantchester | Anthony Hobbs | 4 episodes | |
2019–2020 | Warrior | Mayor Samuel Blake | ||
2023 | FDR | President Franklin D. Roosevelt | ||
2024 | Strike | Inigo Upcott | Episode 2 | |
2024 | Churchill at War | Winston Churchill | ||
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