Jason Flemyng

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Jason Flemyng
Jason Flemyng MCM Primeval Panel DSC 1502 (8980775116) (cropped).jpg
Flemyng in 2013
Born
Jason Iain Flemyng

(1966-09-25) 25 September 1966 (age 58)
Putney, London, England
Alma mater London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
OccupationActor
Years active1990–present
Spouse
Elly Fairman
(m. 2008)
Children2

Jason Iain Flemyng [1] (born 25 September 1966) is an English actor. He is known for his work with British filmmakers Guy Ritchie and Matthew Vaughn appearing in the Ritchie films Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) and Snatch (2000), (both films were also produced by Vaughn) and appearing in Vaughn's films Layer Cake (2004), Kick-Ass (2010), and X-Men: First Class (2011).

Contents

He has also appeared in Hollywood productions such as Rob Roy (1995), the Alan Moore comic book adaptations From Hell (2001) and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003), Transporter 2 (2005), and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008). He has also appeared in prominent roles in both theatre and television in the UK. Flemyng speaks French fluently, and has made three films in that language. [2] He won the Best Actor Award at the Geneva Film Festival for his role in 1996's Alive and Kicking . [3]

Early life

Flemyng was born on 25 September 1966 in Putney, London, the son of Scottish television and film director Gordon Flemyng. [2] He decided he wanted to become an actor after appearing in theatrical productions at his school, Christ's Hospital in Sussex. "I always wanted to be an actor," he later told the BBC. "From the time I fancied a girl who played Dorothy in the school production of The Wizard of Oz . I auditioned for the role of the scarecrow so that I could have the most stage time with her, but she ended up running off with the tin man!" [4]

In the 1980s, he was involved with the National Youth Theatre and the political organisation the Young Socialists. [2] He also became involved with Militant, an entryist group active within the Labour Party, and in 1987 was expelled from Labour for selling the Militant newspaper. [2] Flemyng has subsequently claimed that both his theatrical and political activities at this time were simply a way of meeting girls. [2] In 1990 he studied acting at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), [5] where he was a classmate of Hermione Norris. [4] Following his graduation from LAMDA in the early 1990s he joined the Royal Shakespeare Company. [2]

Career

One of his first prominent roles on screen was a guest appearance in the American television series The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles in 1992. [6] He was then a regular in the ITV drama series Doctor Finlay from 1993 to 1996. [2]

His first film appearance was in the 1994 version of The Jungle Book . [2] His first major cinema role was in Angela Pope's 1996 drama Hollow Reed , where he played a child abuser, followed by a main role in Guy Ritchie's popular 1998 London gangster film Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels . Flemyng later claimed to have lost so much money while playing poker with the film's backers in between takes on set that he had to work on the four days of re-shoots the film required for no fee. [7] He went on to appear in films such as The Red Violin and Deep Rising (1998), Snatch (2000), George A. Romero's Bruiser (2000) and Rock Star (2001). [6] Flemyng also starred in the short film Feeling Good, written by Dexter Fletcher, whom he met while working on Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.

In the early 2000s he featured in two big-budget Hollywood films which were adaptations of Alan Moore comic books; as John Netley in 2001's From Hell , with Johnny Depp, and 2003's The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen , with Sean Connery, in which Flemyng played Dr. Henry Jekyll and Edward Hyde. [8] The latter film was a disappointment, but Flemyng commented that: "It was a bit of a nightmare... the film cost a fortune and didn't make back the money it was meant to... But I still get a huge kick out of doing films like that and From Hell. Any day you walk onto a set and Sean Connery or Johnny Depp or Brad Pitt is there has to be a good day." [8]

In parallel with his film career, Flemyng has continued to take various television roles. He told BBC News Online in 2004 that: "Of the 40 feature films I've made, 15 of them failed to make it onto the screen and have only ever been seen by cast and crew. It is very frustrating when a film you really believe in remains unseen. That's not a problem with television. If you're a painter you don't paint a picture and then stick it under the bed – you want people to see it." [8] In 2005 he played the famous science-fiction role of Professor Bernard Quatermass when digital television channel BBC Four produced a live remake of the 1953 serial The Quatermass Experiment. [9] In 2005 he also played the part of Dimitry, a Russian ex-biological weapons specialist, in Transporter 2 , where he was briefly reunited with Jason Statham.

In 2009, Flemyng joined the cast of the ITV science fiction cult drama series Primeval during its third series, as maverick ex-policeman Danny Quinn. [10] He received top billing as the series' new star, taking over from Douglas Henshall. In March 2010 Flemyng earned a lead role as Cpl. Callow in the war/horror film The 4th Reich. [11]

On 15 August 2010, it became public that he had been cast in the role of Azazel in the X-Men prequel, X-Men: First Class , directed by Matthew Vaughn. [12]

In 2011, Flemyng reprised his character of Danny Quinn in the last episode of Primeval's fourth series, it is said that he would return as Danny Quinn one last time before the finale of the shows fifth series.

In 2012, he starred in I Give It a Year (released in Feb 2013), as the bride's brother-in-law in a British romcom by Working Title. [13]

After two years Jason just completed work on the feature film 'The Journey' on which he also serves as Producer, in which he plays Ozzy. The film was written especially for him and took two years to complete, it was filmed in Greece and London and is directed by Lance Nielsen [14] [15] In January 2015, Flemyng signed with UK-based Evolution Pictures to direct the vampire film Eat Locals. [16]

Flemyng appears as himself in the 2018 short film To Trend on Twitter in aid of young people with cancer charity CLIC Sargent with comedians Reece Shearsmith, Steve Pemberton, Helen Lederer and David Baddiel. [17]

In 2021, Audible released Flemyng's recording of William Gibson's acclaimed sci-fi novel Neuromancer.

Personal life

For nine years, Flemyng and actress Lena Headey were a couple; the relationship ended in 2001. [18] Flemyng married Elly Fairman in the summer of 2008, in Tuscany, Italy. [19] The pair have twin boys, Noah and Cassius, who were born in 2012. In 2020, Flemyng said they had all suffered from COVID-19. [20] Flemyng enjoys long-distance running and has completed several marathons. [21] Flemyng is a supporter of Chelsea F.C. [22]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1994 The Jungle Book Lieutenant John Wilkins
1995 Rob Roy Gregor
1996 Stealing Beauty Gregory
Hollow Reed Frank Donally
Indian Summer TonioAlso known as Alive & Kicking
1997The James GangFrank James
The Life of Stuff Willie Dobie
Spice World BradAlso known as Spiceworld: The Movie
1998 Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels Tom
The Red Violin Frederick Pope
Deep Rising Mulligan
1999 Tube Tales LukeSegment: "Mr. Cool"
2000 Snatch Darren
2000 Bruiser Henry Creedlow
2001 Anazapta Nicholas
The Body Father Walter Winstead
From Hell John Netley
Mean Machine Bob Likely
The Bunker Cpl. Bruno Baumann
Rock Star Bobby Beers
2002 Below Stumbo
2003 The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Dr. Henry Jekyll / Mr. Edward Hyde
2004 Lighthouse Hill Charlie Davidson
Aaltra L'Anglais à la moto
Atomik Circus – Le retour de James BatailleJames Bataille
Drum Jim Bailey
Layer Cake Crazy Larry
Seed of Chucky Santa Claus
2005A Woman in WinterDavid
Transporter 2 Dimitri
2006 Pu-239 Vlad
Rollin' with the Nines Capt. Fleming
Telling LiesJack Munro
BackwatersJason Weiss
2007 Stardust Primus
The Death and Life of Bobby Z Brian Cervier
The Riddle Don Roberts
2008 Mirrors Larry Byrne
Shifty Glen
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Thomas ButtonNominated – Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Cast
Nominated – Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
2009 Solomon Kane Malachi
City of Life Guy Berger
2010 Clash of the Titans Acrisius / Calibor
Kick-Ass Lobby Goon
The Social Network SpectatorUncredited
Made in Romania Himself
Dead Cert Chelsea Steve
Ironclad Beckett
2011 X-Men: First Class Azazel
Jack Falls Damien
Hanna Sebastian
Lost Christmas Frank
2012 Hamilton: In the Interest of the Nation Rob Hart
Great Expectations Joe Gargery
2013 I Give It a Year Hugh
Welcome to the Punch Harvey Crown
Sunshine on Leith Harry Harper
Words of Everest Edmund Hillary
2014 Viy Jonathan Green
Top Dog Dan
Gemma Bovery Charles Bovery
The JourneyOzzy
Stonehearst Asylum Swanwick
2015Meet Pursuit Delange: The MovieJonty Smith
2016Sweet Maddie StoneMr. StrakerShort film
2017Access All AreasPete Kurtz
Revolt Stander
The Black Prince Dr. Login
2018 Walk Like a Panther Ginger Frost
2019 Viy 2: Journey to China Jonathan Green
Military Wives Crooks
Homeless AshesGavin
2021 Boiling Point Alastair Skye
2022 The 355 Elijah Clarke
2024FirecrackerDetective Gray
Ka Whawhai Tonu Daniel Morgan
Touchdown Professor Steven Landers
The Stoic Carlisle
2025 Levon's Trade TBA
TBAPegasus Bridge Nigel Poett
TBAViy 3: Journey to IndiaJonathan Green

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1991Rich Tea and SympathyJohn Merrygrove6 episodes
Screen One ColinEpisode: "A Question of Attribution"
1992 The Good Guys Dave GilchristEpisode: "Find the Lady"
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles Emile2 episodes
WitchcraftAssistant Director2 episodes
1993 Lovejoy DannyEpisode: "God Helps Those"
1993–1994 Doctor Finlay Dr. David Neil12 episodes
1996 Beck Laurie QuinnEpisode: "Pride Before a Fall"
1997 The Ruth Rendell Mysteries Peter MiltonEpisode: "The Double"
The Temptation of Franz Schubert Franz von Schober Television film
The Hunger Young ManEpisode: "Menage a Trois"
1998 Tess of the D'Urbervilles Alec D'UrbervilleTelevision film
1999 Alice in Wonderland The Knave of Hearts Television film
Chasseurs d'écumeWilliam CallaghanMiniseries
Love in the 21st CenturyNickEpisode: "Commitment"
2004 When I'm 64 Little RayTelevision film
Agatha Christie's Marple Lawrence ReddingEpisode: "The Murder at the Vicarage"
2005 The Quatermass Experiment Professor Bernard Quatermass Television film
FaithMartinTelevision film
Manhunters Jim CorbettEpisode: "The Man-Eating Leopard of Rudraprayag"
The Ghost Squad DS Jimmy FranksEpisode: "Firewall"
2006 Losing Gemma Zac2 episodes
2009–2011 Primeval Danny Quinn 9 episodes
2011 Jean-Claude Van Damme: Behind Closed Doors NarratorDocumentary
2013 Black Mirror Jack NapierEpisode: "The Waldo Moment"
2014 The Musketeers VadimEpisode: "Sleight of Hand"
The Missing Mark8 episodes
2015 The Last Kingdom King Edmund Episode: "Episode 2"
2017 SS-GB Colonel George Mayhew5 episodes
2017–2018 Jamestown Sir George Yeardley13 episodes
2018 Save Me Tam6 episodes
2019–2022 Pennyworth Lord HarwoodMain role
2019–2022 Love, Death & Robots PalnEpisode: "Bad Travelling"
2019 A Christmas Carol The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come Miniseries
2020 Two Weeks to Live DI Alan BrooksMain role
2022 The Walk-In Nick Lowles Main role
2023 A Town Called Malice Albert LordMain role
TBA Prime Target TBAUpcoming miniseries

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References

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