John Macmillan (actor)

Last updated
John Macmillan
Education Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art (BA)
Years active2007–present

John Macmillan (also credited as MacMillan) is a British actor. He began his career in theatre, earning an Ian Charleson Award nomination for his work in Hamlet and Macbeth . He was nominated for a Satellite Award for his performance in the BBC Two adaptation of King Lear (2018).

Contents

His television work includes the BBC One drama Silk (2011–2014), the Netflix sitcom Chewing Gum (2015–2017), and the Channel 4 sitcoms Back (2017–2021) and Hang Ups (2018).

Early life

Macmillan attended the Waterford Kamhlaba United World College in Mbabane, Swaziland (now Eswatini). [1] He has also lived in Johannesburg, Malawi, Zambia, and Oxford. [2] Macmillan trained at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art in London. [3] In 2011, Macmillan opened a garden at Chatsworth Baptist Church School in West Norwood. [4]

Career

Macmillan began his career in theatre, going on the 2007 international tour of Cymbeline as Guideris. [5] The following year, he appeared in The Last Days of Judas Iscariot at the Almeida Theatre and Piranha Heights at Soho Theatre. He received an Ian Charleson Award nominations for his performances in the 2009 productions of Hamlet and Macbeth . That year, Macmillan made his screen debut with small roles in the horror film Heartless and the fifth series of the BBC One crime drama Hustle as Harry Fielding. In 2011, Macmillan starred in the short Friend Request Pending and appeared in the Joe Wright's 2010 action thriller film Hanna . That same year, he began starring as clerk Joe Bright in the BBC One drama Silk . [3]

In 2015, Macmillan played staff nurse Joe Costello in the Sky One medical drama Critical (CR:IT:IC:AL), appeared in The Homecoming at Trafalgar Studios, and began playing Ronald, Tracey's long-term boyfriend in Michaela Coel's Netflix sitcom Chewing Gum . Macmillan played Victor in both the 2016 and 2017 productions of Yerma alongside Billie Piper. [6] The cast and crew won an Obie Award in the Special Citations category. He starred in the one-man play Killer at Shoreditch Town Hall. [7] He starred as Troye King Jones in Simon Amstell's mockumentary film Carnage and began playing Julian in the Channel 4 sitcom Back . For his performance in the 2018 BBC Two television film adaptation of King Lear , Macmillan was nominated for a Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor. Also in 2018, Macmillan starred as Abs Walter in the Channel 4 sitcom Hang Ups and began appearing in the Black British sketch comedy Famalam . [8]

Macmillan played Laenor Velaryon, Princess Rhaenyra's first husband, in the first season of the HBO fantasy series House of the Dragon , a Game of Thrones prequel and adaptation of George R. R. Martin's companion book Fire and Blood . [9]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2009 Heartless She
2011 Hanna Lewis
The Hype ManMilesShort film; also directed, wrote, produced
Friend Request Pending JasonShort film, part of Stars in Shorts
2012 The Dark Knight Rises Analyst
A ScholarshipLeonShort film
2013 World War Z Officer
2014PaddyThe SageShort film
Maleficent Captain
Fury Corporal
2017 Carnage Troye King JonesMockumentary
2020Heaven Can WaitShort film, part of Boys on Film 20
2021 The Dig Dr Rothman
Ron's Gone Wrong Shayne the BikerVoice role
2022 The People We Hate at the Wedding Ollie Amazon Prime film
2024 Seize Them! King Guthrum

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2009 Hustle Harry Fielding2 episodes (series 5)
2010 Sherlock Community Police OfficerEpisode: "The Blind Banker"
2011–2014 Silk John BrightMain role
2012 Panto! FinlayChristmas special
2014 New Tricks ArchieEpisode: "Bermondsey Boy"
2015 Critical Justin Costello9 episodes
Hoff the Record Marcus FusterEpisode: "The Movie"
2015–2017 Chewing Gum Ronald5 episodes
2016 The Windsors Richard1 episode
Barbarians Rising MagoEpisode: "Resistance"
Ordinary Lies AdamEpisode: "Holly"
2017 Midsomer Murders Solomon FranksEpisode: "Death by Persuasion"
2017–2021 Back Julian8 episodes
2018–2020 Famalam VariousSketch comedy (13 episodes)
2018 Kiss Me First Saul GreenEpisode: "You Can Never Go Home"
King Lear EdmundTelevision film
Hang Ups Adebowale "Abs" WalterMain role
2019 The Accident Gareth Jarvis1 episode
Dial M for Middlesbrough ChadTelevision film
2020 The Trouble with Maggie Cole Jez2 episodes
2021 The Nevers BynerEpisode: "True"
2022 House of the Dragon Laenor Velaryon 2 episodes
Ghosts ScottEpisode: "Speak as ye choose" [10]
2023 Extraordinary Dr WedderburnEpisode: "Pet Project"
The Cleaner StrazzamoEpisode: "The Clown"
The Great John QuirktonEpisode: "Choose Your Weapon"
The Burning Girls Mike SudduthMain role

Video games

YearTitleRoleNotes
2017 Horizon Zero Dawn Varl
2018 Overkill's The Walking Dead Aiden
2019 Blood & Truth
2020Troy: A Total War Saga
Amnesia: Rebirth James Henry "Hank" Mitchell
Spellforce 3: Fallen GodZazka
2022 Horizon Forbidden West Varl

Audio

YearTitleRoleNotes
2016–2018 Tommies Juma Gubanda / Leland Moody5 episodes
2020The SandmanAfrican Morpheus20 episodes

Stage

YearTitleRolePlaywrightNotes
2007 Cymbeline GuideriusWiliam ShakespeareInternational tour
2008 The Last Days of Judas Iscariot Bailiff / Simon the ZealotStephen Adly Guirguis Almeida Theatre, London
Piranha Heights MedicPhillip Ridley Soho Theatre, London
2009 Hamlet RosencrantzWilliam Shakespeare Donmar Warehouse, London / Broadhurst Theatre, New York
Macbeth MalcolmWilliam Shakespeare Royal Exchange, Manchester
2012Children's ChildrenCastroMatthew Dunster Almeida Theatre, London
2015 The Homecoming JoeyHarold Pinter Trafalgar Studios, London
2016, 2017, Yerma VictorSimon Stone, after Lorca Young Vic, London
2017KillerVariousPhillip RidleyOne man play; Shoreditch Town Hall, London
2018 Yerma VictorSimon StonePark Avenue Armoury, New York
2018Pinter Two: The Lover/ The CollectionRichard / JamesHarold PinterHarold Pinter Theatre, West End, London
2023PhaedraEricSimon Stone, after Euripides, Seneca and Racine Royal National Theatre, London

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryWorkResultRef.
2009 Ian Charleson Awards Macbeth and HamletNominated
2018 Obie Awards Special CitationsYermaWon [lower-alpha 1] [11]
Satellite Awards Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film King LearNominated [12]

Notes

  1. Shared with the Yerma cast and crew.

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References

  1. Matambanadzo, Chris (2022-10-12). "House of the Dragon 'Ser Laenor Velaryon' Actor John Macmillan's Link To South Africa Revealed". iHarare News. Retrieved 2022-10-13.
  2. "John Macmillan". Sue Terry Voices. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  3. 1 2 "Silk - John Bright". BBC One. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  4. Portilho-Shrimpton, Thais (13 June 2011). "Batman actor opens new garden at West Norwood pre-school". The Argus. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  5. "John MacMillan". BBA Shakespeare. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  6. "Yerma". Young Vic. 26 July 2017. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  7. New, Belphoebe (2017). "'I like to take journeys away from myself' – An Interview with John MacMillan". Culture Calling. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  8. Knight, Lewis (5 September 2022). "Who is Ser Laenor Velaryon and who plays him in House of the Dragon?". Radio Times. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  9. Debnath, Neela (24 September 2022). "Why was Laenor replaced in House of the Dragon? Who plays Laenor?". Daily Express. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  10. ""Ghosts" Speak as ye choose". IMDb . 23 September 2022.
  11. "2018 Obies Winners and Performances". Obie Awards. 19 May 2018. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
  12. "Satellite Awards 2018". International Press Academy . Retrieved 27 October 2021.