Andrew Tiernan

Last updated

Andrew Tiernan
Andrew Tiernan in Foyle's War Trailer 2015.jpg
Tiernan in Foyle's War Trailer 2013
Born
Andrew James Tiernan

(1965-11-30) 30 November 1965 (age 60)
OccupationsActor & Director
Years active1989–present

Andrew James Tiernan (born 30 November 1965) is a British actor and director.

Contents

Early life

Tiernan spent his childhood in Ladywood, Birmingham. [1] He began acting with the Birmingham Youth Theatre, [2] and worked at the Midlands Art Centre, [2] before moving to London in 1984 to take a three-year diploma studying acting, at the Drama Centre London. [2]

Career

Theatre

His theatre work has included Joe Penhall's The Bullet at the Donmar Warehouse, and a long-term collaboration with the Tony-nominated director Wilson Milam, including Ché Walker's Flesh Wound at the Royal Court Theatre and two critically acclaimed productions of Sam Shepard's plays: A Lie of the Mind at the Donmar Warehouse,. [3] and True West at the Bristol Old Vic. [3] In 2008, Tiernan returned to the theatre in Dorota Maslowska's A Couple of Poor, Polish-Speaking Romanians co-starring with Andrea Riseborough at the Soho Theatre. [4]

Film

Tiernan played Piers Gaveston in Derek Jarman's controversial film of Christopher Marlowe's Edward II (1991), [5] after appearing in Lynda La Plante's award-winning drama Prime Suspect , alongside Helen Mirren. [2] In the same year, he went on to star as Orlando and Oliver in Christine Edzard's version of Shakespeare's As You Like It playing alongside actors James Fox and Cyril Cusack. He then went on to star in the Paul Sarossy directed thriller, Mr In-Between . [5]

He played Szalas in Roman Polanski's film The Pianist . [5] He worked with Antonia Bird on a number of improvisational film productions, including Safe (Bafta - Best single drama), Face , Rehab and Interview with the Vampire (1994). [5]


Tiernan starred in Zack Snyder's 300 , [6] an adaptation of the Frank Miller graphic novel, in which he portrayed Ephialtes of Trachis. Filming took place from October 2005 to January 2006 in Montreal. To portray Ephialtes, Tiernan dressed in full body prosthetics which took 10 hours each day to complete.[ citation needed ] He portrayed the character again in the sequel 300: Rise of an Empire (2014). [6]

He appeared as Captain Martin Stone in Marko Mäkilaakso's Stone's War . [5]

TV

In 1993, Tiernan appeared in the series Cracker, [5] in the episode "To Say I Love You". In 1997 played Banquo in the Shakespeare adaptation for BBC (MacBeth on the Estate) alongside James Frain and Susan Vidler. In 1998, in the British TV series Hornblower, [5] he played Bunting in the second episode, "The Examination For Lieutenant". Other credits in television include Victor Carroon in The Quatermass Experiment , [5] Kim Trent in Life on Mars [5] and Lenny Spearfish in the BBC TV series Jonathan Creek , [5] in "The Curious Tale of Mr Spearfish" (1999). In 2005, he played Ben Jonson in A Waste of Shame , a William Shakespeare biopic presented as part of the BBC's ShakespeaRe-Told series. He appeared in an episode of crime drama Midsomer Murders , [5] as Steve Bright, a photography enthusiast who is strangled with his own camera strap and in Dalziel & Pascoe as a lottery winner in the two-part episodes "Fallen Angel". In 2012, he appeared as DS Hunter in the BBC drama Prisoners' Wives . [5]

Directing

In 2015, Tiernan made his directorial debut with the feature film Dragonfly, [6] followed in 2017 by UK18, [5] and in 2019 by Break Clause. [5]

Filmography

[5]

YearTitleRoleNotes
1991 Edward II Piers Gaveston
Prime Suspect DC Rosper
1992The GuiltyLeo
As you like it Orlando/Oliver
Prime Suspect 2DC Rosper
1993 Cracker Sean Kerrigan
The Trial Berthold
1994 Middlemarch Dagley
Being Human Cyprion's Man
Interview with the Vampire Paris Vampire
1995 Taggart John CampbellEpisode: "Black Orchid"
Two Deaths Captain Jorgu
1996 The Sculptress Gary O'Brien
EllingtonEddie GilmourEpisode: "Man of Honour"
1997 Snow White: A Tale of Terror Scar
Face Chris
Playing God Cyril
Macbeth on The EstateBanquoBBC TV film
1998The Scarlet TunicMuller
Hornblower Bunting
1999 The Criminal Harris
Four Fathers Johnny Starkie
Jonathan Creek Lenny Spearfish -Episode: "The Curious Tale of Mr Spearfish"
2000Small Time ObsessionMr Page
Heartbeat Ray NixonEpisode: "The Seven Year Itch"
2001Left TurnJohnShort
In a Land of Plenty Gary
HawkFreddieTV movie
Mr In-Between Andy
The Bunker LCpl Schenke
2002 The Pianist Szalas
The Red Siren Koesler
2003RehabDeanTV movie
2004Whose Baby?Dave
Waking the Dead Don KeechEpisode: "Anger Management"
2005 The Quatermass Experiment Victor Carroon
The Rotters' Club Roy Slater
Spooks Forster
A Waste of Shame: The Mystery of Shakespeare and his Sonnets Ben JonsonTV movie
2006Snuff-MovieConstable Fred
Life on Mars Kim Trent
Dalziel and Pascoe Jake McNallyEpisode: "Fallen Angel"
300 Ephialtes
2007 Midsomer Murders Steve BrightEpisode: "Picture of Innocence"
2008 Heroes and Villains Crixus Episode: "Spartacus"
Stone's War Captain Stone
New Tricks Sgt Major SharrattEpisode: "Mad Dogs"
Survivors Gavin
2009 Casualty O'NeillTV series
HarvestBlue
Murderland Whitaker
The Bill Craig Middleton
2010 Mr Nice Alan Marcuson
Luther Richard Henley
Whitechapel II Steven Dukes
2011 Doctor Who PurcellEpisode: "Night Terrors"
InjusticeMichael Bankes
2012 Prisoners' Wives DS Hunter
Merlin Osgar
2013 Foyle's War Geoffrey HelliwellEpisode: "Sunflowers"
DragonflyDS Blake
2014 300: Rise of an Empire Ephialtes
Dark Souls II Chancellor Wellager (voice)Video game
Common Pete O'Shea
Autómata Manager
The Great Fire Vincent
The Messenger Dad
2015 Silent Witness DCI John McLeodEpisode: "Falling Angels" (2 parts)
Code of a Killer Geoff Taylor
No Offence Michael Docherty
2016 Moving On Rob
2017 Safe House Roger Lane
Us and ThemTommy
Bounty Hunters Smith
2018 Marcella (series 2)Nigel Stafford
2019 Death in Paradise (series 8)Paul Raynor
2019 Burning Men Mad Dad
20212003PhilShort film
Innocent (series 2)John Taylor
Code of SilencePeter Brodie

References

  1. "Interview - Andrew Tiernan". gigslutz.co.uk. Retrieved 21 August 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Catherine Balavage (18 December 2011). "Andrew Tiernan {Frost Interviews}". frostmagazine.com. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
  3. 1 2 "Andrew Tiernan Past productions". theatricalia.com. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
  4. Lyn Gardner (7 March 2008). "A Couple of Poor, Polish-Speaking Romanians". theguardian.com. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 "Andrew Tiernan Credits". tvguide.com. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
  6. 1 2 3 Sharon Jordan & Shannon Luster. "Actor Director producer Andrew Tiernan". cultmachine.com. Retrieved 2 July 2016.