Richard Rankin | |
|---|---|
 Richard Rankin in 2018 | |
| Born | Richard Harris 4 January 1983 Rutherglen, Scotland |
| Alma mater | Langside College |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, comedian, photographer, singer |
| Years active | 2006–present |
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Relatives | Colin Harris |
Richard Rankin (born Richard Harris on 4 January 1983) is a Scottish film, television and theatre actor. He is best known for the Scottish sketch show Burnistoun and as Roger Wakefield MacKenzie in the Starz drama Outlander . [1] [2]
Richard Rankin was born on 4 January 1983 [3] in Rutherglen, Scotland, [4] and spent part of his childhood in the East End of Glasgow. He moved to King's Park when he was ten, eventually attending Stonelaw High School. [5] [6] One of four boys born to a father on the police force and a mother in the hotel industry, he originally planned a career in the sciences or Information Technology. [6]
Rankin initially attended Glasgow Caledonian University as an IT major, but changed course after a chance encounter at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel during a holiday in Los Angeles. [7] A local film producer told the then 22-year-old that he had the look of an actor, and upon his return to Glasgow, Rankin auditioned for Langside College with his brother Colin Harris. [6] [7] Both graduated and went on to a career in acting, but when Rankin, who was then known by his birth name of Richard Harris, applied for his Equity card he began using his mother's maiden name (Rankin) to prevent confusion with Irish actor Richard Harris. [6] [8]
Rankin began his professional career in 2006 by starring alongside Robert Florence in VideoGaiden, a Scottish video game show originally aired on BBC Two Scotland . [9] [10] Between 2007 and 2010 he made appearances on episodic Scottish television programs Legit (2007) and The Old Guys (2009) for the BBC and Taggart (2010) for STV . [11] [12] [13] The Scottish sketch comedy series Burnistoun , which premiered in 2009 and ran for three series on BBC Two Scotland, featured Rankin in various roles. [1] [14]
Two years later Rankin was cast as lovelorn Army Captain Thomas Gillan, alongside Kevin Doyle and Oona Chaplin, in the WWI based mini-series The Crimson Field . [15] [16] The program aired on BBC One in April 2014, but only ran for one series. [17] He joined the cast of BBC One's crime drama series Silent Witness in January 2015, starring as Detective Inspector Luke Nelson in series eighteen's two-part story "Falling Angels". [18] The episode focused on a series of murders on the London Underground, the investigation of which brought up mysterious childhood memories of his father's murder. [19] Rankin went on to guest star in two episodes of NBC's conspiracy thriller American Odyssey as corporate hit man Haney, though the series was cancelled after season one. [20] [21]
Writer Kay Mellor tailored the role of Sean McGary for Rankin, changing the character from a Northerner to a Scot, in 2015's third series of her anthology drama The Syndicate . [22] The series followed a group of colleagues who win the lottery, with Rankin portraying the gamekeeper of struggling English manor Hazelwood. [23] That same year, BBC One's four part crime drama From Darkness saw Rankin portray Norrie Duncan, husband to Anne-Marie Duff's ex-Manchester cop Claire Church. [24]
December 2015 brought the announcement that Rankin had been cast as adult Roger Wakefield in Starz's time-traveling drama series Outlander, which is based upon Diana Gabaldon's best-selling book series. [25] Appearing first in the 2016 season two finale and then again in several episodes of season three, Rankin's character is the love interest of Brianna Fraser. [26] He returned in seasons four and five, which premiered 4 November 2018 and 14 February 2020 respectively, with an expanded and recurring role in the series. [27] [28] Later in 2016, Rankin appeared as Detective Inspector Elliott Carne on the BBC's crime drama Thirteen. [23] The series centered on Ivy Moxam (Jodie Comer), a young girl kidnapped and held for thirteen years, as she attempted to reconnect with the life she once had. [29]
Rankin had roles in two BBC productions in 2017. First was the dramatic miniseries The Replacement , which revolved around Ellen (Morven Christie), who was dealing with maternity leave and the effects it was having on her career. Rankin played her psychiatrist husband in the three-part series. [30] The second was a two-episode stint as Father Hrothweard in BBC Two's historical drama The Last Kingdom , which was based upon Bernard Cornwell's series of novels entitled The Saxon Stories . [31] [32]
Series twenty of ITV's long-running crime drama Midsomer Murders , which premiered in the United States in 2018 prior to its release in the UK, featured Rankin in episode four as rugby star Danny Wickham. [33] In 2019 Rankin starred in series two of BBC One's drama Trust Me as neurologist Dr. Alex Kiernan. [34] The second series, which began filming in Glasgow, Scotland in September 2018, featured a complete recasting from series one, with Rankin joining Alfred Enoch, Ashley Jensen, and John Hannah in the medical thriller. [35]
In July 2020, Rankin starred in an episode of the National Theatre of Scotland/BBC Scotland's Scenes for Survival, a series of short theatrical productions that were filmed in quarantine, which was created in response to a worldwide outbreak of COVID-19. The episode, entitled The Longest Summer, features Rankin as a man remembering his childhood summers and includes a title song written by Noisemaker and performed by Rankin. The song was later released as a single to raise funds for the Scenes for Survival Hardship Fund, which assists artists hardest hit by the pandemic. [36] [37]
In 2023 it was revealed that Rankin had been cast in the lead role of Detective Sergeant John Rebus, in a rebooted series based on the crime novels of author Ian Rankin. [38]
Rankin starred in his first film role with 2011's short Dead Ringer, directed by Carter Ferguson. [39] Conceived, written, and filmed in a forty-eight hour period, the film won several awards, including Best Director and Best Actor for Rankin, at the Glasgow 48 Hour Film Project. [40] [41] [42] He would go on to star in an ultra low-budget horror film, House of Him, which was released during the Glasgow Film Festival, in February 2014. The film had a budget of approximately £900 and starred many of his Burnistoun colleagues, including Kirsty Strain and Louise Stewart. [43] [44] The next year Rankin was cast in John Well's film Burnt , alongside Bradley Cooper. [45] Returning to short films in 2016, Rankin starred as Vance in Chloë Wicks' The Wyrd, the story of a young couple in seventh century pagan England dealing with the introduction of Christianity. [46] [47] It was announced in 2021 that Rankin would star in the short film Hello, Muscles, alongside Game of Thrones alumna Kate Dickie, as part of a campaign to raise awareness for young carers (caregivers). [48] [49]
In 2008, while still in school at Langside College, Rankin portrayed Bothwell in Liz Lochhead's play Mary Queen of Scots Got Her Head Chopped Off at the Citizen's Theatre in Glasgow, Scotland. [50] [51] [12] The next year he was cast, opposite his brother Colin Harris, in the dark comedy The Pillowman for XLC Productions. [52] The production, which originally ran in March 2009, was invited to return to the Citizen's Theatre for a second run in September of that year. [53] 2010 saw Rankin star as Donny in Martin McDonagh's Irish paramilitary play The Lieutenant of Inishmore [54] [55] before joining the National Theatre of Scotland's production of Gregory Burke's military play Black Watch. [56] The play chronicled the experiences of members of Scotland's senior infantry regiment during the war in Iraq and was the first from National Theatre of Scotland to tour internationally, performing in locations such as Belfast, New York City, Washington D.C., and San Francisco. [57] [58]
Over the next two years Rankin would work with the Traverse Theatre, first in David Harrower's short play Good With People, which was performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival (2012), [59] [60] and then in Irish playwright David Ireland's comedy Most Favoured (2013). [6] [61] In 2014 he would headline in Kieran Hurley's play Bruises, part of the Royal Court Theatre's Unusual Unions series, as one of two brothers with diametrically opposing views meeting after a long absence. [62] [63] In late 2021 Rankin returned to the stage, at London's Almeida Theatre, in award winning director Yaël Farber's production of Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Macbeth . [64] [65] He was nominated for a WhatsOnStage Award in the category of Best Supporting Performer in a Male Identifying Role for his turn as Ross in the production. [66]
Rankin appeared as Jack in BBC Radio Scotland's four-part Saddled in early 2019, a comedy which revolved around the adventures of The Easy Rider Cycling Club's members. [67] [68]
Summer 2021 saw production Company The Big Light, in collaboration with musical theatre partner Noisemaker, produce an eight-part musical podcast entitled " Atlantic: A Scottish Tale ". [69] The series focused on the final settlers of the remote Scottish island St. Kilda, with Rankin featuring as Sloane Sinclaire. [70]
In addition to his acting credits, Rankin is an avid photographer. In March 2019 he hosted a one-night solo photography exhibition, entitled "His Mind’s Eye", at the Littlefield Gallery NYC in Brooklyn, New York. [71] [72] [73]
| Year | Title | Character | Production | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | VideoGaiden | Various | BBC | 2 episodes |
| 2007 | Legit | Nelson | BBC One Scotland | Episode: "Danny, Champion of the World" |
| 2009 | The Old Guys | Groom | BBC | Episode: "Marriage" |
| 2010 | Taggart | Ged McShane | STV | Episode: "I.O.U" |
| 2009-2012 | Burnistoun | Various | BBC Two Scotland | Series regular, 19 episodes |
| 2014 | The Crimson Field | Captain Thomas Gillan | BBC One | Series regular, 6 episodes |
| 2015 | Silent Witness | D.I. Luke Nelson | BBC One | Episode: "Falling Angels" (2 parts) |
| American Odyssey | Haney | NBC | 2 episodes | |
| The Syndicate | Sean McGary | BBC One | 6 episodes | |
| From Darkness | Norrie Duncan | BBC One | Series regular, 4 episodes | |
| 2016 | Thirteen | D.I. Elliott Carne | BBC Three | Series regular, 5 episodes |
| 2016–Present | Outlander | Roger Wakefield (MacKenzie) [74] | Starz | Series regular (seasons 2–3), main role (seasons 4–8); 45 episodes |
| 2017 | The Replacement | Ian Rooney | BBC | Miniseries |
| The Last Kingdom | Father Hrothweard | BBC Two | 2 episodes | |
| 2018 | Midsomer Murders | Danny Wickham | ITV | Episode: "The Lions of Causton" |
| 2019 | Trust Me | Dr. Alex Kiernan [35] | BBC One | 4 episodes |
| 2020 | Scenes For Survival | Man | BBC Scotland | Episode: "The Longest Summer" |
| 2024 | Rebus | DS John Rebus | Viaplay/BBC Scotland | Series lead |
| Year | Title | Character | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Dead Ringer | Richie | Short film/Independent |
| 2014 | The House of Him | Him | |
| 2015 | Burnt | Reece Waiter | |
| 2016 | The Wyrd | Vance | Screened at Norwich Film Festival [46] |
| 2022 | Hello, Muscles | Short film |
| Year | Title | Role | Director | Theatre |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Mary Queen of Scots Got Her Head Chopped Off | Bothwell [50] [12] [51] | David Lee Michael | Citizens Theatre |
| 2009 | The Pillowman | Tupolski [52] [53] | David Lee-Michael | Citizens Theatre |
| 2010 | The Lieutenant of Inishmore | Donny [54] [55] | David Lee-Michael & David Winter | Citizens Theatre |
| 2010- 2013 | Black Watch | Granty [56] [57] [58] | John Tiffany [75] | National Theatre of Scotland |
| 2012 | Good With People | Evan [59] [60] | George Perrin | Traverse Theatre |
| 2013 | Most Favoured | Mike [61] [6] | Hamish Pirie | Traverse Theatre |
| 2014 | Unusual Unions: Bruises | Freddie [62] [63] | Caroline Steinbeis | Royal Court Theatre |
| 2021 | The Tragedy of Macbeth | Ross [64] [76] | Yaël Farber | Almeida Theatre |
| Year | Title | Character | Production | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Saddled | Jack | BBC Radio Scotland | Gus Beattie (Producer) |
| Year | Title | Character | Production | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Atlantic: A Scottish Tale | Sloane Sinclaire | The Big Light, Noisemaker | Scott Gilmour |
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Glasgow 48 Hour Film Project | Best Actor | Dead Ringer [39] [42] | Won |
| 2017 | Satellite Awards | Best Ensemble (Television) | Outlander [77] | Won |
| 2021 | Saturn Awards | Best Supporting Actor (Television) | Outlander [78] [79] | Nominated |
| WhatsOnStage Awards | Best Supporting Performer in a Male Identifying Role | The Tragedy of Macbeth [66] | Nominated |
Brian Denis Cox is a Scottish actor. A classically trained Shakespearean actor, he is known for leading performances on stage and television, as well as supporting roles in film. His numerous accolades include two Laurence Olivier Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Golden Globe Award as well as a nomination for a British Academy Television Award. In 2003, he was appointed to the Order of the British Empire at the rank of Commander.
William Tulloch Paterson is a Scottish actor with a career in theatre, film, television and radio. Throughout his career he has appeared regularly in radio drama and provided the narration for a large number of documentaries. He has appeared in films and TV series including Comfort and Joy (1984), Traffik (1989), Auf Wiedersehen, Pet (1986), Truly, Madly, Deeply (1990), Wives and Daughters (1999), Sea of Souls (2004–2007), Amazing Grace (2006), Miss Potter (2006), Little Dorrit (2008), Doctor Who (2010), Outlander (2014), Fleabag (2016–2019), Inside No. 9 (2018), Good Omens (2019), and Brassic (2020). He is a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Scottish BAFTAs.
James Edward Fleet is an English actor of theatre, radio and screen. He is most famous for his roles as the bumbling and well-meaning Tom in the 1994 British romantic comedy film Four Weddings and a Funeral and the dim-witted but kind hearted Hugo Horton in the BBC sitcom television series The Vicar of Dibley.
Douglas “Dougie” James Henshall is a Scottish television, film and stage actor. He is best known for his roles as Professor Nick Cutter in the science fiction series Primeval (2007–2011) and Detective Inspector Jimmy Pérez in the crime drama Shetland (2013–2022).
Tobias Simpson Menzies is an English actor. He is known for playing Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, in the third and fourth seasons of the series The Crown, for which he won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series and received Golden Globe and British Academy Television Award nominations. Menzies also played Frank and Jonathan "Black Jack" Randall in Starz's Outlander, for which he received a Golden Globe Award nomination, in addition to his roles as Brutus in Rome and Edmure Tully in Game of Thrones.
Tony Curran is a Scottish actor who has appeared in Underworld: Evolution, Doctor Who, Roots, and the Netflix historical epic Outlaw King. He appears in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Thor: The Dark World (2013) as Bor and the second season of Daredevil (2016) as Finn Cooley. In late 2022, Curran starred in the BBC drama Mayflies.
Gary Stevenson, better known as Gary Lewis, is a Scottish actor. He has had roles in films such as Billy Elliot, Joyeux Noël, Gangs of New York and Eragon as well as major roles in the television docudrama Supervolcano and the Starz series Outlander.
Graham McTavish is a Scottish actor and author. He is known for his roles as Dwalin in The Hobbit film trilogy, The Saint of Killers in the AMC series Preacher, Dougal MacKenzie and William Buccleigh MacKenzie in the Starz series Outlander, and Harrold Westerling in the HBO series House of the Dragon. He is also known for his roles in the video game franchise Uncharted as the main antagonist Zoran Lazarević in Uncharted 2: Among Thieves and Charlie Cutter in Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception.
Stephen Walters is an English actor. A regular in British television and film, he has played a wide range and variety of character roles in both drama and comedy. Walters is most commonly associated with unpredictable, complex figures. He was nominated for a Royal Television Society Best Actor award in 2013 for his role in the Sky Arts drama Ragged and in 2023 for a Supporting Actor (Male) award for his role in the ITV drama Anne.
Sam Roland Heughan is a Scottish actor, producer, author, and entrepreneur. He is best known for his starring role as Jamie Fraser in the Starz drama series Outlander (2014–present) for which he has won the People's Choice Award for Favorite Cable Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV Actor and the Saturn Award for Best Actor on Television, and received a nomination for the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series.
Amy Manson is a Scottish actress. She has portrayed Alice Guppy in Torchwood, Abby Evans in Casualty, Lizzie Siddal in Desperate Romantics, Daisy Hannigan-Spiteri in Being Human, Medea in Atlantis, and Merida in the fifth season of the ABC fairy tale drama series Once Upon a Time.
Kirsty Strain is a Scottish actress, best known for her roles in the popular comedy sketch series, Burnistoun, and as Angie Warren in the BBC Scotland television series, River City. She was more recently be seen in Outlander and the feature films, And Violet and Anna and the Apocalypse.
Shetland is a Scottish crime drama television series produced by ITV Studios for BBC Scotland. First broadcast on BBC One on 10 March 2013, it is originally based upon the novels of Ann Cleeves and adapted by David Kane. The first seven series starred Douglas Henshall as DI Jimmy Pérez, whilst Ashley Jensen stars as DI Ruth Calder from the eighth series. The cast also includes Alison O'Donnell as DS Alison "Tosh" McIntosh and Steven Robertson as DC Sandy Wilson, as well as Lewis Howden and Anne Kidd. Henshall won the 2016 BAFTA Scotland award for Best Actor and the series received the award for Best TV Drama.
John Hunter Bell is a Scottish actor. He has played Bain in two instalments of The Hobbit film series, "Young Ian" Murray in the Starz television series Outlander, Angus in Battleship, Helius in Wrath of the Titans and Toby Coleman in Tracy Beaker Returns.
Outlander is a historical drama television series based on the Outlander novel series by Diana Gabaldon. Developed by Ronald D. Moore, the show premiered on August 9, 2014, on Starz. It stars Caitríona Balfe as Claire Randall, a former Second World War military nurse in Scotland who, in 1945, finds herself transported back in time to 1743. There she encounters, falls in love with and marries a dashing Highland warrior named Jamie Fraser, a tacksman of Gabaldon's fictionalized version of Clan Fraser of Lovat. Here, Claire becomes embroiled in the Jacobite rising.
Scott James Kyle, is a Scottish actor, best known for his roles as Ross in Outlander, Clancy in The Angels' Share, and Corporal Stu Pearson in the film Kajaki: The True Story. Kyle received the 2010 Stage Awards Best Actor Award for his role in the play Singin' I'm No A Billy He's A Tim.
Steven Cree is a Scottish film, television and theatre actor. He is best known for his role as Ian Murray in the Starz television series Outlander. His other work includes the films Brave (2012), 300: Rise of an Empire (2014), Maleficent (2014), 51 Degrees North (2014), Churchill (2017), and the television series Lip Service.
Sophie Alexandra Skelton is an English actress. She is best known for her role as Brianna Fraser in the Starz drama series Outlander.
Lauren Lyle is a Scottish actress best known for her recurring role as Marsali MacKimmie Fraser in the Starz television drama Outlander, and peace protester Jade Antoniak in the BBC drama Vigil. Lyle also plays the leading role in the ITV crime thriller Karen Pirie.
Christopher D. Fulton is a Scottish actor.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
