An image of Tommy Flanagan
Born in Glasgow, Flanagan started as a DJ for various different local clubs and after this became a member of Robert Carlyle’s Raindog Theatre Company. He first appeared on television in Screen One (1992). He has appeared in a variety of different films, including Braveheart.
As well as appearing in Braveheart, Tommy Flanagan was also named the spokesperson for the Scottish soft drink, Irn Bru – illustrating a couple of ways in which he’s stuck to his Scottish Roots!
Flanagan has scars over his face, also known as the Glasgow Smile, from his time working as a DJ.
He appeared in the 1995 film, Braveheart, playing the character Morrison. This film is one of the best examples of a Scottish film – it is about a Scottish commoner leading a revolt against the English tyrant. The character that he portrays is strong – which is seen when he beats another character to death. If you want any more information though then you’re going to have to watch it!
Tommy Flanagan in the film, Braveheart
A headshot of John Barrowman
Perhaps one of my favourite Scottish Actors, Barrowman is a whirlwind of talent, not only is he an actor but he is also a singer, dancer, presenter and writer. He has not only appeared in films and television series but also a large number of theatre productions.
Personally my favourite character that he portrays is Captain Jack Harkness, both in the programme Doctor Who (which was mentioned in my previous blog post!) and the Doctor Who spin-off, Torchwood. This character is immortal and known as a heartthrob, he is charge of the whole Torchwood operation, but I won’t give too much away for those of you who have yet to watch it!
An image of John Barrowman in his role as Captain Jack Harkness
A headshot of Robert Carlyle
In 1991, Carlyle and 4 other friends created a theatre company, called Raindog. Carlyle is a brilliant actor and has been said to alter his lifestyle and appearance in order to better understand a character and really feel as though he is in their shoes.
Examples of where he has taken on a character role outside the film set include; when cast as a bus driver, Carlyle went and gained his PSV licence and for his role as a homeless character, he went to live in the Waterloo area of London.
Robert Carlyle has appeared in a number of different films and programmes, however the most famous is probably the 1996 film, Trainspotting. This is a film about the Edinburgh drug scene, though I don’t want to say too much because I will no doubt be discussing this film in a future blog post. It is in this film that he plays the psychotic and violent character, Begbie.
Carlyle in his role for the film, Trainspotting
A headshot of Kelly Macdonald
Kelly Macdonald is another actor that was born and raised in Glasgow. Like Carlyle, Macdonald was also in the film, Trainspotting, but has also appeared in a number of large films. She is best known for her roles in Trainspotting, Nanny McPhee, No Country for Old Men and Brave.
Personally, two of my favourite films that she has starred in is, without a doubt, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2 as well as Brave.
She plays the role of Helena Ravenclaw (also known as The Grey Lady) perfectly, despite the fact that she only appears towards the end of the film.
Left: Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter
Right: Kelly Macdonald as Helena Ravenclaw
An image of James McAvoy at the premiere for Penelope
James McAvoy is seen as one of the best Glaswegian actors, and was born and raised in Glasgow. It wasn’t until the age of 16, when an actor visited his school, that he became interested in acting.
McAvoy began his career in 1995, in ‘The Near Room’, and he is currently filming Frankenstein. However I believe one of his best roles was the character, Bruce Robertson in the film, Filth. Another film similar to Trainspotting, and another film that I will no doubt talk about later in my blog so I won’t give too much away!
In addition to Filth, McAvoy plays the role of Johnny/Max in Penelope, yet another of my favourite films (and yes, I do have a lot of favourite films). He is one of the main characters within this film, and is also my favourite.
James McAvoy as his character in Filth
Thanks for reading this post, I’ll be posting again soon so stay tuned!
laurencgcu 
Love Robert Carlyle’s role as Rumplestiltskin!