Ray Stevenson

George Raymond Stevenson (born 25 May 1964) is a Northern Irish actor. He is known for playing Dagonet in the film King Arthur (2004) and Titus Pullo in the BBC/HBO television series Rome (2005–2007). He has portrayed two Marvel Comics characters: Frank Castle / The Punisher in Punisher: War Zone and The Super Hero Squad Show, and Volstagg in Thor and its sequels Thor: The Dark World and Thor: Ragnarok. In the 2011 film Kill the Irishman, he portrayed mobster Danny Greene. In 2012, he appeared in the seventh season of Dexter as Isaak Sirko. He also portrayed the character Blackbeard in the third and fourth seasons of Black Sails. He voiced Gar Saxon in Star Wars Rebels from 2016 to 2017 and Star Wars: The Clone Wars in 2020.

This article is about the actor. For the political activist of the same name, see Ray Stevenson (political activist).

Ray Stevenson
Stevenson in March 2014
Born
George Raymond Stevenson

(1964-05-25) 25 May 1964
Lisburn, Northern Ireland
OccupationActor
Years active1993–present
Spouse(s)
​
​
(m. 1997; div. 2005)​
Children3

Early life

George Raymond Stevenson was born in Lisburn on 25 May 1964, the second of three sons born to an Irish mother and Northern Irish father who was a Royal Air Force pilot.[1] He moved to England with his family at the age of eight, first settling in the Lemington area of Newcastle upon Tyne and later in Seaton Delaval. He attended the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, graduating at the age of 29.

Career

Film

Stevenson made his film debut in The Theory of Flight (1998) as a gigolo hired to help Helena Bonham Carter's character lose her virginity. In 2002, he starred in the short film No Man's Land, which was the antipodal picture from actor/director Edward Hicks prior to his graduation from the London Film School. In the 12 minute film, set during World War I, Stevenson portrayed an experienced private who is forced to help a novice officer (David Birkin) back to safety after they both find themselves trapped and isolated in "No Man's Land" during the Battle of Ypres. In 2004, he starred in King Arthur as Dagonet, a knight of the round table who sacrifices his life for his comrades. His first leading role in a film was in the Scottish horror picture Outpost (2008), portraying a mercenary pitted against Nazi zombies in a bunker somewhere in Eastern Europe. That same year, he also starred in Punisher: War Zone, as Frank Castle / The Punisher, a former Marine turned vigilante after the murder of his family. In 2010, he played an antagonist in the comedy The Other Guys.

In 2011, Stevenson appeared in the film Kill the Irishman, based on the book To Kill the Irishman: The War That Crippled the Mafia, as Danny Greene, the Irish American mobster who took on the Italian mob in Cleveland in the 1970s. He starred as Volstagg, one of Thor's trusted comrades, in the 2011 Marvel film Thor. Also that year, he played Porthos in Paul W.S. Anderson's adaptation of The Three Musketeers. He played Firefly in G.I. Joe: Retaliation, released in 2013. He appeared in the Finnish-American thriller film Big Game.[2] In 2014, he starred in the film Divergent, based on the first book of The Divergent Series. He reprised his role in the sequels, The Divergent Series: Insurgent, released in March 2015, and The Divergent Series: Allegiant, released in March 2016. In 2019, he was announced as a lead antagonist in the movie RRR, a Telugu film directed by S.S.Rajamouli scheduled to release in 2021. This marks his debut in the Indian cinema.[3]

Television

Stevenson is known for playing legionary Titus Pullo in the BBC/HBO series Rome. Other television work includes guest appearances in popular series including Waking the Dead and Murphy's Law as well as lead roles in City Central and At Home with the Braithwaites. He has also appeared in several TV films such as Some Kind of Life in 1995, and The Return of the Native. Some of his earliest parts were in two Catherine Cookson films: The Dwelling Place (1994) and The Tide of Life (1996). Stevenson reprised his role this time as the voice of the Punisher in The Super Hero Squad Show and played the role of Isaak Sirko in the seventh season of Dexter in 2012.

On 24 March 2015, it was announced by producers that Stevenson would be joining the cast of the STARZ series Black Sails as the character Edward Teach.[4]

Stage

Stevenson's stage work includes playing the part of Jesus Christ in the York Mystery Plays in 2000 at York Minster. In 2001, he took the part of Roger in the play Mouth to Mouth by Kevin Elyot, at the Albery Theatre in London with Lindsay Duncan and Michael Maloney. His most well-known part is perhaps that of the Cardinal in The Duchess of Malfi by John Webster with Janet McTeer at the Royal National Theatre in 2003.

Personal life

In 1997, Stevenson married English actress Ruth Gemmell in London; they had met on the set of Band of Gold (1995), and later played a married couple in Peak Practice (1997). They divorced in 2005 after eight years of marriage.[5] Since 2005, Stevenson has been in a relationship with Elisabetta Caraccia, with whom he has three sons.

Filmography

Film
Key
Denotes films that have not yet been released
Year Title Role Notes
1998 The Theory of Flight Gigolo
1999 G:MT – Greenwich Mean Time Mr Hardy
2004 King Arthur Dagonet
2008 Outpost DC
2008 Punisher: War Zone Frank Castle / Punisher
2009 Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant Murlough
2010 The Book of Eli Redridge
2010 The Other Guys Roger Wesley
2011 Kill the Irishman Danny Greene
2011 Thor Volstagg
2011 The Three Musketeers Porthos
2013 G.I. Joe: Retaliation Firefly
2013 Jayne Mansfield's Car Phillip Bedford
2013 Thor: The Dark World Volstagg
2014 Divergent Marcus Eaton
2014 Big Game Morris
2015 The Divergent Series: Insurgent Marcus Eaton
2015 The Transporter: Refueled Frank Martin Sr.
2016 The Divergent Series: Allegiant Marcus Eaton
2017 Thor: Ragnarok Volstagg
2017 Cold Skin Gruner
2018 Accident Man Big Ray
2018 Final Score Arkady Belav
2021 RRR Scott Telugu film Filming

Television
Year Title Role Notes
1993 A Woman's Guide to Adultery Journalist
1994 A Dwelling Place Matthew Whitwell 3 episodes
1995 Band of Gold Steve Dickson 12 episodes
1996 The Tide of Life Larry Birch
1997 Peak Practice Joe Higson 1 episode: "Home Truths"
1997 Drover's Gold Armstrong 5 episodes
1998 City Central DI Tony Baynham 32 episodes
1999 Love in the 21st Century Alex 1 episode: "Toyboys"
2000 Holby City Laurence Haney 1 episode: "Taking It on the Chin"
2000 The Bill Sgt. Gartland 1 episode: "Over the Edge"
2001 At Home with the Braithwaites Graham Braithwaite 11 episodes
2001 Dalziel and Pascoe Jeff Parry 1 episode: "Truth and Consequences"
2003 Red Cap Sgt. Chris Roxborough 1 episode: "Cover Story"
2003 Murphy's Law Robert Eaglan 1 episode: "Kiss and Tell"
2004 Waking the Dead Dr Tim Faulkner 1 episode: "Fugue States"
2005-07 Rome Titus Pullo 22 episodes
2007 Life Line Peter Brasco TV movie
2009 The Super Hero Squad Show[6] Frank Castle/The Punisher 1 episode: "Night in the Sanctorum"
2012 Dexter Isaak Sirko 9 episodes
Nominated – Saturn Award for Best Guest Starring Role on Television
2014 Crossing Lines Miles Lennon 4 episodes
2015 Saints & Strangers Stephen Hopkins TV miniseries
2016–2017 Black Sails Edward Teach (aka Blackbeard) Series 3 & 4: 11 episodes
2016–2017 Star Wars Rebels Gar Saxon Voice; 2 episodes
2017 Rellik DSI Edward Benton 6 episodes
2019 Reef Break Jake Elliot
2019 Medici Ferdinand I of Naples 2 episodes
2020 The Spanish Princess James IV of Scotland 2 episodes
2020 Vikings Othere Main role (season 6)
2020 Star Wars: The Clone Wars Gar Saxon Voice; 2 episodes

Stage
Year Title Role Notes
2000York Mystery PlaysChrist
2001Mouth to MouthRoger
2003The Duchess of MalfiThe Cardinal

References
  1. "BBC - Press Office - Rome press pack phase two Ray Stevenson". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
  2. "Samuel Jackson Hunts a 'Big Game' (Trailer) -". bloody-disgusting.com. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
  3. Press Trust of India (20 November 2019). "SS Rajamouli ropes in Olivia Morris Ray Stevenson and Alison Doody for RRR". India Today. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  4. Friedlander, Whitney. "'Divergent's' Ray Stevenson Joins Starz's 'Black Sails' as Blackbeard". Variety. Variety Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media, LLC. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  5. Koncienzcy, Rebecca (10 December 2017). "Where is the cast of Band of Gold now?". Liverpool Echo. Reach Plc. Retrieved 7 March 2019. She married fellow Band of Gold actor Ray Stevenson in 1997, but the couple divorced in 2005.
  6. MARVEL SUPER HERO SQUAD VOICE CAST at The Comics Continuum
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