Ian Bannen

On stage, Bannen was an original member of the Royal Shakespeare Company and renowned for his interpretations of William Shakespeare and Eugene O'Neill. He won the 1981 Critics' Circle Theatre Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Brian Friel's Translations. He received BAFTA Scotland's Lifetime Achievement Award in 1996.

• Name — Ian Bannen • Birth Name — Ian Edmund Bannen • Born — 29 June 1928 • Birthplace — Airdrie, Lanarkshire, Scotland • Died — 3 November 1999 • Place of death — Knockies Straight (near Loch Ness), Scotland • Resting Place — Kilchuimen Burial Ground, Fort Augustus, Scotland • Occupation — Actor • Years Active — 1951–1999 • Awards — See below

Bannen was born in Airdrie, Lanarkshire, the son of lawyer John James Bannen (died 1958), of Coatbridge, Lanarkshire, and Agnes Clare (née Galloway). His family was Roman Catholic. After attending St Aloysius' College, Glasgow and Ratcliffe College, Leicestershire, Bannen served in Egypt as a corporal in the British Army. He studied acting at the Gate Theatre in Dublin, where he made his stage debut in a 1947 production of Armlet of Jade.

Bannen became a successful figure on the London stage, making a name for himself in the plays of both Shakespeare and Eugene O'Neill. He was an original member of the Royal Shakespeare Company and played leading roles in productions of Othello, Hamlet, and As You Like It. Aside from his Shakespearean roles, Bannen was also well known for his interpretations of Eugene O'Neill's dramas. He played Hickey in the original 1958 West End production of The Iceman Cometh and James (Jamie) Tyrone Jr. in Long Day's Journey into Night (opposite Alan Bates and Anthony Quayle) the same year. Over 20 years later, he reprised the role in O'Neill's sequel A Moon for the Misbegotten, first on the West End and then in the 1984 Broadway revival. He also played Cornelius Melody in a 1962 staging of A Touch of the Poet, first in Dublin and then in Venice. He starred in the West End debut of Brian Friel's play Translations, which earned him a Critics' Circle Theatre Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1981. The same year, he played Jesus Christ in Thine is the Kingdom, a passion play staged at the Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral. His other notable West End work included roles in A View from the Bridge (opposite Anthony Quayle and Richard Harris), the title role in Serjeant Musgrave's Dance, Toys in the Attic, and The Devil's Disciple'. He played Judge Brack in Hedda Gabler at the 1977 Edinburgh International Festival. His last stage role was in a 1992 revival of All My Sons at the Young Vic.

Bannen married Marilyn Salisbury, a veterinary physician for the Ministry of Agriculture, in 1978. He had met Salisbury, 17 years his junior, in a car park following a performance as Hamlet. They had no children.

Bannen was killed, aged 71, in a car accident near Loch Ness in November 1999. He and his wife, who had been driving, were discovered in an overturned vehicle in Knockies Straight between Inverness and Fort Augustus. Marilyn suffered only minor injuries, and lived until 2019. His final films, Best and The Testimony of Taliesin Jones, were released posthumously in 2000.

• Year — Title — Role — Venue • 1947 — Armlet of Jade — Gate Theatre, Dublin • 1951 — Richard II — Ensemble member — Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon • Henry IV, Part 1 • Henry IV, Part 2 • The Tempest — Shape • 1951-52 — Henry V — Ensemble member • 1952 — Coriolanus — Servant • The Tempest — Shape • As You Like It — Silvius • Othello — First Messenger • 1952-53 — Macbeth — Third Murderer • 1953 — Othello — First Messenger — UK tour • As You Like It — Silvius • Henry IV, Part 1 — Francis, Servant • 1954 — Othello — Officer — Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon • A Midsummer Night's Dream — Flute • Romeo and Juliet — Anthony • The Taming of the Shrew — Curtis • Troilus and Cressida — Ensemble member • 1955 — The Prisoners of War — Cpt. Rickman — Irving Theatre Club, London • 1956 — The Whiteheaded Boy — Peter — Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh • Lead Me Gently — New Lindsey Theatre Club, London • Blind Alley — Johnny Farrell — Theatre Royal, Windsor • Cambridge Arts Theatre, Cambridge • Voyage Ashore — Ginger, Antonous — Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh • 1956-57 — A View from the Bridge — Marco — Comedy Theatre, London • 1957 — The Waiting of Lester Abbs — Lester Avvs — Royal Court Theatre, London • 1958 — The Iceman Cometh — Theodore "Hickey" Hickman — Arts Theatre, London • Winter Garden Theatre, London • Long Day's Journey into Night — Jamie Tyrone Jr. — Globe Theatre, London • 1959 — Serjeant Musgrave's Dance — Serjeant Musgrave — Royal Court Theatre, London • 1960 — Toys in the Attic — Julian Berniers — Piccadilly Theatre, London • 1961 — Romeo and Juliet — Mercutio — Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon • Othello — Iago • 1961-62 — Hamlet — Hamlet • As You Like It — Orlando • 1962 — A Touch of the Poet — Cornelius Melody — Olympia Theatre, Dublin • Venice Biennale, Venice • 1963 — Blood Knot — Morris Pieterson — Arts Theatre, London • 1964 — Julius Caesar — Brutus — Royal Court Theatre, London • 1965 — The Devil's Disciple — Dick Dudgeon — Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford • 1972 — The Brass Hat — Brigadier John Brown • 1977 — Hedda Gabler — Judge Brack — Duke of York's Theatre, London • Edinburgh Festival Theatre, Edinburgh • 1978 — Hush and Hide — UK tour • 1980 — Thine is the Kingdom — Jesus Christ — Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral, Liverpool • 1981 — Translations — Hugh — Royal National Theatre, London • 1983 — A Moon for the Misbegotten — James Tyrone Jr. — Riverside Studios, London • 1984 — Cort Theatre, New York • 1992 — All My Sons — Joe Keller — Young Vic, London Sources:

• Pool of London (1951) as Garage attendant (uncredited) • The Dark Avenger (1955) as French Knight (uncredited) • Private's Progress (1956) as Private Horrocks • The Long Arm (1956) as The Young Workman • Yangtse Incident: The Story of H.M.S. Amethyst (1957) as AB Bannister RN • Miracle in Soho (1957) as Filipo Gozzi • The Birthday Present (1957) as Junior Customs Officer • A Tale of Two Cities (1958) as Gabelle • She Didn't Say No! (1958) as Peter Howard • Behind the Mask (1958) as Alan Crabtree • Carlton-Browne of the F.O. (1959) as Young King Loris • A French Mistress (1960) as Colin Crane, The Headmaster's Son • Suspect (1960) as Alan Andrews • World in My Pocket (1961) as Kitson • Station Six-Sahara (1962) as Fletcher • Psyche 59 (1964) as Paul • The Hill (1965) as Staff Sergeant Harris • Mister Moses (1965) as Robert • Rotten to the Core (1965) as Lt. Percy Vine • Flight of the Phoenix (1965) as Crow • Penelope (1966) as James B. Elcott • The Sailor from Gibraltar (1967) as Alan • Lock Up Your Daughters (1969) as Ramble • Too Late the Hero (1970) as Pvt. Jock Thornton • Jane Eyre (1970) as St. John Rivers • The Deserter (1971) as British Army Capt. Crawford • Fright (1971) as Brian • Doomwatch (1972) as Dr. Del Shaw • The Offence (1972) as Kenneth Baxter • The Mackintosh Man (1973) as Slade • From Beyond the Grave (1974) as Christopher Lowe (segment 2 "An Act of Kindness") • Il Viaggio (1974) as Antonio Braggi • The Driver's Seat (1974) as Bill • The Gathering Storm (1974) as Adolf Hitler • Bite the Bullet (1975) as Sir Harry Norfolk • Sweeney! (1977) as Charles Baker • Jesus of Nazareth (1977) as Amos • The Inglorious Bastards (1977) as Col. Charles Thomas Buckner • Satan's Wife (1979) as The Professor • Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (1979) as Jim Prideaux • The Watcher in the Woods (1980) as John Keller • Eye of the Needle (1981) as Godliman • Night Crossing (1982) as Josef Keller • Gandhi (1982) as Senior Officer Fields • Hart to Hart (1983) as Wallace Davenport • The Prodigal (1983) as Riley Wyndham • Gorky Park (1983) as Iamskoy • Lamb (1985) as Brother Benedict • Defence of the Realm (1985) as Dennis Markham • Hope and Glory (1987) as Grandfather George • La Partita (1988) as Father of Francesco • The Courier (1988) as McGuigan • The Lady and the Highwayman (1989) as Christian Drysdale • Witch Story (1989) as Father Matthew • George's Island (1989) as Captain Waters • Circles in a Forest (1990) as MacDonald • Ghost Dad (1990) as Sir Edith Moser • The Big Man (1990) as Matt Mason • Speaking of the Devil (1991) as Luzifer • The Treaty (1991) as David Lloyd George • The Sound and the Silence (1991) as Melville • Murder in Eden (1991) as Canon Loftus • Damage (1992) as Edward Lloyd • A Pin for the Butterfly (1994) as Grandpa • Braveheart (1995) as Robert de Brus, 6th Lord of Annandale (the leper) • Something to Believe In (1998) as Don Pozzi • Waking Ned Devine (1998) as Jackie O'Shea • To Walk with Lions (1999) as Terence Adamson • Best (2000) as Sir Matt Busby • The Testimony of Taliesin Jones (2000) as Billy Evans (final film role)

Ian Bannen is recorded as having received Glenfiddich Spirit of Scotland Awards and Satellite Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture. Recorded at birth as Ian Edmund Bannen.