Ray Stevenson

His television roles include Ukrainian mobster Isaak Sirko in the seventh season of Dexter (2012), for which he received a Saturn Award nomination; Blackbeard in the third and fourth seasons of Black Sails (2016–2017), Gar Saxon in Star Wars Rebels (2016–2017) and Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2020), Othere in 11 episodes of Vikings (2020), and Baylan Skoll in Ahsoka (2023). Stevenson was married to English actress Ruth Gemmell for eight years. Later, he married an Italian anthropologist, Elisabetta Caraccia, and had three sons.

• Name — Ray Stevenson • Birth Name — George Raymond Stevenson • Born — 25 May 1964 • Birthplace — Lisburn, Northern Ireland • Died — 21 May 2023 • Place of death — Ischia, Campania, Italy • Occupation — Actor • Education — Bristol Old Vic Theatre School • Years Active — 1993–2023 • Spouse — Elisabetta Caraccia • Children — 3 • Height — 6 ft

George Raymond Stevenson was born in Lisburn in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, on 25 May 1964, the second of three sons. His father was a Royal Air Force pilot. 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 a design course at Bath Lane College (Newcastle upon Tyne), then the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, graduating at the age of 29.

Stevenson played legionary Titus Pullo in the BBC/HBO series Rome. His other television work included guest appearances in Waking the Dead, Murphy's Law and lead roles in City Central and At Home with the Braithwaites. He also appeared in TV films, including 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 as the Punisher as a voice actor 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. Stevenson also appeared in Season 6 of the series Vikings as Othere, which ran from 2013 to 2020. He also appeared in Season 3 of the series Das Boot as Commander Jack Swinburne in 2022. At Star Wars Celebration 2023, Stevenson was announced as playing the Dark Jedi Baylan Skoll in Ahsoka, a miniseries debuting on Disney+. After the series' debut following Stevenson's death, Stevenson's Skoll quickly became a fan favorite. In an interview on Stevenson's part, showrunner Dave Filoni noted that when he was told to play Skoll as a villain, "[Stevenson] was like, 'I don't think so.' I'm like, 'Okay, I appreciate that you don't think so, and Baylan wouldn't think he's the villain, but you are a villain in this.' And he's like, 'We'll see.' It was perfect." Stevenson also offered input on the design of his character's lightsaber hilt. Stevenson's performance in Ahsoka also received considerable praise from critics. Metro described his work as "one of the highlights of the entire Star Wars series", while Collider described Stevenson as having "an inescapable gravitas" and that he "gave a masterclass in character building". After Stevenson's death, Rory McCann took over the role for the second season.

Stevenson's stage work included 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 best-known part was perhaps that of the Cardinal in The Duchess of Malfi by John Webster with Janet McTeer at the Royal National Theatre in 2003.

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. Stevenson remarried an Italian anthropologist, Elisabetta Caraccia, and had three sons.

On 21 May 2023, Stevenson died at the age of 58, four days shy of his 59th birthday. Although his cause of death is unknown, he was reportedly hospitalised while working on an action movie Cassino in Ischia at the island of Ischia in Campania, Italy. Stevenson's co-stars, including Rosario Dawson, Scott Adkins, and James Purefoy, paid tribute. Stevenson's role in Cassino in Ischia was taken over by Dominic Purcell. The first episode of Ahsoka, released on 22 August 2023, just over three months after Stevenson's death, includes a dedication to him, "For our friend, Ray". Ivanna Sakhno, who played Shin Hati, Stevenson's screen apprentice in Ahsoka, wrote in commemoration that she would be "forever his Wolf", in tribute to their characters being named after the two wargs who pursued the moon and sun in Norse mythology. Stevenson is succeeded in the role of Skoll by Rory McCann in Ahsokas second season. McCann was a good friend of Stevenson. The film Canary Black (2024), which features Stevenson, is also dedicated to him.

• Year — Title — Role — Notes — Reference(s) • 1993 — A Woman's Guide to Adultery — Journalist • 1994 — The Dwelling Place — Matthew Whitwell — 3 episodes • The Return of the Native — Clym Yeobright — Television film • 1995 — Band of Gold — Steve Dickson — 12 episodes • Some Kind of Life — Steve — Television film • 1996 — The Tide of Life — Larry Birch — 3 episodes • 1997 — Peak Practice — Joe Higson — Episode: "Home Truths" • Drover's Gold — Armstrong — 5 episodes • 1998 — City Central — Detective Inspector Tony Baynham — 32 episodes • 1999 — Love in the 21st Century — Alex — Episode: "Toyboys" • 2000 — Holby City — Laurence Haney — Episode: "Taking It on the Chin" • The Bill — Sergeant Gartland — Episode: "Over the Edge" • 2001 — At Home with the Braithwaites — Graham Braithwaite — 11 episodes • Dalziel and Pascoe — Jeff Parry — Episode: "Truth and Consequences" • 2003 — Red Cap — Sergeant Chris Roxborough — Episode: "Cover Story" • Murphy's Law — Robert Eaglan — Episode: "Kiss and Tell" • 2004 — Waking the Dead — Dr. Tim Faulkner — Episode: "Fugue States" • 2005–2007 — Rome — Titus Pullo — 22 episodes • 2007 — Life Line — Peter Brasco — Television film • 2009 — The Super Hero Squad Show — Frank Castle / Punisher — Voice, Episode: "Night in the Sanctorum!" • 2012 — Dexter — Isaak "Volk" 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 — Miniseries • 2016–2017 — Black Sails — Edward Teach / Blackbeard — 11 episodes • Star Wars Rebels — Gar Saxon — Voice, 2 episodes • 2017 — Rellik — Detective Sergeant Inspector Edward Benton — 6 episodes • 2019 — Reef Break — Jake Elliot — 13 episodes • Medici — Ferdinand I of Naples — 2 episodes • 2020 — The Spanish Princess — James IV — 2 episodes • Vikings — Ohthere of Hålogaland — 11 episodes • Star Wars: The Clone Wars — Gar Saxon — Voice, 2 episodes • 2022 — Das Boot — Commander Jack Swinburne — 8 episodes • 2023 — Ahsoka — Baylan Skoll — Main role, 8 episodes; posthumous release

• Year — Title — Role — Notes — Reference(s) • 2000 — York Mystery Plays — Christ • 2001 — Mouth to Mouth — Roger • 2003 — The Duchess of Malfi — The Cardinal

Ray Stevenson was recorded at birth as George Raymond Stevenson. The authorities additionally record the heading George Raymond "Ray" Stevenson. His recorded language was English. He married Ruth Gemmell.

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 before he graduated 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 United States Marine turned vigilante after his family was murdered. 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 mob boss who took on the Italian-American Cleveland crime family during 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. 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, Stevenson was announced as a lead antagonist in the Telugu film RRR, directed by S. S. Rajamouli and released in 2022. This marked his debut in Indian cinema.

• Year — Title — Role — Notes — Reference(s) • 1998 — The Theory of Flight — Gigolo • 1999 — G:MT – Greenwich Mean Time — Mr. Hardy • 2002 — No Man's Land — Short film • 2004 — King Arthur — Dagonet • 2008 — Outpost — D.C. • Punisher: War Zone — Frank Castle / Punisher • 2009 — Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant — Murlough • 2010 — The Book of Eli — Redridge • The Other Guys — Roger Wesley • 2011 — Kill the Irishman — Danny Greene • Thor — Volstagg • The Three Musketeers — Porthos • 2013 — G.I. Joe: Retaliation — Firefly • Jayne Mansfield's Car — Phillip Bedford • Thor: The Dark World — Volstagg • 2014 — Divergent — Marcus Eaton • Big Game — Morris • 2015 — The Divergent Series: Insurgent — Marcus Eaton • The Transporter: Refueled — Frank Martin Sr. • 2016 — The Divergent Series: Allegiant — Marcus Eaton • 2017 — Thor: Ragnarok — Volstagg • Cold Skin — Gruner • 2018 — Accident Man — Ray "Big Ray" • Final Score — Arkady Belav • 2022 — RRR — Governor Scott Buxton — Indian Telugu-language film • Memory — Detective Danny Mora • Accident Man: Hitman's Holiday — Ray "Big Ray" • 2024 — Canary Black — Jarvis Hedlund — Posthumous release • 2025 — 1242: Gateway to the West — Cesareane