Ian Bannen

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Ian Bannen
Bannen in 1966
Born
Ian Edmund Bannen

(1928-06-29)29 June 1928
Airdrie, Scotland
Died3 November 1999(1999-11-03) (aged 71)
Knockies Straight (near Loch Ness), Scotland
Resting placeKilchuimen Burial Ground, Fort Augustus, Scotland
OccupationActor
Years active1951–1999
Spouse
Marilyn Salisbury
(m. 1978)

Ian Edmund Bannen (29 June 1928 – 3 November 1999) was a Scottish actor with a long career in film, on stage, and on television. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance in The Flight of the Phoenix (1965), the first Scottish actor to receive the honour, as well as two BAFTA Film Awards for his performances in Sidney Lumet's The Offence (1973) and John Boorman's Hope and Glory (1987).

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

Early life

Bannen was born in Airdrie, Lanarkshire, the son of Clare (née Galloway) and John James Bannen, a lawyer.[1] After attending St Aloysius' College, Glasgow and Ratcliffe College, Leicestershire, Bannen served in Egypt as a corporal in the British Army.[2][3][4] His first acting role came in a 1947 Dublin stage production of Armlet of Jade. He 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 appeared on Broadway.

Career

Bannen's film debut was in the early 1950s with a small role in

New Star of the Year – Actor. That same year, he starred alongside Sean Connery in the WWII prison drama, The Hill
.

Director John Schlesinger cast him as a replacement for Alan Bates in the part of well-off homosexual doctor Daniel Hirsh in his controversial film Sunday Bloody Sunday (1971), after Bates was deemed unavailable to shoot. According to screenwriter Penelope Gilliatt, Bannen never felt comfortable with the part. The anxiety adversely affected his performance during the early filming. Schlesinger replaced Bannen with Peter Finch, who received an Oscar nomination for the role. Bannen later regretted this, saying not taking the role had set back his career.

In 1979 he played Jim Prideaux in the BBC adaptation of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.

Acclaim

Bannen received an

Waking Ned Devine
(1998).

In 1996, he was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award from BAFTA Scotland.[5]

He was the subject of an episode of This is Your Life in 1999, when he was surprised by Michael Aspel.[citation needed]

Death

Bannen was killed, aged 71, in a car accident near

Veterinary physician for the Ministry of Agriculture, suffered only minor injuries. The couple had been married since 1978.[7][8] They had no children.[9] She died on 28 August 2019.[10]

Legacy

Coatbridge College, Lanarkshire annually presents the Ian Bannen Memorial Award to the best actor or actress in its classes.[11]

Bannen was posthumously given the 2000 Glenfiddich Spirit of Scotland Award.

Partial filmography

References

  1. ^ Film Reference biography
  2. ^ Ian Bannen; He joined the theatre instead of the monastery, bringing a whiff of danger to stage and screen The Guardian. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
  3. ^ Ian Bannen, 71, Whose Career Spanned O'Neill and 'Ned Devine' The New York Times via Internet Archive. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
  4. ^ Obituary: Ian Bannen The Independent via Internet Archive. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
  5. ^ Obituary: Ian Bannen, Tom Vallance, The Independent, 5 November 1999
  6. ^ Shaun Milne: "Ian Wanted To Come Home When He Died" Archived 4 January 2014 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ "Index entry: GRO Index entry: Ian E. Bannen marriage". FreeBMD. ONS. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
  8. ^ "Index entry: GRO index, Marilyn Salisbury marriage". FreeBMD. ONS. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
  9. ^ "Actor Bannen killed in car crash". BBC News. 3 November 1999.
  10. ^ "Marilyn Bannen". HeraldScotland. Retrieved 24 December 2019.
  11. ^ Coatbridge College news Archived 4 October 2011 at the Wayback Machine

External links