Mark Ryan (actor)
Mark Ryan | |
---|---|
Nationality | British |
Occupation(s) | Actor, author, singer, action director |
Years active | 1978–present |
Mark Ryan is an English actor, author, singer, and action director. He portrayed Mr. Gates in the Michael Bay/Starz production of the pirate show Black Sails, Nasir in the British TV series Robin of Sherwood, and is known for his work for the Transformers film franchise.
Early life
Before his career in the entertainment industry, Ryan worked as a member of the British Army's Intelligence Corps, attached to DSF (Director Special Forces) and later as a Licensed Private Investigator in the United States.[1]
Career
Stage and screen
1978–2000
Ryan appeared in several major musicals in London's West End, spending four years in
Ryan played the character of Nasir for the British TV series
In 1986, Ryan appeared in the title role in the musical Elmer Gantry at London's
In 1993, Ryan toured Europe and Britain playing Figaro in The Marriage of Figaro and Leporello in Don Giovanni, both for Music Theatre, London directed by Nick Broadhurst, followed by a series of open-air concert performances with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.[1]
In 1994, Ryan was picked by swordmaster
Before moving to Los Angeles in 1997, Ryan guest starred in many British TV shows including The Bill, Harry, Dempsey and Makepeace, Casualty and Peak Practice. He appeared in films such as Doomsday Gun and Nil By Mouth. While establishing himself in the US he guest-starred in such TV shows as Frasier, General Hospital, Conan the Adventurer, Passions, Nuremberg and The Young and the Restless. He worked as fight coordinator and swordmaster on The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne and played Gordon in San Diego's Globe Theatre production of Neville's Island.[1]
2000s–2010s
In 2003, Ryan worked as a swordmaster and fight director on the film King Arthur directed by Antoine Fuqua. His duties included consulting with the director and writer regarding designing all aspects of the knights fighting styles, training all the principal actors including Keira Knightley, Clive Owen and Stellan Skarsgård, planning and choreographing their action.
In 2000, Ryan played U.S. theatres with original Monty Python member Eric Idle, performing comedy roles in Eric Idle Exploits Monty Python at venues including New York's Carnegie Hall and the Hollywood Bowl. The team later recorded the show exclusively for the Comedy Channel. He then went on to play John Dickinson in the Los Angeles stage production of 1776 directed by Gordon Hunt.[3]
Ryan began working on the 2007 film
2010s–present
In May 2010 Ryan returned to work on
In July 2013 Ryan again joined the
"Lockdown is easily one of the series' most memorable and interesting Transformer characters. A Cybertronian bounty hunter armed with advanced weaponry and a ship full of otherworldly beasts, the villain is unimpressed by ongoing Autobot/ Decepticon feuding – adding unique perspective to the series' two-sided conflict. After Megatron's repeated attempts at enslaving Earth, Lockdown's ambivalence toward humankind is a refreshing change of pace – especially given the antagonist's unwavering focus on his assigned mission and unconcerned with the ramifications" (Screen Rant, 2014)[6]
In late 2008, Ryan launched a musical adaptation of Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë, narrated by Ray Winstone. He composed, sang and produced the tracks with Robb Vallier, who worked on Spamalot. He directed the video for the song "Women" filmed especially for the website and featuring Jenn Korbee, Jessica Keenan Wynn and Katie Boeck.
In January 2014 Ryan began playing Mr. Gates in the Michael Bay/Starz production of the pirate show Black Sails and appeared in the first eight episodes of the show which broke all previous viewer records for Starz. The role earned Ryan critical praise for his portrayal of the loyal and even-handed pirate quartermaster:
"Massive credit goes out to Ryan for fully bringing out every quality in Gates this season, from the attractive natural charisma of the character to his weary, war-torn demeanor in the quieter moments when Gates is contemplating his situation. The second season will surely miss him."(Sound on Sight, 2014)[7]
"If there is a downside to the episode, it is the absence of Mr. Gates, the ship's Quartermaster and Flint's oldest friend. The hardest thing to watch last season was his murder by Flint, however regrettably it was done. Gates was the soul of soulless men. Someone who knew exactly who he was and what he did for a living. If we are lucky, his ghost will haunt Flint's psyche in the future. One of his last monologues is often quoted but I will end with it here because it not only sums up the man, but the future of all the souls that hit the beach of New Providence, Nassau: "There are no legacies in this life. No monuments, no histories. Just the water. It pays us and then it claims us. Swallows us whole as if we've never been here at all." (Sinful Celluloid, 2015)[8]
He has guest-starred in such TV shows as JAG, Real Time with Bill Maher and Alias and appeared in films such as Charlie's Angels, Convicted, The Thirst and The Prestige.
In mid-2009 Ryan directed the teaser/trailer for Blood Type, which was written by
In late 2012 he recorded a cameo appearance in the NBC comedy show
In 2015 Ryan appeared in the third season of Netflix' Cold War drama series Granite Flats,[citation needed] as well as starring in independent films STREET: The Movie and Any Bullet Will Do.
Literary work
Ryan is an author and has written for DC Comics and Harper Collins as well as writing several screenplays. Ryan was the co-creator, along with artist Chesca Potter, of the Greenwood Tarot, a variation on the standard tarot deck involving pre-historic European imagery.[10]
In November 2008, the online publisher ComicMix began running Ryan's The Pilgrim, a graphic novel inspired by factual events during the
During
On 15 June 2015 Mark Ryan's autobiography Hold Fast[1] was published, detailing his life, in which he has combined his acting career with a secret existence as an operative of British Military Intelligence.
Awards and nominations
In 2015 Ryan was nominated for the award for best vocal performance in a supporting role in a feature film by Behind The Voice Actors for voicing
In 2021 Mark Ryan and Richard Atkinson won the award for best producer for the film Penitent [14] at the Cannes World Film Festival.[15]
Filmography
Film
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1982 | Who Dares Wins | Mac | |
1989 | The Phantom of the Opera | Mott | |
1995 | First Knight
|
Challenger | |
2000 | Charlie's Angels | Fencing Opponent | |
2006 | The Prestige | Captain | |
2007 | Transformers | Bumblebee (voice) | |
2009 | Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen | Bumblebee / Jetfire (voice) | |
2011 | Transformers: Dark of the Moon | Bumblebee (voice) | |
2014 | Transformers: Age of Extinction | Lockdown (voice)
|
|
2017 | Transformers: The Last Knight | Bulldog / The Lieutenant (voice) | |
2018 | Peterloo | Manchester & Salford Yeomanry | |
2020 | The Reckoning | Peck |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1984–1986 | Robin of Sherwood | Nasir | |
1985 | The Corsican Brothers | Bernardo de Guidice | TV film |
1986 | Dempsey and Makepeace | Jimmy | Episode: "Extreme Prejudice" |
1989 | Crossbow | Barbarian | Episode: "The Lost City" |
1995 | Peak Practice | Chris Palmer | Episode: "Light at the End of the Tunnel" |
Harry
|
DI Small | Episode No. 2.5 | |
1996 | Casualty | Dave Newman | Episode: "Flesh and Blood" |
1993–1997 | The Bill | Franks John Randall Micky Dale |
Episodes: "A Duty of Care" "Somebody's Home" "Warnings" |
1998 | Frasier | Winston | Episode: "Where Every Bloke Knows Your Name" |
1998 | Conan the Adventurer | Barkeep | Episode: "Red Sonya" |
2000 | Nuremberg | Maj. Airey Neave | TV mini-series |
2001 | JAG | Visiting Reporter #1 | Episode: "The Iron Coffin" |
2005 | Alias | Cooney | Episode: "Authorised Personnel Only: Part 2" |
2013 | Community | Constable Edmund | Episode: "Conventions of Space and Time" |
2014 | Black Sails | Hal Gates | |
2015 | Granite Flats | Benjy | Episodes: "The Threads That Were Spun Are Gathered" "Form and Union and Plan" |
Audioplay
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2016 | Robin of Sherwood: The Knights Of The Apocalypse | Nasir | Written by Tony Lee |
Video games
Year | Title | Role |
---|---|---|
2007 | Transformers: The Game | Bumblebee / Ironhide / Hoist (voice) |
2009 | Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen | Bumblebee (voice) |
Stunts
Year | Title | Notes |
---|---|---|
2000 | The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne | Episode: "The Victorian Candidate" |
2002 | The Bacchae | Stunt coordinator |
Miscellaneous crew
Year | Title | Notes |
---|---|---|
1995 | First Knight | Assistant Swordmaster |
2000 | The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne | Swordmaster |
2002 | The Bacchae | |
2004 | King Arthur | Fight Director / Swordmaster |
References
- ^ a b c d e f "'Hold Fast - A Hollywood Pirate's Tale' by Mark Ryan and John Matthews". Mythwood Books. Archived from the original on 19 June 2015. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
- ^ "Film Reference". Film Reference. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
- ^ "Review '1776". Variety. 7 September 2001. Retrieved 7 October 2015.
- ^ "Movies on the Blog". Movies-andtheblog.blogspot. Archived from the original on 7 October 2015. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
- ^ a b "Best Male Vocal Performance in a Feature Film in a Supporting Role". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
- ^ Kendrick, Ben (26 June 2014). "'Transformers: Age of Extinction' Review". Screen Rant.
- ^ Coletti, Sean (17 March 2014). "Black Sails, Ep. 1.08: "VIII." has just enough firepower to hold interest". Sound on Sight.
- ^ "'Black Sails Recap: IX". Sinful Celluloid. 25 January 2015.
- ^ "Membership Short Film Showcase". baftala.org. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
- ^ ISBN 1855383845.
- ^ "Guest Post: Interview with John Matthews on The Wildwood Tarot". Patheos. 15 July 2012. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
- ISBN 978-1402781063.
- ^ "Wild Magic: The Wildwood Tarot Workbook". Eddison Books. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
- ^ "Penitent". Webster Films. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
- ^ "Winners 2021". Cannes World Film Festival. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
External links
- Official website
- Mark Ryan at IMDb