Ray Stevenson

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

Ray Stevenson
Ray Stevenson March 18, 2014 (cropped).jpg
Stevenson in 2014
Born
George Raymond Stevenson

(1964-05-25)25 May 1964
Lisburn, Northern Ireland
Died21 May 2023(2023-05-21) (aged 58)
Ischia, Campania, Italy
EducationBristol Old Vic Theatre School
Occupations
  • Actor
  • Film actor
  • Stage actor
Years active1993–2023
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1997; div. 2005)​
PartnerElisabetta Caraccia
Children3

George Raymond Stevenson (25 May 1964 – 21 May 2023) was a Northern Irish actor. He portrayed

Titus Pullo in the BBC/HBO television series Rome (2005–2007). He portrayed two Marvel Comics characters: Frank Castle / The Punisher in Punisher: War Zone (2008) and The Super Hero Squad Show and Volstagg in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (2011–2017). His other films include Kill the Irishman (2011), where he portrayed mobster Danny Greene; The Three Musketeers (2011); and RRR (2022), where he portrayed the villainous Governor Scott. His television roles include Ukrainian mobster Isaak Sirko in the seventh season of Dexter, Blackbeard in the third and fourth seasons of Black Sails, and voicing Gar Saxon in Star Wars Rebels and Star Wars: The Clone Wars
.

Early life

George Raymond Stevenson was born in Lisburn in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, on 25 May 1964, the second of three sons born to a British father and an Irish mother. His father 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 Bath Lane college on a design course, then the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, graduating at the age of 29.[citation needed]

Career

Film

Stevenson made his film debut in

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 the murder of his family. In 2010, he played an antagonist in the comedy The Other Guys.[2]

In 2011, Stevenson appeared in the film

Italian-American Cleveland crime family during the 1970s.[3] 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.[2] He played Firefly in G.I. Joe: Retaliation, released in 2013. He appeared in the Finnish-American thriller film Big Game.[4] 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.[2]

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.[5]

Television

Stevenson played

Murphy's Law and lead roles in City Central and At Home with the Braithwaites.[6] 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).[2] 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.[2]

On 24 March 2015, it was announced by producers that Stevenson would be joining the cast of the Starz series

Edward Teach.[7]

At Star Wars Celebration 2023, Stevenson was announced as playing the Dark Jedi Baylan Skoll in the upcoming series Ahsoka.[8]

Stage

Stevenson's stage work included playing the part of

Albery Theatre in London with Lindsay Duncan and Michael Maloney. His most well-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.[9]

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.[10] Stevenson had three sons with Italian anthropologist Elisabetta Caraccia.[11]

Death

Stevenson died on 21 May 2023, four days before his 59th birthday.[12][8] No cause of death has been revealed, but he was reportedly hospitalized while on set filming Cassino in Ischia on Ischia, an island in Italy.[13][14] Stevenson's co-stars, including Rosario Dawson, Scott Adkins, and James Purefoy, paid tribute.[13]

Filmography

Film

Key
Films that have not yet been released Denotes films that have not yet been released
Year Title Role Notes
1998 The Theory of Flight Gigolo [2]
1999 G:MT – Greenwich Mean Time Mr. Hardy [3]
2002 No Man's Land Short film
2004 King Arthur Dagonet [2]
2008 Outpost DC [2]
Punisher: War Zone Frank Castle / Punisher [2]
2009 Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant Murlough [2]
2010 The Book of Eli Redridge [2]
The Other Guys Roger Wesley [2]
2011 Kill the Irishman Danny Greene [3]
Thor Volstagg [2]
The Three Musketeers Porthos [2]
2013 G.I. Joe: Retaliation Firefly [2]
Jayne Mansfield's Car Phillip Bedford [2]
Thor: The Dark World Volstagg [2]
2014 Divergent Marcus Eaton [2]
Big Game Morris [2]
2015 The Divergent Series: Insurgent Marcus Eaton [2]
The Transporter: Refueled
 		Frank Martin Sr. [2]
2016 The Divergent Series: Allegiant Marcus Eaton [2]
2017 Thor: Ragnarok Volstagg [2]
Cold Skin Gruner [2]
2018
Accident Man
 		Big Ray [2]
Final Score Arkady Belav [2]
2022 RRR Governor Scott Buxton [2]
Memory Detective Danny Mora [2]
Accident Man: Hitman's Holiday Big Ray [2]
TBA 1242: Gateway to the West Not yet released Cesareane Post-production, posthumous release[15]
Cassino in Ischia Not yet released Filming, posthumous release

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1993 A Woman's Guide to Adultery Journalist
1994 The Dwelling Place Matthew Whitwell 3 episodes[2]
1994 The Return of the Native Clym Yeobright Television film[2]
1995 Band of Gold Steve Dickson 12 episodes[10]
1995 Some Kind of Life Steve Television film[2]
1996 The Tide of Life Larry Birch 3 episodes[2]
1997 Peak Practice Joe Higson Episode: "Home Truths"
1997 Drover's Gold Armstrong 5 episodes[6]
1998 City Central DI Tony Baynham 32 episodes[6]
1999 Love in the 21st Century Alex Episode: "Toyboys"[6]
2000 Holby City Laurence Haney Episode: "Taking It on the Chin"
2000 The Bill Sgt. Gartland Episode: "Over the Edge"
2001 At Home with the Braithwaites Graham Braithwaite 11 episodes[2]
2001 Dalziel and Pascoe Jeff Parry Episode: "Truth and Consequences"[2]
2003 Red Cap Sgt. Chris Roxborough Episode: "Cover Story"
2003
Murphy's Law
 		Robert Eaglan Episode: "Kiss and Tell"[2]
2004 Waking the Dead Dr Tim Faulkner Episode: "Fugue States"
2005–2007 Rome
Titus Pullo
 22 episodes[2]
2007 Life Line Peter Brasco Television film[6]
2009 The Super Hero Squad Show[16] Frank Castle/The Punisher Voice, episode: "Night in the Sanctorum!"[2]
2012 Dexter Isaak Sirko 9 episodes[2]
Nominated – Saturn Award for Best Guest Starring Role on Television
2014 Crossing Lines Miles Lennon 4 episodes
2015 Saints & Strangers Stephen Hopkins TV miniseries[2]
2016–2017 Black Sails Edward Teach / Blackbeard 11 episodes[2]
2016–2017 Star Wars Rebels Gar Saxon Voice, 2 episodes[8]
2017 Rellik DSI Edward Benton 6 episodes[2]
2019 Reef Break Jake Elliot 13 episodes[2]
2019 Medici Ferdinand I of Naples 2 episodes[8]
2020 The Spanish Princess James IV of Scotland 2 episodes[2]
2020 Vikings Ohthere of Hålogaland 11 episodes[2]
2020 Star Wars: The Clone Wars Gar Saxon Voice, 2 episodes[8]
2022 Das Boot Commander Jack Swinburne 8 episodes[8]
2023 Ahsoka Not yet released Baylan Skoll Upcoming series, posthumous release[8]

Stage

Year Title Role Notes
2000 York Mystery Plays Christ [17]
2001 Mouth to Mouth Roger [17]
2003 The Duchess of Malfi The Cardinal [9]

References

  1. ^ "BBC – Press Office – Rome press pack phase two Ray Stevenson". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au "Ray Stevenson List of Movies and TV Shows". TV Guide. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  3. ^ a b c "Ray Stevenson Filmography". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  4. ^ "Samuel Jackson Hunts a 'Big Game' (Trailer) -". bloody-disgusting.com. 5 January 2015. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ a b c d e "Ray Stevenson". British Film Institute. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  7. ^ 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.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g Pederson, Erik (22 May 2023). "Ray Stevenson Dies: 'RRR', 'Thor', Vikings' & 'Divergent' Actor Was 58". Deadline. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  9. ^ a b Wolf, Matt (3 February 2003). "The Duchess of Malfi". Variety. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  10. ^ a b 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.
  11. ^ Bahr, Lindsey (22 May 2023). "Ray Stevenson, of 'Rome' and 'Thor' movies, dies at 58". ABC News. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  12. ^ "Ray Stevenson, 'Punisher: War Zone' and 'Rome' Star, Dies at 58". TheWrap. 22 May 2023. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  13. ^ a b "Ray Stevenson: Thor, Volstagg and Star Wars actor dies aged 58". BBC News. 22 May 2023. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  14. ^ "Ray Stevenson Was Rushed to Hospital from Set Before Death, Filming Was Suspended: Sources (Exclusive)". People. 24 May 2023. Retrieved 24 May 2023.
  15. ^ Vlessing, Etan (25 January 2023). "Ray Stevenson Replaces Kevin Spacey in Epic Drama '1242: Gateway to the West'". The Hollywood Reporter.
  16. ^ MARVEL SUPER HERO SQUAD VOICE CAST at The Comics Continuum
  17. ^ a b "Ray Stevenson". Empire. Retrieved 22 May 2023.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ray Stevenson.
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