Ian Hart

{{Short description|English actor}}

{{other people}}

{{EngvarB|date=November 2013}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Ian Hart

| image = Ian Hart 2016.png

| image_size =

| caption = Hart in 2016

| birth_name = Ian Davies

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1964|10|8}}

| birth_place = Liverpool, England

| occupation = Actor

| years_active = 1982–present

| spouse = Lynn Hart

| children = 2

}}

Ian Davies (born 8 October 1964), better known by his stage name Ian Hart, is an English actor. His most notable roles have been in One Summer (1983), Backbeat (1994), Land and Freedom and Nothing Personal (1995), Michael Collins (1996), Liam (2000), as Professor Quirrell in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001), as Ludwig van Beethoven in Eroica (2003), My Mad Fat Diary (2013–2015), as Father Beocca in The Last Kingdom (2015–2020), and as Carl in The Responder (2022).

Early life

Hart was born Ian Davies,{{cite web |url= https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/ian-hart/credits/3000504156/ |title= Ian Hart Credits |website= tvguide.com |access-date= 24 April 2023 |archive-date= 25 April 2023 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20230425051418/https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/ian-hart/credits/3000504156/ |url-status= live }} in the Knotty Ash district of Liverpool on 8 October 1964.{{cite news|title=Ian Hart – Full Biography|url=https://www.nytimes.com/movies/person/30769/Ian-Hart/biography |department=Movies & TV Dept.|work=The New York Times|author=Rebecca Flint Marx|date= 10 April 2015 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150410083621/http://www.nytimes.com/movies/person/30769/Ian-Hart/biography|url-status=dead|archive-date=2015-04-10}} He has two siblings and was brought up in an Irish Catholic family.{{cite news|author = Claire Armitstead|author-link = Claire Armitstead|url = http://film.guardian.co.uk/interview/interviewpages/0,,438437,00.html|title = The Friday Interview: Ian Hart|work = The Guardian|date = 4 April 2001|access-date = 29 June 2007|archive-date = 16 August 2012|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120816015143/http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2001/feb/16/culture.features1|url-status = live}} He attended Cardinal Allen Grammar School in Liverpool's West Derby suburb,{{cite news|url=https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/local-news/big-interview-hollywood-star-liverpool-6965354|title=The Big Interview: Hollywood star and Liverpool actor Ian Hart comes to a film premiere in Crosby|publisher=liverpoolecho.co.uk|date=11 April 2014|access-date=23 April 2023|archive-date=28 February 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230228200216/https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/local-news/big-interview-hollywood-star-liverpool-6965354|url-status=live}} and was a member of the Everyman Youth Theatre, Liverpool, in his earlier years. He studied drama at the now-defunct Mabel Fletcher College of Music and Drama in Liverpool's Wavertree district.

Career

In 1991, Hart played John Lennon in the low-budget independent film The Hours and Times. He played Lennon twice more: a slightly younger Lennon during The Beatles' 1960-62 Hamburg period in Backbeat (1994), and a 50-year-old Lennon (having avoided his true fate at age 40) in the Playhouse Presents television production Snodgrass (2013).

In 1995, Hart portrayed a POUM militia volunteer in Ken Loach's Spanish Civil War film Land and Freedom. The same year, he played psychotic Northern Irish Protestant gangster 'Ginger' in the Thaddeus O'Sullivan directed 1995 Irish-British drama film Nothing Personal, alongside John Lynch, James Frain and Michael Gambon, for which, Hart won the Volpi Cup for best supporting actor at the 52nd Venice International Film Festival.{{cite book|last=Enrico Lancia|title=I premi del cinema|publisher=Gremese Editore|date=1998|isbn=8877422211}}

In 2000, he was back in Liverpool as an unemployed shipyard worker, father of three, including the protagonist, in the film Liam. His best-known role, however, is perhaps that of Professor Quirrell in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001). He also provided the voice and motion capture for the computer-generated face of Lord Voldemort.

In 2003, Hart and fellow actor Linus Roache fasted for three months and lost 2 stones each, to achieve a malnourished look for the filming of Blind Flight, where he played Middle-Eastern hostage Brian Keenan.{{cite web|url=https://independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/ian-hart-hostage-to-fortune-64940.html|title=Ian Hart: Hostage to fortune|website=The Independent|location=London|date=19 March 2004|accessdate=20 September 2022|archive-date=20 September 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220920222221/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/ian-hart-hostage-to-fortune-64940.html|url-status=live}}

In 2004, Hart played Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in the film Finding Neverland, having already played Doyle's creation Dr Watson in a BBC One television film of The Hound of the Baskervilles in 2002, and reprising the role in 2004 in Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Silk Stocking, with a different actor playing Sherlock Holmes. He also played schizophrenic paparazzo Don Konkey in the FX series Dirt in 2007 and 2008.

In 2009 he played Tom Ripley in BBC Radio Four's adaptations of all five of Patricia Highsmith's "Ripliad" series. The same year, Hart worked alongside John Simm at the Duke of York's Theatre production of Andrew Bovell's play Speaking in Tongues.{{cite news |author= Michael Billington |url= https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2009/sep/29/speaking-in-tongues-theatre-review |title= Speaking in Tongues |work= The Guardian |date= 29 September 2009 |access-date= 24 April 2023 |archive-date= 23 January 2023 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20230123170121/https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2009/sep/29/speaking-in-tongues-theatre-review |url-status= live }}

In 2011, he played Adolf Hitler in the BBC drama The Man Who Crossed Hitler.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-13873556|title=Dame Shirley Bassey drama to screen on BBC Two|publisher=BBC News|date=22 June 2011|access-date=14 October 2011|archive-date=5 October 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111005174020/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-13873556|url-status=live}}

In 2015, he landed the role of Father Beocca in The Last Kingdom and remained as a main character until the end of series 4 in 2020.

In 2018, he starred as Sailing Master Thomas Blanky in the AMC produced series The Terror.

In 2022, Hart was back in Liverpool playing drug dealer Carl Sweeney, in the BBC One British police drama series The Responder alongside Martin Freeman.

Personal life

In order to relax Hart has participated in kung-fu.

Filmography

=Film=

class = "wikitable sortable"
Year

!Title

!Role

!class = "unsortable"|Notes

1985

| No Surrender

| Uncertain Menace

|

1988

| The Zip

| Son

| Short film

1991

| The Hours and Times

| rowspan="2" | John Lennon

|

1994

| Backbeat

|

rowspan="4" | 1995

| Land and Freedom

| David Carr

|

The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain

| Johnny 'Shellshocked'

|

Clockwork Mice

| Steve

|

Nothing Personal

| Ginger

|

rowspan="2" | 1996

| Hollow Reed

| Tom Dixon

|

Michael Collins

| Joe O'Reilly

|

rowspan="4" | 1997

| Gold in the Streets

| Des

|

Robinson Crusoe

| Daniel Defoe

|

The Butcher Boy

| Uncle Alo

|

Mojo

| Mickey

|

rowspan="4" | 1998

| Monument Ave.

| 'Mouse'

| Also known as Snitch (original title) and Noose

Frogs for Snakes

| Quint

|

B. Monkey

| Steve Davis

|

Enemy of the State

| NSA Agent John Bingham

|

rowspan="5" | 1999

| This Year's Love

| Liam

|

Wonderland

| Dan

|

Spring Forward

| Fran

|

The End of the Affair

| Mr. Parkis

|

Bait

| Dad

| Short film

rowspan="6" | 2000

| The Closer You Get

| Kieran O'Donnell

|

Best

| Nobby Stiles

|

Aberdeen

| Clive

‘ ‘ American Women (2000 film)
Liam

| Dad

|

Born Romantic

| Second Cab Driver

|

Bring Me Your Love

| Harry Weaver

| Short film

rowspan="2" | 2001

| Strictly Sinatra

| Toni Cocozza

|

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

| Professor Quirrell

| Voice and motion capture for Lord Voldemort

rowspan="2" | 2002

| Killing Me Softly

| Senior Police Officer

|

Unhinged

| Eric

| Short film

rowspan="3" | 2003

| Den of Lions

| FBI Agent Rob Shepard

|

Cheeky

| Alan

|

Blind Flight

| Brian Keenan

|

rowspan="3" | 2004

| Every Seven Years

| Liam

| Short film

Finding Neverland

| Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

|

Strings

| Ghrak (voice)

| English dub

rowspan="4" | 2005

| A Cock and Bull Story

| Joe

|

Rag Tale

| Morph, Photographer

|

Breakfast on Pluto

| PC Wallis

|

Ripley Under Ground

| Bernard Sayles

|

2006

| Trigger Happy

| The Man

| Short film

rowspan="4" | 2007

| Intervention

| Harry III Jr.

|

Both

| Moussa

| Short film

A Girl and a Gun

| Johnny

| Video

Int. Bedsit – Day

| Pete

| Short film

2008

| Still Waters Burn

| Jack Price

|

rowspan="3" | 2009

| Morris: A Life with Bells On

| Endeavour

|

A Boy Called Dad

| Joe

|

Within the Whirlwind

| Beylin

| Also known as Stalin: Reign of Terror

2010

| Watching

| Carrik

| Short film

2011

| Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2

| Professor Quirrell

| Archive footage; uncredited role

2012

| Hard Boiled Sweets

| Joyce

|

2014

| Conversation with a Cigarette

| (unknown)

| Short film

rowspan="2" | 2015

| Dough

| Victor Gerrard

|

Urban Hymn

| Ian Wilson

|

rowspan="3" | 2016

| Native

| Telepathic voice

|

Johnno's Dead

| Narrator (voice)

| Short film

Dusty and Me

| 'Big Eddie'

|

rowspan="3" | 2017

| God's Own Country

| Martin Saxby

|

uk18

| Darren

|

Modern Life Is Rubbish

| The Curve

|

2018

| Mary Queen of Scots

| Lord Maitland

|

2019

| The Sands of Venus

| Daniel

| Short film

rowspan="3" | 2020

| The 11th Green

| James Forrestal

|

Through the Dunes

| Andy

| Short film

Escape from Pretoria

| Denis Goldberg

|

rowspan="3" | 2022

| Florian

| Gary

| Short film

Marlowe

| Detective Joe Green

|

Left Over

| Mick

| Short film

2023

| Shoshana

| Robert Chambers

|

=Television=

class="wikitable sortable"
Year

!Title

!Role

!class = "unsortable"|Notes

1983

| One Summer

| 'Rabbit'

| Miniseries. Credited as Ian Davies

1984

| Travelling Man

| Kyffin Rees

| Series 1; Episode 3: "The Watcher"

rowspan="2" | 1985

| The Exercise

| Cadet Pritchard

| Television film

The Brothers McGregor

| Youth

| Series 1; Episode 1: "The Getaway Car"

rowspan="2" | 1986

| The Practice

| William Griffin

| Series 2; Episodes 3, 6 & 18

The Monocled Mutineer

| Medic

| Episode 2: "Before the Shambles"

1987

| The Marksman

| Comic

| Miniseries; Episode 3

1989

| The Play on One

| Christie

| Series 2; Episode 5: "A View of Harry Clark"

1990

| Chain

| Hawkins

| Miniseries; Episode 2: "Vicky Elliott"

rowspan="2" | 1992

| Medics

| John

| Series 2; Episode 6

EastEnders

| Mick

| 3 episodes

1995

| Loved Up

| Tom

| Television film

2000

| Longitude

| William Harrison

| Miniseries; Episodes 1 & 2

rowspan="2" | 2002

| The Hound of the Baskervilles

| Dr. John Watson

| Television film

Dad's Dead

| Narrator (voice)

| Television short film

2003

| Eroica

| Ludwig van Beethoven

| Television film

2004

| Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Silk Stocking

| Dr. John Watson

| Television film

2005–2006

| The Virgin Queen

| William Cecil, Lord Burghley

| Miniseries; Episodes 1–4

2007–2008

| Dirt

| Don Konkey

| Main cast. Series 1 & 2; 20 episodes

rowspan="3" | 2009

| Dr. Hoo

| Dr. Hoo

| Television pilot

Moving On

| Jake

| Series 1; Episode 4: "Dress to Impress"

Father & Son

| Tony Conroy

| Miniseries; Episodes 1–4

rowspan="2" | 2010

| Five Daughters

| DCS Stewart Gull

| Miniseries; Episodes 1–3

When Harvey Met Bob

| Harvey Goldsmith

| Television film

2011

| The Man Who Crossed Hitler

| Adolf Hitler

| Television film

2011–2012

| Luck

| Lonnie

| Main cast. Series 1; 9 episodes

rowspan="4" | 2013

| Playhouse Presents

| John Lennon

| Series 2; Episode 2: "Snodgrass"

Bates Motel

| Will Decody

| Series 1; Episodes 4 & 8: "Trust Me" and "A Boy and His Dog"

Rogue

| Buddy Wilson

| Series 1; 9 episodes

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

| Dr. Franklin Hall

| Series 1; Episode 3: "The Asset"

2013–2015

| My Mad Fat Diary

| Dr. Kester Gill

| Series 1–3; 16 episodes

rowspan="4" | 2014

| Klondike

| Soapy Smith

| Miniseries; Episodes 1–6

The Bridge

| Man in Car / David Tate / CIA Agent Buckley

| Series 2; 7 episodes

The Driver

| Colin Vine / Craig Vine

| Miniseries; Episodes 1–3

Boardwalk Empire

| Ethan Thompson

| Series 5; 4 episodes

2015–2020

| The Last Kingdom

| Father Beocca

| Series 1–4; 28 episodes

rowspan="2" | 2016

| Vinyl

| Peter Grant

| Episode 1: "Pilot"

The Secret Agent

| The Professor{{cite web|url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07ll9mb|title= The Secret Agent: episode 1: Credits|author= |publisher= BBC Online|access-date= 25 July 2016|archive-date= 14 July 2016|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160714210642/http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07ll9mb|url-status= live}}

| Miniseries; Episodes 1–3

rowspan="3" | 2018

| The Terror

| Thomas Blanky

| Series 1; Episodes 1–10

Elementary

| Professor Baynes

| Series 6; Episode 16: "Uncanny Valley of the Dolls"

Hang Ups

| Sam Travers

| 1 episode

2019

| Urban Myths

| Hans Christian Andersen

| Series 3; Episode 1: "Bleak House Guest"

rowspan="2" | 2020

| Noughts + Crosses

| Ryan McGregor, Callum & Jude's Father

| Series 1; Episodes 1–4

Tin Star

| Michael Ryan

| Series 3; Episodes 1–6

2021

| Help

| Steve

| Television film

2021–2023

| The Mosquito Coast

| William 'Bill' Lee

| Series 1 & 2; 11 episodes

rowspan="2" | 2022

| Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts

| Himself

| HBO Max Special{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/video/harry-potter-20th-anniversary-return-to-hogwarts-trailer-hbo-max/|title='Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return To Hogwarts' Trailer Gets The Gang Back Together|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=20 December 2021|first=Patrick|last=Hipes|accessdate=20 September 2022|archive-date=28 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211228210759/https://deadline.com/video/harry-potter-20th-anniversary-return-to-hogwarts-trailer-hbo-max/|url-status=live}}

The Responder

| Carl Sweeney

| Series 1; Episodes 1–4

rowspan="2" | 2024

| Mr Bates vs The Post Office

| Bob Rutherford

| Miniseries; Episodes 2–4

Shetland

| Euan Rossi

| Series 9; Episodes 1–6

References

{{Reflist}}