James Cosmo

{{Infobox person

|name = James Cosmo

|honorific_suffix = MBE

|image = James Cosmo 2023.png

|imagesize =

|caption = Cosmo in 2023

|birth_name = James Ronald Gordon Copeland

|birth_date = {{birth year and age|1947}}

|birth_place = Dumbarton, Dunbartonshire, Scotland

|othername =

|years_active = 1965–present

|spouse = {{marriage|Annie Harris|2000}}

|children = 2

|website =

}}

File:James Cosmo 2014 (cropped).jpg

James Ronald Gordon Copeland {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=85%|MBE}} (born 1947),{{cite web|url=https://www.scotsman.com/arts-and-culture/film-and-tv/here-are-the-scottish-actors-made-famous-by-game-of-thrones-1419923|title=Here are the Scottish actors made famous by Game of Thrones|work=The Scotsman|date=12 April 2019|access-date=31 March 2024|first=Alex|last=Nelson}} known professionally as James Cosmo, is a Scottish actor. Known for his character work,{{cite web|url=https://filmhounds.co.uk/2020/12/people-perceive-me-as-the-older-gruffer-authoritarian-figure-james-cosmo-talks-skylines-the-fh-interview/|title="People perceive me as the older gruffer authoritarian figure" – James Cosmo talks Skylines [The FH Interview]|work=Filmhounds Magazine|date=December 2020|access-date=31 March 2024|first=Paul|last=Klein}} he has played supporting roles in films such as Highlander (1986), Braveheart (1995), Trainspotting (1996), Troy (2004), The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005), Ben-Hur (2016), and Wonder Woman (2017). On television, he appeared as Father Kellan Ashby on the third season of Sons of Anarchy (2010), Jeor Mormont on HBO's Game of Thrones (2011–2013), Farder Coram in the BBC series His Dark Materials (2019), and Luka Gocharov on the third season of Amazon Prime's Jack Ryan (2022). Cosmo appeared as a contestant on the nineteenth series of Celebrity Big Brother in 2017, finishing in fourth place.

Early life

Cosmo is the son of actor James Copeland and Helen Goodlet Findlay.{{cite web|url=http://www.filmreference.com/film/60/James-Cosmo.html|title=James Cosmo Biography (1948–)|publisher=Filmreference.com|access-date=5 October 2020}} He attended Hartfield Primary School in Dumbarton. Through his father, young James played cricket on Hampstead Heath with Sean Connery while his father was in the pub with Peter O'Toole.{{cite news|url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/15255014.james-cosmo-on-game-of-thrones-whisky-galore-and-his-strange-days-on-big-brother/|title=James Cosmo on Game of Thrones, Whisky Galore and his strange days on Big Brother|website=HeraldScotland|access-date=5 October 2020}} He has a sister named Laura. When he was 11, he moved back to Glasgow and later he worked for a time at Arnott Young shipbreakers in Dalmuir.

Career

At the start of his career he adopted Cosmo, the middle name of his mother Helen, as his stage surname.{{Cite web|url=https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/james-cosmo/bio/3000476767/| title=James Cosmo|website=TVGuide}} Cosmo is best known for his film roles as Angus MacLeod in Highlander, Campbell in Braveheart and as Father Christmas in the adaptation of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.{{Cite web|url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2ba13c13bf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170310064821/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2ba13c13bf|url-status=dead|archive-date=10 March 2017|title=James Cosmo|website=BFI}} Over the years he has also had roles in other films such as Trainspotting, The Last Legion and 2081.{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmovie.com/artist/james-cosmo-p123890/filmography|title=James Cosmo | Movies and Filmography|website=AllMovie}} He appeared in Troy with future Game of Thrones cast members Sean Bean and Julian Glover.{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmovie.com/movie/troy-v286522/cast-crew|title=Troy (2004) - Wolfgang Petersen | Cast and Crew | AllMovie|via=www.allmovie.com}} He also appeared in UFO as SHADO operative Lieutenant Anderson, in Take the High Road as Alex Geddes from 1982 until 1983 and in 1984 played Jock McLeish in the Minder episode Senior Citizen Caine.{{Cite web|url=https://www.aveleyman.com/ActorCredit.aspx?ActorID=3684|title=James Cosmo|website=www.aveleyman.com}} He appeared as Lieutenant-Colonel Philip Drysdale in the seventh series of Soldier Soldier.

From 2011–2013, Cosmo portrayed Jeor Mormont, Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, and father of Jorah Mormont (played by Iain Glen), in the HBO series Game of Thrones.{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/game-of-thrones-james-cosmo-sex-scenes-b1781176.html |title= Game of Thrones star James Cosmo jokes he ‘drew the short straw’ with sex scenes|date=1 January 2021|website=The Independent}} He was involved in the filming of the thriller Breakdown in which he appeared alongside Craig Fairbrass, Bruce Payne, Emmett Scanlan, Olivia Grant and Tamer Hassan.{{Cite web|url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/566766d500494|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201025002858/https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/566766d500494|url-status=dead|archive-date=25 October 2020|title=Breakdown (2016)|website=BFI}} He played the antagonist in the Indian film, Jagame Thandhiram, which released in 2021.{{Cite web|url=http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2021/jan/01/james-cosmo-interview-the-bay-the-simpsons|title=James Cosmo: 'My friend said: They're going to drink beer out of your skull'|date=1 January 2021|website=the Guardian}} He played a Russian intelligence officer named Luka Gocharov in season 3 of the Amazon show Jack Ryan.{{Cite web|url= https://www.newsweek.com/jack-ryan-cast-new-season-3-characters-michael-pena-betty-gabriel-1768632?amp=1|title= Every New 'Jack Ryan' Cast Member and What They Mean for the Show|date=21 December 2022|website=Newsweek}}

He is a patron of the charity Chance for Childhood.{{Cite web|url=https://chanceforchildhood.org/about-us/patrons/|title=Our patrons {{!}} Chance for Childhood - Children's charity|website=Chance for Childhood|access-date=5 October 2020}}

Filmography

=Film=

Year !Title !Role !class=unsortable\|Notes
class="wikitable sortable"
rowspan=2\|1969	Battle of Britain	Jamie
{{sortname\|The\|Virgin Soldiers\|dab=film}}	Waller
1971	Assault	Det. Sgt. Beale
rowspan="2" \|1972	Doomwatch	Bob Gillette
Young Winston	Officer on Train
1982	Living Apart Together	Priest
1986	Highlander	Angus MacLeod
1988	Stormy Monday	Tony
1990 \|{{sortname\|The\|Fool\|dab=1990 film}}	Mr. Bowring
rowspan=2\|1995	Braveheart	Campbell
{{sortname\|The\|Key\|nolink=y}}	Gangster	Short film
rowspan=2\|1996	Trainspotting	David Renton
Emma	Mr. Weston
1997	Santa/Claws	Santa Claus	Short film
rowspan=2\|1998	Urban Ghost Story	Minister
Babe: Pig in the City	Thelonius (voice)
rowspan="4" \|1999	Sunset Heights	MacDonald
{{sortname\|The\|Match\|nolink=y}}	Billy Bailey
Billy and Zorba	Zorba	Short film
One More Kiss	Frank
rowspan="2" \|2000	Honest	Tommy Chase
Reflections Upon the Origin of the Pineapple	Narrator (voice)	Short film
rowspan=2\|2001	To End All Wars	Lt. Col. Stuart McLean
All the Queen's Men	Archie
rowspan=2\|2002	Once Upon a Time in the Midlands	Billy
{{sortname\|The\|Four Feathers\|dab=2002 film}}	Col. Sutch
rowspan=4\|2003	Skagerrak	Robert
Man Dancin'	Donnie McGlone
The Reckoning	Lambert
Solid Air	Finn
rowspan=2\|2004	One Last Chance	Big John
Troy	Glaucus
rowspan=2\|2005	{{sortname\|The\|Adventures of Greyfriars Bobby}}	James Brown
{{sortname\|The\|Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe}}	Father Christmas
rowspan=3\|2006	Half Light	Finlay Murray
Free Jimmy	HudMaSpecs (voice)	AKA Slipp Jimmy fri (Original title)
{{sortname\|The\|Lives of the Saints\|nolink=y}}	Mr. Karva
rowspan="3" \|2007	{{sortname\|The\|Last Legion}}	Hrothgar
{{sortname\|The\|Seeker: The Dark Is Rising}}	Dawson
Where Have I Been All Your Life?	John	rowspan="2" \|Short film
rowspan="2" \|2009	2081	George Bergeron
{{sortname\|The\|Clan\|nolink=y}}	Hector McKinley
rowspan="3" \|2010 \|Outcast	Laird
Donkeys	Alfie
{{sortname\|The\|Runway\|dab=film}}	Sutherland
rowspan=2\|2011	No Saints for Sinners	Murphy
{{sortname\|The\|Glass Man\|nolink=y}}	Pecco
rowspan=2\|2012	Citadel	Priest
Songs for Amy	Murdo
rowspan=7\|2013	Get Lucky	Mr. Zigic
{{sortname\|The\|Golden Scallop\|nolink=y}}	Judge Wellington
Hammer of the Gods	King Bagsecg
Justin and the Knights of Valour	Blucher (voice)
{{sortname\|The\|Christmas Candle}}	Herbert Hopewell
Sea Out	Old Joe	Short film
Dying Light	Policeman
rowspan=3\|2014	{{sortname\|The\|Boogeyman}}	Dr. Harper	Short film
We Still Kill the Old Way	Arthur
Hole	Cooper	Short film
rowspan=5\|2015	Moonwalkers	Dawson
Carried	Henry Hunter	Short film
{{sortname\|The\|Legend of Barney Thomson}}	James Henderson
{{sortname\|The\|Pyramid Texts\|nolink=y}}	Ray
January	Albert	AKA Estranged (Original title)
rowspan=8\|2016	Project 12: The Bunker	Brian Balanowsky
Breakdown	Albert Chapman
Mikelis	Mikelis	Short film
Dark Signal	Alan
Ben-Hur	Quintus
Whisky Galore!	MacAlister, the Minister
Monochrome	Roger Daniels
Eliminators	Cooper
rowspan=4\|2017	London Heist	Ray Dixon
T2 Trainspotting	David Renton
Last Respects	Philip Drummond (voice)	Short film
Wonder Woman	Field Marshal Haig
rowspan=6\|2018	Rogue Trooper: The Quartz Massacre	Narrator (voice)	Short film
In Darkness	Niall
Outlaw King	Robert Bruce Senior
Ashes in the Snow	Mr. Stakas
Malevolent	Grandpa Sayers
Tomorrow	Mr. Charles
rowspan="5" \|2019	{{sortname\|The\|Hole in the Ground\|dab=film}}	Des Brady
Forget Me Not	Benedict	Short film
Get Duked!	Farmer
Off Grid	John Tanner	Short film
Shadow Boxer	Eddie Royce	Short film
2020	Skylines	Grant
rowspan=2\|2021	Jagame Thanthiram	Peter Sprott	Tamil film
{{sortname\|The\|Kindred\|dab=2021 film}}	Frank Menzies
rowspan=3\|2022	Breath	Nick
My Sailor, My Love	Howard
Scrooge: A Christmas Carol	Mr. Fezziwig (voice)
2023	The Three Musketeers	Cardinal Richelieu
rowspan=2\|2024	The Beast Within	Waylon
The Last Redemption	Lord Goran

=Television=

Year !Title !Role !class=unsortable\|Notes
class="wikitable sortable"
1965	Dr. Finlay's Casebook	Peter Randall	Episode: "The Vision"
rowspan=2\|1966	Ransom for a Pretty Girl	Charlie Milne	Mini series, 6 episodes
This Man Craig	Douglas McGrath	Episode: "Nurinder"
rowspan=2\|1967	St. Ives	Dalmahoy	2 episodes: "The Assembly Ball" and "Journey's End"
{{sortname\|The\|Revenue Men}}	Andrew	Episode: "A Pretty Flat Kind of Existence"
rowspan="2" \|1968	Detective	Det. Sgt. MacGregor	Episode: "Dover and the Deadly Poison Pen Letters"
Splash O.K. \|Hamish MacPherson \|Television film
rowspan=2\|1969	Dr. Finlay's Casebook	Private Davidson	Episode: "Single or Return"
Softly Softly	McBride	Episode: "In at the Death"
rowspan=2\|1970	{{sortname\|The\|Borderers}}	Hector	Episode: "A Woman or an Epitaph"
{{sortname\|The\|Wednesday Play}}	Senior Under Officer Patterson	Episode: "Sovereign's Company"
rowspan=4\|1971	Long Voyage Out of War	Thorpe	Episode: "Battle at Tematangi"
UFO	Lt. Anderson	Episode: "Reflections in the Water"
{{sortname\|The\|Persuaders!}}	Inspector Williams	Episode: "Element of Risk"
{{sortname\|The\|View from Daniel Pike}}	Det. Con. Sanderson	Episode: "A Tale of Two Cities"
rowspan="2" \|1972 \|Sutherland's Law \|Ian Campbell \| rowspan="2" \|Television film
{{sortname\|The\|Stone Tape}} \|Cliff Dow
rowspan=2\|1973	ITV Playhouse	Sgt. Robbins	Episode: "Professional"
Sutherland's Law	Ian Campbell	Episode: "The Sea"
1973–1977	Warship	Leading Regulator ("Sheriff") Pat Fuller	21 episodes
1974	Play for Today	Loch	Episode: "The Cheviot, the Stag and the Black, Black Oil"
rowspan=2\|1975	Churchill's People	Robert Bruce	Episode: "The Wallace"
Quiller	Hamilton	Episode: "Target North"
rowspan=2\|1976	Survivors	Lenny Carter	Episode: "The Chosen"
Orde Wingate	Brigadier Calvert	3 episodes
rowspan=2\|1977	George & Mildred	Keith	Episode: "The Dorothy Letters"
{{sortname\|The\|Mackenzie Affair\|nolink=y}}	James Mackenzie	Mini series, 5 episodes
1977–1978	Midnight Is a Place	Davey Scatcherd	3 episodes
rowspan=3\|1978	{{sortname\|The\|Standard\|dab=TV series}}	Harry Bray	Episode: "New Standards"
{{sortname\|The\|Sweeney}}	Det. Sgt. Davy Freeth	Episode: "Hard Men"
Kidnapped	Beggar	Mini series, episode: "Uncle Ebenezer"
rowspan=4\|1979	Dick Barton: Special Agent	Jock Anderson	29 episodes
Thundercloud	CPO Hawkins	13 episodes
{{sortname\|The\|Onedin Line}}	Glasgow McDade	Episode: "To Honour and Obey"
{{sortname\|The\|Professionals\|dab=TV series}}	Glover	Episode: "Runner"
1980	Hammer House of Horror	Willis	Episode: "The Thirteenth Reunion"
rowspan=3\|1981	{{sortname\|The\|Nightmare Man\|dab=TV series}}	Sergeant Carch	4 episodes
{{sortname\|The\|House on the Hill\|nolink=y}}	Bonfield	Episode: "Semper Fidelis"
Strangers	Det. Sgt. Galbraith	Episode: "A Dear Green Place"
1982	King's Royal	Colin Lindsay	4 episodes
1982–1984	Take the High Road	Alex Geddes	42 episodes
rowspan="5" \|1984	Minder	Jock McLeish	Episode: "Senior Citizen Caine"
Murder Not Proven?	Sergeant Munro	Episode: "Death on the Mountain"
Scarecrow and Mrs. King	Dr. Ian McCarran	Episode: "The Legend of Das Geisterschloss"
Fairly Secret Army	Crazy Colin Carstairs	2 episodes: "Romance Plughole" and "The Pulses Quicken"
The Master of Ballantrae \|Horseman (uncredited) \|Television film
rowspan="3" \|1985	Lytton's Diary	Harry Owen	Episode: "Daddy's Girls"
Big Deal	McFee	Episode: "Down and Under"
Operation Julie \|Longfellow \|Television film
1985-1986	C.A.T.S. Eyes	McNeill / Howard	2 episodes: "Under Plain Cover" and "Fit"
rowspan=2\|1986	Running Scared	Detective Inspector McNeill	6 episodes
Lost Empires	Inspector Furness	Mini series, episode: "#1.6"
rowspan=2\|1987	Super Gran	Mr. McBigg	Episode: "Supergran Snookered"
Brond	Primo	3 episodes
rowspan=2\|1988	Codename: Kyril	Bonham	Mini series, episode: "#1.1"
Taggart	Victor Baird	3 episodes: "Dead Giveaway: Parts 1, 2 & 3"
rowspan="7" \|1989	William Tell	Anton	AKA Crossbow (Original title). Episode: "Silver Rider"
Winners and Losers	Frank Kerr	Mini series, 3 episodes
{{sortname\|The\|Justice Game\|nolink=y}}	Glen	4 episodes
Saracen	Miekera	Episode: "Into Africa"
Casualty	John Breckman	Episode: "A Grand in the Hand"
{{sortname\|The\|Bill}}	D.C.I. Cameron	Episode: "Seen to Be Done"
{{sortname\|The\|Nightwatch\|nolink=y}} \|James Smithson \|Television film
rowspan="3" \|1990	{{sortname\|The\|Campbells}}	Sgt. Henderson	Episode: "Old Ways and New"
El C.I.D.	Sands	Episode: "Getting Even"
Treasure Island \|Redruth \|Television film
rowspan=2\|1991	{{sortname\|The\|Sharp End}}	Carmichael	Mini series, 8 episodes
Stay Lucky	Bigmac	Episode: "Hard Times, Hard Men"
rowspan=4\|1992	Screaming
Medics	Harry Liverege	Episode: "#2.4"
Heartbeat	Matthew Chapman	Episode: "Nowt But a Prank"
Rab C. Nesbitt	Teacher	Episode: "Lesson"
rowspan=3\| 1993	Scene	Reception Officer	Episode: "Pig Boy"
Between the Lines	D.C.C. Birman	Episode: "Manoeuvre 11"
Casualty	Tony	Episode: "Cat in Hell"
rowspan=3\|1994	{{sortname\|The\|House of Eliott}}	James Maxton	Episode: "#3.5"
Alleyn Mysteries	Major Keith Ballantyne	Episode: "Dead Water"
Screen Two	Jerry	Episode: "Sin Bin"
1994–1995	Roughnecks	Tom	13 episodes
1996	Bad Boys	Tam Devlin	Episode: "Dead Men Don't Wear Bunnets"
rowspan=3\|1997	Ivanhoe	Cedric	Mini series, 5 episodes
Ain't Misbehavin'	Malky Fraser	Mini series, 3 episodes
Soldier Soldier	Lt. Col. Philip Drysdale	9 episodes
1998	Two Lives	Eddie	Episode: "Golden Wedding"
rowspan="4" \|1999	Cleopatra	Agrippa	Mini series, 2 episodes: "Parts 1 & 2"
Comedy Lab	David (voice)	Episode: "Heart and Sole"
{{sortname\|The\|Bill}}	Patrick Grainger: Lennox's Story	Episode: "Haunted"
Split Second \|Donald Paterson \|Television film
rowspan="4" \|2000	{{sortname\|The\|10th Kingdom}}	Blind Woodsman	Mini series, 2 episodes: "#1.4" and "#1.10"
Tales from the Madhouse	The Centurion	Mini series, episode: "The Centurion"
Badger	Charlie Maddox	Episode: "Predators"
{{sortname\|The\|Last of the Blonde Bombshells}} \|McNab \|Television film
2000–2001	Rebus	Morris Gerald Cafferty	2 episodes: "The Hanging Garden" and "Mortal Causes"
2001	Best of Both Worlds	William Landucci
2004	Biography	Narrator (voice)	Documentary series, episode: "Tchaikovsky"
2005	Little House on the Prairie	Mr. Scott	Mini series, 4 episodes
rowspan="2" \|2007	Midsomer Murders	Jack 'Axeman' McKinley	Episode: "The Axeman Cometh"
Impact Earth \|Brenden Kelly \|Television film
2008	{{sortname\|The\|Colour of Magic\|Terry Pratchett's The Colour of Magic}}	Galder Weatherwax	Mini series, episode: "Part 1: The Colour of Magic"
rowspan="2" \|2009	Merlin	Hengist	Episode: "Lancelot and Guinevere"
The Narnia Code \|Narrator \|Television film
rowspan="5" \|2010	Castle	Finn Rourke	Episode: "Sucker Punch"
FlashForward	Philip	Episode: "Revelation Zero: Part 2"
Sons of Anarchy	Father Kellan Ashby	8 episodes
One Night in Emergency \| \| rowspan="2" \|Television film
{{sortname\|The\|Santa Incident\|nolink=y}} \|Nick
2011–2013	Game of Thrones	Jeor Mormont	12 episodes
2012	Silent Witness	Arnold Mears	Episode: "Paradise Lost: Parts 1 & 2"
rowspan=2\|2013	Death in Paradise	Roger Seymour	Episode: "Murder on the Plantation"
Case Histories	Len Lomax	Episode: "Started Early, Took My Dog"
2014	New Worlds	Goffe	Mini series, episode: "#1.1"
2015	Magnum Opus	Moshe Navon	Episode: "Fuck Da Babylon" (Pilot)
rowspan=3\|2016	Shetland	Arthur McCall	4 episodes
Stag	The Gamekeeper	Mini series, episodes 1 & 2
{{sortname\|The\|Collection\|dab=TV series}}	Jules Trouvier	4 episodes
2016, 2018 & 2019	{{sortname\|The\|Durrells}}	Captain Creech	4 episodes
rowspan=2\|2017	Celebrity Big Brother	Himself	Series 19 finalist and third runner-up, 19 episodes
SS-GB	Harry Woods	Mini series, 5 episodes
2018	Mystery of the Lost Paintings	Narrator (voice)	Documentary series, 8 episodes
2018–2019	Hold the Sunset	Bob	9 episodes
rowspan=3\|2019	{{sortname\|The\|Name of the Rose\|dab=TV series}}	Jorge da Burgos	8 episodes
Chernobyl	Miner	Episode: 'Open Wide, O Earth'
His Dark Materials	Farder Coram	rowspan="2" \|6 episodes
2021	{{sortname\|The\|Bay\|dab=TV series}}	Bill Bradwell
2022	Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan	Luka Gocharov	8 episodes
rowspan=2\|2023–2024	Highland Cops	Narrator (voice)	Documentary series, 11 episodes
Six Four	Jim Mackie	Mini series, 4 episodes
2024	Nightsleeper	Fraser Warren	6 episodes

References

External links

[https://jamescosmo.com/ Official Website]
{{IMDb name|0181920}}

Category:Living people

Category:Scottish male film actors

Category:Scottish male television actors

Category:Scottish male voice actors

Category:People from Clydebank

Category:20th-century Scottish male actors

Category:21st-century Scottish male actors

Category:Members of the Order of the British Empire

Category:1947 births

Category:Male actors from West Dunbartonshire