Ray Stevenson

{{About|the actor|the Canadian political activist|Ray Stevenson (political activist)}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Ray Stevenson

| image = Ray Stevenson March 18, 2014 (cropped).jpg

| caption = Stevenson in 2014

| birth_name = George Raymond Stevenson

| birth_date = {{birth date|1964|05|25|df=y}}

| birth_place = Lisburn, Northern Ireland

| death_date = {{death date and age|2023|05|21|1964|05|25|df=y}}

| death_place = Ischia, Campania, Italy

| occupation = Actor

| education = Bristol Old Vic Theatre School

| years_active = 1993–2023

| spouse = {{marriage|Ruth Gemmell|1997|2005|end=divorced}}

| partner = Elisabetta Caraccia

| children = 3

}}

George Raymond Stevenson (25 May 1964{{snd}}21 May 2023) was a Northern Ireland-born actor, best known for his film and television work. He had a starring role as legionary Titus Pullo on the BBC/HBO television series Rome (2005–2007), and 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 notable film roles included Dagonet in King Arthur (2004), mobster Danny Greene in Kill the Irishman (2011), Porthos in The Three Musketeers (also 2011), and the villainous Governor-General Scott Buxton in RRR (2022). His television roles include Ukrainian mobster Isaak Sirko in the seventh season of Dexter (2012), for which he received a Saturn Award nomination; Blackbeard in the third and fourth seasons of Black Sails (2016–2017), voicing Gar Saxon in Star Wars Rebels (2016–2017) and Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2020), Othere in 11 episodes of Vikings (2020), and portraying Baylan Skoll in Ahsoka (2023).

Stevenson was married to English actress Ruth Gemmell for eight years, and had three sons with Italian anthropologist Elisabetta Caraccia.

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.{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2005/10_october/18/rome_stevenson.shtml|title=BBC – Press Office – Rome press pack phase two Ray Stevenson|work=bbc.co.uk|access-date=6 September 2015}} 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 (Newcastle upon Tyne) on a design course, then the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, graduating at the age of 29.{{Citation needed|date=May 2023}}

Career

=Film=

Stevenson made his film debut in The Theory of Flight (1998) as a gigolo hired to help Helena Bonham Carter's character lose her virginity. In 2002, he starred in the short film No Man's Land, which was the antipodal picture from actor/director Edward Hicks prior to his graduation from the London Film School. In the 12-minute film, set during World War I, Stevenson portrayed an experienced private who is forced to help a novice officer (David Birkin) back to safety after they both find themselves trapped and isolated in "No Man's Land" during the Battle of Ypres. In 2004, he starred in King Arthur as Dagonet, a knight of the round table who sacrifices his life for his comrades. His first leading role in a film was in the Scottish horror picture Outpost (2008), portraying a mercenary pitted against 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.

In 2011, Stevenson appeared in the film Kill the Irishman, based on the book To Kill the Irishman: The War That Crippled the Mafia, as Danny Greene, the Irish mob boss who took on the Italian-American Cleveland crime family during the 1970s. 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. He played Firefly in G.I. Joe: Retaliation, released in 2013. He appeared in the Finnish-American thriller film Big Game.{{cite web|url=http://bloody-disgusting.com/videos/3326894/samuel-jackson-hunts-big-game-trailer/|title=Samuel Jackson Hunts a 'Big Game' (Trailer) -|work=bloody-disgusting.com|date=5 January 2015 |access-date=6 September 2015}} 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.

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.{{cite news |last1=Press Trust of India |title=SS Rajamouli ropes in Olivia Morris Ray Stevenson and Alison Doody for RRR |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/regional-cinema/story/ss-rajamouli-ropes-in-olivia-morris-ray-stevenson-and-alison-doody-for-rrr-1620961-2019-11-20 |access-date=20 November 2019 |work=India Today |date=20 November 2019 |language=en}}

=Television=

Stevenson played legionary Titus Pullo in the BBC/HBO series Rome. His other television work included guest appearances in Waking the Dead, Murphy's Law and lead roles in City Central and At Home with the Braithwaites. 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). 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.

On 24 March 2015, it was announced by producers that Stevenson would be joining the cast of the Starz series Black Sails as the character Edward Teach.{{cite news|last1=Friedlander|first1=Whitney|title='Divergent's' Ray Stevenson Joins Starz's 'Black Sails' as Blackbeard|url=https://variety.com/2015/tv/news/black-sails-blackbeard-ray-stevenson-1201459131/|access-date=24 March 2015|agency=Variety Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media, LLC.|publisher=Variety}}

Stevenson also appeared in Season 6 of the series Vikings as Othere, which ran from 2013 to 2020. He also appeared in Season 3 of the series Das Boot as Commander Jack Swinburne in 2022.{{cite web |url=https://imdb.com/title/tt5830254/fullcredits/cast/ |title=Das Boot (TV Series 2018– ) – "Cast" credits – IMDb |website=IMDb |access-date=1 September 2023}}

At Star Wars Celebration 2023, Stevenson was announced as playing the Dark Jedi Baylan Skoll in Ahsoka, a miniseries debuting on Disney+. After the series' debut following Stevenson's death, Stevenson's Skoll quickly became a fan favorite.{{cite web|url=https://www.cbr.com/baylan-skoll-star-wars-questions/|last=Smith|first=Ryan|date=7 October 2023|access-date=29 December 2023|website=Comic Book Resources|title=Baylan Skoll Raises Some of Star Wars' Biggest Questions}}{{cite web|url=https://www.pajiba.com/tv_reviews/what-makes-ahsokas-baylan-skoll-so-damn-captivating.php|last=Castleton|first=Lord|date=3 October 2023|access-date=29 December 2023|website=Pajiba|title=What Makes Ahsoka's Baylon Skoll So Damn Captivating?}} In an interview on Stevenson's part, showrunner Dave Filoni noted that when he was told to play Skoll as a villain, "[Stevenson] was like, 'I don't think so.' I'm like, 'Okay, I appreciate that you don't think so, and Baylan wouldn't think he's the villain, but you are a villain in this.' And he's like, 'We'll see.' It was kind of perfect." {{cite web|last= Coggan| first= Devan| url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/dave-filoni-remembers-ahsoka-star-235052904.html|title=Dave Filoni remembers 'Ahsoka' star Ray Stevenson and explains Baylan Skoll's big finale cliffhanger|access-date=29 December 2023|date=22 November 2023|website=Entertainment Tonight}} Stevenson also offered input on the design of his character's lightsaber hilt.{{Cite web|url=https://collider.com/ahsoka-ray-stevenson-baylan-skoll-star-wars/|last=Bardini|first=Julio|date=10 October 2023|access-date=29 December 2023|title=It's a Shame We Won't Get More of Ray Stevenson's Baylan Skoll in Star Wars|website=Collider }}

Stevenson's performance in Ahsoka also received considerable praise from critics. Metro described his work as "one of the highlights of the entire Star Wars series",{{Cite web|url=https://metro.co.uk/2023/10/05/ray-stevenson-ahsoka-performance-paid-tribute-original-star-wars-movies-19611556/?ico=mosaic_tag|last=Barr|first=Sabrina|date=3 October 2023|access-date=29 December 2023|title=Ray Stevenson's performance in Ahsoka before his death purposely paid homage to original Star Wars movies|website=Metro}} while Collider described Stevenson as having "an inescapable gravitas" and that he "gave a masterclass in character building".

After Stevenson's death, Rory McCann took over the role for the second season.

=Stage=

Stevenson's stage work included playing the part of Jesus Christ in the York Mystery Plays in 2000 at York Minster. In 2001, he took the part of Roger in the play Mouth to Mouth by Kevin Elyot, at the Albery Theatre in London with Lindsay Duncan and Michael Maloney. His best-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.{{cite web |last1=Wolf |first1=Matt |title=The Duchess of Malfi |url=https://variety.com/2003/legit/reviews/the-duchess-of-malfi-4-1200543679/ |website=Variety |date=3 February 2003 |access-date=22 May 2023}}

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.{{cite news | url = https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/tv/cast-band-gold-now-14006521 | title = Where is the cast of Band of Gold now? | date = 10 December 2017 | access-date = 7 March 2019 | last = Koncienzcy | first = Rebecca | work = Liverpool Echo | publisher = Reach Plc | quote = She married fellow Band of Gold actor Ray Stevenson in 1997, but the couple divorced in 2005.}}

Stevenson had three sons with Italian anthropologist Elisabetta Caraccia.{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/amp/Entertainment/wireStory/irish-actor-ray-stevenson-rome-thor-movies-dies-99515239|title=Ray Stevenson, of 'Rome' and 'Thor' movies, dies at 58|work=ABC News|first=Lindsey|last=Bahr|date=22 May 2023|accessdate=22 May 2023}}

Death

Stevenson died on 21 May 2023, at age 58, four days before his 59th birthday.{{Cite web |date=22 May 2023 |title=Ray Stevenson, 'Punisher: War Zone' and 'Rome' Star, dies at 58 |url=https://www.thewrap.com/ray-stevenson-dies-punisher-rrr-rome/ |access-date=22 May 2023 |website=TheWrap |language=en}}{{cite web |last1=Pederson |first1=Erik |title=Ray Stevenson Dies: 'RRR', 'Thor', Vikings' & 'Divergent' Actor Was 58 |url=https://deadline.com/2023/05/ray-stevenson-dead-rrr-thor-vikings-star-wars-divergent-actor-1235375795/ |website=Deadline |date=22 May 2023 |access-date=22 May 2023}} He was reportedly hospitalised while on set filming Cassino in Ischia on the Italian island of Ischia.{{Cite news |date=22 May 2023 |title=Ray Stevenson: Thor, Volstagg and Star Wars actor dies aged 58 |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-65677440 |access-date=23 May 2023}}{{Cite news |first=Benjamin |last=VanHoose |date=24 May 2023 |title=Ray Stevenson Was Rushed to Hospital from Set Before Death, Filming Was Suspended: Sources (Exclusive) |language=en-USA |work=People |url=https://people.com/ray-stevenson-was-rushed-to-hospital-from-film-set-before-death-exclusive-7503674 |access-date=24 May 2023}} Stevenson's co-stars, including Rosario Dawson, Scott Adkins, and James Purefoy, paid tribute. Stevenson's role in Cassino in Ischia was taken over by Dominic Purcell.{{cite web |last1=Wiseman |first1=Andreas |title=Dominic Purcell Replaces Late Ray Stevenson In Cassino In Ischia Movie From Republic Pictures & Paramount Global |url=https://deadline.com/2023/06/dominic-purcell-prison-break-legends-tomorrow-movie-ray-stevenson-cassino-ischia-paramount-italy-1235427064/ |website=Deadline Hollywood |access-date=9 July 2023 |date=29 June 2023}}

The first episode of Ahsoka, released on 22 August 2023, just over three months after Stevenson's death, includes a dedication to him: "For our friend, Ray".{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/tv/ahsoka-premiere-ray-stevenson-tribute/|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|title=Ahsoka premiere pays tribute to the late Ray Stevenson|first=Dalton|last=Ross|date=22 August 2023|access-date=24 August 2023}} Ivanna Sakhno, who played Shin Hati, Stevenson's on-screen apprentice in Ahsoka, wrote in commemoration that she would be "forever his Wolf", in tribute to their characters being named after the two wargs who pursued the moon and sun in Norse mythology.{{cite web|last=Lammers|first=Tim|title=Ivanna Sakhno's Tribute To Late Ahsoka Co-Star Ray Stevenson Will Make You Cry|url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/news/ivanna-sakhnos-tribute-to-late-ahsoka-co-star-ray-stevenson-will-make-you-cry/ar-AA1hHByD|website=Looper|access-date=29 December 2023|date=4 October 2023}} Stevenson was succeeded in the role of Skoll by Rory McCann in Ahsoka's second season. McCann was a good friend of Stevenson.{{cite web | url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/star-wars-ahsoka-season-2-ray-stevenson-rory-mccann-1236105886/ | title='Game of Thrones' Actor Rory McCann Replacing the Late Ray Stevenson for 'Ahsoka' Season 2 | website=The Hollywood Reporter | date=10 January 2025 }}

The film Canary Black (2024), which features Stevenson, is also dedicated to him.

Filmography

=Film=

class="wikitable"

|+Key

| style="background:#FFFFCC;"| {{dagger|alt=Films that have not yet been released}}

| Denotes films that have not yet been released

class="wikitable sortable"

! Year

! Title

! Role

! class="unsortable" | Notes

! class="unsortable" | {{Tooltip|Ref.|Reference(s)}}

1998

| The Theory of Flight

| Gigolo

| {{cite web |title=Ray Stevenson List of Movies and TV Shows |url=https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/ray-stevenson/credits/3030082914/ |website=TV Guide |access-date=22 May 2023}}

1999

| G:MT – Greenwich Mean Time

| Mr. Hardy

| {{cite web |title=Ray Stevenson Filmography |url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/1456390%7c0/Ray-Stevenson/#filmography |website=Turner Classic Movies |access-date=22 May 2023}}

2002

| No Man's Land

| Short film

2004

| King Arthur

| Dagonet

rowspan="2" | 2008

| Outpost

| D.C.

Punisher: War Zone

| Frank Castle / Punisher

2009

| Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant

| Murlough

rowspan="2" | 2010

| The Book of Eli

| Redridge

The Other Guys

| Roger Wesley

rowspan="3" | 2011

| Kill the Irishman

| Danny Greene

Thor

| Volstagg

The Three Musketeers

| Porthos

rowspan="3" | 2013

| G.I. Joe: Retaliation

| Firefly

Jayne Mansfield's Car

| Phillip Bedford

Thor: The Dark World

| Volstagg

rowspan="2" | 2014

| Divergent

| Marcus Eaton

Big Game

| Morris

rowspan="2" | 2015

| The Divergent Series: Insurgent

| Marcus Eaton

The Transporter: Refueled

| Frank Martin Sr.

2016

| The Divergent Series: Allegiant

| Marcus Eaton

rowspan="2" | 2017

| Thor: Ragnarok

| Volstagg

Cold Skin

| Gruner

rowspan="2" | 2018

| Accident Man

| Ray "Big Ray"

Final Score

| Arkady Belav

rowspan="3" | 2022

| RRR

| Governor Scott Buxton

Memory

| Detective Danny Mora

Accident Man: Hitman's Holiday

| Ray "Big Ray"

2024

| Canary Black

| Jarvis Hedlund

| Posthumous release

|{{Cite web |last=Staff |first=Amazon |date=2024-08-02 |title=Amazon MGM Studios and Prime Video fall lineup: 13 films you won't want to miss |url=https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/entertainment/mgm-studios-prime-video-fall-movies |access-date=2024-08-30 |website=www.aboutamazon.com |language=en}}

| style="background:#FFFFCC;" |1242: Gateway to the West {{dagger}}

| Cesareane

| Post-production, posthumous release

| {{Cite web |last=Vlessing |first=Etan |date=25 January 2023 |title=Ray Stevenson Replaces Kevin Spacey in Epic Drama '1242: Gateway to the West' |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/ray-stevenson-replaces-kevin-spacey-1242-gateway-to-the-west-1235309988/ |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US |access-date=25 March 2024}}

= Television =

class="wikitable sortable"

! Year

! Title

! Role

! class="unsortable" | Notes

! class="unsortable" | {{Tooltip|Ref.|Reference(s)}}

1993

| A Woman's Guide to Adultery

| Journalist

rowspan="2" | 1994

| The Dwelling Place

| Matthew Whitwell

| 3 episodes

The Return of the Native

| Clym Yeobright

| Television film

rowspan="2" | 1995

| Band of Gold

| Steve Dickson

| 12 episodes

Some Kind of Life

| Steve

| Television film

1996

| The Tide of Life

| Larry Birch

| 3 episodes

rowspan="2" | 1997

| Peak Practice

| Joe Higson

| Episode: "Home Truths"

Drover's Gold

| Armstrong

| 5 episodes

| {{cite web |title=Ray Stevenson |url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2bb1a5a1b2 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190104004924/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2bb1a5a1b2 |url-status=dead |archive-date=4 January 2019 |website=British Film Institute |language=en-GB |access-date=22 May 2023}}

1998

| City Central

| Detective Inspector Tony Baynham

| 32 episodes

1999

| Love in the 21st Century

| Alex

| Episode: "Toyboys"

rowspan="2" | 2000

| Holby City

| Laurence Haney

| Episode: "Taking It on the Chin"

The Bill

| Sergeant Gartland

| Episode: "Over the Edge"

rowspan="2" | 2001

| At Home with the Braithwaites

| Graham Braithwaite

| 11 episodes

Dalziel and Pascoe

| Jeff Parry

| Episode: "Truth and Consequences"

rowspan="2" | 2003

| Red Cap

| Sergeant Chris Roxborough

| Episode: "Cover Story"

Murphy's Law

| Robert Eaglan

| Episode: "Kiss and Tell"

2004

| Waking the Dead

| Dr. Tim Faulkner

| Episode: "Fugue States"

2005–2007

| Rome

| Titus Pullo

| 22 episodes

2007

| Life Line

| Peter Brasco

| Television film

2009

| The Super Hero Squad Show

| Frank Castle / Punisher

| Voice, Episode: "Night in the Sanctorum!"

| {{cite web |title=Marvel Super Hero Squad voice Cast |url=http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0907/28/index.htm |website=Comics Continuum |language=en-US |date=28 July 2009 |access-date=25 March 2024}}

2012

| Dexter

| Isaak "Volk" Sirko

| 9 episodes
Nominated – Saturn Award for Best Guest Starring Role on Television

2014

| Crossing Lines

| Miles Lennon

| 4 episodes

2015

| Saints & Strangers

| Stephen Hopkins

| Miniseries