Liam Cunningham (actor)

Liam Cunningham (born 2 June 1961) is an Irish actor. He is known for playing Davos Seaworth in the HBO epic-fantasy series ''Game of Thrones''.

Cunningham has been nominated for the London Film Critics' Circle Award, the British Independent Film Award, has won two Irish Film & Television Awards, and shared a BAFTA with Michael Fassbender, for their crime-drama short film ''Pitch Black Heist''. His film roles include ''A Little Princess'' (1995), '' Jude'' (1996), ''Dog Soldiers'' (2002), '' The Crooked Man'' (2003), '' The Wind That Shakes the Barley'' (2006), ''Hunger'' (2008), '' The Escapist'' (2008), ''Good Vibrations'' (2013), ''Let Us Prey'' (2014) and '' The Childhood of a Leader'' (2015). In 2020, he was listed at number 36 on ''The Irish Times'' list of Ireland's greatest film actors.

Early life

Cunningham was born in East Wall, which is an inner city area of the Northside of Dublin. He grew up in Kilmore West with his three sisters and a brother. Cunningham left secondary school at 15 and pursued a career as an electrician. In the 1980s, Cunningham moved to Zimbabwe for three years where he maintained electrical equipment at a safari park and trained Zimbabwean electricians. After returning to Ireland, Cunningham became dissatisfied with his work as an electrician and decided to pursue his interest in acting. He attended acting classes and began to work in local theatre, including the Royal Shakespeare Company. He appeared in a production of ''Studs'' at The Tricycle Theatre in Kilburn, London.

Career

Cunningham's debut film role came in '' Into the West'' (1992), where he played a police officer. His on-screen acting continued with roles in '' War of the Buttons'' (1994), and ''A Little Princess'' (1995), before making his role as Phillotson in '' Jude'' (1996). He continued with character roles in ''Falling for a Dancer'' (TV, 1998), ''RKO 281'' (1999), ''Shooting the Past'' (TV, 1999), ''When the Sky Falls'' (2000) and '' Stranded'' (2002). Cunningham came to international prominence with his role as Captain Ryan in the critically acclaimed, independent horror film, ''Dog Soldiers'' (2002).

Cunningham starred in well-received films such as '' The Wind That Shakes the Barley'' (2006) which won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival; ''Hunger''; '' The Escapist'' (both 2008); ''The Guard''; and '' Black Butterflies'' (both 2011). He also had roles in many high budget British and American films including '' The League of Gentlemen's Apocalypse'' (2005), '' The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor'' (2008), '' Harry Brown'' (2009), '' Clash of the Titans'', ''Centurion'' (both 2010). On television, he appeared as President ''Richard Tate'' in the BBC
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