Sean Harris (born 1965/1966) is an English actor and writer. He played Ian Curtis in ''

24 Hour Party People ''24 Hour Party People'' is a 2002 British biographical comedy-drama film about Manchester's popular music community from 1976 to 1992, and specifically about Factory Records. It was written by Frank Cottrell Boyce and directed by Michael Wint ...

'' (2002),

Micheletto Corella Micheletto Corella (Micheletto Coreglia, Michele de Corella or Miguel de Corella) was a Valencian condottiero born on an unknown date in Valencia. He was killed in Milan in February 1508. Biography Known as '' Valentino's executioner'', he an ...

in '' The Borgias'' (2011–2013), Fifield in ''

Prometheus In Greek mythology, Prometheus (; , , possibly meaning " forethought")Smith"Prometheus". is a Titan god of fire. Prometheus is best known for defying the gods by stealing fire from them and giving it to humanity in the form of technology, kn ...

'' (2012), Solomon Lane in '' Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation'' (2015) and '' Mission: Impossible – Fallout'' (2018), Philip in '' Possum'' (2018) and

William Gascoigne Sir William Gascoigne (c. 135017 December 1419) was Chief Justice of England during the reign of King Henry IV. Life and work Gascoigne (alternatively spelled Gascoyne) was a descendant of an ancient Yorkshire family. He was born in Gawthor ...

in '' The King'' (2019). Harris won a

British Academy Television Award for Best Actor This is a list of the British Academy Television Awards for Best Actor. The Best Actor award was initially given as an "individual honour", without credit to a particular performance, until 1962, when Rupert Davies won for his performance in ''Maig ...

for his role in the miniseries ''

Southcliffe ''Southcliffe'' is a British drama series that aired on Channel 4. Set in a fictional town on the North Kent Marshes, it employs a nonlinear narrative structure to tell the story of a series of shootings by a local man portrayed by Sean Harris ...

'' (2013) and received three consecutive nominations for the

BIFA Award for Best Supporting Actor The British Independent Film Award for Best Supporting Actor is an annual award given by the British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) to recognize the best supporting performance by an actor in a British independent film. From 2003 to 2007, only on ...

Early life and education

Harris was born just outside

Woodbridge, Suffolk Woodbridge is a port and market town in the East Suffolk district of Suffolk, England. It is up the River Deben from the sea. It lies north-east of Ipswich and forms part of the wider Ipswich built-up area. The town is close to some major a ...

, and grew up in

Lowestoft Lowestoft ( ) is a coastal town and civil parish in the East Suffolk (district), East Suffolk district of Suffolk, England.OS Explorer Map OL40: The Broads: (1:25 000) : . As the List of extreme points of the United Kingdom, most easterly UK se ...

, Suffolk. He attended Denes High School, now the

Ormiston Denes Academy Ormiston Denes Academy is a secondary school with academy status located in the northern outskirts of Lowestoft in the English county of Suffolk. It has around 1000 students aged 11 to 16.Suffolk County CounciSchool Profile Retrieved 13 Novem ...

in Lowestoft, Suffolk. At 23, he moved to London to train at the

Drama Centre London Drama Centre London (often abbreviated as Drama Centre) was a British drama school in King's Cross, London, where it moved in 2011 after a major reshaping of the University of the Arts London. It was part of Central Saint Martins, a constitue ...

from 1989 to 1992.

Career

Stage

Harris was a member of the Glasgow

Citizens Theatre The Citizens Theatre, in what was the Royal Princess's Theatre, is the creation of James Bridie and is based in Glasgow, Scotland as a principal producing theatre. The theatre includes a 500-seat Main Auditorium, and has also included various s ...

, where he performed in stage productions such as Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet directed by

Giles Havergal Giles Pollock Havergal CBE (born 9 June 1938, in Edinburgh) is a theatre director and actor, opera stage director, teacher, and adaptor. He was artistic director of Glasgow's Citizens Theatre from 1969 until he stepped down in 2003, one of the tri ...

and as Carino in Don Juan directed by

Robert David MacDonald Robert David MacDonald (27 August 1929 – 19 May 2004), known as David, was a Scottish playwright, translator and theatre director. Early life Robert David MacDonald was born in Elgin, in Morayshire, Scotland on 27 August 1929, the son of a d ...

. He also appeared as Lysander in a production of ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'', directed by Matthew Lloyd at the

Haymarket Theatre (Leicester) The Leicester Haymarket Theatre is a theatre in Leicester, England, next to the Haymarket Shopping Centre on Belgrave Gate in Leicester City centre. History The Haymarket Theatre was opened by Sir Ralph Richardson and the opening season star ...

and as Johnny in a

Nottingham Playhouse Nottingham Playhouse is a theatre in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England. It was first established as a repertory theatre in 1948 when it operated from a former cinema in Goldsmith Street. Directors during this period included Val May and F ...

production of Angels Rave On, directed by Jonathan Church.

Television

Harris' television credits include serial killer

Ian Brady The Moors murders were carried out by Ian Brady and Myra Hindley between July 1963 and October 1965, in and around Manchester, England. The victims were five children—Pauline Reade, John Kilbride, Keith Bennett, Lesley Ann Downey, and Edward E ...

, on

ITV1 ITV1 (formerly known as ITV) is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the British media company ITV plc. It provides the Channel 3 public broadcast service across all of the United Kingdom except for t ...

's television mini-series, '' See No Evil: The Moors Murders'' (2006), the 2007 television films hi ''

Wedding Belles ''Wedding Belles'' is a Scottish-based British television drama film first broadcast on Channel 4 on 29 March 2007. Plot ''Wedding Belles'' centres around four young women struggling with personal issues, while preparing to throw one of their g ...

,''

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service ...

's drama series ''

Cape Wrath Cape Wrath ( gd, Am Parbh, known as ' in Lewis) is a cape in the Durness parish of the county of Sutherland in the Highlands of Scotland. It is the most north-westerly point in mainland Britain. The cape is separated from the rest of the ma ...

'' (Meadowlands in the United States) as Gordon Ormond and the BBC series '' Ashes to Ashes'' as Arthur Layton. In 2009, he played corrupt Detective Inspector Bob Craven in Channel 4's critically acclaimed ''

Red Riding ''Red Riding'' is a British crime drama limited series written by Tony Grisoni and based on the book series of the same name by David Peace. The series comprises the novels ''Nineteen Seventy-Four'' (1999), ''Nineteen Seventy-Seven'' (2000), ' ...

'' trilogy and as photographer Anton Blair in Dean Cavanagh's comedy series, ''

Svengali Svengali () is a character in the novel ''Trilby'' which was first published in 1894 by George du Maurier. Svengali is a man who seduces, dominates and exploits Trilby, a young half-Irish girl, and makes her into a famous singer. Definition ...

''. In the BBC TV drama ''

Five Daughters ''Five Daughters'' is a British television drama miniseries starring Ian Hart, Sarah Lancashire, Jaime Winstone and Juliet Aubrey. Set in 2006, it is about the five victims of the Ipswich serial murders and how the crime affected their fam ...

'' (2010), Harris portrayed Brian Tobin, co-founder of the drug treatment facility, The Iceni Project, based in

Suffolk Suffolk () is a ceremonial county of England in East Anglia. It borders Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south; the North Sea lies to the east. The county town is Ipswich; other important towns include ...

. In preparing to play Tobin, Harris followed the real Brian Tobin around during pre-production. From 2011 to 2013, Harris appeared as the assassin Micheletto in '' The Borgias'', a series created by

Neil Jordan Neil Patrick Jordan (born 25 February 1950) is an Irish film director, screenwriter, novelist and short-story writer. His first book, '' Night in Tunisia'', won a Somerset Maugham Award and the Guardian Fiction Prize in 1979. He won an Academ ...

. In 2013, he starred as Stephen Morton in the

drama ''

'', for which Harris would win a

British Academy of Film and Television Arts British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

award for Best Actor in 2014. He also played Joss Merlyn in the poorly received BBC adaptation of ''

Jamaica Inn The Jamaica Inn is a traditional inn on Bodmin Moor in Cornwall in the UK, which was built as a coaching inn in 1750, and has a historical association with smuggling. Located just off the A30, near the middle of the moor close to the hamlet ...

'', which became a subject of controversy and made national news over its mumbling cast and other sound problems.

Film

Harris played the main cast role of Thomas the Disciple, and later Thomas the Apostle in the 1999 biblical, historical, drama television film version of Jesus. His notable roles include that of

Joy Division Joy Division were an English rock band formed in Salford in 1976. The group consisted of vocalist Ian Curtis, guitarist/keyboardist Bernard Sumner, bassist Peter Hook and drummer Stephen Morris. Sumner and Hook formed the band after atte ...

's lead singer Ian Curtis in

Michael Winterbottom Michael Winterbottom (born 29 March 1961) is an English film director. He began his career working in British television before moving into features. Three of his films—''Welcome to Sarajevo'', ''Wonderland'' and ''24 Hour Party People''—h ...

's 2002 film ''

'' and as Steven in the film short '' True Love (Once Removed)'', directed by Kevin Thomas. The film won Best Short Film at both the Palm Springs and Houston Film Festivals, was selected for the

Clermont-Ferrand Clermont-Ferrand (, ; ; oc, label= Auvergnat, Clarmont-Ferrand or Clharmou ; la, Augustonemetum) is a city and commune of France, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, with a population of 146,734 (2018). Its metropolitan area (''aire d'attrac ...

, London Raindance and Los Angeles Short Film festivals and also qualified for an Oscar nomination in 2004. Harris also played Nick Sidney in the 2005

mockumentary A mockumentary (a blend of ''mock'' and ''documentary''), fake documentary or docu-comedy is a type of film or television show depicting fictional events but presented as a documentary. These productions are often used to analyze or comment on c ...

'' Brothers of the Head'', directed by Keith Fulton and Louis Pepe. In 2007, he appeared in his first feature film lead role as Eddie in ''

Saxon The Saxons ( la, Saxones, german: Sachsen, ang, Seaxan, osx, Sahson, nds, Sassen, nl, Saksen) were a group of Germanic * * * * peoples whose name was given in the early Middle Ages to a large country (Old Saxony, la, Saxonia) near the Nor ...

'', directed by Greg Loftin. In 2009, he played Stretch in '' Harry Brown'', directed by Daniel Barber. In 2010, Harris appeared in another film short, '' Native Son'', written and directed by Scottish director Scott Graham. It premiered at the 2010

Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films ...

. In 2012, he played Fifield in

Ridley Scott Sir Ridley Scott (born 30 November 1937) is a British film director and producer. Directing, among others, science fiction films, his work is known for its atmospheric and highly concentrated visual style. Scott has received many accolades th ...

's ''

''. In 2014, Harris played Mick Santino in ''

Deliver Us From Evil "Deliver us from evil" is a line from the Lord's Prayer in the Bible. Deliver Us from Evil may also refer to: Books * Deliver Us from Evil (novel), ''Deliver Us from Evil'' (novel), a novel by David Baldacci * ''Deliver Us from Evil: Defeating T ...

'' (2014), directed by Scott Derrickson and based upon the 2001 novel "Beware the Night" by

Ralph Sarchie Ralph Sarchie (14 June 1962, New York City) is a retired NYPD sergeant and traditionalist Catholic demonologist. He has written a book, ''Beware the Night'', which details many of his paranormal investigations; his accounts were later the basis o ...

and

Lisa Collier Cool Lisa Collier Cool (6 July 1952) is an American journalist and author who writes on health-related topics. Education Born Lisa Collier, Cool began collegiate studies in the early 1970s at Shimer College. She later transferred to Columbia Unive ...

. He was cast by Derrickson for the film, without an interview, based upon the director having seen the actor's performance in '' Harry Brown''. That same year, he appeared as Gene Womack in Guy Myhill's ''

The Goob ''The Goob'' is a 2014 British film. It was made by BBC Films and directed by Guy Myhill from his own screenplay. Plot "Goob" Taylor (Liam Walpole) is a school leaver with an abusive stepfather, trapped in rural poverty in Norfolk. He clashes wit ...

''. Myhill previously directed Harris in two film shorts, ''Two Halftimes to Hell'' (1997) and ''The Fabulous Bilsons'' (2001). Harris finished the year with his performances as Captain Sandy Browning in the critically acclaimed '' '71'', directed by

Yann Demange Yann Demange (born 1977) is a French film director of French and Algerian parents, who grew up in London. After directing the well-received television series ''Dead Set'' (2008) and ''Top Boy'' (2011), he made his directorial film debut with the cr ...

, for which he earned a

British Independent Film Award The British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) is an organisation that celebrates, supports and promotes British independent cinema and filmmaking talent in United Kingdom. Nominations for the annual awards ceremony are announced in early November, ...

nomination for Best Supporting Actor and as Campbell in '' Serena'' (2014), directed by

Susanne Bier Susanne Bier (; born 15 April 1960) is a Danish filmmaker. She is best known for her feature films '' Brothers'' (2004), '' After the Wedding'' (2006), ''In a Better World'' (2010), and '' Bird Box'' (2018), and the TV miniseries ''The Night Man ...

. In 2015, Harris appeared as Solomon Lane in '' Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation,'' directed by

Christopher McQuarrie Christopher McQuarrie is an American filmmaker. He received the BAFTA Award, Independent Spirit Award, and Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for the neo-noir mystery film ''The Usual Suspects'' (1995). He made his directorial debut wit ...

, and as Macduff in

Justin Kurzel Justin Dallas Kurzel (; born 1974) is an Australian film director and screenwriter. Early life Kurzel was born 1974 in Gawler, South Australia to a family of immigrant roots, his father hailing from Poland and his mother from Malta. His you ...

's ''

Macbeth ''Macbeth'' (, full title ''The Tragedie of Macbeth'') is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. It is thought to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition on those w ...

''. His next project, ''

Trespass Against Us ''Trespass Against Us'' is a 2016 crime drama film directed by Adam Smith and written by Alastair Siddons. The film stars Michael Fassbender, Brendan Gleeson, Sean Harris, Lyndsey Marshal, Rory Kinnear, and Killian Scott. It was selected to be ...

'', was released in 2016. Harris filmed ''Possum'' in 2016, a film by Matthew Holness, in which he plays the main character. He reprised his role as Lane in the sequel '' Mission: Impossible – Fallout'' (2018). In 2021, Harris portrayed Darren McGrady, the Royal Head Chef, in the film '' Spencer'', and a frail, aged King Arthur in the film '' The Green Knight''.

Music videos

Harris made a cameo appearance as a clown in a music video for the

Norwich Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the Episcopal see, See of ...

band the Black Sharks' debut album titled ''Lose Control'', directed by Myhill (evidently filmed at the same time as ''The Fabulous Bilsons''). In 2007, he appeared in a video for

Mark Ronson Mark Daniel Ronson (born 4 September 1975) is a British-American DJ, songwriter, record producer, and record executive. He is best known for his collaborations with artists such as Duran Duran, Amy Winehouse, Adele, Lady Gaga, Lily Allen, R ...

's "

Stop Me ''Stop Me'' is a compilation album by English band The Smiths. It compiles the band's then-latest (but not last) three singles and their B-sides in reverse-chronological order. ''Stop Me'' was released in January 1988 by their Japanese record ...

". In 2012, Harris appeared in London-based music group Barbarossa's video short, ''Battles'', directed by

Montserrat Lombard Montserrat Lombard (born 1 August 1982) is an English actress best known for playing WPC (later DC) Sharon 'Shaz' Granger in the BBC drama series '' Ashes to Ashes''. Early life Lombard was born in London and is of Spanish and Italian desce ...

. Harris and Lombard have been working on the screen play for a film short, ''White'' as well as a script for a feature-length film, ''Imager''. He will play the lead in the film short with Lombard directing once again.

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Harris, Sean 20th-century English male actors 21st-century English male actors English male film actors English male television actors Living people Male actors from London People from Bethnal Green Best Actor BAFTA Award (television) winners Alumni of the Drama Centre London Year of birth missing (living people)