Hans Matheson
Encyclopedia
Hans Matheson is a British actor
.
, Scotland, the son of Sheena, a therapist, and Iain (Ado), a folk musician and painter. He made his feature film
debut as Johnny Silver in Jez Butterworth
's critically acclaimed directorial debut, Mojo. Prior to Mojo, Matheson had appeared in various television series.
He followed his role in Mojo with Stella Does Tricks, playing a male prostitute hooked on drugs. Matheson then played Marius in Bille August
's film version of Les Misérables
. Matheson played guitar
for the role of Luke Shand, a youthful rocker
helping to invigorate an old band in the sleeper hit Still Crazy
.
Matheson continued with a starring role in the acclaimed independent British
hit Tube Tales
, which led to his first commercialized film, Bodywork, starring with the talented cast of Beth Winslet
, Charlotte Coleman
, and Clive Russell
. Matheson was later in Canone Inverso, as Jeno Varga.
Following Canone, he took on the role of Mordred
in the American TV film
The Mists of Avalon
.
Matheson proceeded in his career with a role as Thomas in the Danish
film I Am Dina
, based upon Dinas Bok. Matheson then landed the role of Yurii Zhivago, in Giacomo Campiotti's 2002 adaptation of Boris Pasternak
's novel, Doctor Zhivago
.
Matheson continued his career starring in independent film
s, such as 2002's Deathwatch and the docu-film Comfortably Numb. Comfortably Numb, a docu-film centered around the lives of drug patients.
In 2006, Matheson co-starred with actress Demi Moore
in the film Half Light
.
Hans portrayed the Earl of Essex
in a BBC production about Queen Elizabeth I of England
called The Virgin Queen
, broadcast in the US in 2005 and the UK in 2006.
Matheson starred as the Archbishop Thomas Cranmer
in the second season of the ongoing Showtime series The Tudors
.
Matheson played the part of Alec Stoke-d'Urberville in the four-part BBC adaptation
of Tess of the d'Urbervilles
(2008) and the Home Secretary
Lord Coward in Guy Ritchie
's Sherlock Holmes
(2009). Matheson then played Ixas in the 2010 Clash of the Titans
remake.
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
.
Life and career
Matheson was born in StornowayStornoway
Stornoway is a burgh on the Isle of Lewis, in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland.The town's population is around 9,000, making it the largest settlement in the Western Isles and the third largest town in the Scottish Highlands after Inverness and Fort William...
, Scotland, the son of Sheena, a therapist, and Iain (Ado), a folk musician and painter. He made his feature film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
debut as Johnny Silver in Jez Butterworth
Jez Butterworth
Jeremy “Jez” Butterworth is an English dramatist and film director.-Life and career:Butterworth was born in London, England, and attended Verulam Comprehensive School, St Albans and St John's College, Cambridge...
's critically acclaimed directorial debut, Mojo. Prior to Mojo, Matheson had appeared in various television series.
He followed his role in Mojo with Stella Does Tricks, playing a male prostitute hooked on drugs. Matheson then played Marius in Bille August
Bille August
Bille August is a Danish Academy Award winning film and television director. His film Pelle the Conqueror from 1987 won the Palme D'or, Academy Award and Golden Globe. He is one of the very few directors to win the Palme D'or twice, winning the prestigious award again in 1991 for The Best...
's film version of Les Misérables
Les Misérables (1998 film)
Les Misérables is a 1998 film adaptation of Victor Hugo's 1862 novel of the same name, directed by Bille August. It stars Liam Neeson, Geoffrey Rush, Uma Thurman, and Claire Danes....
. Matheson played guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
for the role of Luke Shand, a youthful rocker
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
helping to invigorate an old band in the sleeper hit Still Crazy
Still Crazy
Still Crazy is a 1998 comedy film about a fictional 1970s rock band named "Strange Fruit", who, after being split up for several decades, are persuaded to get back together to perform at a reunion of the same concert venue where they played their last gig...
.
Matheson continued with a starring role in the acclaimed independent British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
hit Tube Tales
Tube Tales
Tube Tales is a collection of nine short films based on the true-life experiences of London Underground passengers as submitted to Time Out magazine. The stories were scripted and filmed independently of each other...
, which led to his first commercialized film, Bodywork, starring with the talented cast of Beth Winslet
Beth Winslet
Beth Winslet is an English actress.She was born in Reading, Berkshire, and is the younger sister of Kate and Anna Winslet.-Biography:She attended Starmaker Theatre Company in Reading, Berkshire....
, Charlotte Coleman
Charlotte Coleman
Charlotte Ninon Coleman was an English actress best known for playing Scarlett in the film Four Weddings and a Funeral , Jess in the television drama Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit, and her childhood roles of Sue in Worzel Gummidge and the character Marmalade Atkins...
, and Clive Russell
Clive Russell
Clive Russell is a British actor.Clive was born in Reeth, England and brought up in Fife, Scotland.He is a familiar face on British television and has appeared in numerous television series including Boys From the Black Stuff ,Hope And Glory, Neverwhere, Great Expectations, The Mists of Avalon,...
. Matheson was later in Canone Inverso, as Jeno Varga.
Following Canone, he took on the role of Mordred
Mordred
Mordred or Modred is a character in the Arthurian legend, known as a notorious traitor who fought King Arthur at the Battle of Camlann, where he was killed and Arthur fatally wounded. Tradition varies on his relationship to Arthur, but he is best known today as Arthur's illegitimate son by his...
in the American TV film
Television movie
A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...
The Mists of Avalon
The Mists of Avalon
The Mists of Avalon is a 1983 novel by Marion Zimmer Bradley, in which she relates the Arthurian legends from the perspective of the female characters.-Plot introduction:...
.
Matheson proceeded in his career with a role as Thomas in the Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
film I Am Dina
I Am Dina
I Am Dina is a 2002 Swedish-Norwegian-Danish film directed by Ole Bornedal. It is based on the 1989 book Dinas bok by Herbjørg Wassmo. The movie was one of the most high-profile in Norwegian movie history.-Plot:...
, based upon Dinas Bok. Matheson then landed the role of Yurii Zhivago, in Giacomo Campiotti's 2002 adaptation of Boris Pasternak
Boris Pasternak
Boris Leonidovich Pasternak was a Russian language poet, novelist, and literary translator. In his native Russia, Pasternak's anthology My Sister Life, is one of the most influential collections ever published in the Russian language...
's novel, Doctor Zhivago
Doctor Zhivago (novel)
Doctor Zhivago is a 20th century novel by Boris Pasternak, first published in 1957. The novel is named after its protagonist, Yuri Zhivago, a physician and poet...
.
Matheson continued his career starring in independent film
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
s, such as 2002's Deathwatch and the docu-film Comfortably Numb. Comfortably Numb, a docu-film centered around the lives of drug patients.
In 2006, Matheson co-starred with actress Demi Moore
Demi Moore
Demi Guynes Kutcher , known professionally as Demi Moore, is an American actress. After minor roles in film and a role in the soap opera General Hospital, Moore established her career in films such as St...
in the film Half Light
Half Light
Half Light is a 2006 Mystery/Horror Film starring Demi Moore and Henry Ian Cusick in the lead role. It was directed by Craig Rosenberg, who also penned the screenplay.The score was composed by Craig's brother, Brett Rosenberg.-Plot:...
.
Hans portrayed the Earl of Essex
Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex
Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, KG was an English nobleman and a favourite of Elizabeth I. Politically ambitious, and a committed general, he was placed under house arrest following a poor campaign in Ireland during the Nine Years' War in 1599...
in a BBC production about Queen Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
called The Virgin Queen
The Virgin Queen (TV show)
The Virgin Queen is a 2005 BBC and Power co-production, four-part miniseries based upon the life of Queen Elizabeth I, starring Anne-Marie Duff...
, broadcast in the US in 2005 and the UK in 2006.
Matheson starred as the Archbishop Thomas Cranmer
Thomas Cranmer
Thomas Cranmer was a leader of the English Reformation and Archbishop of Canterbury during the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI and, for a short time, Mary I. He helped build a favourable case for Henry's divorce from Catherine of Aragon which resulted in the separation of the English Church from...
in the second season of the ongoing Showtime series The Tudors
The Tudors
The Tudors is a Canadian produced historical fiction television series filmed in Ireland, created by Michael Hirst and produced for the American premium cable television channel Showtime...
.
Matheson played the part of Alec Stoke-d'Urberville in the four-part BBC adaptation
Tess of the D'Urbervilles (TV serial)
Tess of the D'Urbervilles is a 4-hour BBC television adaptation of Thomas Hardy's book of the same name. The script is by David Nicholls. It tells the story of Tess Durbeyfield, a low-born country girl whose family find they have noble connections....
of Tess of the d'Urbervilles
Tess of the d'Urbervilles
Tess of the d'Urbervilles: A Pure Woman Faithfully Presented, also known as Tess of the d'Urbervilles: A Pure Woman, Tess of the d'Urbervilles or just Tess, is a novel by Thomas Hardy, first published in 1891. It initially appeared in a censored and serialised version, published by the British...
(2008) and the Home Secretary
Home Secretary
The Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the Home Office of the United Kingdom, and one of the country's four Great Offices of State...
Lord Coward in Guy Ritchie
Guy Ritchie
Guy Stuart Ritchie is an English screenwriter and film maker who directed Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch, Revolver, RocknRolla and Sherlock Holmes.-Early life:...
's Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes (2009 film)
Sherlock Holmes is a 2009 action-mystery film based on the character of the same name created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The film was directed by Guy Ritchie and produced by Joel Silver, Lionel Wigram, Susan Downey and Dan Lin. The screenplay by Michael Robert Johnson, Anthony Peckham and Simon...
(2009). Matheson then played Ixas in the 2010 Clash of the Titans
Clash of the Titans (2010 film)
Clash of the Titans is a 2010 fantasy and action remake of the 1981 film of the same name . The story is very loosely based on the Greek myth of Perseus. Directed by Louis Leterrier and starring Sam Worthington, the film was originally set for standard release on March 26, 2010...
remake.
Film
- Poldark 1996, as Ben Carter
- The Future Lasts A Long Time 1997, as Jimmy Dolen
- Mojo 1997, as Silver Johnny
- Stella Does Tricks 1997 as Eddie
- Family Money 1997, as Jake
- Les MisérablesLes Misérables (1998 film)Les Misérables is a 1998 film adaptation of Victor Hugo's 1862 novel of the same name, directed by Bille August. It stars Liam Neeson, Geoffrey Rush, Uma Thurman, and Claire Danes....
1998, as Marius Pontmercy - Still CrazyStill CrazyStill Crazy is a 1998 comedy film about a fictional 1970s rock band named "Strange Fruit", who, after being split up for several decades, are persuaded to get back together to perform at a reunion of the same concert venue where they played their last gig...
1998, as Luke Shand - Tube TalesTube TalesTube Tales is a collection of nine short films based on the true-life experiences of London Underground passengers as submitted to Time Out magazine. The stories were scripted and filmed independently of each other...
1999, as Michael - Bodywork 1999, as Virgil Guppy
- Canone InversoCanone InversoCanone Inverso is a 2000 film directed by Ricky Tognazzi and starring Hans Matheson, Mélanie Thierry, and Lee Williams, and is based on the book Canone Inverso by Italian writer Paolo Maurensig....
2000, as Jeno Varga - I Am DinaI Am DinaI Am Dina is a 2002 Swedish-Norwegian-Danish film directed by Ole Bornedal. It is based on the 1989 book Dinas bok by Herbjørg Wassmo. The movie was one of the most high-profile in Norwegian movie history.-Plot:...
2001, as Tomas - The Mists of AvalonThe Mists of Avalon (TV miniseries)The Mists of Avalon is a 2001 miniseries based on the novel of the same name by Marion Zimmer Bradley. It was produced by American cable channel TNT and directed by Uli Edel...
(2001), as Mordred Pendragon - Deathwatch 2002, as Private Jack Hawkstone
- Comfortably Numb 2004, as Jake
- Imperium: Nero 2004, as Nero
- Half LightHalf LightHalf Light is a 2006 Mystery/Horror Film starring Demi Moore and Henry Ian Cusick in the lead role. It was directed by Craig Rosenberg, who also penned the screenplay.The score was composed by Craig's brother, Brett Rosenberg.-Plot:...
(2006), as Angus McCullough - Bathory (2008), as Caravaggio
- Sherlock HolmesSherlock Holmes (2009 film)Sherlock Holmes is a 2009 action-mystery film based on the character of the same name created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The film was directed by Guy Ritchie and produced by Joel Silver, Lionel Wigram, Susan Downey and Dan Lin. The screenplay by Michael Robert Johnson, Anthony Peckham and Simon...
(2009) as Lord Coward - Clash of the TitansClash of the Titans (2010 film)Clash of the Titans is a 2010 fantasy and action remake of the 1981 film of the same name . The story is very loosely based on the Greek myth of Perseus. Directed by Louis Leterrier and starring Sam Worthington, the film was originally set for standard release on March 26, 2010...
(2010) as Ixas
Television
- The BillThe BillThe Bill is a police procedural television series that ran from October 1984 to August 2010. It focused on the lives and work of one shift of police officers, rather than on any particular aspect of police work...
1995. - WycliffeWycliffe (TV series)Wycliffe is a British TV series, based on W. J. Burley's novels about Detective Superintendent Charles Wycliffe . It was produced by HTV and broadcast on the ITV Network, following a pilot episode on 7 August 1993, between 24 July 1994 and 5 July 1998. The series was filmed in Cornwall, with a...
(Episode 38) 1996 - BramwellBramwellBramwell is a British television series starring Jemma Redgrave as Dr. Eleanor Bramwell, a woman challenging the domination of men in the medical establishment, who runs a free hospital for the poor in the East End of London, during the late Victorian era .The series by Carlton Television was shown...
(Episode 14) 1996. - Doctor ZhivagoDoctor Zhivago (TV serial)Doctor Zhivago is a 2002 British television serial directed by Giacomo Campiotti and starring Keira Knightley and Sam Neill. The teleplay by Andrew Davies is based on the 1957 novel of the same title by Boris Pasternak....
2002, as Yurii Zhivago - The Virgin Queen 2005, as Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of EssexRobert Devereux, 2nd Earl of EssexRobert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, KG was an English nobleman and a favourite of Elizabeth I. Politically ambitious, and a committed general, he was placed under house arrest following a poor campaign in Ireland during the Nine Years' War in 1599...
- The TudorsThe TudorsThe Tudors is a Canadian produced historical fiction television series filmed in Ireland, created by Michael Hirst and produced for the American premium cable television channel Showtime...
2008, as Archbishop Thomas CranmerThomas CranmerThomas Cranmer was a leader of the English Reformation and Archbishop of Canterbury during the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI and, for a short time, Mary I. He helped build a favourable case for Henry's divorce from Catherine of Aragon which resulted in the separation of the English Church from... - Tess of the D'Urbervilles 2008, as Alec D'Urberville
External links
- Hans Matheson online
- 'Hans Matheson plays the Earl of Essex' BBC Press Office, 29 December 2005.
- http://clash-of-the-titans.warnerbros.com/dvd/
- http://sherlock-holmes-movie.warnerbros.com/dvd/index.html
- http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/tess/characters.html
- http://www.sho.com/site/tudors/home.do
- http://www.ceskatelevize.cz/specialy/bathory/en/about
- http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/virginqueen/
- http://www.raifiction.rai.it/raifictionarticolo/0,,1322,00.html
- http://www.channel4.com/health/microsites/C/comfortably_numb/index.html
- http://www.guerilla-films.com/bw/cast.htm