John Hannah (actor)
Encyclopedia
John David Hannah is a Scottish
actor
of film
and television
. He has appeared in Stephen Sommers
' Mummy Series, Richard Curtis
' Four Weddings and a Funeral
and Sliding Doors
with Gwyneth Paltrow
. He is currently the voice of The Co-operative Group
adverts in the UK.
in South Lanarkshire
, the youngest of three children; he has two older sisters. His mother, Susan, was a cleaner at Marks & Spencer
, and his father, John, a toolmaker. He attended Claremont High School
in East Kilbride and went on to an apprenticeship as an electrician. In East Kilbride, he participated in the East Kilbride Rep Theatre Club. At the suggestion of a colleague, he completed his apprenticeship and then attended the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
.
(1994). Since this breakthrough role, he has played a psychopathic killer alongside Helen Baxendale
in Truth or Dare and a mystery-solving pathologist in McCallum
. He played a karaoke-mad dead-beat dad in The James Gang, drunken, thieving comic relief in The Mummy
(1999) and The Mummy Returns
(2001), and a Monty Python-quoting romantic comedy love interest in Sliding Doors
(1998). He also starred in the axed U.S. series MDs
(2002), as well as making guest appearances in Alias
(2001), Carnivàle
(2002) and Frasier
(2003). In 2006 he starred in the drama series New Street Law
. In 2007-2008, he played a starring role in the ITN crime drama Cold Blood
.
On 24 December 1997, Hannah and Scottish Films producer Murray Ferguson established a production company called Clerkenwell Films
. Clerkenwell's first big production was the Rebus
series, including Black And Blue and The Hanging Garden. However, Rebus was later taken in-house by STV Productions, and Hannah was replaced in the leading role in the series by Ken Stott
.
He is the voice of the The Co-operative Group
adverts in the UK. More recently he played the part of Quintus Lentulus Batiatus
, the owner of a gladiator training house in Spartacus: Blood and Sand
, and its prequel, Spartacus: Gods of the Arena
.
on 20 January 1996. The pair met several years before during a studio production of Shakespeare
's Measure for Measure
. In many of his interviews, he mentions stories from their relationship, such as the visit to London's Sri Siam restaurant where he proposed to her in writing on the tablecloth. They have twins, a boy named Gabriel and a girl named Astrid, born on 11 February 2004.
Soon after his role as the epileptic police officer Franky Drinkall in Out Of The Blue, he showed his support for the Epilepsy Association of Scotland. He was, for a long time, a spokesman for Oxfam
's Cut Conflict Campaign.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
of 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...
and television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
. He has appeared in Stephen Sommers
Stephen Sommers
Stephen Sommers is an American screenwriter and film director, best known for The Mummy and its sequel, The Mummy Returns. He also directed Disney's live action version of Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book, the action/horror film Van Helsing, and the 2009 film G.I...
' Mummy Series, Richard Curtis
Richard Curtis
Richard Whalley Anthony Curtis, CBE is a New Zealand-born British screenwriter, music producer, actor and film director, known primarily for romantic comedy films such as Four Weddings and a Funeral, Bridget Jones's Diary, Notting Hill, Love Actually and The Girl in the Café, as well as the hit...
' Four Weddings and a Funeral
Four Weddings and a Funeral
Four Weddings and a Funeral is a 1994 British comedy film directed by Mike Newell. It was the first of several films by screenwriter Richard Curtis to feature Hugh Grant...
and Sliding Doors
Sliding Doors
Sliding Doors is a 1998 British-American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Peter Howitt and starring Gwyneth Paltrow and John Hannah, and featured John Lynch, Jeanne Tripplehorn and Virginia McKenna. The music was composed by David Hirschfelder...
with Gwyneth Paltrow
Gwyneth Paltrow
Gwyneth Kate Paltrow is an American actress and singer. She made her acting debut on stage in 1990 and started appearing in films in 1991. After appearing in several films throughout the decade, Paltrow gained early notice for her work in films such as Se7en and Emma...
. He is currently the voice of The Co-operative Group
The Co-operative Group
The Co-operative Group Ltd. is a United Kingdom consumer cooperative with a diverse range of business interests. It is co-operatively run and owned by its members. It is the largest organisation of this type in the world, with over 5.5 million members, who all have a say in how the business is...
adverts in the UK.
Early life
Hannah was born at East KilbrideEast Kilbride
East Kilbride is a large suburban town in the South Lanarkshire council area, in the West Central Lowlands of Scotland. Designated as Scotland's first new town in 1947, it forms part of the Greater Glasgow conurbation...
in South Lanarkshire
South Lanarkshire
South Lanarkshire is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland, covering the southern part of the former county of Lanarkshire. It borders the south-east of the city of Glasgow and contains many of Glasgow's suburbs, commuter towns and smaller villages....
, the youngest of three children; he has two older sisters. His mother, Susan, was a cleaner at Marks & Spencer
Marks & Spencer
Marks and Spencer plc is a British retailer headquartered in the City of Westminster, London, with over 700 stores in the United Kingdom and over 300 stores spread across more than 40 countries. It specialises in the selling of clothing and luxury food products...
, and his father, John, a toolmaker. He attended Claremont High School
Claremont High School (East Kilbride)
Not to be confused with other schools with the same name, see Claremont High School for details.Claremont High School was a non-denominational, state-funded secondary school in East Kilbride...
in East Kilbride and went on to an apprenticeship as an electrician. In East Kilbride, he participated in the East Kilbride Rep Theatre Club. At the suggestion of a colleague, he completed his apprenticeship and then attended the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland is a conservatoire of music, drama, and dance in the centre of Glasgow, Scotland. Founded in 1845 as the Glasgow Educational Association, it is the busiest performing arts venue in Scotland...
.
Career
After graduation, Hannah had parts in theatre productions, films, and television, including leading roles, then broke into the "big-time" with his appearance as Matthew in Four Weddings and a FuneralFour Weddings and a Funeral
Four Weddings and a Funeral is a 1994 British comedy film directed by Mike Newell. It was the first of several films by screenwriter Richard Curtis to feature Hugh Grant...
(1994). Since this breakthrough role, he has played a psychopathic killer alongside Helen Baxendale
Helen Baxendale
Helen Victoria Baxendale is an English actress of stage and television, possibly best-known for her roles in Cold Feet, Friends and Cardiac Arrest.-Early life:...
in Truth or Dare and a mystery-solving pathologist in McCallum
McCallum
McCallum is a British television series that was produced by STV Productions .Dr Iain McCallum was the original lead character, played by John Hannah. McCallum was a forensic pathologist who traveled by Triumph Motorcycle, and solved murders...
. He played a karaoke-mad dead-beat dad in The James Gang, drunken, thieving comic relief in The Mummy
The Mummy (1999 film)
The Mummy is a 1999 American adventure film written and directed by Stephen Sommers and starring Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, John Hannah and Kevin J. O'Connor, with Arnold Vosloo in the title role as the reanimated mummy. The film features substantial dialogue in ancient Egyptian language, spoken...
(1999) and The Mummy Returns
The Mummy Returns
The Mummy Returns is a 2001 American adventure film written and directed by Stephen Sommers, starring Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, John Hannah, Arnold Vosloo, Oded Fehr, Patricia Velásquez and Freddie Boath. The film is a sequel to the 1999 film The Mummy...
(2001), and a Monty Python-quoting romantic comedy love interest in Sliding Doors
Sliding Doors
Sliding Doors is a 1998 British-American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Peter Howitt and starring Gwyneth Paltrow and John Hannah, and featured John Lynch, Jeanne Tripplehorn and Virginia McKenna. The music was composed by David Hirschfelder...
(1998). He also starred in the axed U.S. series MDs
MDs (TV series)
MDs was a TV show that aired on ABC in 2002. It starred William Fichtner as Dr. Bruce Kellerman and John Hannah as Dr. Robert Dalgety. The series only lasted one season, and though 10 episodes were filmed, only 8 were ever aired. The series was never released on DVD and it is very hard to find.-...
(2002), as well as making guest appearances in Alias
Alias (TV series)
Alias is an American action television series created by J. J. Abrams which was broadcast on ABC for five seasons, from September 30, 2001 to May 22, 2006...
(2001), Carnivàle
Carnivàle
Carnivàle is an American television series set in the United States during the Great Depression and Dust Bowl. In tracing the lives of two disparate groups of people, its overarching story depicts the battle between good and evil and the struggle between free will and destiny; the storyline mixes...
(2002) and Frasier
Frasier
Frasier is an American sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for eleven seasons, from September 16, 1993, to May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee in association with Grammnet and Paramount Network Television.A spin-off of Cheers, Frasier stars...
(2003). In 2006 he starred in the drama series New Street Law
New Street Law
New Street Law is a British legal drama television series produced by Red Production Company in association with One-Eyed Dog Ltd for BBC One. The series was created by G. F. Newman and Matthew Hall, and starred an ensemble cast headed by John Hannah and Paul Freeman...
. In 2007-2008, he played a starring role in the ITN crime drama Cold Blood
Cold Blood (UK TV series)
Cold Blood is a television series produced by ITV. Three series of the show have been broadcast.The program stars Matthew Kelly as Brian Wicklow, a former serial killer who assists the police with investigations. Also starring is John Hannah, as Jake Osborne; and Jemma Redgrave as Detective...
.
On 24 December 1997, Hannah and Scottish Films producer Murray Ferguson established a production company called Clerkenwell Films
Clerkenwell Films
Clerkenwell Films is an award-winning British film and television production company, which has produced several drama and comedy programmes for the BBC, the ITV network, Channel 4 and E4 in the United Kingdom. It was co-founded by the actor John Hannah and the producer Murray Ferguson...
. Clerkenwell's first big production was the Rebus
Rebus (TV series)
Rebus is the title of the detective drama based on the Inspector Rebus novels by the Scottish author Ian Rankin set in and around Edinburgh produced by STV Productions for the ITV Network....
series, including Black And Blue and The Hanging Garden. However, Rebus was later taken in-house by STV Productions, and Hannah was replaced in the leading role in the series by Ken Stott
Ken Stott
Kenneth Campbell "Ken" Stott is a Scottish actor, particularly known in the United Kingdom for his many roles in television.-Early life:...
.
He is the voice of the The Co-operative Group
The Co-operative Group
The Co-operative Group Ltd. is a United Kingdom consumer cooperative with a diverse range of business interests. It is co-operatively run and owned by its members. It is the largest organisation of this type in the world, with over 5.5 million members, who all have a say in how the business is...
adverts in the UK. More recently he played the part of Quintus Lentulus Batiatus
Lentulus Batiatus
Gnaeus Cornelius Lentulus Batiatus was the Roman owner of a gladiatorial school in Capua , in southern Italy. It was from this school that in 73 BC, the Thracian slave, Spartacus, and about 70 to 78 followers, escaped...
, the owner of a gladiator training house in Spartacus: Blood and Sand
Spartacus: Blood and Sand
Spartacus: Blood and Sand is a Starz television series that premiered on January 22, 2010. The series is inspired by the historical figure of Spartacus , a Thracian gladiator who from 73 to 71 BC led a major slave uprising against the Roman Republic. Executive producers Steven S...
, and its prequel, Spartacus: Gods of the Arena
Spartacus: Gods of the Arena
Spartacus: Gods of the Arena is a Starz television mini-series and prequel to Spartacus: Blood and Sand, which premiered January 21, 2011. The series follows the character Gannicus , the first gladiator to become Champion of Capua representing Lentulus Batiatus...
.
Personal life
Hannah married actress Joanna RothJoanna Roth
Joanna Roth born 1965 in Århus, Denmark is an actress.She trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and has appeared in film, TV, video games and theatre, in roles such as Ophelia in the film Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead....
on 20 January 1996. The pair met several years before during a studio production of Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
's Measure for Measure
Measure for Measure
Measure for Measure is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1603 or 1604. It was classified as comedy, but its mood defies those expectations. As a result and for a variety of reasons, some critics have labelled it as one of Shakespeare's problem plays...
. In many of his interviews, he mentions stories from their relationship, such as the visit to London's Sri Siam restaurant where he proposed to her in writing on the tablecloth. They have twins, a boy named Gabriel and a girl named Astrid, born on 11 February 2004.
Soon after his role as the epileptic police officer Franky Drinkall in Out Of The Blue, he showed his support for the Epilepsy Association of Scotland. He was, for a long time, a spokesman for Oxfam
Oxfam
Oxfam is an international confederation of 15 organizations working in 98 countries worldwide to find lasting solutions to poverty and related injustice around the world. In all Oxfam’s actions, the ultimate goal is to enable people to exercise their rights and manage their own lives...
's Cut Conflict Campaign.
Filmography
- 1994 - Four Weddings and a FuneralFour Weddings and a FuneralFour Weddings and a Funeral is a 1994 British comedy film directed by Mike Newell. It was the first of several films by screenwriter Richard Curtis to feature Hugh Grant...
- 1995 - Madagascar SkinMadagascar SkinMadagascar Skin is a 1995 British film starring Bernard Hill and John Hannah.-Plot summary:Hannah plays Harry, a very shy young gay man who has a birthmark in the shape of Madagascar across much of the left-hand side of his face. On fleeing the city and the shallow gay scene, Harry ends up at a...
- 1995 - The Innocent Sleep
- 1995 - Blast Away
- 1995 - 1998 McCallumMcCallumMcCallum is a British television series that was produced by STV Productions .Dr Iain McCallum was the original lead character, played by John Hannah. McCallum was a forensic pathologist who traveled by Triumph Motorcycle, and solved murders...
- 1997 - Romance and Rejection
- 1997 - The Love BugThe Love Bug (1997 film)The Love Bug is made-for-television film starring Bruce Campbell and a sequel to the original The Love Bug film. The sequel included a Dean Jones cameo, tying it to the previous films...
- 1997 - Resurrection Man
- 1997 - The James Gang
- 1998 - Sliding DoorsSliding DoorsSliding Doors is a 1998 British-American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Peter Howitt and starring Gwyneth Paltrow and John Hannah, and featured John Lynch, Jeanne Tripplehorn and Virginia McKenna. The music was composed by David Hirschfelder...
- 1999 - The HurricaneThe Hurricane (1999 film)The Hurricane is a 1999 biographical film directed by Norman Jewison, and starring Denzel Washington. The script was adapted by Armyan Bernstein and Dan Gordon from the books Lazarus and the Hurricane by Sam Chaiton and Terry Swinton and The Sixteenth Round by Rubin "Hurricane" Carter.The film...
- 1999 - The MummyThe Mummy (1999 film)The Mummy is a 1999 American adventure film written and directed by Stephen Sommers and starring Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, John Hannah and Kevin J. O'Connor, with Arnold Vosloo in the title role as the reanimated mummy. The film features substantial dialogue in ancient Egyptian language, spoken...
- 1999 - The Intruder
- 2000 - PandaemoniumPandaemonium (film)Pandaemonium is a 2000 film, directed by Julien Temple, screenplay by Frank Cottrell Boyce. It is based on the early lives of English poets Samuel Taylor Coleridge and William Wordsworth, in particular their collaboration on the "Lyrical Ballads", and Coleridge's writing of Kubla Khan.The film was...
- 2000 - CircusCircus (2000 film)Circus is a 2000 British crime thriller movie directed by Rob Walker and written by David Logan. The movie stars John Hannah, Famke Janssen, Peter Stormare, Brian Conley, and Eddie Izzard. It was released in the UK on May 5, 2000 and had its USA release on September 15, 2000.-Plot:Leo and Lily ...
- 2001 - The Mummy ReturnsThe Mummy ReturnsThe Mummy Returns is a 2001 American adventure film written and directed by Stephen Sommers, starring Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, John Hannah, Arnold Vosloo, Oded Fehr, Patricia Velásquez and Freddie Boath. The film is a sequel to the 1999 film The Mummy...
- 2001 - Before You Go
- 2002 - MDs
- 2002 - Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
- 2002 - I'm With LucyI'm With LucyI'm With Lucy is a 2002 romantic comedy starring Monica Potter in the title role, with Henry Thomas, David Boreanaz, Anthony LaPaglia, Harold Ramis, Julie Christie and John Hannah.- Plot :...
- 2003 - I AccuseI AccuseI Accuse is a 2003 drama film directed by John Ketcham. It is based on the case of Dr. John Schneeberger, a Canadian doctor convicted of using drugs to rape two patients.-Characters:*Estella Warren as Kimberly Jansen*John Hannah as Dr...
- 2003 - FrasierFrasierFrasier is an American sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for eleven seasons, from September 16, 1993, to May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee in association with Grammnet and Paramount Network Television.A spin-off of Cheers, Frasier stars...
. Episode "Farewell, Nervosa" - 2003 - CarnivàleCarnivàleCarnivàle is an American television series set in the United States during the Great Depression and Dust Bowl. In tracing the lives of two disparate groups of people, its overarching story depicts the battle between good and evil and the struggle between free will and destiny; the storyline mixes...
- 2004 - Agatha Christie's Marple: "4:50 from Paddington"
- 2005 - Amnesia
- 2006 - New Street LawNew Street LawNew Street Law is a British legal drama television series produced by Red Production Company in association with One-Eyed Dog Ltd for BBC One. The series was created by G. F. Newman and Matthew Hall, and starred an ensemble cast headed by John Hannah and Paul Freeman...
- 2007 - Ghost Son
- 2007 - The Last LegionThe Last LegionThe Last Legion is a 2007 film directed by Doug Lefler. Produced by Dino De Laurentiis and others, it is based on a 2003 Italian novel of the same name written by Valerio Massimo Manfredi...
- 2007 - The Sinking of the Lusitania: Terror at SeaThe Sinking of the Lusitania: Terror at SeaSinking of the Lusitania: Terror at Sea is an English-German Docu-drama produced in 2007. This 90-minute film is a dramatization of the sinking of the RMS Lusitania on May 7, 1915 by a German U-boat, U-20...
- 2008 - The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon EmperorThe Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon EmperorThe Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor is a 2008 American action adventure film and sequel to The Mummy and The Mummy Returns . The film stars Brendan Fraser, Maria Bello, John Hannah, Luke Ford, and Jet Li, and was released on August 1, 2008 in the United States...
- 2008 - Zip 'n zooZip 'n ZooZip 'n Zoo is a 2008 film directed by Bruce Robertson, starring John Hannah, Simone Lahbib and Remy Bennett. The name of the film is derived from the sound of casting during fly-fishing.- Plot :...
- 2008 - Moose in the Glen
- 2008 - Agatha Christie's PoirotAgatha Christie's PoirotAgatha Christie's Poirot is a British television drama that has aired on ITV since 1989. It stars David Suchet as Agatha Christie's fictional detective Hercule Poirot. It was originally made by LWT and is now made by ITV Studios...
: "Appointment with DeathAppointment with DeathAppointment with Death is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie and first published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club on May 2, 1938 and in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company later in the same year...
" - 2010 - Spartacus: Blood and SandSpartacus: Blood and SandSpartacus: Blood and Sand is a Starz television series that premiered on January 22, 2010. The series is inspired by the historical figure of Spartacus , a Thracian gladiator who from 73 to 71 BC led a major slave uprising against the Roman Republic. Executive producers Steven S...
- 2011 - Kidnap and RansomKidnap and RansomKidnap and Ransom is a three-part television miniseries which aired on the ITV in January 2011. The series revolves around the latest case for expert British hostage negotiator Dominic King...
- 2011 - Spartacus: Gods of the ArenaSpartacus: Gods of the ArenaSpartacus: Gods of the Arena is a Starz television mini-series and prequel to Spartacus: Blood and Sand, which premiered January 21, 2011. The series follows the character Gannicus , the first gladiator to become Champion of Capua representing Lentulus Batiatus...
- 2012 - DamagesDamages (TV series)Damages is an American television drama series created by the writing and production trio of Daniel Zelman and brothers Glenn and Todd A. Kessler . It is broadcast in the United States on the DirecTV channel Audience Network after originally airing on FX and is produced by the creators' own...