James McArdle
James John McArdle[1] (born 3 April 1989) is a Scottish actor from Glasgow. He won the Ian Charleson Award for his role as Mikhail Platonov in Platonov and was nominated for an Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for portraying Louis Ironson in Angels in America.
James McArdle | |
|---|---|
McArdle at the Mary Queen of Scots premiere in 2019 | |
| Born | James John McArdle 3 April 1989 |
| Alma mater | Royal Academy of Dramatic Art |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2010–present |
Early life
McArdle was born in Glasgow, growing up in the city's Darnley neighbourhood[2] and attending St Ninian's High School, Giffnock.[3] As a child he attended PACE Theatre Company in nearby Paisley.[4][5] Having worked as a child actor in films, at 17 he made the decision to travel by bus to London to train as a professional without informing his parents;[2] he was accepted to RADA after initially fluffing his audition lines but managing to return and impress the selectors.[6][3] He left the course towards its end in 2010, and in the same year he appeared in Macbeth at The Globe and starred in the summer smash hit Spur of the Moment by Anya Reiss at the Royal Court Theatre in London. He was also well received in his role in A Month in the Country by Ivan Turgenev at the Chichester Festival Theatre.
Career
In 2011, McArdle played the role of Agathon in Emperor and Galilean by Henrik Ibsen at the National Theatre. He was also Robin Hood in the 2011 RSC production of The Legend, adapted by Ella Hickson.
In 2012, he starred as Harold Abrahams in Chariots of Fire, Mike Bartlett's stage adaptation of the film of the same title, which opened at London's Hampstead Theatre on 9 May and transferred to the West End on 23 June, running through to 5 January 2013.
In 2014, he played King James I of Scotland in Rona Munro's King James I, which was presented at the Edinburgh International Festival and the National Theatre.
In 2016, McArdle won the Ian Charleson Award for his 2015 performance as Platonov in Platonov at the Chichester Festival Theatre[7]
In 2017, McArdle's performance as Louis Ironson in Angels in America at National Theatre Lyttleton in London earned him a nomination for the Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.[8][9] In March 2018 he stayed with the production when it transferred to Broadway for an 18-week engagement at the Neil Simon Theatre and was nominated for the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play.[10][11]
Personal life
He is openly gay and currently resides in London, England.
Filmography
Theatre
| Year | Title | Role | Location | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Macbeth | Malcolm | The Globe | [12] |
| Spur of the Moment | Daniel Mast | Royal Court Theatre | [13] | |
| A Month in the Country | Aleksei Belyaev | Chichester Festival Theatre | [14] | |
| 2011 | Emperor and Galilean | Agathon | National Theatre | [15] |
| The Heart of Robin Hood | Robin Hood | Royal Shakespeare Company | [16] | |
| 2012 | Chariots of Fire | Harold Abrahams | Hampstead Theatre | [17] |
| Gielgud Theatre | ||||
| 2014 | James I: The Key Will Keep The Lock | James I of Scotland | National Theatre | [18] |
| Edinburgh International Festival | ||||
| National Theatre of Scotland | ||||
| 2015 | Platonov | Mikhail Platonov | Chichester Festival Theatre | [19] |
| Ivanov | Yevgeni Lvov | |||
| 2016 | Platonov | Mikhail Platonov | National Theatre | |
| Ivanov | Yevgeni Lvov | |||
| 2017 | Angels in America | Louis Ironson | National Theatre | [20] |
| 2018 | Neil Simon Theatre | |||
| 2019 | Peter Gynt | Peter Gynt | National Theatre | [21] |
| 2021 | The Tragedy of Macbeth | Macbeth | Almeida Theatre | [22] |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Appropriate Adult | Stephen West | 2 episodes |
| Page Eight | Ted Finch | Television film | |
| 2013 | Love and Marriage | Charlie McCallister | 6 episodes |
| 2014 | New Worlds | Will Blood | Miniseries |
| Salting the Battlefield | Ted Finch | Television film | |
| Turks & Caicos | Television film | ||
| 37 Days | Alec | Miniseries | |
| 2017 | Man in an Orange Shirt | Thomas March | Television film |
| 2021 | Mare of Easttown | Deacon Mark Burton | Miniseries |
| 2022 | Life After Life | Hugh Todd | 4 episodes |
| 2022 | Andor | Timm Karlo | 3 episodes |
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Private Peaceful | Lieutenant Buckland | |
| 2014 | '71 | Sergeant Mark McGowen | |
| 2015 | Star Wars: The Force Awakens | Niv Lek | |
| 2016 | On The Road | Joe | |
| The Chamber | Parks | ||
| 2018 | Mary Queen of Scots | Earl of Moray | |
| 2020 | Ammonite | Roderick Murchison |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Association | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Ian Charleson Awards | Special Commendation | Macbeth | Nominated |
| A Month in the Country | Nominated | |||
| Evening Standard Awards | Outstanding Newcomer | Spur of the Moment | Nominated | |
| 2015 | Ian Charleson Awards | 1st Place | Platonov | Won |
| 2016 | Evening Standard Awards | Best Actor | Nominated | |
| 2018 | Laurence Olivier Awards | Best Actor in a Supporting Role | Angels in America | Nominated |
| Theatre World Award | Won | |||
| Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance | Nominated | ||
| Drama Desk Awards | Best Actor in a Play | Nominated | ||
| 2019 | h100 Awards | Theatre & Performance | Peter Gynt | Nominated |
References
- ^ "Statutory registers". Scotland's People. National Records of Scotland and the Court of the Lord Lyon.
- ^ a b Scots actor James McArdle tells how roughing it in London slum helped him with role as King James I in new stage show, Daily Record, 18 May 2014
- ^ a b 'I won’t let a bunch of posh boys stop me': Angels In America co-star James McArdle on theatrical class war, the trouble with 'gay plays' and why he owes it all to his Glasgow granny The Herald, 16 July 2017
- ^ Star of stage and screen, and new pace patron, James McArdle reveals Paisley location of Scotland’s first dedicated young people's theatre, Renfrewshire News, 24 January 2020
- ^ Paisley's PACE is leading the way by opening Scotland's first dedicated children and young people's theatre, Daily Record, 24 January 2020
- ^ James McArdle - from drama school drop-out to sitcom star, Evening Times, 4 June 2013
- ^ Snow, Georgia (24 June 2016). "James McArdle wins 2015 Ian Charleson award". The Stage. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
- ^ Billington, Michael (4 May 2017). "Angels in America review – Garfield and Lane excel in Kushner's surreal epic". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
- ^ Stage, Guardian (6 March 2018). "Olivier awards 2018: complete list of nominations". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
- ^ Hetrick, Adam (28 May 2018). "Angels in America, Starring Nathan Lane and Andrew Garfield, Opens on Broadway March 25". Playbill. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
- ^ Cox, Gordon (26 April 2018). "'Carousel,' 'SpongeBob SquarePants' Lead 2018 Drama Desk Nominations (Full List)". Variety. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
- ^ . The Globe. 21 August 2010. Archived from the original on 31 December 2010.
- ^ "Spur of the Moment". The Royal Court Theatre. 21 August 2010.
- ^ . Chichester Festival Theatre. Archived from the original on 23 November 2011.
- ^ . Royal National Theatre. Archived from the original on 10 July 2012.
- ^ . RSC. Archived from the original on 15 February 2012.
- ^ "Chariots of Fire". Hampstead Theatre. 2012.
- ^ "The James Plays". National Theatre of Scotland. 2014.
- ^ "Young Chekhov: Three-play day". Royal National Theatre. 2016.
- ^ "London's Angels in America Will Transfer to Broadway". Playbill. 7 September 2017.
- ^ "Autumn Press Conference: 2019 and Beyond". Royal National Theatre. 2018.
- ^ "The Tragedy of Macbeth". Almeida Theatre. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
External links
- James McArdle at IMDb