Ian Bannen

Ian Edmund Bannen was born on 29 June 1928 in Airdrie, Scotland. He began his career in acting in a 1947 Dublin stage production of Armlet of Jade. He gained prominence on the London stage, especially in the plays of William Shakespeare and Eugene O'Neill. Bannen was an original member of the Royal Shakespeare Company and also made appearances on Broadway. His film debut was in the early 1950s, quickly rising to prominence, primarily in supporting roles. His performance in The Flight of the Phoenix in 1965 led to an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor, a first for a Scottish actor. Bannen also received a Golden Globe nomination for New Star of the Year – Actor. He later voiced regret for turning down the role in the John Schlesinger's controversial film Sunday Bloody Sunday (1971).

In 1979, he played Jim Prideaux in the BBC adaptation of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. Bannen's career-spanning performances from classic to contemporary roles earned him the Academy Award nomination, BAFTA Award nomination for his role in The Offence (1973) and his second BAFTA nomination for Hope and Glory (1987). His other acclaim roles include Lamb (1986), Braveheart (1995), and Waking Ned Devine (1998). Bannen was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award from BAFTA Scotland in 1996. He met a tragic end in a car accident near Loch Ness in November 1999 at age 71. His legacy lives on, with an annual presentation of the Ian Bannen Memorial Award in Lanarkshire, Scotland. In 2000, he was posthumously given the Glenfiddich Spirit of Scotland Award.