Ian Bannen

Ian Bannen (June 29, 1928 - November 3, 1999) was a Scottish character actor and occasional leading man. Born in Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, Scotland, he was the son of a lawyer. Bannen served in the army and attended Ratcliffe College, Leicestershire. His first acting role came in a 1947 Dublin production of Armlet of Jade. He became a successful figure on the London stage, making a name for himself in the plays of both Shakespeare and 'Eugene O'Neill'. He was an original member of the Royal Shakespeare Company and appeared on Broadway as well.

His film debut occurred in the early 1950s with a small role in Pool of London (1951), and he quickly rose to prominence, primarily in a wide range of supporting roles. During the early stages of his career he worked with the Boulting Brothers on Private's Progress and Carlton-Browne of the F.O. He enlivened scores of fine films in Britain and America. His performance as "Crow" in The Flight of the Phoenix (1965) won him an Oscar nomination as Best Supporting Actor, thus becoming the first Scottish actor to receive this honour. Thirty years and scores of films later, Bannen was given the Lifetime Achievement Award of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.

His notable television appearances include Doctor Finlay, Thriller, and Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.

Bannen turned down the lead roles in Hawaii Five-0 and Van der Valk.

Director John Schlesinger cast him as a replacement for Alan Bates in the part of well-off homosexual doctor Daniel Hirsh in his controversial film Sunday Bloody Sunday (1971), after Bates was deemed unavailable to shoot. According to screenwriter Penelope Gilliatt, Bannen never felt comfortable with the part; she speculated that he was flustered by the fact that he would have to kiss and simulate sex with male actor Murray Head, who played his lover whom also carried on an affair with Glenda Jackson. The anxiety adversely affected his performance during the early filming. Schlesinger had to fire him and replace him with Peter Finch, who won an Oscar nomination for the role. Many observers believe that Finch lost the Oscar to Gene Hackman because of the gay kiss.

Bannen said near the end of his life, after being hailed for his comeback in Waking Ned Devine (1998), that this was his one big regret, for throwing away the plum role seriously set back his career and it never recovered.

Long after his leading man days had passed, he won acclaim for his roles as Brother Benedict in Lamb (1986) and as the touchingly crafty villager in Waking Ned Devine (1998). The following year he died in a car accident, at Knockies Straight, near Loch Ness, aged 71.

He was survived by his wife, Marilyn Salisbury, whom he had married in 1976; they had no children.

See also

• List of male theatre actors

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