Christian McKay

Christian McKay
Christian McKay in 2013
Born Christian Stuart McKay[1]
(1973-12-30) 30 December 1973[2]
Bury, Lancashire, England, UK
Nationality British
Occupation Actor
Years active 2001–present
Spouse(s) Emily Allen (married Adelaide, Australia 2006)

Christian Stuart McKay (born 30 December 1973[2]) is an English stage and screen actor. He is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Orson Welles in the 2008 film Me and Orson Welles, for which he was nominated for over two dozen awards including the BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor. He also appeared in movies such as Florence Foster Jenkins, The Theory of Everything, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and Rush.

Early life

McKay was born in Bury, Lancashire. He has a sister, Karen. His mother, Lynn, worked as a hairdresser, and his father, Stuart, was a railway worker.[3] He studied piano as a youth,[4] and performed the Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 3 at age 21.[3] McKay subsequently halted his concert career[5] and enrolled at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art to study acting.

Career

McKay's television appearances include portraying conductor Pierre Monteux in the BBC TV production Riot at the Rite (2005).[6] His first film appearance was in Abraham's Point (2008).

After seeing a performance of Rosebud at the 2007 "Brits Off Broadway" festival, Richard Linklater cast McKay as Welles in his film Me and Orson Welles, retaining McKay over the subsequent producer objections to his casting.[7] In this, his second film and first lead role, McKay received critical praise for his performance as Orson Welles.[8][9][10][11]

McKay has recently been seen in the biographical drama Rush, alongside Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Brühl, the BAFTA-nominated music film Northern Soul, and the Oscar-winning biographical drama The Theory of Everything, alongside Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones. All of these were met with critical acclaim, with The Theory of Everything receiving a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Picture.

Theatre

McKay has portrayed Orson Welles in the one-man play Rosebud: The Lives of Orson Welles at a number of venues, including the Edinburgh Festival[12] and King's Head (London).[13] He subsequently reprised the role in the US at the 2007 "Brits Off Broadway" festival.[14]

In 2013, McKay played Gerard in Strangers on a Train[15] at London's Gielgud Theatre.[16]

Personal life

McKay is married to the actress Emily Allen.[4] He has two children, Maximilian Sidney McKay, born 2011 and Aniela Rita Lynn McKay, born 2015.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2008 Abraham's Point Robert
2009 Me and Orson Welles Orson Welles Austin Film Critics Association Award for Breakthrough Artist
San Francisco Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor
Utah Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated — BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated — British Independent Film Award for Most Promising Newcomer
Nominated — Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated — Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated — Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Most Promising Performer
Nominated — Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated — Denver Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated — Detroit Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated — Evening Standard British Film Award for Best Actor
Nominated — Houston Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated — Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male
Nominated — International Cinephile Society Award for Best Supporting Actor [17]
Nominated — London Film Critics Circle Award for British Actor of the Year
Nominated — National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor (3rd place)
Nominated — New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor (2nd place)
Nominated — San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor
Nominated — Toronto Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated — Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Breakthrough Performance
2010 You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger Poker Friend
Mr. Nice Hamilton McMillan
2011 I Melt With You Tim
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy Mackelvore
2013 Rush Alexander Hesketh
The Devil's Violinist John Watson
2014 Closer to the Moon Iorgu
Northern Soul Dad
The Theory of Everything Roger Penrose
2015 Creditors Grant Pierce
2016 The Young Messiah Cleopas
Florence Foster Jenkins Earl Wilson
2017 The Leisure Seeker Will
Crooked House Roger Leonides Completed

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2004 Doctors Neville Gordon Episode: "Pardon"
2005 Riot at the Rite Pierre Monteux TV movie
2008 Agatha Christie's Poirot Jefferson Cope Episode: "Appointment with Death"
2009 A Short Stay in Switzerland Carsten TV movie
Margaret John Whittingdale
2010 The Road to Coronation Street Harry Elton
2011–2013 Borgia Cardinal Sforza
2012 Getting On Dr. Nigel Hoskins Episode #3.3
2015 Jekyll and Hyde Maxwell Utterson
2016 Churchill's Secret Christopher Soames TV movie
Frontier Father James Coffin

References

  1. ↑ https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVWK-59LX
  2. 1 2 "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 2012-07-03.
  3. 1 2 John Millar (2009-12-06). "Christian McKay's Obsession with Orson Welles". Daily Express. Retrieved 2009-12-12.
  4. 1 2 Sam Allis (2009-12-06). "Getting Orson Welles just right". Boston Globe. Retrieved 2010-01-10.
  5. ↑ "Linklater's film depicts young Orson Welles". CBC News. 2009-12-09. Retrieved 2009-12-12.
  6. ↑ Kenneth Archer and Millicent Hodson (February 2006). "Reading the Riot Act". ballet.co magazine. Archived from the original on 2 December 2008. Retrieved 10 January 2010.
  7. ↑ Cath Clarke (2009-10-15). "First sight: Christian McKay". The Guardian. Retrieved 2010-01-10.
  8. ↑ Philip French (2009-12-06). "Me and Orson Welles". The Observer. Retrieved 2010-01-10.
  9. ↑ Anthony Quinn (2009-12-04). "Me and Orson Welles (12A)". The Independent. Retrieved 2010-01-10.
  10. ↑ "Me and Orson Welles, review". Telegraph. 2009-12-03. Retrieved 2010-01-10.
  11. ↑ A.O. Scott (2009-11-25). "When a Bombastic Young Man Bestrode the Boards of the Mercury Theater". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-01-10.
  12. ↑ Lyn Gardner (2004-08-17). "Rosebud (Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh)". The Guardian. Retrieved 2010-01-10.
  13. ↑ Maddy Costa (2006-01-09). "Rosebud (King's Head, London)". The Guardian. Retrieved 2010-01-10.
  14. ↑ Gina Bellafante (2007-06-06). "Finding Room for an Actor Fit for the Stage". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-01-10.
  15. ↑ "Strangers On A Train". delfontmackintosh.co.uk. Delfont Mackintosh. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
  16. ↑ "Fatal Attraction and Strangers On A Train head to West End stage". bbc.co.uk/news. BBC News. 20 September 2013. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
  17. ↑ "International Cinephile Society Likes "Basterds," "Serious Man"". indieWire. 2010-01-20. Retrieved 2012-10-15.
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