The Ray Stevenson Handbook - Everything you need to know about Ray Stevenson

Smith Emily

Description

George Raymond 'Ray' Stevenson (born 25 May 1964) is a Northern Irish-born English film and television actor. He is known for playing Titus Pullo in the BBC/HBO television series Rome (2005-2007), and in film as Dagonet in King Arthur (2004) and as Frank Castle he Punisher in Punisher: War Zone (2008) and The Super Hero Squad Show.

Stevenson recently appeared as Volstagg in Thor, based on the Marvel Comics character.

This book is your ultimate resource for Ray Stevenson. Here you will find the most up-to-date information, photos, and much more.

In easy to read chapters, with extensive references and links to get you to know all there is to know about his Early life, Career and Personal life right away. A quick look inside: Ray Stevenson (actor), King Arthur (film), Outpost (film), Punisher: War Zone, Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant, The Book of Eli, The Other Guys, Kill the Irishman, The Three Musketeers (2011 film), Thor (film), G.I. Joe: Retaliation, At Home with the Braithwaites, Rome (TV series), The Super Hero Squad Show.

Sujets

• Biography
• Autobiography

Informations

• Publié par: Emereo Publishing
• Date de parution: 24 octobre 2012
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781743336106
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 4 Mo

Extrait

Topic relevant selected content from the highest rated entries, typeset, printed and shipped.

Combine the advantages of up-to-date and in-depth knowledge with the con- venience of printed books.

A portion of the proceeds of each book will be donated to the Wikimedia Foundation to support their mission: to empower and engage people around the world to collect and develop educational content under a free license or in the public domain, and to disseminate it eectively and globally.

e content within this book was generated collaboratively by volunteers. Please be advised that nothing found here has necessarily been reviewed by people with the expertise required to provide you with complete, accurate or reliable information. Some information in this book maybe misleading or simply wrong. e publisher does not guarantee the validity of the infor- mation found here. If you need specic advice (for example, medical, legal, nancial, or risk management) please seek a professional who is licensed or knowledgeable in that area.

Sources, licenses and contributors of the articles and images are listed in the section entitled “References”. Parts of the books may be licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. A copy of this license is included in the section entitled “GNU Free Documentation License”

All used third-party trademarks belong to their respective owners.

Contents

Articles Ray Stevenson (actor) King Arthur (film) Outpost (film) Punisher: War Zone Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant The Book of Eli The Other Guys Kill the Irishman

The Three Musketeers (2011 film) Thor (film) G.I. Joe: Retaliation At Home with the Braithwaites Rome (TV series) The Super Hero Squad Show

References Article Sources and Contributors Image Sources, Licenses and Contributors

Article Licenses License

1 5 14 17 26 31 36 42 45 50 69 72 76 87

95 98

99

Ray Stevenson (actor)

Ray Stevenson (actor)

Born

Occupation

Years active

Spouse

Partner

Ray Stevenson George Raymond Stevenson 25 May 1964 Lisburn, Northern Ireland

Actor

1993–present

Ruth Gemmell (1997–2005; divorced)

Elisabetta Cariacca (2005–present)

George Raymond"Ray"Stevenson(born 25 May 1964) is a Northern Irish-born English film and television [1] actor. He is known for playing Titus Pullo in the BBC/HBO television seriesRome(2005–2007), and in film as Dagonet inKing Arthur(2004) and as Frank Castle/The Punisher inPunisher: War Zone(2008) andThe Super Hero Squad Show. Stevenson recently appeared as Volstagg inThor, based on the Marvel Comics character.

Early life Born in Lisburn, Northern Ireland, he moved with his family to Lemington, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, England in 1972 at the age of eight, and later to Cramlington, Northumberland, where he was raised. The second of three sons of a [2] Royal Air Force pilot father and an Irish mother, Stevenson attended Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, graduating at the age of 29.

Career

Film Stevenson has starred in several feature films, primarily in supporting roles. He made his debut inThe Theory of Flight(1998) with Kenneth Branagh and Helena Bonham Carter, where he played the part of a gigolo hired to help Bonham Carter's character to lose her virginity. In 2002, Stevenson starred in a short filmNo Man's Land,which was the antipodal picture from actor/director Edward Hicks prior to his graduation from the London Film School. In the 12.5 minute film set during the First World War, Stevenson portrayed an experienced Private who is forced to help a novice Officer (David Birkin), back to safety after they both find themselves trapped and isolated in "No Man's Land" during the battle of Ypres. In 2004, Stevenson starred alongside Clive Owen and Keira Knightley inKing Arthur. He portrayed Dagonet, a knight of the round who sacrifices his life for his comrades. Stevenson's first leading role in a film was in the Scottish horror pictureOutpost(2008), portraying a mercenary pitted against Nazi zombies in a bunker somewhere in Eastern Europe. That same year, he also starred inPunisher: War Zone, based on the character by Marvel Comics. He portrayed Frank Castle, "The Punisher," a former Marine turned vigilante after the murder of his family. In 2010, Stevenson played the primary antagonist in the comedyThe Other Guys, alongside Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell. In 2011, Stevenson appeared in the film adaptation of Marvel Comics'Thor, in the role of Volstagg, one of Thor's trusted comrades. Also that year, he played Porthos in Paul W. S. Anderson's adaptation ofThe Three Musketeers. On 17 April 2011, he announced that he will be starring in the filmA Single Shot, an indie thriller directed by David Rosenthal. It is based on the book of the same name written by Mathew F Jones, a story following the accidental death of a teenage girl by backwoods poacher. On July 8, 2011, Stevenson was cast as Firefly forG.I. Joe: Retaliation.

1

Ray Stevenson (actor)

Television He is perhaps best known for playing the character of legionary Titus Pullo in the BBC/HBO television seriesRome. He shares the lead starring role in the series with Kevin McKidd. His portrayal of Pullo's fierce and loyal character and the character's development and adaptation to the changing circumstances of life and history has won both critical and public acclaim. His other TV-work includes guest appearances in popular TV series likeWaking the DeadandMurphy's Lawas well as lead roles inCity CentralandAt Home with the Braithwaites. He has also appeared in several TV movies such as Some Kind of Lifein 1995, in which he co-starred with Jane Horrocks, andThe Return of the Native, which also featured Catherine Zeta Jones. Some of his earliest parts were in two Catherine Cookson movies:The Dwelling Place(1994) andThe Tide of Life(1996). Ray reprises his role this time as the voice of The Punisher inThe Super Hero Squad Show.

Stage His stage work includes playing the part of Christ in the York Mystery Plays in 2000 at York Minster. In 2001 he took the part of Roger in the playMouth to Mouthby Kevin Elyot, at the Albery Theatre in London with Lindsay Duncan and Michael Maloney. His most well-known part is perhaps that of the Cardinal inThe Duchess of Malfiby John Webster with Janet McTeer at the Royal National Theatre in 2003.

Personal life [3] Stevenson was married in Westminster, London, in 1997, to actress Ruth Gemmell, whom he met when they worked together on the TV dramaBand of Gold(1995). They later played a husband and wife on screen inPeak Practice(1997). The couple divorced after eight years of marriage. His current girlfriend is Italian anthropologist Elisabetta Caraccia, whom he met while filmingRome. The couple have a son, Sebastiano Derek Stevenson, born on 24 December 2007. Their second son, Leonardo George Stevenson, was born on 11 April 2011.

His love of art and his capabilities as an artist were demonstrated when he participated in the television programme Watercolour Challengein 2001, where he together with actors Cherie Lunghi and Malcolm Tierney painted watercolours of Blenheim Palace.

Filmography

Year

1998

1999

2004

2008

2009

2010

2011

Title

The Theory of Flight

G:MT - Greenwich Mean Time

King Arthur

Outpost

Punisher: War Zone

The Vampire's Assistant

The Book of Eli

The Other Guys

Kill the Irishman

The Three Musketeers

Thor

Film

Gigolo

Role

Mr Hardy

Dagonet

DC

Frank Castle/The Punisher

Murlough

Redridge

Roger Wesley

Danny Greene

Porthos

Volstagg

Notes

2

Ray Stevenson (actor)

1998–1999

Murphy's Law

ep:Taking It on the Chin

ep:Cover Story

ep:Truth and Consequences

Sgt. Chris Roxborough

Jeff Parry

Dalziel and Pascoe

ep:Toyboys

32 episodes

2001

Year

2009

2000

2005–2007

[6] The Super Hero Squad Show

ep:Home truths

Notes

Role

Armstrong

5 episodes

12 episodes

11 episodes of series 2 and 3

Graham Braithwaite

ep:Over the Edge

ep:Kiss and Tell

Laurence Haney

DI Tony Baynham

Love in the 21st Century

Alex

Christ

Mouth to Mouth

Titus Pullo

York Mystery Plays

Rome

3

Stage

Roger

Title

Steve Dickson

The Bill

a journalist

Peak Practice

City Central

Holby City

[1] Ray Stevenson News (http://www.monstersandcritics.com/people/Ray-Stevenson/news/) [2] Rome–this autumn on BBC TWO–press pack phase two (http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2005/10_october/ 18/rome_stevenson.shtml) [3] Marriages England and Wales 1984–2005 (http://www.findmypast.com/BirthsMarriagesDeaths.jsp) [4] http://ray-stevenson.com [5] http://blog.moviefone.com/2011/06/15/billy-bob-thornton-jayne-mansfields-car/ [6] MARVEL SUPER HERO SQUAD VOICE CAST (http:/ /www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0907/28/index.htm) at The Comics Continuum (http:/ / www. ray-stevenson. com/ ) (http:/ / blog. moviefone. com/ 2011/ 06/ 15/ billy-bob-thornton-jayne-mansfields-car/)

Frank Castle/The Punisher

Title

A Woman's Guide to Adultery

Band of Gold

[5] Jayne Mansfield's Car

Year

1995–1996

1993

the Cardinal

The Duchess of Malfi

References

2003

Joe Higson

G.I. Joe: Retaliation

TV series

Firefly

Drover's Gold

Dr Tim Faulkner

Sgt. Gartland

ep:Fugue States

Role

Waking the Dead

Red Cap

2000

2001

2003

1999

1997

2004

Robert Eaglan

[4] A Single Shot

2012

At Home with the Braithwaites

Notes

22 episodes

Night in the Sanctorum

Ray Stevenson (actor)

External links  Official website (http://ray-stevenson.com/)  Ray Stevenson (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm829032/) at the Internet Movie Database  Interview forThe Evening Chronicle20 Jun 2007 (http://icnewcastle.icnetwork.co.uk/chroniclelive/ eveningchronicle/tm_method=full&objectid=19327491&siteid=50081-name_page.html)  Interview for theStar6 May 2007 (http://star-ecentral.com/news/story.asp?file=/2007/5/6/tvnradio/ 17636162&sec=tvnradio)  Interview for theStar4 Dec 2005 (http://star-ecentral.com/services/sprinterfriendly.asp?file=/2005/12/4/ movies/12688812&sec=movies)  Interview BBC Rome Press release 18 Oct 2005 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/ 2005/10_october/18/rome_stevenson.shtml)  Interview with Future Movies (http://www.futuremovies.co.uk/filmmaking.asp?ID=251)  Ray Stevenson is the Irishman (http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=24738) at Empire Online  Paul WS Anderson Casts His Musketeers (http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=27840) at Empire Online

4

King Arthur (film)

King Arthur (film)

Directed by

Produced by

Written by

Starring

Music by

Cinematography

Editing by

Studio

Distributed by

Release date(s)

Running time

Country

Language

Budget

Box office

King Arthur

Theatrical release poster

Antoine Fuqua

Jerry Bruckheimer

David Franzoni

Clive Owen Keira Knightley Ioan Gruffudd Mads Mikkelsen Joel Edgerton Ray Winstone Stephen Dillane StellanSkarsgard Til Schweiger Hugh Dancy Ken Stott

Hans Zimmer

Slawomir Idziak

Conrad Buff Jamie Pearson

World 2000 Entertainment Green Hills Productions

Touchstone Pictures

July 7, 2004

Theatrical Cut: 126 min. Director's Cut: 141 min.

United States United Kingdom Ireland

English / Scottish Gaelic

$90,000,000 US (est.)

$203,567,857 ($51,882,244 US/$151,685,613 International)

King Arthuris a 2004 film directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by David Franzoni. It stars Clive Owen as the title character, Ioan Gruffudd as Lancelot, and Keira Knightley as Guinevere.

The producers of the film claim to present a historically accurate version of the Arthurian legends, supposedly inspired by new archaeological findings. The accuracy of these claims is subject to debate, but the film is unusual (though not unique) in representing Arthur as a Roman officer rather than a medieval knight. It was shot in England, Ireland, and Wales.

5

King Arthur (film)

Plot Arthur, also known asArtorius Castus(Clive Owen), is portrayed as a Roman cavalry officer, the son of a Roman father and a Celtic mother, who commands a unit of Sarmatian auxiliary cavalry in Britain at the close of the Roman occupation in 467 A.D. He and his men guard Hadrian's Wall against the 'Woads', a group of native Britons who are rebels against Roman Rule, led by the mysterious Merlin (Stephen Dillane). He is not the first Arthurb—for generations, his ancestors have manned the Wall, leading Sarmatian auxiliaries. As the film starts, Arthur and his remaining knights Lancelot (Ioan Gruffudd), Bors (Ray Winstone), Tristan (Mads Mikkelsen), Gawain (Joel Edgerton), Galahad (Hugh Dancy) and Dagonet (Ray Stevenson) are expecting discharge from the service of the Empire after faithfully serving for 15 years (Lancelot's voiceover is heard at the beginning and end of the film, and his entry into service as a youth in 452 AD is depicted at the beginning). They fight off an attack by the Woads on the Roman escort bringing their discharges. However, on the night they ought to receive their freedom, they are dispatched on a final and possibly suicidal mission by Bishop Germanus (Ivano Marescotti) in the freezing winter to rescue the important Roman family of Marius Honorius (Ken Stott) from impending capture by the invading Saxons, led by their chief Cerdic (Stellan Skarsgard) and his son Cynric (Til Schweiger). Marius' son, Alecto, is the Pope's favorite godson and may be "destined to be Pope one day", according to the Bishop. The knights are charged with this rescue because Rome is withdrawing from Britain, now considered an indefensible outpost. At the remote estate, Arthur explains his mission to Marius, who becomes defensive and refuses to leave his grand home. Marius is revealed to have oppressed his serfs on the pretense of speaking for God. While being shown an elder who has been whipped and left tied up out in the elements for asking Marius for more food for the serfs, Arthur advises that Marius does not speak for God. He frees the elder and tells them all that they were "free from their first breath". Arthur soon discovers Marius has also immured pagans: a Woad, Guinevere (Keira Knightley), and a small boy, Lucan. Arthur frees them and decides to take everyone, along with Marius' family, back to Hadrian's Wall. Along the journey, Guinevere tells Arthur of the "fairy tales" she'd heard of him, and Arthur is revealed to be half Celt (on his mother's side). Arthur resets the fingers in Guinevere's hand. One night, Guinevere takes Arthur to meet with Merlin, the leader of the Woads and her father. At first, Arthur thinks Guinevere has betrayed him, but Merlin has come in peace. It is revealed in flashback that Arthur's mother had died in a Woad attack when he was a boy. Merlin says that he did not wish for Arthur's mother to die; she was of their blood, as is Arthur. Arthur's famous sword, Excalibur, is also shown to be his father's, which marked his father's burial mound. Arthur pulled it from his father's burial mound in an effort to rescue his mother from a burning building. Merlin suggests an alliance between the Woads and the Sarmatian knights against the invading Saxons. Along the route one dawn, Marius forces a standoff with his own soldiers, taking the boy Lucan hostage. Even his wife is angered at this. Unlike Marius, she is a kindly person who actually helps heal Guinevere's wounds. Guinevere uses a bow to shoot Marius dead; his guards stand down and aid the knights in getting all the people to the wall. Struck by Rome leaving its subjects to the mercy of the Saxons, Arthur is further disillusioned when he learns that Bishop Pelagius, whose teachings about the equality of all men inspired the brotherhood of his Round Table, has been executed as a heretic by order of Bishop Germanus himself. Tristan returns from scouting the area and tells Arthur that a whole Saxon army is on the move. The group soon encounter the Saxons at an ice-covered lake. The knights stay behind to hold up the Saxons and allow the refugees to escape. Greatly outnumbered, Arthur, Guinevere and the knights attempt to repel them with arrows; the battle is won when Dagonet runs to the middle of the ice and breaks it with an axe, at the cost of his life—however, many Saxons are killed. In due course, Arthur and his remaining men forsake Roman citizenship and form an alliance with the Woads to fight the Saxons. In the climactic battle, the "Battle of Badon Hill" set just south of the now abandoned Hadrian's Wall, the Woads catapult flaming missiles at the Saxon army, and when the hosts meet, Guinevere engages in

6

King Arthur (film)

combat with Cynric. Cerdic fights and kills Tristan before facing off with Arthur. Meanwhile, Cynric disarms Guinevere before Lancelot intervenes and duels Cynric alone. While another Saxon captures Lancelot's attention for a moment, Cynric shoots Lancelot with a Saxon crossbow. Lancelot then throws his sword into Cynric, killing him. Lancelot dies with Guinevere at his side. Arthur kills Cerdic, and the Saxons are defeated. Though Arthur is victorious, the events of the film have led to the loss of his faith in Rome as a bastion of justice. After realizing that the Rome of his ideals exists only in his dreams, Arthur also despairs over the deaths of his men. The film ends with Arthur and Guinevere's marriage. Merlin then proclaims him to be their king. King Arthur, Queen Guinevere, and his remaining knights promise to lead the Britons, united with the defeat of the Saxons and retreat of the Romans, against future invaders. The last scene shows Lancelot, Dagonet and Tristan reincarnated as horses and roaming the lands freely, while Lancelot speaks of the fact that their names will live forever in legend.

Main cast  Clive Owen - Arthur/Artorius Castus  Keira Knightley - Guinevere  Ioan Gruffudd - Lancelot  Mads Mikkelsen - Tristan  Joel Edgerton - Gawain  Hugh Dancy - Galahad  Ray Winstone - Bors the Younger  Ray Stevenson - Dagonet  Stephen Dillane - Merlin  Stellan Skarsgard - Cerdic  Til Schweiger - Cynric  Sean Gilder - Jols  Pat Kinevane - Horton  Ivano Marescotti - Bishop Germanus  Ken Stott - Marius Honorius  Lorenzo De Angelis - Alecto Mania

Minor cast  Shane Murray-Corcoran - Young Arthur  Elliot Henderson-Boyle - Young Lancelot  Maria Gladkowska - Arthur's Mother  Johnny Brennan - Lucan  Stefania Orsola Garello - Fulcinia  Ned Dennehy - Mental Monk  Dawn Bradfield - Vanora  Clive Russell - Lancelot's Father  Stephanie Putson - Lancelot's Mother

7

King Arthur (film)

Production The movie was produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Antoine Fuqua; David Franzoni, the writer for Gladiator, wrote the screenplay. The historical consultant for the film was John Matthews, an author known for his books on esoteric Celtic spirituality, some of which he co-wrote with his wife Caitlin Matthews. The research consultant was Linda A. Malcor, co-author ofFrom Scythia to Camelot: A Radical Reinterpretation of the Legends of King Arthur, the Knights of the Round Table, and the Holy Grailwhere possible non-Celtic sources for the Arthurian legends are explored. The film's main set, a replica of a section of Hadrian's Wall, was the largest film set ever built in Ireland, and was [1] located in a field in County Kildare. The replica was one kilometre long, which took a crew of 300 construction [2] workers four and a half months to build. The fort in the film was based on the Roman fort named Vindolanda, which was built around 80 AD just south of Hadrian's Wall in what is now called Chesterholm, in Northern England.

Relationship with Arthurian legend

Cinematic versus traditional portrayal

The film's storyline is mostly original, save for the elements of Saxons as Arthur's adversaries and the Battle of Badon Hill. Many traditional elements of Arthurian legend are dropped, such as the Holy Grail and Tristan's lover Iseult. The film barely includes the love triangle between Arthur, Lancelot and Guinevere; whilst Guinevere and Arthur are romantically involved, only a few sequences depict a possible relationship between Lancelot and Guinevere. The film does not feature Kay and Bedivere. Along with Gawain, they already appear as Arthur's companions in very early Welsh sources, likeCulhwch and Olwenin theMabinogion.

The knights' characterisations in Arthurian legend are also dropped. For example, the film's portrayal of a boorish and lusty Bors, the father of many children, differs greatly from his namesake whose purity and celibacy allowed him to witness the Holy Grail. The cinematic portrayal of Bors is therefore much closer to the traditional depiction of Sir Kay than his legendary namesake. Lancelot and Galahad are portrayed as having similar ages, whereas according to traditional versions they are father and son respectively (the film's approach is also found in modern Arthurian fictionb—such as Bernard Cornwell'sThe Warlord Chronicles, in which they are brothers).

Guinevere's warrior persona is closer to the ancient Queen Medb (romanticised above) of the Irish TiánBóCailngethan the Guinevere of Arthurian legend

The cinematic portrayal of Guinevere as a Celtic warrior who joins Arthur's knights in battle is a drastic alteration [3] from the demure "damsel in distress" of courtly romance. Although there is historical and mythological precedent for "sword-swinging warrior queens", such as the British Boudica of the Iceni or the various Celtic war goddesses, [3] the film's portrayal of Guinevere is actually closer to the Queen Medb of the IrishailngTáin Bó C .eHowever, no source, early or late, describes Guinevere as either a warrior or a rustic Celt; in fact, in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae, which contains one of the oldest accounts of the character, Guinevere has Roman blood while Arthur is an indigenous Celt.

Despite the film's historical angle, Merlin was not originally part of the legends. It is generally agreed that he is based on two figures -Myrddin Wyllt(Myrddin the Wild), and Aurelius Ambrosius, a highly fictionalized version of the historical war leader Ambrosius Aurelianus. The former had nothing to do with Arthur and flourished after the Arthurian period. The composite Merlin was created by Geoffrey of Monmouth.

8