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Liam Cunningham
Liam Cunningham by Gage Skidmore 3.jpg
Cunningham in 2017
Born (1961-06-02) 2 June 1961 (age 63)
East Wall, Dublin, Ireland
Nationality Irish
Education St Davids, Artane, Dublin
Occupation Actor
Years active 1992–present
Spouse(s) Colette Cunningham
Children 3

Liam Cunningham (born 2 June 1961) is an Irish actor. He is known for playing Davos Seaworth in the HBO epic-fantasy series Game of Thrones.

Cunningham has been nominated for the London Film Critics' Circle Award, the British Independent Film Award, has won two Irish Film & Television Awards, and shared a BAFTA with Michael Fassbender, for their crime-drama short film Pitch Black Heist. His film roles include A Little Princess (1995), Jude (1996), Dog Soldiers (2002), The Crooked Man (2003), The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2006), Hunger (2008), The Escapist (2008), The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008), Good Vibrations (2013), Let Us Prey (2014) and The Childhood of a Leader (2015). In 2020, he was listed at number 36 on The Irish Times list of Ireland's greatest film actors.

Early life

Cunningham was born in East Wall, which is an inner city area of the Northside of Dublin. He grew up in Kilmore West with his three sisters and a brother. Cunningham left secondary school at 15 and pursued a career as an electrician. In the 1980s, Cunningham moved to Zimbabwe for three years where he maintained electrical equipment at a safari park and trained Zimbabwean electricians. After returning to Ireland, Cunningham became dissatisfied with his work as an electrician and decided to pursue his interest in acting. He attended acting classes and began to work in local theatre, including the Royal Shakespeare Company. He appeared in a production of Studs at The Tricycle Theatre in Kilburn, London.

Career

Liam Cunningham 2013
Cunningham at the Game of Thrones exhibition in May 2013

Cunningham's debut film role came in Into the West (1992), where he played a police officer. His on-screen acting continued with roles in War of the Buttons (1994), and A Little Princess (1995), before making his role as Phillotson in Jude (1996). He continued with character roles in Falling for a Dancer (TV, 1998), RKO 281 (1999), Shooting the Past (TV, 1999), When the Sky Falls (2000) and Stranded (2002). Cunningham came to international prominence with his role as Captain Ryan in the critically acclaimed, independent horror film, Dog Soldiers (2002).

Cunningham starred in well-received films such as The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2006) which won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival; Hunger; The Escapist (both 2008); The Guard; and Black Butterflies (both 2011). He also had roles in many high budget British and American films including The League of Gentlemen's Apocalypse (2005), The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008), Harry Brown (2009), Clash of the Titans, Centurion (both 2010). On television, he appeared as President Richard Tate in the BBC programme Outcasts. Cunningham was producer Philip Segal’s first choice to portray the Eighth Doctor in the TV movie of Doctor Who (1996), but was vetoed by Fox executives.

In 2012, Cunningham joined the main cast for the second season of HBO's Game of Thrones portraying former smuggler Davos Seaworth, and in 2013 he starred in The Numbers Station alongside John Cusack. He was also cast in season 5 of the BBC series Merlin as a sorcerer. He featured in the music video for "High Hopes" by Irish alternative rock band Kodaline from their EP The High Hopes. In April 2013, he appeared in the seventh series of the BBC One series Doctor Who in the episode "Cold War", where he played Captain Zhukov, the commander of a Russian submarine in 1983 facing one of the Ice Warriors. In 2015, he played the father in Brady Corbet's directorial debut film, The Childhood of a Leader.

In February 2020, it was announced that Cunningham would voice Man-At-Arms in the Netflix animated series Masters of the Universe: Revelation.

Personal life

Cunningham lives in Dublin with his wife Colette, with whom he has three children, daughter Ellen and sons Liam Jr. and Sean.

Politics

In 2015, Cunningham was one of over 100 artists who signed a letter to The Guardian announcing support for a cultural boycott of Israel. In light of the 2023 Israel–Hamas war, he was one of over two thousand to sign an Artists for Palestine letter calling for a ceasefire and accusing western governments of "not only tolerating war crimes but aiding and abetting them."

Cunningham endorsed Solidarity–People Before Profit in the 2020 Irish general election.

Filmography

Liam Cunningham at DIFF 2024
Liam Cunningham at DIFF 2024

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1992 Into the West Police Officer
Public Toilet Short film
Heaven Only Knows Paul Clarke
1993 The Sea
1994 Undercurrent Greg Laughton
War of the Buttons The Master
1995 A Little Princess Capt. Crewe / Prince Rama
First Knight Sir Agravaine
1996 Jude Phillotson
1997 The Doherty Brothers Connor Doherty Short film
The Life of Stuff Alex Sneddon
1998 The Tale of Sweety Barrett Detective Bone
1999 A Love Divided Sean Cloney
2000 When the Sky Falls John Cosgrave (The Runner)
The Second Death James Mangan Short film
2001 Revelation Father Ray Connolly
The Island of the Mapmaker's Wife John Wyndham
2002 Dog Soldiers Capt. Ryan
The Abduction Club John Power
2003 Mystics Sean Foley
The Crooked Man Hamilton
The League of Gentlemen's Apocalypse Director
2004 The Card Player John Brennan
Screwback Harry Short film
2005 Breakfast on Pluto 1st Biker
2006 The Wind That Shakes the Barley Dan
2008 The Escapist Brodie
Hunger Father Dominic Moran
Paris Noir Douglas
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor Mad Dog Maguire
2009 Blood: The Last Vampire Michael Harrison
The Tournament Powers
Perrier's Bounty The Mutt
Harry Brown Sid Rourke
2010 Centurion Brick
Clash of the Titans Solon
The Whistleblower Bill Hynes
2011 Pitch Black Heist Liam Short film
Also executive producer
The Guard Francis Sheehy-Skelfington
Black Butterflies Jack Cope
The Silence of Joan The English Captain
War Horse The Army Doctor
2012 Safe House Alec Wade
2013 SLR Elliot Short film
The Numbers Station Grey
Good Vibrations Davy
2014 I Am Here Father Short film
Noble Thomas
Let Us Prey Six
2015 Ladygrey Angus
Dusha shpiona Hillsman
The Childhood of a Leader The Father
Pursuit Fionn
2017 24 Hours to Live Wetzler
2021 The Vault Walter Moreland
2023 The Last Voyage of the Demeter Captain Elliot

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1993 A Handful of Stars Stapler TV movie
Poor Beast in the Rain Danger Doyle
1994–1995 Roughnecks Chris 13 episodes
1995 Cracker Stuart Grady 2 episodes
1997 Police 2020 DCI Billy O'Connell Pilot
1998 Falling for a Dancer Mossie Sheehan TV movie
1999 Shooting the Past Christopher Anderson Miniseries
Too Rich: The Secret Life of Doris Duke Alec Cunningham-Reid TV movie
RKO 281 Gregg Toland
2000 A Likeness in Stone Bill Armstrong
2001 Rebel Heart Michael Malone
Attila Theodoric I 2 episodes
2002 Stranded David Robinson TV movie
2003 Final Demand David Milner
Prime Suspect Robert West Episode: "Part 1"
2004 Messiah Pace Tierney Episode: "The Promise"
2005 Showbands Tony Golden TV movie
The Clinic Malcolm Keown 5 episodes
2006 Hotel Babylon Adrian McBride Episode #1.8
Showbands II Tony Golden TV movie
Murphy's Law Drew Johnstone 3 episodes
2007 Afterlife Jonathan Episode: "Your Hand in Mine"
The Wild West Wyatt Earp Episode: "The Gunfight at the OK Corral"
Northanger Abbey General Tilney TV movie
Anner House Neil Barry
The Catherine Tate Show Father Episode: "Christmas Special"
2009 The Street Thomas Miller Episode #3.1
2011 Outcasts President Richard Tate 8 episodes
Camelot Colfur Episode: "Justice"
Strike Back: Project Dawn Daniel Connolly 2 episodes
2012 Saving the Titanic Narrator Documentary
Titanic: Blood and Steel Jim Larkin 5 episodes
Merlin Ruadan 2 episodes
2012–2019 Game of Thrones Davos Seaworth 42 episodes
2013 Doctor Who Captain Zhukov Episode: "Cold War"
Vera Sam Harper Episode: "Prodigal Son"
2015 The Musketeers Belgard Episode: "The Prodigal Father"
2017 Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams General Olin Episode: "Human Is"
2019 The Hot Zone Wade Carter Main role
Rick and Morty Balthromaw (voice) Episode: “Claw and Hoarder: Special Ricktim's Morty”
2020 Solar Opposites Pupa (voice) Episode: "Retrace-Your-Step-Alizer"
2021 Masters of the Universe: Revelation Man-At-Arms
Domina Livius
2024–present 3 Body Problem Thomas Wade 8 episodes

Music videos

Year Title Notes
2013 "High Hopes" By Kodaline

Awards and nominations

Year Film/Television Award Result
1999 Falling for a Dancer Irish Film and Television Award for Best Actor in a Lead Television Role Nominated
A Love Divided Irish Film and Television Award for Best Male Actor in a Lead Film Role
2006 Showbands II Irish Film and Television Award for Best Actor in a Lead Role in Television
Murphy's Law Irish Film and Television Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in Television
The Wind That Shakes the Barley Irish Film and Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Film Won
2008 Hunger London Film Critics' Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor of the Year Nominated
Irish Film and Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Film Won
British Independent Film Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Film Nominated
2012 Pitch Black Heist BAFTA Award for Best Short Film Won
The Guard Irish Film and Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Film Nominated
2014 Game of Thrones Irish Film and Television Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Drama
2015
2016
2017 Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
Irish Film and Television Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Drama

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Liam Cunningham para niños

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