Lorcan Cranitch facts for kids

Lorcan Cranitch (born August 28, 1959) is an Irish actor. He is well-known for his roles in many popular TV shows and movies. He was born in Dublin, Ireland.

Lorcan Cranitch became interested in acting when he was a student. In 1980, he moved to London to study acting at the RADA. This is a famous school for actors.

Lorcan Cranitch's Acting Journey

Early Roles and TV Success

Lorcan Cranitch started his acting career in 1978. His first big role on British television was in 1991. He played Tim Healy in a BBC drama series called Parnell and the Englishwoman.

He became very well-known for playing DS Jimmy Beck in the TV series Cracker. He was in this show from 1993 to 1995. After Cracker, he joined another BBC show called Ballykissangel. He played a character named Sean Dillon, a role that was written just for him.

In 2001, Lorcan starred in the drama series McCready and Daughter. He also appeared in many other British TV dramas. These include Waking the Dead, Spooks, Silent Witness, and New Tricks.

Playing Different Characters

Lorcan Cranitch has played many different kinds of characters. In 2005, he played a villain named Erastes Fulmen in the TV series Rome. This show was made by HBO and BBC. In 2009, he played Dickie Best in Best: His Mother's Son. Dickie Best was the father of the famous footballer George Best. He also appeared in The Bill as DCI Frank Keane.

More recently, he was in the Sky Atlantic series Fortitude. He also appeared in the BBC series Death in Paradise in 2016. In 2017, he played Assistant Chief Constable Nicholls in Inspector George Gently. In February 2021, Lorcan Cranitch took a main role in the BBC crime drama series Bloodlands. He played Detective Chief Superintendent Jackie Twomey.

Movies and Stage Work

Besides TV shows, Lorcan Cranitch has also acted in movies. He was in Dancing at Lughnasa with the famous actress Meryl Streep. He also appeared in The Playboys and Titanic Town.

He has also performed on stage in many plays. He has worked with famous theatre companies. These include The Royal National Theatre, The Royal Shakespeare Company, The Abbey, and The Gate Theatre in Dublin.

Lorcan Cranitch's Life Outside Acting

Lorcan Cranitch went to secondary school at Terenure College. He was married to Susan Jackson, who is a journalist. They adopted a child from Ethiopia in 2010. Lorcan's sister, Ellen Cranitch, is also involved in media. She is a presenter on Lyric FM, which is a classical music radio station in Ireland.

Selected Film and TV Roles

Here are some of the movies and TV shows Lorcan Cranitch has been in:

Movies

• 1987: The Magic Toyshop as Francie
• 1992: The Playboys as Ryan / John Joe
• 1998: Dancing at Lughnasa as Danny Bradley
• 1998: Titanic Town as Tony
• 2004: Omagh as Ronnie Flanagan
• 2009: Best: His Mother's Son as Dickie Best (TV film)
• 2014: Love, Rosie as Dennis Dunne
• 2018: The Dig as Sean McKenna
• 2020: Herself as Michael
• 2022: Róise & Frank as Donncha

Television Shows

• 1991: Parnell and the Englishwoman as Timothy Healy (Miniseries)
• 1993–1995: Cracker as DS Jimmy Beck
• 1998–1999: Ballykissangel as Sean Dillon
• 2002: Shackleton as Frank Wild (Miniseries)
• 2005–2007: Rome as Erastes Fulmen
• 2006: The Bill as DCI Frank Keane
• 2008: New Tricks as Melvin (Episode: "Communal Living")
• 2011: Lewis as Liam Cullen (Episode: "The Gift of Promise")
• 2014–2015: Atlantis as Cilix
• 2015: Fortitude as DI Littlejohn
• 2016: Death in Paradise as Tosh Walker (Episode: "The Blood Red Sea")
• 2017: Inspector George Gently as ACC Nicholls (Episode: "Gently Liberated")
• 2021–2022: Bloodlands as Jackie Twomey
• 2022: Magpie Murders as Sir Magnus Pye / Max Ryeland
• 2023: The Crown as Commissioner Stevens