Peter Mullan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Peter Mullan
Mullan in 2005
Born	(1959-11-02) 2 November 1959 (age 65) Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Occupation	Actor filmmaker
Years active	1988–present
Spouse(s)	Ann Swan ​ ​ (m. 1989; div. 2006)​
Children	4

Peter Mullan (born 2 November 1959) is a talented Scottish actor and filmmaker. He has appeared in many well-known films and TV shows. Some of his famous roles include parts in Braveheart (1995), Trainspotting (1996), and the Harry Potter films. He also played King Durin III in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.

Besides acting, Peter Mullan is also a successful director. He won a special award called the Golden Lion at the 59th Venice International Film Festival for his film The Magdalene Sisters (2002). This award is one of the highest honors a film can receive.

Early Life and School Days

Peter Mullan was born on 2 November 1959, in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. He was one of eight children in his family. His family later moved to Mosspark, a part of Glasgow.

When Peter was 17, his father passed away. Later, he went to the University of Glasgow. There, he studied economic history and drama. It was at university that he first started acting on stage.

Peter Mullan's Career

Acting Roles

After finishing university, Peter Mullan continued to act on stage. Soon, he started getting roles in movies. He worked alongside famous actors like Robert Carlyle in Riff-Raff (1991) and Shallow Grave (1994). He also appeared with Mel Gibson in Braveheart (1995) and Ewan McGregor in Trainspotting (1996).

In 1998, Peter Mullan starred in the film My Name Is Joe. His performance was so good that he won the Best Actor Award at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival.

He has also appeared in many other popular films. These include the final two Harry Potter movies (2010–2011) and War Horse (2011). In 2011, he won another award at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival for his acting in Tyrannosaur.

On television, Peter Mullan has played lead roles in several series. He was in The Fixer (2008) and Top of the Lake (2013). For Top of the Lake, he was even nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award. From 2016 to 2019, he starred in the comedy series Mum. He also appeared in the Netflix series Ozark (2017–2018) and HBO's Westworld (2018–2020).

More recently, he was in the miniseries The North Water (2021) and The Underground Railroad (2021). He also played King Durin III in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022–2024). In 2023, he starred in the New Zealand show After the Party and the film Baghead.

Directing Films

Peter Mullan is also known as a director of art house movies. In 2002, he directed and wrote the film The Magdalene Sisters. This film was based on real stories from Irish Magdalene asylums. It was a very important film and won the Golden Lion award at the 59th Venice International Film Festival. Many critics thought it was one of the best films of 2003.

He also directed the film Orphans (1998), which won awards at the Venice Film Festival. His film Neds (2010) won the Golden Shell award at the San Sebastián International Film Festival.

Peter Mullan is special because he has won top awards for both his acting (like the Cannes Best Actor award for My Name Is Joe) and for directing the best film (like the Golden Lion for The Magdalene Sisters).

Personal Life and Beliefs

Peter Mullan was married to actress Ann Swan from 1989 to 2006. He has four children.

He believes in socialist ideas and has supported causes that aim for fairness for working people. In the 1980s and 1990s, he was involved in left-wing theatre groups in Scotland. He has also spoken out about political issues. For example, in 2009, he joined other actors in protesting against the BBC's decision not to show an appeal for Gaza. He also supported the Yes Scotland campaign for Scottish independence in 2014.

Filmography

Film

Television

See also

In Spanish: Peter Mullan para niños