I know that guy's face — ubiquitous Scottish character actors

They seem to pop up everywhere and yet you fumble to find their name. Where have I seen that guy before? He was in (click, click go the fingers), don't tell. Aaaargh! Google it!

They appear in way too many movies and TV series to list here. But between them they have a staggering 824+ acting credits to their names.

Those ubiquitous faces include the following acting credits:

  • Alan Cumming (120)
  • David Hayman (125)
  • Gary Lewis (117)
  • Ian McDiarmid (49)
  • Graham McTavish (121)
  • Peter Mullan (83)
  • David O’Hara (65)
  • Ewan Stewart (82)
  • Ken Stott (62)

(Figures from October 2018 via IMDB)

Peter Mullan - IMDb
He was interested in directing films at the age of 19 and he made several shorts. As he wasn’t admitted to the National Film School, he decided to dedicate himself to acting, and made his debut in the theatre in 1988 before moving to cinema and television. Fame came with the parts he played in such …
Ian McDiarmid - IMDb
Ian McDiarmid was born on August 11, 1944 in Carnoustie, Tayside, Scotland. He studied for a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology at the University of St. Andrews, but eventually found that his calling was in theatre. He went to the Royal Academy in Glasgow, where he received the prestigious gold …
Gary Lewis - IMDb
Gary Lewis was born in 1958 in Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland. He is an actor, known for Billy Elliot (2000), Gangs of New York (2002) and Valhalla Rising (2009).
Graham McTavish - IMDb
Graham McTavish, Actor: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Graham McTavish is a Scottish television and film actor, best known for his roles as Dougal Mackenzie in the popular TV series “Outlander” (2014-16), as Dwalin in the “The Hobbit” trilogy for Peter Jackson (2012-14) as well as the Saint of K…
David Hayman - IMDb
David Hayman was born on February 9, 1948 in Bridgeton, Glasgow, Scotland. He is an actor and director, known for The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (2008), Sid and Nancy (1986) and Vertical Limit (2000).
Alan Cumming - IMDb
Alan Cumming was born on January 27, 1965, in Aberfeldy, Scotland, to Mary (Darling), an insurance company secretary, and Alex Cumming. His family lived nearby in Dunkeld, where his father was a forester for Atholl Estate. The family (including his brother, Tom) moved to Fassfern near Fort William, …
Ewan Stewart - IMDb
Ewan was born in Glasgow, and is the son of the late famous Scottish folk singer Andy Stewart. Ewan’s mother Sheila is still alive and lives in Arbroath, Scotland. Ewan was educated at Edinburgh’s Merchiston Castle School from 1966 - 1974. Ewan left Scotland to move to London in 1975 and started wor…
Ken Stott - IMDb
Ken Stott was born in 1955 in Edinburgh, Scotland as Kenneth Campbell Stott. He is an actor, known for De Hobbit: Een onverwachte reis (2012), De Hobbit: de Woestenij van Smaug (2013) and De Hobbit: De Slag van Vijf Legers (2014).
David O’Hara - IMDb
David Patrick O’Hara was born in Glasgow, Scotland, to Martha (née Scott) and Patrick O’Hara, a construction worker and raised in the Pollok section of Glasgow in a large Catholic family of Irish descent. His paternal great-grandfather was Irish. After leaving school he was accepted for a Youth Oppo…