John Macmillan (actor)

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John Macmillan
Alma materWebber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art
Years active2007–present

John Macmillan (also credited as MacMillan) is an actor. He began his career in theatre, earning an Ian Charleson Award nomination for his work in Hamlet and Macbeth. He was nominated for a Satellite Award for his performance in the BBC Two adaptation of King Lear (2018).

His television work includes the BBC One drama Silk (2011–2014), the Netflix sitcom Chewing Gum (2015–2017), and the Channel 4 sitcoms Back (2017–2021) and Hang Ups (2018).

Early life

Macmillan attended the Waterford Kamhlaba United World College in Mbabane, Swaziland (now Eswatini).[1] He has also lived in Johannesburg, Malawi, Zambia, and Oxford.[2] Macmillan trained at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art in London.[3] In 2011, Macmillan opened a garden at Chatsworth Baptist Church School in West Norwood.[4]

Career

Macmillan began his career in theatre, going on the 2007 international tour of Cymbeline as Guideris.[5] The following year, he appeared in The Last Days of Judas Iscariot at the Almeida Theatre and Piranha Heights at Soho Theatre. He received an Ian Charleson Award nominations for his performances in the 2009 productions of Hamlet and Macbeth. That year, Macmillan made his screen debut with small roles in the horror film Heartless and the fifth series of the BBC One crime drama Hustle as Harry Fielding. In 2011, Macmillan starred in the short Friend Request Pending and appeared in the Joe Wright's 2010 action thriller film Hanna. That same year, he began starring as clerk Joe Bright in the BBC One drama Silk.[3]

In 2015, Macmillan played staff nurse Joe Costello in the Sky One medical drama Critical (CR:IT:IC:AL), appeared in The Homecoming at Trafalgar Studios, and began playing Ronald, Tracey's long-term boyfriend in Michaela Coel's Netflix sitcom Chewing Gum. Macmillan played Victor in both the 2016 and 2017 productions of Yerma alongside Billie Piper.[6] The cast and crew won an Obie Award in the Special Citations category. He starred in the one-man play Killer at Shoreditch Town Hall.[7] He starred as Troye King Jones in Simon Amstell's mockumentary film Carnage and began playing Julian in the Channel 4 sitcom Back. For his performance in the 2018 BBC Two television film adaptation of King Lear, Macmillan was nominated for a Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor. Also in 2018, Macmillan starred as Abs Walter in the Channel 4 sitcom Hang Ups and began appearing in the Black British sketch comedy Famalam.[8]

Macmillan played Laenor Velaryon, Princess Rhaenyra's first husband, in the first season of the HBO fantasy series House of the Dragon, a Game of Thrones prequel and adaptation of George R. R. Martin's companion book Fire and Blood.[9]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2009 Heartless She
2011 Hanna Lewis
The Hype Man Miles Short film; also directed, wrote, produced
Friend Request Pending Jason Short film, part of Stars in Shorts
2012 The Dark Knight Rises Analyst
A Scholarship Leon Short film
2013 World War Z Officer
2014 Paddy The Sage Short film
Maleficent Captain
Fury Corporal
2017 Carnage Troye King Jones Mockumentary
2020 Heaven Can Wait Short film, part of Boys on Film 20
2021 The Dig Dr Rothman
Ron's Gone Wrong Shayne the Biker Voice role
2022 The People We Hate at the Wedding Ollie Amazon Prime film
TBA Seize Them! King Guthrum

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2009 Hustle Harry Fielding 2 episodes (series 5)
2010 Sherlock Community Police Officer Episode: "The Blind Banker"
2011–2014 Silk John Bright Main role
2012 Panto! Finlay Christmas special
2014 New Tricks Archie Episode: "Bermondsey Boy"
2015 Critical Justin Costello 9 episodes
Hoff the Record Marcus Fuster Episode: "The Movie"
2015–2017 Chewing Gum Ronald 5 episodes
2016 The Windsors Richard 1 episode
Barbarians Rising Mago Episode: "Resistance"
Ordinary Lies Adam Episode: "Holly"
2017 Midsomer Murders Solomon Franks Episode: "Death by Persuasion"
2017–2021 Back Julian 8 episodes
2018–2020 Famalam Various Sketch comedy (13 episodes)
2018 Kiss Me First Saul Green Episode: "You Can Never Go Home"
King Lear Edmund Television film
Hang Ups Adebowale "Abs" Walter Main role
2019 The Accident Gareth Jarvis 1 episode
Dial M for Middlesbrough Chad Television film
2020 The Trouble with Maggie Cole Jez 2 episodes
2021 The Nevers Byner Episode: "True"
2022 House of the Dragon Laenor Velaryon 2 episodes
Ghosts Scott Episode: "Speak as ye choose"[10]
2023 Extraordinary Dr Wedderburn Episode: "Pet Project"
The Cleaner Strazzamo Episode: "The Clown"
The Great John Quirkton Episode: "Choose Your Weapon"
The Burning Girls Mike Sudduth Main role

Video games

Year Title Role Notes
2017 Horizon Zero Dawn Varl
2018 Overkill's The Walking Dead Aiden
2019 Blood & Truth
2020 Troy: A Total War Saga
Amnesia: Rebirth James Henry "Hank" Mitchell
Spellforce 3: Fallen God Zazka
2022 Horizon Forbidden West Varl

Audio

Year Title Role Notes
2016–2018 Tommies Juma Gubanda / Leland Moody 5 episodes
2020 The Sandman African Morpheus 20 episodes

Stage

Year Title Role Notes
2007 Cymbeline Guiderius International tour
2008 The Last Days of Judas Iscariot Bailiff / Simon the Zealot Almeida Theatre, London
Piranha Heights Medic Soho Theatre, London
2009 Hamlet Rosencrantz Donmar Warehouse, London / Broadhurst Theatre, New York
Macbeth Malcolm Royal Exchange, Manchester
2015 The Homecoming Joey Trafalgar Studios, London
2016, 2017 Yerma Victor Young Vic, London
2017 Killer Various One man play; Shoreditch Town Hall, London
2023 Phaedra Eric Royal National Theatre, London

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Work Result Ref.
2009 Ian Charleson Awards Macbeth and Hamlet Nominated
2018 Obie Awards Special Citations Yerma Won [a][11]
Satellite Awards Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film King Lear Nominated [12]

Notes

  1. ^ Shared with the Yerma cast and crew.

References

  1. ^ Matambanadzo, Chris (2022-10-12). "House of the Dragon 'Ser Laenor Velaryon' Actor John Macmillan's Link To South Africa Revealed". iHarare News. Retrieved 2022-10-13.
  2. ^ "John Macmillan". Sue Terry Voices. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  3. ^ a b "Silk - John Bright". BBC One. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  4. ^ Portilho-Shrimpton, Thais (13 June 2011). "Batman actor opens new garden at West Norwood pre-school". The Argus. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  5. ^ "John MacMillan". BBA Shakespeare. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  6. ^ "Yerma". Young Vic. 26 July 2017. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  7. ^ New, Belphoebe (2017). "'I like to take journeys away from myself' – An Interview with John MacMillan". Culture Calling. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  8. ^ Knight, Lewis (5 September 2022). "Who is Ser Laenor Velaryon and who plays him in House of the Dragon?". Radio Times. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  9. ^ Debnath, Neela (24 September 2022). "Why was Laenor replaced in House of the Dragon? Who plays Laenor?". Daily Express. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  10. ^ ""Ghosts" Speak as ye choose". IMDb. 23 September 2022.
  11. ^ "2018 Obies Winners and Performances". Obie Awards. 19 May 2018. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
  12. ^ "Satellite Awards 2018". International Press Academy. Retrieved 27 October 2021.

External links