Ian Bannen

About Ian Bannen

Scottish character actor and occasional leading man who enlivened
scores of fine films in Britain and America. His father was a lawyer in
a small town in Lanarkshire. Bannen served in the army and attended
Ratcliffe College, Leicestershire. His first acting role came in a 1947
Dublin production of "Armlet of Jade". He became a successful figure on
the London stage, making a name for himself in the plays of both
William Shakespeare and 'Eugene ONeill. He was an original member of the Royal Shakespeare
Company and appeared on Broadway as well. His film debut occurred in
the mid-1950s, and he quickly rose to prominence, primarily in a wide
range of supporting roles. His performance as "Crow" in The Flight of the Phoenix (1965) won him
an Oscar nomination as Best Supporting Actor. Thirty years and scores
of films later, Bannen was given the Lifetime Achievement Award of the
British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Long after his leading man
days had passed, he won new acclaim for his role as the touchingly
crafty villager in Waking Ned Devine (1998). The following year he died in an automobile
accident. He was survived by his wife of 23 years....

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