John David Hannah (born 23 April 1962) is a
ScottishScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
actorAn actor or actress is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
of
filmFilm encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the motion picture industry. Films are produced by recording images from the world with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects....
and
televisionTelevision is a widely used telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images, either monochromatic or color, usually accompanied by sound. "Television" may also refer specifically to a television set, television programming or television transmission...
. He has appeared in
Stephen SommersStephen Sommers is an American screenwriter and film director, best known for The Mummy and its sequel, The Mummy Returns. He's also known for directing the action/horror film Van Helsing and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra....
' Mummy Series,
Richard CurtisRichard Whalley Anthony Curtis, CBE is a BAFTA, Primetime Emmy winning and Oscar nominated English screenwriter, music producer, actor and film director, known primarily for romantic comedy films such as Four Weddings and a Funeral, Bridget Jones's Diary, Notting Hill, The Boat That Rocked and...
'
Four Weddings and a FuneralFour Weddings and a Funeral is a 1994 British romantic comedy film directed by Mike Newell. It was the first of several films by screenwriter Richard Curtis to feature Hugh Grant...
and
Sliding DoorsSliding Doors is a 1998 film written and directed by Peter Howitt. It starred Gwyneth Paltrow and John Hannah, and featured John Lynch, Jeanne Tripplehorn and Virginia McKenna. The original music score was composed by David Hirschfelder.- Plot :...
with
Gwyneth PaltrowGwyneth Kate Paltrow is an American actress.The daughter of Bruce Paltrow and Blythe Danner, Paltrow dropped out of her university to follow an acting career. She began her career in theatre in 1990, and made her film debut the following year...
.
Hannah was born in
East KilbrideEast Kilbride is a large suburban town in the South Lanarkshire council area, Greater Glasgow, Scotland. It is Scotland's first new town, and lies on high ground on the south side of the Cathkin Braes, about southeast of Glasgow city centre. The area borders close to the boundary with East...
near Glasgow, the youngest of three children; he has two older sisters. His mother, Susan, was a cleaner at
Marks & SpencerMarks & Spencer is a major British retailer, with over 885 stores in more than 40 territories around the world, over 600 domestic and 285 international. It is the largest clothing retailer in the United Kingdom, as well as being an upmarket food retailer, and as of 2008, the 43rd largest retailer...
, and his father, John, a toolmaker. He attended
Claremont High SchoolClaremont High School can refer to:*Claremont High School *Claremont High School , UK*Claremont High School *Claremont High School , South Lanarkshire, UK...
in East Kilbride and went on to an apprenticeship as an electrician.
John David Hannah (born 23 April 1962) is a
ScottishScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
actorAn actor or actress is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
of
filmFilm encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the motion picture industry. Films are produced by recording images from the world with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects....
and
televisionTelevision is a widely used telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images, either monochromatic or color, usually accompanied by sound. "Television" may also refer specifically to a television set, television programming or television transmission...
. He has appeared in
Stephen SommersStephen Sommers is an American screenwriter and film director, best known for The Mummy and its sequel, The Mummy Returns. He's also known for directing the action/horror film Van Helsing and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra....
' Mummy Series,
Richard CurtisRichard Whalley Anthony Curtis, CBE is a BAFTA, Primetime Emmy winning and Oscar nominated English screenwriter, music producer, actor and film director, known primarily for romantic comedy films such as Four Weddings and a Funeral, Bridget Jones's Diary, Notting Hill, The Boat That Rocked and...
'
Four Weddings and a FuneralFour Weddings and a Funeral is a 1994 British romantic comedy film directed by Mike Newell. It was the first of several films by screenwriter Richard Curtis to feature Hugh Grant...
and
Sliding DoorsSliding Doors is a 1998 film written and directed by Peter Howitt. It starred Gwyneth Paltrow and John Hannah, and featured John Lynch, Jeanne Tripplehorn and Virginia McKenna. The original music score was composed by David Hirschfelder.- Plot :...
with
Gwyneth PaltrowGwyneth Kate Paltrow is an American actress.The daughter of Bruce Paltrow and Blythe Danner, Paltrow dropped out of her university to follow an acting career. She began her career in theatre in 1990, and made her film debut the following year...
.
Early life
Hannah was born in
East KilbrideEast Kilbride is a large suburban town in the South Lanarkshire council area, Greater Glasgow, Scotland. It is Scotland's first new town, and lies on high ground on the south side of the Cathkin Braes, about southeast of Glasgow city centre. The area borders close to the boundary with East...
near Glasgow, the youngest of three children; he has two older sisters. His mother, Susan, was a cleaner at
Marks & SpencerMarks & Spencer is a major British retailer, with over 885 stores in more than 40 territories around the world, over 600 domestic and 285 international. It is the largest clothing retailer in the United Kingdom, as well as being an upmarket food retailer, and as of 2008, the 43rd largest retailer...
, and his father, John, a toolmaker. He attended
Claremont High SchoolClaremont High School can refer to:*Claremont High School *Claremont High School , UK*Claremont High School *Claremont High School , South Lanarkshire, UK...
in East Kilbride and went on to an apprenticeship as an electrician. In East Kilbride, he participated in the East Kilbride Rep Theatre Club. At the suggestion of a colleague, he completed his apprenticeship and then attended the
Royal Scottish Academy of Music and DramaThe Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama is a conservatoire of music, drama and dance in the centre of Glasgow, Scotland. Founded in 1845 as the Glasgow Educational Association, today it acts as one of the leading cultural institutions in the United Kingdom, and is the busiest performing arts...
.
Career
After graduation, Hannah had parts in theatre productions, films, and television, including leading roles, then broke into the "big-time" with his appearance as Matthew in
Four Weddings and a FuneralFour Weddings and a Funeral is a 1994 British romantic comedy film directed by Mike Newell. It was the first of several films by screenwriter Richard Curtis to feature Hugh Grant...
(1994). Since this breakthrough role, he has played a psychopathic killer alongside
Helen BaxendaleHelen Victoria Baxendale is an English actress, known for her roles in Cold Feet, Friends and Cardiac Arrest.-Early life:...
(
Truth or Dare) and a mystery-solving pathologist (
McCallumMcCallum is a British television series that was produced by STV Productions .Dr Iain McCallum was the original lead character, played by John Hannah. McCallum was a forensic pathologist who traveled by Triumph Motorcycle, and solved murders...
). He played a karaoke-mad dead-beat dad (
The James Gang), drunken, thieving comic relief (
The MummyThe Mummy is a 1999 American adventure film written and directed by Stephen Sommers and starring Brendan Fraser, and Rachel Weisz, with Arnold Vosloo in the title role as the reanimated mummy. The film features substantial dialogue in ancient Egyptian language, spoken with the assistance of a...
, 1999 and
The Mummy ReturnsThe Mummy Returns is a 2001 American adventure film written and directed by Stephen Sommers, starring Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, John Hannah, Oded Fehr, Patricia Velásquez and Arnold Vosloo. The film is a sequel to the 1999 film The Mummy, which primarily took place in 1926, and is set seven...
, 2001) and a Monty Python-quoting romantic comedy love interest (
Sliding DoorsSliding Doors is a 1998 film written and directed by Peter Howitt. It starred Gwyneth Paltrow and John Hannah, and featured John Lynch, Jeanne Tripplehorn and Virginia McKenna. The original music score was composed by David Hirschfelder.- Plot :...
, 1998). He also starred in the axed U.S. series
MDs (2002), as well as guest appearances in
AliasAlias is an American action television series created by J. J. Abrams which was broadcast on ABC for five seasons, from September 30, 2001 to May 22, 2006...
(2001),
FrasierFrasier is an American sitcom broadcast on NBC for eleven seasons, from September 16, 1993 to May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee in association with Paramount Television.A spin-off from Cheers, Frasier stars Kelsey Grammer as psychiatrist...
(2002) and
CarnivaleCarnivale may refer to:*Carnivàle, an American television series on HBO*Carnival, a festival season*Empress of Britain , a steamship renamed the Carnivale...
(2002). In 2006 he starred in the drama series
New Street LawNew Street Law is a British legal drama television series produced by Red Production Company in association with One-Eyed Dog Ltd for BBC One. The series was created by G. F. Newman and Matthew Hall, and starred an ensemble cast headed by John Hannah and Paul Freeman...
and
Cold Blood.
On 24 December 1997, Hannah and Scottish Films producer Murray Ferguson established a production company called
Clerkenwell FilmsClerkenwell Films is a British television production company, which has produced several drama programmes for the ITV network in the United Kingdom. Co-founded by the actor John Hannah and the producer Murray Ferguson...
. Clerkenwell's first big production was the
RebusRebus is the title of the detective drama based on the Inspector Rebus novels by the Scottish author Ian Rankin set in and around Edinburgh produced by STV Productions for the ITV Network....
series, including
Black And Blue and
The Hanging Garden. However,
Rebus was later taken in-house by STV Productions, and Hannah was replaced in the leading role in the series by
Ken StottKenneth Campbell Stott is a Scottish actor, particularly known in the United Kingdom for his many roles in television.-Early life:...
.
Personal life
Hannah married actress
Joanna RothJoanna Roth is a Scottish actress.Roth was born Joanna Angelis in Århus, Denmark, but relocated with her family to Glasgow, Scotland....
on 20 January 1996. The pair met several years before during a studio production of
ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's preeminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
's
Measure for MeasureMeasure for Measure is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1603 or 1604. It was originally classified as a comedy, but is now also classified as one of Shakespeare's problem plays. Originally published in the First Folio of 1623, the play's first recorded performance was...
. In many of his interviews, he mentions stories from their relationship, such as the visit to London's Sri Siam restaurant where he proposed to her in writing on the tablecloth. They had twins, a boy named Gabriel and a girl named Astrid on 11 February 2004.
For years, Hannah has made an effort to use his status as a celebrity to support charitable causes. Soon after his role as the epileptic police officer Franky Drinkall in
Out Of The Blue, he showed his support for the Epilepsy Association of Scotland. He was, for a long time, a spokesman for
OxfamOxfam International is a confederation of 14 organisations working with over 3,000 partners in more than 70 countries to find lasting solutions to poverty and injustice....
's Cut Conflict Campaign.
Filmography
- 1994 - Four Weddings and a Funeral
Four Weddings and a Funeral is a 1994 British romantic comedy film directed by Mike Newell. It was the first of several films by screenwriter Richard Curtis to feature Hugh Grant...
- 1995 - Madagascar Skin
Madagascar Skin is a 1995 British film starring Bernard Hill and John Hannah.-Plot summary:Hannah plays Harry, a very shy young gay man who has a birthmark in the shape of Madagascar across much of the left-hand side of his face. On fleeing the city and the shallow gay scene, Harry ends up at a...
- 1995 - The Innocent Sleep
- 1995 - Blast Away
- 1997 - Romance and Rejection
- 1997 - Resurrection Man
- 1997 - The James Gang
- 1998 - Sliding Doors
Sliding Doors is a 1998 film written and directed by Peter Howitt. It starred Gwyneth Paltrow and John Hannah, and featured John Lynch, Jeanne Tripplehorn and Virginia McKenna. The original music score was composed by David Hirschfelder.- Plot :...
- 1999 - The Hurricane
The Hurricane is a American biographical film directed by Norman Jewison, and starring Denzel Washington. The script was adapted by Armyan Bernstein and Dan Gordon from the books Lazarus and the Hurricane by Sam Chaiton and Terry Swinton and The 16th Round by Rubin "Hurricane" Carter...
- 1999 - The Mummy
The Mummy is a 1999 American adventure film written and directed by Stephen Sommers and starring Brendan Fraser, and Rachel Weisz, with Arnold Vosloo in the title role as the reanimated mummy. The film features substantial dialogue in ancient Egyptian language, spoken with the assistance of a...
- 1999 - The Intruder
- 2000 - Pandaemonium
Pandaemonium is a 2000 film, directed by Julien Temple, screenplay by Frank Cottrell Boyce. It is based on the early lives of English poets Samuel Taylor Coleridge and William Wordsworth, in particular their collaboration on the "Lyrical Ballads", and Coleridge's writing of Kubla Khan.The film was...
- 2000 - Circus
Circus is a 2000 British crime thriller movie directed by Rob Walker and written by David Logan. The movie stars John Hannah, Famke Janssen, Peter Stormare, Brian Conley, and Eddie Izzard. It was released in the UK on May 5, 2000 and had its USA release on September 15, 2000.-Plot:Leo and Lily ...
- 2001 - The Mummy Returns
The Mummy Returns is a 2001 American adventure film written and directed by Stephen Sommers, starring Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, John Hannah, Oded Fehr, Patricia Velásquez and Arnold Vosloo. The film is a sequel to the 1999 film The Mummy, which primarily took place in 1926, and is set seven...
- 2001 - Before You Go
- 2002 - Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
- 2002 - I'm With Lucy
I'm With Lucy is a 2002 romantic comedy starring Monica Potter, Gael Garcia Bernal, Anthony LaPaglia, Julie Christie and John Hannah.- Plot :Lucy is a journalist who is dumped by her 'perfect' boyfriend and then goes...
- 2003 - I Accuse
- 2004 - Agatha Christie's Marple: 4.50 from Paddington - Inspector Tom Campbell
- 2007 - The Last Legion
The Last Legion is a 2007 film directed by Doug Lefler. Produced by Dino De Laurentiis and others, it is based on a 2003 Italian novel of the same name written by Valerio Massimo Manfredi...
- 2007 - The Sinking of the Lusitania: Terror at Sea
The Sinking of the Lusitania: Terror at Sea is an English-German Docu-drama produced in 2007. This ninety minute film is a dramatization of the sinking of the RMS Lusitania on May 7, 1915 by a German U-boat, U-20...
- 2008 - The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor is a 2008 American adventure film that follows The Mummy and The Mummy Returns. It was released on August 1, 2008 in the United States. The film was directed by Rob Cohen, written by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, and produced by Stephen Sommers , Bob Ducsay,...
- 2008 - Zip 'n zoo
Zip 'n Zoo is a 2008 film directed by Bruce Robertson, starring John Hannah, Simone Lahbib and Remy Bennett. The name of the film is derived from the sound of casting during fly-fishing.- Plot :...
- 2008 - Moose in the Glen
- 2008 - Agatha Christie Poirot: Appointment with Death - Dr. Gerard