Celebrity Info
Ian Bannen, a Scottish-born actor, launched his career in Ireland back in 1947. He made his first notable London stage appearance in 1955, playing Captain Rickman in Prisoners of War. In England, he became strongly associated with the works of Eugene O’Neill, delivering memorable performances as Hickey in The Iceman Cometh (1957) and Jamie Tyrone in Long Day’s Journey Into Night (1958). Decades later, in 1983, he revisited the latter role in productions of A Moon for the Misbegotten both in London and New York City.
Ian Bannen transitioned to film with his debut in Battle Hell (1956), followed by a solid performance in The Risk/Suspect (1960). His role as a cynical plane crash survivor in Robert Aldrich’s Flight of the Phoenix (1965) earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. With his suave demeanor and dark good looks, he played the stiff husband to Natalie Wood’s character in Penelope (1967), and in a striking departure from that image, portrayed a deeply unsettling child molester in Sidney Lumet’s intense The Offense (1973).
As he matured into character roles, Ian Bannen continued to impress with a wide range of performances. He took on the role of a morally ambiguous religious figure in the underappreciated Lamb (1985) and portrayed a grumpy but endearing grandfather in John Boorman’s semi-autobiographical Hope and Glory (1987). Among his later roles, he made a powerful impression as The Leper in Mel Gibson’s Braveheart (1995).
In one of his final film roles, Bannen co-starred in the charming Ealing-style comedy Waking Ned Devine (1998), where he and David Kelly played two scheming brothers who hatch a clever impersonation plot after discovering their old friend Ned Devine had died holding the winning lottery ticket.
When it comes to Ian Bannen’s filmography, one standout performance that really shines is in The Inglorious Bastards from 1978—this particular movie tends to be regarded as Ian Bannen’s highest rated film by both critics and audiences alike. It’s clear that his role in this action-packed war flick left a lasting impression. On the other end of the spectrum, Ian Bannen also appeared in Ghost Dad, released back in 1990, which unfortunately didn’t resonate as well and is often considered Ian Bannen’s lowest rated movie. While the film had its moments, especially with its comedic premise, it just didn’t achieve the same level of acclaim. So overall, when you look at Ian Bannen’s career highlights and some less successful ventures, these two films really mark the top and bottom of his cinematic journey.
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