Mark Strong
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Mark Strong | |
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Born | August 1963 London, England |
Mark Strong (born August 1963) is an English actor.
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[edit] Biography
[edit] Early life
Strong, the son of an Italian father and an Austrian mother, was born Marco Giuseppe Salussolia in London, England, and attended Wymondham College in Norfolk.[1] His English name is not a stage name, but one chosen by his mother when she decided to change his name by deed poll when he was a child, hoping that it would help him to fit in better with his peers. At school he was the singer in punk rock bands called The Electric Hoax and Private Party. His original ambition was to become a lawyer, but after studying for a year at University in Munich, Germany he decided to change his direction in life and returned home to London. There he enrolled in a joint English & Drama degree at Royal Holloway, and later attended Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.
[edit] Career
Strong is a familiar face on British television screens and has appeared in a variety of high-profile dramas, including two of the Prime Suspect serials for ITV, as Inspector (later Detective Chief Superintendent) Larry Hall in Prime Suspect 3 (1993) and Prime Suspect 6 (2003). He has also had starring roles in two major BBC Two drama serials, Our Friends in the North (1996) and The Long Firm (2004) as well as playing the villainous Colonel Brand in Sharpe's Mission (1996). He also played the romantic lead, Mr. Knightley, in the ITV television version of Jane Austen's novel Emma with Kate Beckinsale in the title role.
In film, one of Strong's most prominent roles was as Steve in the 1997 adaptation of Nick Hornby's Fever Pitch, co-starring opposite Colin Firth, and he also features in Roman Polanski's 2005 version of Oliver Twist. He also played Mussawi in the film Syriana, and in 2005 appeared in Revolver, where he played a nerveless, steely assassin 'who never misses'. In a movie panned by critics, even though he appeared in only five scenes, his performance was highly acclaimed. In 2006, Strong portrayed the traitorous Wicktred in Tristan + Isolde, showing his talent with swordplay. In 2007 he played "Pinbacker" in the science-fiction film Sunshine. He was Septimus in Stardust the same year.
He has enjoyed a highly successful theatre career, in 2003 being nominated for a prestigious Laurence Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role for his role in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night at the Donmar Warehouse in 2002. He is due to film a lead part in the Channel 4 film Endgame (2008).[2]
[edit] References
- ^ Mark Strong Speed-the-plow Times interview
- ^ Hemley, Matthew. "C4 season to feature apartheid thriller Endgame", The Stage, 2008-03-26. Retrieved on 2008-04-17.