Ray Stevenson obit

 Breaking: Ray Stevenson has DIED while filming his new movie Cassino a Ischia in italy

He was not on the list.

He portrayed Dagonet in the film King Arthur (2004) and Titus Pullo in the BBC/HBO television series Rome (2005–2007). He has portrayed two Marvel Comics characters: Frank Castle / The Punisher in Punisher: War Zone (2008) and The Super Hero Squad Show, and Volstagg in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (2011–2017). His other films include Kill the Irishman (2011), where he portrayed mobster Danny Greene, The Three Musketeers, and RRR (2022), where he portrayed the villainous Governor Scott. His television roles include Ukrainian mobster Isaak Sirko in the seventh season of Dexter, Blackbeard in the third and fourth seasons of Black Sails, and voicing Gar Saxon in Star Wars Rebels and Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

George Raymond Stevenson was born in Lisburn on 25 May 1964, the second of three sons born to Irish parents. His father was a Royal Air Force pilot. He moved to England with his family at the age of eight, first settling in the Lemington area of Newcastle upon Tyne and later in Seaton Delaval. He attended the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, graduating at the age of 29.

Stevenson made his film debut in The Theory of Flight (1998) as a gigolo hired to help Helena Bonham Carter's character lose her virginity. In 2002, he starred in the short film No Man's Land, which was the antipodal picture from actor/director Edward Hicks prior to his graduation from the London Film School. In the 12 minute film, set during World War I, Stevenson portrayed an experienced private who is forced to help a novice officer (David Birkin) back to safety after they both find themselves trapped and isolated in "No Man's Land" during the Battle of Ypres. In 2004, he starred in King Arthur as Dagonet, a knight of the round table who sacrifices his life for his comrades. His first leading role in a film was in the Scottish horror picture Outpost (2008), portraying a mercenary pitted against Nazi zombies in a bunker somewhere in Eastern Europe. That same year, he also starred in Punisher: War Zone, as Frank Castle / The Punisher, a former Marine turned vigilante after the murder of his family. In 2010, he played an antagonist in the comedy The Other Guys.

In 2011, Stevenson appeared in the film Kill the Irishman, based on the book To Kill the Irishman: The War That Crippled the Mafia, as Danny Greene, the Irish mob boss who took on the Italian-American Cleveland crime family during the 1970s. He starred as Volstagg, one of Thor's trusted comrades, in the 2011 Marvel film Thor. Also that year, he played Porthos in Paul W. S. Anderson's adaptation of The Three Musketeers. He played Firefly in G.I. Joe: Retaliation, released in 2013. He appeared in the Finnish-American thriller film Big Game. In 2014, he starred in the film Divergent, based on the first book of The Divergent Series. He reprised his role in the sequels, The Divergent Series: Insurgent, released in March 2015, and The Divergent Series: Allegiant, released in March 2016.

In 2019, he was announced as a lead antagonist in the movie RRR, a Telugu film directed by S.S.Rajamouli and released in 2022. This marks his debut in Indian cinema.

Stevenson is known for playing legionary Titus Pullo in the BBC/HBO series Rome. Other television work includes guest appearances in popular series including Waking the Dead and Murphy's Law as well as lead roles in City Central and At Home with the Braithwaites. He has also appeared in several TV films such as Some Kind of Life in 1995, and The Return of the Native. Some of his earliest parts were in two Catherine Cookson films: The Dwelling Place (1994) and The Tide of Life (1996). Stevenson reprised his role this time as the voice of the Punisher in The Super Hero Squad Show and played the role of Isaak Sirko in the seventh season of Dexter in 2012.

On 24 March 2015, it was announced by producers that Stevenson would be joining the cast of the STARZ series Black Sails as the character Edward Teach.

At Star Wars Celebration 2023, Stevenson was shown playing a Dark Jedi by the name of Baylan Skoll in the upcoming Ahsoka Series.

Stevenson's stage work includes playing the part of Jesus Christ in the York Mystery Plays in 2000 at York Minster. In 2001, he took the part of Roger in the play Mouth to Mouth by Kevin Elyot, at the Albery Theatre in London with Lindsay Duncan and Michael Maloney. His most well-known part is perhaps that of the Cardinal in The Duchess of Malfi by John Webster with Janet McTeer at the Royal National Theatre in 2003.

In 1997, Stevenson married English actress Ruth Gemmell in London; they had met on the set of Band of Gold (1995), and later played a married couple in Peak Practice (1997). They divorced in 2005 after eight years of marriage.

 

Filmography

 

Film

 

Films that have not yet been released            Denotes films that have not yet been released

Year     Title            Role            Notes

1998    The Theory of Flight            Gigolo 

1999    G:MT – Greenwich Mean Time            Mr Hardy  

2004    King Arthur            Dagonet          

2008            Outpost           DC      

Punisher: War Zone    Frank Castle / Punisher          

2009    Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant            Murlough        

2010    The Book of Eli            Redridge         

The Other Guys    Roger Wesley

2011    Kill the Irishman            Danny Greene

Thor            Volstagg         

The Three Musketeers            Porthos           

2013    G.I. Joe: Retaliation            Firefly  

Jayne Mansfield's Car            Phillip Bedford           

Thor: The Dark World            Volstagg         

2014            Divergent         Marcus Eaton  

Big Game            Morris 

2015    The Divergent Series: Insurgent            Marcus Eaton  

The Transporter: Refueled            Frank Martin Sr.        

2016    The Divergent Series: Allegiant            Marcus Eaton  

2017    Thor: Ragnarok            Volstagg         

Cold Skin            Gruner 

2018            Accident Man Big Ray           

Final Score            Arkady Belav   

2022    RRR            Governor Scott Buxton            Indian film

Memory            Detective Danny Mora           

Accident Man: Hitman's Holiday            Big Ray           

 

Television

Year     Title            Role            Notes

1993    A Woman's Guide to Adultery            Journalist         

1994    A Dwelling Place            Matthew Whitwell            3 episodes

1994    The Return of the Native  Clym Yeobright            TV movie

1995    Band of Gold     Steve Dickson            12 episodes

1995    Some Kind of Life            Steve            TV movie

1996    The Tide of Life            Larry Birch   

1997    Peak Practice            Joe Higson            Episode: "Home Truths"

1997            Drover's Gold            Armstrong       5 episodes

1998    City Central DI Tony Baynham            32 episodes

1999    Love in the 21st Century            Alex            Episode: "Toyboys"

2000    Holby City            Laurence Haney            Episode: "Taking It on the Chin"

2000    The Bill            Sgt. Gartland            Episode: "Over the Edge"

2001    At Home with the Braithwaites            Graham Braithwaite            11 episodes

2001    Dalziel and Pascoe            Jeff Parry            Episode: "Truth and Consequences"

2003    Red Cap      Sgt. Chris Roxborough            Episode: "Cover Story"

2003            Murphy's Law  Robert Eaglan            Episode: "Kiss and Tell"

2004    Waking the Dead            Dr Tim Faulkner            Episode: "Fugue States"

2005–2007            Rome            Titus Pullo     22 episodes

2007    Life Line      Peter Brasco TV movie

2009    The Super Hero Squad Show            Frank Castle/The Punisher (voice)            Episode: "Night in the Sanctorum"

2012    Dexter            Isaak Sirko    9 episodes

Nominated – Saturn Award for Best Guest Starring Role on Television

2014            Crossing Lines Miles Lennon 4 episodes

2015    Saints & Strangers            Stephen Hopkins            TV miniseries

2016–2017            Black Sails     Edward Teach / Blackbeard            11 episodes

2016–2017            Star Wars Rebels            Gar Saxon (voice)            2 episodes

2017    Rellik            DSI Edward Benton            6 episodes

2019    Reef Break   Jake Elliot     13 episodes

2019    Medici            Ferdinand I of Naples            2 episodes

2020    The Spanish Princess            James IV of Scotland            2 episodes

2020    Vikings            Ohthere of Hålogaland            11 episodes

2020    Star Wars: The Clone Wars            Gar Saxon (voice)            2 episodes

2022    Das Boot            Commander Jack Swinburne            8 episodes

2023    Ahsoka            Baylon            Upcoming Disney+ series

 

Stage

Year     Title            Role            Notes

2000    York Mystery Plays            Christ  

2001    Mouth to Mouth            Roger  

2003    The Duchess of Malfi    The Cardinal