Great Scottish Actors

by Helen Earnshaw | 26 September 2014

David Tennant and Billy Connolly have joined forces this week for the great new comedy What We Did On Our Holiday, which marks the first time the Scottish actors have worked together.

To celebrate the release of the comedy - which is already being called one of the best British films of the year - we take a look at some of Scotland's finest acting stars.

- Karen Gillan

Doing it for the women, Karen Gillan was born in Inverness and is perhaps best known for her role alongside Matt Smith in Doctor who, where she played assistant Amy Pond.

Gillan, however, has also stared as Nebula in Guardians of the Galaxy (where she even shaved her head for the role!) The movie has gone on to be a box office smash, and is one of the biggest films of 2014 so far.

We are pretty sure that there are still bigger things to come for this talented actress, and she is already in high demand.

The has completed work on The List and is currently filming In A Valley of Violence; which sees her star alongside John Travolta and Ethan Hawke.

- Kelly MacDonald

Born and raised in Glasgow, Kelly MacDonald is one of the most versatile actresses around, moving from film to TV as well as a series of different genres.

She is best known for her role as Helena Ravenclaw in the Harry Potter movies, Princess Merida in Brave, and Evangeline in Nanny McPhee.

But she has also starred in the likes of No Country For Old Men, Gosford Park, Choke, and Anna Karenina.

More recently, she has switched the big screen for television, as she has enjoyed huge success in Boardwalk Empire.

She took on the role of Margaret Thompson in the series, and has appeared in fifty-one episodes.

- Julianne Moore

Julianne Moore was born in America but sought dual nationality in honour of her Scottish-born mother.

Moore has already enjoyed a career that has spanned thirty years, and seen her tackle a wide range of roles during that time.

From Boogie Nights, to The Big Lebowski, Magnolia, and Crazy Stupid Love, Moore is an actress who always standout on a cast list.

During her career, she has also picked up four Oscars for her work on Far From Heaven, The Hours, The End of the Affair, and Boogie Nights.

She will be back on the big screen this autumn as she takes on the role of Alma Coin in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1. She has also finished work on Seventh Son.

- Ashley Jensen

Ashley Jensen was born in Dumfries and Galloway and kicked off her career in television - Extras being the series that really did put her on the map.

She swapped the UK for the U.S. when she landed roles in Ugly Betty and Accidentally on Purpose, the former really sending her star rocketing even further.

However, it is not just TV where Jensen has enjoyed success, with movies such as How To Train Your Dragon, Nativity, and Arthur Christmas under her belt in recent years.

And Jensen has plenty of projects in the pipeline over the next year, as we are going to be seeing her back on the big screen in The Lobster and The Legend of Barney Thomson.

She is currently working on TV movie Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death.

- Gerard Butler

Gerard Butler is one of the big screens most recognisable stars, and he hails from Paisley.

While Butler had landed roles in the likes of The Phantom of the Opera, Dear Frankie, and Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life, it was 300 that really put him on the map.

Butler took on the role of King Leonidas in visually stunning film for director Zack Snyder.

Since them Butler has been in high demand as he has moved from action roles such as Gamer and Law Abiding Citizen, to rom/coms with P.S. I Love You and animation with How To Train Your Dragon.

How To Train Your Dragon 2 hit the big screen this summer, with the actor returning to voice the character of Stoic - once again, the movie enjoyed big box office success.

The actor has just finished filming Gods of Egypt and will reprise the role of Mike Banning in London Has Fallen.

- David Tennant

David Tennant thrilled a generation of kids as the Doctor in hit BBC series Doctor Who, but he is an actor who has enjoyed TV, film, and theatre success before this role.

Since then, we have seen him return to the small screen in the likes of Spies of Warsaw, The Politician's Husband, and the hugely popular Broadchurch.

The actor is currently filming the second series of Broadchurch, where he will reprise the role of Alec Hardy.

He has also enjoyed a varied film career, but this week he is back in new comedy What We Did On Our Holiday.

The movie sees him team up with Billy Connolly and Rosamund Pike for a great British comedy - it is a movie that is already winning over the critics.

- Billy Connolly

We jump from one What We Did On Our Holiday star to another, as Billy Connolly is back this week in the comedy.

Connolly may have kicked off his career as a stand-up comedian, but over the years, he has become a regular on the big screen.

In recent years, we have seen him tackle a range of projects from Quartet, Gulliver's Travels, and lending his voice to the fantastic Brave.

But Connolly is not all about comedy roles, as Mrs Brown remains one of his finest big screen performances.

The movie saw him team up with Judi Dench to tell the story of Queen Victoria and her friendship with servant John Brown. Connolly was nominated for a Bafta for his work.

We are also going to be seeing Connolly in The Hobbit: the Battle of the Five Armies this December and he has finished work on Wild Oats.

- James McAvoy

McAvoy was born in Port Glasgow and has seen him go from TV actor to film star.

It was really his performance in TV series Shameless that he grabbed everyone's attention as Steve McBride. Since leaving the show, he has never looked back.

McAvoy has mixed and matched his roles over the years with The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, The Last King of Scotland, Atonement, and Wanted all under his belt.

More recently, we have seen McAvoy as Charles Xavier in X-Men: First Class and X-Men: Days of Future Past - the latter is one of the biggest movies of this year.

We are also going to be seeing him in The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Them with Jessica Chastain and Frankenstein.

Frankenstein is set to be one of the must see films of next year, as he teams up with Daniel Radcliffe. This is a retelling Mary Shelley novel, and McAvoy will take on the role of Victor Von Frankenstein.

- Sean Connery

You can't talk about great Scottish actors without giving a little mention to Sean Connery - 007 himself.

If was the role of 007 that launched his career with roles in Dr No, From Russia With Love & Goldfinger.

He enjoyed an acting career that spanned nearly sixty years, with roles in the likes of Marnie, The Man Who Would Be King, A Bridge Too Far, The Untouchables, and Indiana Jones: The Last Crusade - to name but a few.

He has one Oscar win during his career, as he picked up the Best Supporting Actor gong for his role in The Untouchables.

He enjoyed a string of Golden Globe and Bafta wins and nominations during his career.

- Ewan McGregor

Ewan McGregor kicked off his acting career in 1993 in TV series Lipstick on Your Collar, but it was the central role in Danny Boyle's adaptation of Trainspotting that really put him on the map.

During his career, he has moved from period roles in Emma to drama in Little Voice and Young Adam, to blockbuster films such as the Star Wars franchise.

During that time, McGregor has worked with some terrific directors, including Boyle, Tim Burton, Woody Allen, and George Lucas.

And we are going to be seeing plenty of McGregor over the next year or so, as he has completed work on Son of a Gun, Born to Be King, Jane Got A Gun, Last Days in the Desert and Mortdecai.

He is currently filming Miles Ahead - a biopic about Miles Davis. McGregor will play Dave Brill, while Don Cheadle is making his directorial debut with the film.