Gary Stevenson (born 30 November 1957), better known as Gary Lewis, is a Scottish actor. He has had roles in films such as ''

Billy Elliot ''Billy Elliot'' is a 2000 British coming-of-age comedy-drama film directed by Stephen Daldry and written by Lee Hall. Set in County Durham in North East England during the 1984–1985 miners' strike, the film is about a working-class boy w ...

'', '' Joyeux Noël'', ''

Gangs of New York ''Gangs of New York'' is a 2002 American epic historical drama film directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Jay Cocks, Steven Zaillian and Kenneth Lonergan, based on Herbert Asbury's 1927 book '' The Gangs of New York''. The film stars Le ...

'', '' Eragon'', and ''

Three and Out ''Three and Out'' is a 2008 British black comedy film directed by Jonathan Gershfield and starring Mackenzie Crook, Colm Meaney, Gemma Arterton, Imelda Staunton, and Kerry Katona. It premiered in London on the 21 April 2008 and was released in t ...

'', as well as major roles in the television

docudrama Docudrama (or documentary drama) is a genre of television and film, which features dramatized re-enactments of actual events. It is described as a hybrid of documentary and drama and "a fact-based representation of real event". Docudramas typic ...

Supervolcano A supervolcano is a volcano that has had an eruption with a Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) of 8, the largest recorded value on the index. This means the volume of deposits for such an eruption is greater than 1,000 cubic kilometers (240 cubi ...

'' and the

Starz Starz (stylized as STARZ since 2016; pronounced "stars") is an American premium cable and satellite television network owned by Lions Gate Entertainment, and is the flagship property of parent subsidiary Starz Inc. Programming on Starz cons ...

series '' Outlander''.

Early life

Gary Lewis was born Gary Stevenson on 30 November 1957 in

Easterhouse Easterhouse is a suburb of Glasgow, Scotland, east of the city centre on land gained from the county of Lanarkshire as part of an expansion of Glasgow before the Second World War. The area is on high ground north of the River Clyde and south ...

, Glasgow. The middle of three children, his father was a coppersmith whilst his mother worked in a local biscuit factory. After leaving school, he worked a series of jobs including as a street sweeper and in a library. He completed a social science degree at Glasgow College of Technology (now

Glasgow Caledonian University Glasgow Caledonian University ( gd, Oilthigh Chailleannach Ghlaschu, ), informally GCU, Caledonian or Caley, is a public university in Glasgow, Scotland. It was formed in 1993 by the merger of The Queen's College, Glasgow (founded in 1875) and G ...

), graduating with honours in 1983. Encouraged by his high school English teacher, Lewis read voraciously and eventually decided to pursue a career as an actor.

Career

Theatre

In 1979, Lewis starred in writer Freddy Anderson's Fringe First Award-winning play ''Krassivy'', which was based upon the life of

Socialist Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the ...

school teacher John Maclean. Although he had pursued amateur theatrics, Lewis was 32 when he committed to acting, joining Robert Carlyle's newly formed Raindog Theatre. During his time with Raindog, he performed in plays such as ''

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest may refer to: * ''One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'' (novel), a 1962 novel by Ken Kesey * ''One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'' (play), a 1963 stage adaptation of the novel starring Kirk Douglas * ''One Flew Over the ...

'', '' Ecstasy'', and ''Wasted''. He also worked with the 7:84 Theatre Company on ''

The Grapes of Wrath ''The Grapes of Wrath'' is an American realist novel written by John Steinbeck and published in 1939. The book won the National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize for fiction, and it was cited prominently when Steinbeck was awarded the Nobel Priz ...

, ''The Arches Theatre Company's production of

Harold Pinter Harold Pinter (; 10 October 1930 – 24 December 2008) was a British playwright, screenwriter, director and actor. A Nobel Prize winner, Pinter was one of the most influential modern British dramatists with a writing career that span ...

's '' The Birthday Party,'' and starred in ''One Two Hey'' by Glaswegian author James Kelman.

1993–2004: Film work

In 1993, with the support of his friend actor-director Peter Mullan, Lewis was cast in the short film ''Close.'' After working together on the short, both actors appeared in

Danny Boyle Daniel Francis Boyle (born 20 October 1956) is an English director and producer. He is known for his work on films including '' Shallow Grave'', '' Trainspotting'' and its sequel '' T2 Trainspotting'', '' The Beach'', ''28 Days Later'', '' S ...

's 1994 thriller '' Shallow Grave'', alongside Ewan McGregor and

Christopher Eccleston Christopher Eccleston (; born 16 February 1964) is an English actor. A two-time BAFTA Award nominee, he is best known for his television and film work, which includes his role as the ninth incarnation of the Doctor in the BBC sci-fi series '' ...

. Lewis went on to feature in Mullan's subsequent shorts ''Good Day for the Bad Guys'' (1995) and the award-winning ''Fridge'' (1996). Lewis joined director

Kenneth Loach Kenneth Charles Loach (born 17 June 1936) is a British film director and screenwriter. His socially critical directing style and socialist ideals are evident in his film treatment of social issues such as poverty (''Poor Cow'', 1967), homelessne ...

's unofficial stock company lending support to his two mentors in separate films: with Robert Carlyle, he co-starred in ''

Carla's Song ''Carla's Song'' is a 1996 film directed by Ken Loach and written by Paul Laverty, that deals with the impact of the Contra War in Nicaragua. It is a United Kingdom–Spain–Germany co-production. Plot Set in 1987, Carla's Song tells the st ...

'' (1996), while he played a recovering alcoholic alongside Mullan in ''

My Name Is Joe ''My Name Is Joe'' is a 1998 British romantic drama film directed by Ken Loach. The film stars Peter Mullan as Joe Kavanagh, an unemployed recovering alcoholic in Glasgow, Scotland who meets and falls in love with a health visitor, played b ...

'' (1998). Between the two films, Lewis was featured in

Sigma Films Sigma Films is a film production company based in Glasgow, Scotland. The company was formed in 1996 by Gillian Berrie, David Mackenzie and Alastair Mackenzie – a producer, director and actor respectively. Over the last twenty years the compa ...

' short ''California Sunshine'' (1997) before again working with Mullan, who cast Lewis as over-righteous elder sibling Thomas in '' Orphans'' (1998), an examination of a dysfunctional family. That same year he was featured in director

Albert Pyun Albert Pyun (May 19, 1953 – November 26, 2022) was an American film director who made low-budget B-movies and direct-to-video action films. The Independent Film Channel said that Pyun "has carved out a unique niche as a director of low-budge ...

's independent film ''

Postmortem An autopsy (post-mortem examination, obduction, necropsy, or autopsia cadaverum) is a surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse by dissection to determine the cause, mode, and manner of death or to evaluate any d ...

'', director Sean McGuire's short film ''The Good Son'', director Kenny Glenaan's short ''The Whirlpool'', short film ''The Lucky Suit'' opposite Robert Carlyle, and screenwriter Barry Gornell's short film ''Sonny's Pride''. In 1999, Lewis starred in

Ayub Khan Din Ayub Khan Din (born 1961) is a British writer and actor. He wrote the BAFTA, BIFA and London Film Critics Circle award-winning film '' East Is East'' (1999), adapted from his 1996 Olivier-nominated play of the same name. His 2008 comedy play ...

's dramatic comedy '' East is East'', and Bill Forsyth's comedy '' Gregory's Two Girls''. He went on to star with

Max Beesley Maxton Gig Beesley Jr. (born 16 April 1971) is an English actor and musician. He has appeared in a variety of television shows such as ''Bodies'', ''The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling'', '' Survivors'', '' Mad Dogs'', '' Homeland'', '' Suit ...

in '' The Match'' (1999) before landing his international breakthrough in ''

'' (2000). Lewis's portrayal of a grief-stricken father, coping with the 1984-85 miner's strike and raising a son who wants to become a ballet dancer earned him a BAFTA nomination for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. In 2000, Lewis starred in

May Miles Thomas May Miles Thomas is a film director and screenwriter. Biographical details Born in Glasgow, May Miles Thomas was educated at Hillhead High School and the Glasgow School of Art, graduating in design and photography. May Miles Thomas has worked a ...

's drama ''One Life Stand'', which premiered at the

Edinburgh Film Festival The Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) is a film festival that runs for two weeks in June each year. Established in 1947, it is the world's oldest continually running film festival. EIFF presents both UK and international films (all t ...

, and featured Michael Caine as a boxing coach who was possibly involved in a murder in '' Shiner,'' which screened at the San Sebastian Film Festival. Lewis finished the year with several short films including '' What Where'', a 12-minute short with

Sean McGinley Sean, also spelled Seán or Séan in Irish English, is a male given name of Irish origin. It comes from the Irish versions of the Biblical Hebrew name ''Yohanan'' (), Seán (anglicized as ''Shaun/ Shawn/ Shon'') and Séan (Ulster variant; anglici ...

based upon

Samuel Beckett Samuel Barclay Beckett (; 13 April 1906 – 22 December 1989) was an Irish novelist, dramatist, short story writer, theatre director, poet, and literary translator. His literary and theatrical work features bleak, impersonal and Tragicomedy, tr ...

's play of the same name, director David Mackenzie's ''Marcie's Dowry'', ''The Elevator'' alongside Ashley Walters, ''Long Haul'' alongside Simone Lahbib'','' ''Clean'' with actor Stephen McCole, and director David McKay's ''Caesar''. He appeared in an additional short film in 2001, ''Rob of the Rovers'', which followed a day in the life of gym teacher Rob Meadows. Lewis worked with director Giles MacKinnon twice in 2002. Revenge thriller '' The Escapist'', which featured Lewis in the role of Ron, was followed by a turn as Detective Inspector French in the crime drama ''Pure''. He went to Rome's Cinecittà Studios to join the ensemble cast of

Martin Scorsese Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November 17, 1942) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor. Scorsese emerged as one of the major figures of the New Hollywood era. He is the recipient of many major accolades, incl ...

's ''

'', an epic tale of gang warfare among the lower classes in 1860s

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. Lewis portrayed McGloin, an

Irish-American , image = Irish ancestry in the USA 2018; Where Irish eyes are Smiling.png , image_caption = Irish Americans, % of population by state , caption = Notable Irish Americans , population = 36,115,472 (10.9%) alone ...

meant to embody the shift in mid-nineteenth century attitudes towards other immigrants. 2003 was another strong year with Lewis playing different roles. The first was Posh Pictures' ''The Fall of Shug McCracken'', which tackled the subject of employee theft and labour unions. Next was Danish director Soren Kragh-Jacobsen's film ''

Skagerrak The Skagerrak (, , ) is a strait running between the Jutland peninsula of Denmark, the southeast coast of Norway and the west coast of Sweden, connecting the North Sea and the Kattegat sea area through the Danish Straits to the Baltic Sea. T ...

'', a romantic drama set in

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to ...

, which saw Lewis in a supporting role as a local Glaswegian. The last, a

film noir Film noir (; ) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American '' ...

drama from director and writer May Miles Thomas titled ''Solid Air'', which is about the relationship between a sickly father (

Maurice Roeves Maurice may refer to: People * Saint Maurice (died 287), Roman legionary and Christian martyr * Maurice (emperor) or Flavius Mauricius Tiberius Augustus (539–602), Byzantine emperor *Maurice (bishop of London) (died 1107), Lord Chancellor and ...

) and his compulsive gambler son (

Brian McCardie Brian McCardie is a Scottish actor and writer. Early life Brian McCardie attended St. Brendan’s, then St. Athanasius Primary Schools. He went on to Our Lady's High School in Motherwell. His parents moved from Motherwell to Carluke while h ...

2004–2013

Working with director Kenneth Loach again, Lewis starred in the 2004 love story '' Ae Fond Kiss...,'' which takes its name from a

Robert Burns Robert Burns (25 January 175921 July 1796), also known familiarly as Rabbie Burns, was a Scottish poet and lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide. He is the best known of the poets who hav ...

poem. That same year, he had a role in director Friðrik Þór Friðriksson's drama '' Niceland (Population 1.000.002)'' alongside Peter Capaldi and Kerry Fox. His next project was

Stephen Whittaker Stephen Whittaker (28 June 19477 February 2003) was a British actor and director. He worked largely in British film and television, and attended Henley-in-Arden School in Warwickshire before further training as an actor at London's Corona Academ ...

's ''

The Rocket Post ''The Rocket Post'' is a 2004 British drama film directed by Stephen Whittaker and starring Ulrich Thomsen, Shauna Macdonald, Kevin McKidd and Patrick Malahide. It is set on a remote Scottish island during the late 1930s. The arrival of Germ ...

''. Filmed on the island of Taransay, Scotland, the film explores a German scientist's idea to deliver mail via rockets in the late 1930s. Director Peter Timm's film '' My Brother Is a Dog'', features Lewis as the Antiquitätenhändler in a film about a young girl wishing for a dog. Lewis ended the year with two films about the post

9/11 The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commerci ...

tension between the Western and Arab worlds. First was a supporting role in writer Simon Beaufoy's ''Yasmin'', set in Northern England before and after the 9/11 attacks. Second was Sally Potter's fourth feature film ''

Yes Yes or YES may refer to: * An affirmative particle in the English language; see yes and no Education * YES Prep Public Schools, Houston, Texas, US * YES (Your Extraordinary Saturday), a learning program from the Minnesota Institute for Talent ...

'', which views the post-traumatic rift through the lens of two lovers caught in the divide. In 2005, Lewis starred in Christian Carion's international production of the film '' Joyeux Noël''. Set in WWI, the film explores the "Christmas Truce" of 1914 between the armies of three countries. In a departure from previous films, Lewis was next featured in director Danny Cannon's football film '' Goal! The Dream Begins'', which focuses on a Mexican football player trying out for the Newcastle United Football Club. Clive Gordon's 2006 film ''Cargo'', a psychological thriller, featured Lewis opposite Daniel Bruhl and Peter Mullan. As the skipper of a bankrupt Scottish fishing trawler in ''True North'', Lewis and actor Martin Compston tackle the subject of migrant smuggling and the effects it has on those making the journey. At the end of 2005, Lewis starred as Hrothgar in

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Disn ...

's live action adaptation of Christopher Paolini's hit fantasy trilogy '' Eragon''. The 2008 British black comedy ''

'' (released as ''A Deal Is A Deal'' in Australia), from director Johnathan Gershfield, saw Lewis in the supporting role of Callaghan. The film focuses on a train conductor who tries to use a little known three strikes rule of the London train service to force an early retirement and payout for himself. Screened at the

, Lewis's next film was director Robert Rae's debut film ''Trouble Sleeping,'' which tells the story of a Palestinian refugee's struggles in the UK. Psychological thriller '' Dorothy Mills'', directed by Agnes Merlet, featured Lewis as the brainwashing pastor of a small community on a bleak Irish island. His last film of 2008 was Mark Aldridge's drama ''

Blessed Blessed may refer to: * The state of having received a blessing * Blessed, a title assigned by the Roman Catholic Church to someone who has been beatified Film and television * ''Blessed'' (2004 film), a 2004 motion picture about a supernatural ...

'', alongside

James Nesbitt William James Nesbitt (born 15 January 1965) is an actor from Northern Ireland. From 1987, Nesbitt spent seven years performing in plays that varied from the musical '' Up on the Roof'' (1987, 1989) to the political drama ''Paddywack'' (1994) ...

and

Lil Woods Lillian Grace Woods (born 9 April 1998) is a British actress who appeared in the film ''Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang'' as Megsie Green. Woods' other film credits include '' Blessed'' (2008), ''Disco'' (2010) and ''Baby'' (2014). She attended ...

. Reprising the role of Mal Braithwaite, Lewis began 2009 with the third instalment of

Andrew Morahan Andrew Douglas Morahan (born 11 August 1958) is a British commercial, film and music video director. He is the son of director Christopher Morahan and the half-brother of actress Hattie Morahan. Married to Joanna Lewis, he has two children. Vi ...

's football series entitled '' Goal! III: Taking On the World''. ''Wasted'', his next film from filmmakers Caroline Paterson and Stuart Davids, treated the subject of homelessness in Glasgow, Scotland. From there he was cast in the Danish film '' Valhalla Rising'', alongside Mads Mikkelson, and director Christian Carion's Cold War thriller ''Farewell'' (''L'Affaire Farewell''). Lewis returned to short films in 2010 with director Tom Shrapnel's ''Eat Me'',

Tribeca Film Festival The Tribeca Festival is an annual film festival organized by Tribeca Productions. It takes place each spring in New York City, showcasing a diverse selection of film, episodic, talks, music, games, art, and immersive programming. Tribeca was f ...

Judge's Award nominee ''The Terms'', Robert James Armstrong's ''Little Green Bag'', and ''Vocation'' opposite James Chalmers''.'' He was also featured in Peter Mullan's gang drama ''

Neds Ned is a derogatory term applied in Scotland to hooligans, louts or petty criminals.David Elliot. The second was filmmaker Gregor Johnstone's comedy ''Rule of Thumb'', which saw Lewis as the school janitor during a disastrous standoff. In 2012, Lewis appeared in two feature films. ''

The Strange Case of Wilhelm Reich ''The Strange Case of Wilhelm Reich'' is a 2013 Austrian film about Wilhelm Reich directed by Antonin Svoboda and starring Klaus Maria Brandauer Klaus Maria Brandauer (; born Klaus Georg Steng; 22 June 1943) is an Austrian actor and director. ...

'', which explored psychiatrist Wilhem Reich's career and subsequent investigation by the FDA and other government agencies. He played Dr. Donald Cameron, who was President of the American, Canadian and

World Psychiatric Association The World Psychiatric Association is an international umbrella organisation of psychiatric societies. Objectives and goals Originally created to produce world psychiatric congresses, it has evolved to hold regional meetings, to promote profess ...

s. ''

When the Lights Went Out ''When the Lights Went Out'' is a 2012 British supernatural horror film directed by Pat Holden and starring Kate Ashfield, Tasha Connor, Steven Waddington, Craig Parkinson, Martin Compston, and Jo Hartley. It was released in the UK on 13 Septe ...

'' starred Lewis as Father Clifford, a local priest who performs an exorcism on a house plagued by a

poltergeist In ghostlore, a poltergeist ( or ; German for "rumbling ghost" or "noisy spirit") is a type of ghost or spirit that is responsible for physical disturbances, such as loud noises and objects being moved or destroyed. Most claims or fictional desc ...

. The film is based on the real-life experiences of director Pat Holden's mother and aunt in 1970s

West Yorkshire West Yorkshire is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and Humber Region of England. It is an inland and upland county having eastward-draining valleys while taking in the moors of the Pennines. West Yorkshire came into exi ...

. Lewis's next role was Andrew Griffin's short film ''The Gift'' (2012), which was screened at the New York International Independent Film Festival in 2013. Thirteen years after first working with May Thomas Miles in ''One Life Stand'', Lewis reunited with the filmmaker in 2013 for the film version of her BAFTA winning interactive website ''The Devil's Plantation''. Both the website and film are based on archaeologist Harry Bell's belief that

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popu ...

was laid out based upon a secret, hidden design he called the Secret Geometry. Lewis starred as Bell, opposite

Kate Dickie Kate Dickie (born 1971) is a Scottish actress who has appeared in television series, stage plays and films. She is known for her television roles as Lex in the BBC series '' Tinsel Town'' (2000–2001) and Lysa Arryn in the HBO series '' Game of ...

’s psychiatric patient Mary Ross, as their lives intertwine. He then appeared in Scottish

romantic comedy Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a subgenre of comedy and slice of life fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount most obstacles. In a typic ...

'' Not Another Happy Ending'' as Benny Lockhart opposite Karen Gillan and fellow '' Outlander'' alumni

Stanley Weber Stanley Weber (born 13 July 1986) is a French actor and theatre director. He is known for his performance as Juan Borgia in the television series ''Borgia'', and for his roles in films '' The First Day of the Rest of Your Life'' and '' Thérèse ...

. Director Alberto Arvelo's '' The Liberator'', the story of Venezuelan freedom fighter

Simón Bolívar Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios (24 July 1783 – 17 December 1830) was a Venezuelan military and political leader who led what are currently the countries of Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Panama and B ...

, featured Lewis as Colonel Rooke of the Irish Brigade while director John S. Baird's psychological police drama '' Filth,'' saw Lewis guest star as Gus. Later that year, Lewis featured in

Luca Barbareschi Luca Barbareschi (born 28 July 1956 in Montevideo) is an Italian-Uruguayan actor, television presenter, and former member of the Italian Chamber of Deputies. Barbareschi is Jewish. He was one of four actors whom the Italian police believed had ...

's ''The Mercury Factor'', which takes on the issue of adulterated food. Returning to independent films at the end of 2013, Lewis starred alongside Teresina Moscatiello in the German production ''Waiting'' and in Marcus McPeake's short film ''For Gracie''.

2014–present

First time British director Daniel Wolfe's thriller '' Catch Me Daddy'' (2014), which screened at the

Director's Fortnight The Directors' Fortnight (french: Quinzaine des Réalisateurs) is an independent selection of the Cannes Film Festival. It was started in 1969 by the French Directors Guild after the events of May 1968 resulted in cancellation of the Cannes festi ...

strand and focused on a teenager and her boyfriend who flee from her overbearing father, portrays Lewis as hired thug Tony, who is sent to retrieve the runaways. In 2015, Lewis appeared in short films, working twice with director Gordon Napier. The first film was the drama ''La Chasse'', in which Lewis portrayed the protagonist's deceased father through a voice over. Second was the 25-minute short ''Tide'', which saw Lewis star as lobster fisherman Alasdaire as he watches the life he knew erode into modern practices. Also in 2015, Lewis in featured in Joshua J. Krull's German language short film ''The Heavy Load''. In 2018, Lewis returned to feature films with director Marcus H. Rosenmüller's football flick '' The Keeper''. The film is a story of German goalkeeper Bert Trautmann, who helped

Manchester City Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

win the

FA Cup final The FA Cup Final, commonly referred to in England as just the Cup Final, is the last match in the Football Association Challenge Cup. It has regularly been one of the most attended domestic football events in the world, with an official atten ...

in 1956. He also featured opposite Gerard Butler and Peter Mullan in Kristoffer Nyholm's 1930s era thriller, '' The Vanishing''. In 2021, he worked on a third Cation title, a remake of the 2017 French language Mon Garcon. My Son, set in Scotland.

Television

1993–2013

Lewis's first professional role, in 1993, was in BBC's anthology series ''

Screen One ''Screen One'' is a British television anthology drama series, produced by the BBC and distributed by BBC Worldwide, that was transmitted on BBC One from 1989 to 1998. A total of six series were broadcast, incorporating sixty individual films ...

,'' in a feature-length episode entitled ''Down Among the Big Boys.'' The standalone film, also starring

Douglas Henshall Douglas “Dougie” James Henshall (born 19 November 1965) is a Scottish television, film and stage actor. He is best known for his roles as Professor Nick Cutter in the science fiction series '' Primeval'' (2007–2011) and Detective Inspect ...

and Billy Connolly, focuses on the marriage of a policeman's son to a criminals daughter. His next project was a 1995 made-for-TV movie from writer/director David Kane. ''Ruffian Hearts'' is a romantic comedy set in a Glasgow tenement where Lewis's character resided. Between 1995 and 1999, Lewis appeared in several episodes of series such as '' Doctor Finlay'', '' Hamish MacBeth'' opposite Robert Carlyle, BBC medical drama ''Cardiac Arrest'', BBC anthology ''

Screen Two ''Screen Two'' was a British television anthology drama series, produced by the BBC and transmitted on BBC2 from 1985 to 1998 (not to be confused with a run of films shown on BBC2 under the billing ''Screen 2'' between April 1977 and March 197 ...

s feature length ''Flowers of the Forest'', school drama '' Hope and Glory,'' and

BBC Scotland BBC Scotland (Scottish Gaelic: ''BBC Alba'') is a division of the BBC and the main public broadcaster in Scotland. It is one of the four BBC national regions, together with the BBC English Regions, BBC Cymru Wales and BBC Northern Irela ...

medical drama A medical drama is a television show or film in which events center upon a hospital, an ambulance staff, or any medical environment. Most recent medical dramatic programming go beyond the events pertaining to the characters' jobs and portray som ...

Life Support Life support comprises the treatments and techniques performed in an emergency in order to support life after the failure of one or more vital organs. Healthcare providers and emergency medical technicians are generally certified to perform basic ...

''. During that time, he also appeared in director Mark Haber's made-for-TV film ''The Princess Stallion'' and BAFTA winning television film ''Coming Soon''. In 2002, Lewis starred in CBC's award-winning TV film ''The Many Trials of One Jane Doe'', which is based on a true story of a

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...

woman who challenged the police and their investigation after being raped, through a lengthy court battle. 2003 saw Lewis return to the BBC for director Antonia Bird's compelling TV film ''Rehab'', a semi-improvised film about the rehabilitation of people addicted to drugs. That same year he featured in scriptwriter Andrew Davies's made for TV historical drama '' Warrior Queen'', which detailed the birth of

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It ...

. His next project, '' Gunpowder, Treason and Plot'' (2004)'','' was a four part mini-series for the BBC on the lives of Mary Queen of Scots and her son James VI of Scotland/James I of England. Lewis portrayed historical figure

John Knox John Knox ( gd, Iain Cnocc) (born – 24 November 1572) was a Scottish minister, Reformed theologian, and writer who was a leader of the country's Reformation. He was the founder of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland. Born in Giffordgat ...

, a prominent leader of the

Scottish Reformation The Scottish Reformation was the process by which Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland broke with the Pope, Papacy and developed a predominantly Calvinist national Church of Scotland, Kirk (church), which was strongly Presbyterianism, Presbyterian in ...

who supervised the preparation of the Reformed

Church of Scotland The Church of Scotland ( sco, The Kirk o Scotland; gd, Eaglais na h-Alba) is the national church in Scotland. The Church of Scotland was principally shaped by John Knox, in the Reformation of 1560, when it split from the Catholic Church ...

's constitution and liturgy. The BBC and The Discovery Channel partnered in 2005 to produce a made-for-TV film, ''

'', that proposed a scenario where the magma chamber beneath

Yellowstone National Park Yellowstone National Park is an American national park located in the western United States, largely in the northwest corner of Wyoming and extending into Montana and Idaho. It was established by the 42nd U.S. Congress with the Yellowst ...

erupted. Filmed in

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. ...

and Yellowstone, it starred Lewis alongside Michael Riley and

Shaun Johnston Shaun Johnston is a Canadian movie and theatre actor best known for his role as Jack Bartlett on the CBC drama ''Heartland'', which debuted in October 2007. He co-founded the Shadow Theatre in Edmonton and made his first professional forays i ...

. Between 2006 and 2008, Lewis appeared in a wide range episodic television programs, including ITV's crime thriller ''

Rebus A rebus () is a puzzle device that combines the use of illustrated pictures with individual letters to depict words or phrases. For example: the word "been" might be depicted by a rebus showing an illustrated bumblebee next to a plus sign (+ ...

'', ''Prime Suspect 7: The Final Act'' alongside

Helen Mirren Dame Helen Mirren (born Helen Lydia Mironoff; born 26 July 1945) is an English actor. The recipient of numerous accolades, she is the only performer to have achieved the Triple Crown of Acting in both the United States and the United Kingdom ...

, ITV's showcase series '' Comedy Lab'', the second of two episodes he appeared in (the first was in 1999), Channel 4's mini series '' City of Vice'', ''Wired'' alongside Jodie Whittaker, crime drama '' Taggart'' the second of two episodes he appeared in (the first was in 1996), and BBC comedy '' Rab C. Nesbitt''. In 2010 Lewis portrayed Adam Ingram in the

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service ...

drama '' Mo,'' a biopic of former

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland A secretary, administrative professional, administrative assistant, executive assistant, administrative officer, administrative support specialist, clerk, military assistant, management assistant, office secretary, or personal assistant is a w ...

Mo Mowlam, a role that saw him nominated for a

BAFTA Television Award The BAFTA TV Awards, or British Academy Television Awards are presented in an annual award show hosted by the BAFTA. They have been awarded annually since 1955. Background The first-ever Awards, given in 1955, consisted of six categories. Until ...

in the category of Best Supporting Actor. He went on to appear alongside actor Kevin McKidd in BBC Scotland's drama ''One Night in Emergency'', which was based upon

Homer Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the ...

's ''

The Odyssey The ''Odyssey'' (; grc, Ὀδύσσεια, Odýsseia, ) is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the ''Iliad'', th ...

'' and written by

Gregory Burke Gregory Burke (born 1968) is a Scottish playwright and screenwriter from Rosyth, Fife. Early life and education Burke's family moved to Gibraltar in 1979 and returned to Dunfermline in 1984. He attended St John's Primary in Rosyth, St Chris ...

, as well as the BBC's adaptation of RAF fighter pilot Geoffrey Wellum's WWII autobiography '' First Light''. Lewis played Mac alongside the now star of Outlander, Sam Heughan, who played the 18 year old fighter pilot Wellum Lewis rounded out the year by featuring in series seven of the BBC's long-running crime drama '' New Tricks''. Lewis appeared in several television miniseries in 2011. The first was episode five of the BBC's '' Outcasts,'' which saw Lewis portraying Patrick Baxter. Next was an episode of the BBC drama '' The Body Farm'' where he portrayed Jimmy West, butler to an elderly man accused of murder. Finally, Lewis appeared in the BBC mini-series ''

Young James Herriot ''Young James Herriot'' is a three-part British television drama based on the early life of veterinary surgeon James Herriot. It is part of a series of movies and television series based on Herriot's novels. It features Iain De Caestecker as th ...

'', which focused on the ''All Creatures Great and Small'' author's time as a student at Glasgow Veterinary College, in the role of Professor Quinton Gunnel. He also featured in several TV series including the enigmatic wizard Alator in two episodes of the BBC fantasy drama ''

Merlin Merlin ( cy, Myrddin, kw, Marzhin, br, Merzhin) is a mythical figure prominently featured in the legend of King Arthur and best known as a mage, with several other main roles. His usual depiction, based on an amalgamation of historic and leg ...

,'' Robert Winter in ITV's crime drama ''

Vera Vera may refer to: Names * Vera (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name) * Vera (given name), a given name (including a list of people and fictional characters with the name) **Vera (), archbishop of the archdiocese of Tarr ...

'', and Detective Novakowski in Canada's true crime drama ''Dual Suspects''. In 2012 Lewis starred in the two-part television miniseries ''L'Olimpiade Nascosta'', on Italy's

Rai 1 Rai 1 () is an Italian free-to-air television channel owned and operated by state-owned public broadcaster RAI – Radiotelevisione italiana. It is the company's flagship television channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream and gene ...

, which tells the story of symbolic Olympic Games held by the prisoners and their captors while in Polish

Nazi Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...

concentration camps. He went on to feature in a season two episode of the BAFTA winning show '' Case Histories'', alongside Jason Isaacs.

2014–present

2014 saw Lewis appear as DS MacNeil in the ''

Silent Witness ''Silent Witness'' is a British crime drama television series produced by the BBC, which focuses on a team of forensic pathology experts and their investigations into various crimes. First broadcast in 1996, the series was created by Nigel ...

'' two-part episode "In A Lonely Place". This was the second of two guest starring roles on the hit series, the first was as Edwin Stickley in a 2008 two-part episode entitled "Terror". He next appeared in episode six of

Sky One Sky One was a British pay television channel operated and owned by Sky Group (a division of Comcast). Originally launched on 26 April 1982 as Satellite Television, it was Europe's first satellite and non- terrestrial channel. From 31 July 1989, ...

's mini-series '' The Smoke'', which chronicled the lives of a group of London firefighters, and the BAFTA winning TV film '' Glasgow Girls'', which featured Lewis as a teacher supporting his pupils in their fight to save their classmate from deportation. From 2014 to 2016, Lewis appeared in the recurring role of Colum MacKenzie, Laird of the MacKenzie clan, on

's time travel drama '' Outlander,'' based upon best-selling author

Diana Gabaldon Diana J. Gabaldon (; born January 11, 1952) is an American author, known for the ''Outlander'' series of novels. Her books merge multiple genres, featuring elements of historical fiction, romance, mystery, adventure and science fiction/fantas ...

's novels of the same name. '' Death in Paradise,'' BBC's lighthearted police drama set on an island in the Caribbean, featured Lewis in the guest starring role of Bill Williams early in 2015. Later that year he starred as Mike McAvett in

BBC Two BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It covers a wide range of subject matter, with a remit "to broadcast programmes of depth and substance" in contrast to the more mainstream a ...

's mini-series ''Stonemouth'', an adaptation of Scottish author Iain Banks's

thriller Thriller may refer to: * Thriller (genre), a broad genre of literature, film and television ** Thriller film, a film genre under the general thriller genre Comics * ''Thriller'' (DC Comics), a comic book series published 1983–84 by DC Comics i ...

of the same name. In

BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...

's four-part drama '' One of Us'' (aka ''Retribution''), a triple homicide murder mystery, Lewis featured as farm manager Alistair. From there he starred in ITV's British crime drama '' The Level'', as father of protagonist Nancy Devlin (

Karla Crome Karla Patsy Crome (born 22 June 1988) is a British actress and writer, best known for her work on Sky Atlantic's '' Hit & Miss'', playing series regular Jess on E4's '' Misfits'', and appearances in a number of other television series and fi ...

). Lewis ended 2016 by once again working with costar Douglas Henshall in ITV's three-part mini-series ''

In Plain Sight ''In Plain Sight'' is an American drama television series that premiered on the USA Network on June 1, 2008. The series revolves around Mary Shannon (Mary McCormack), a Deputy United States Marshal attached to the Albuquerque, New Mexico, office ...

'', which was based on the true story of Lanarkarshire Detective William Muncie's quest to bring serial rapist and murderer Peter Manuel to justice in the 1950s. Lewis signed on to co-star opposite Catherine Walker and

Søren Malling Søren Dyrberg Malling (; born 3 February 1964) is a Danish actor. Career Raised in Kjellerup, Malling trained at Skuespillerskolen at Odense Teater in 1992. He is best known for his role as Inspector Jan Meyer in the Danish TV crime thrille ...

in MTG Studio's drama ''Rig 45'', set during the investigation of a fatal accident on a

North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian ...

oil rig, in early 2018. He next appeared in season three of

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...

's Canadian fur trade drama ''

Frontier A frontier is the political and geographical area near or beyond a boundary. A frontier can also be referred to as a "front". The term came from French in the 15th century, with the meaning "borderland"—the region of a country that fronts ...

'', alongside

Jason Momoa Joseph Jason Namakaeha Momoa (; born August 1, 1979) is an American actor. He made his acting debut as Jason Ioane on the syndicated action drama series '' Baywatch: Hawaii'' (1999–2001), which was followed by portrayals of Ronon Dex on the S ...

and Zoe Boyle. During the first quarter of 2019, Lewis guest starred in series finale of

's hit comedy '' Still Game'', which focused on two

Glaswegians Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated pop ...

and their reactions to the world.

Filmography

Television

Film

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* * https://www.gcu.ac.uk/archives/catalogues/browsebycreator/lewis/ * https://www.gcu.ac.uk/alumni/alumniprofiles/featured/garylewis/ {{DEFAULTSORT:Lewis, Gary Living people 1957 births Male actors from Glasgow Scottish male film actors Scottish male television actors Scottish people of English descent 20th-century Scottish male actors 21st-century Scottish male actors