Christian Stuart McKay (born 30 December 1973) is an English stage and screen actor. He is perhaps best known for his portrayal of

Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American director, actor, writer, producer, and magician who is remembered for his innovative work in film, radio, and theatre. He is among the greatest and most influential film ...

in the 2008 film '' Me and Orson Welles'', for which he was nominated for over two dozen awards including the BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor. He also appeared in movies such as '' Florence Foster Jenkins'', '' The Theory of Everything'', '' Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy'' and '' Rush''.

Early life

McKay was born in

Bury, Lancashire Bury (, ) is a market town on the River Irwell in the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, Greater Manchester, England. which had a population of 81,101 in 2021 while the wider borough had a population of 193,846. The town was originally part of the ...

. He has a sister, Karen. His mother, Lynn, worked as a hairdresser, and his father, Stuart, was a railway worker. He studied piano as a youth, and performed the

Rachmaninoff Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff; in Russian pre-revolutionary script. (28 March 1943) was a Russian composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor. Rachmaninoff is widely considered one of the finest pianists of his day and, as a composer, one of ...

Piano Concerto No. 3 at age 21. McKay subsequently halted his concert career and enrolled at the

Royal Academy of Dramatic Art The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, also known by its abbreviation RADA (), is a drama school in London, England, which provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in Bloomsbury, Central London ...

to study acting.

Career

McKay's television appearances include portraying conductor

Pierre Monteux Pierre Benjamin Monteux (; 4 April 18751 July 1964) was a French (later American) conductor. After violin and viola studies, and a decade as an orchestral player and occasional conductor, he began to receive regular conducting engagements in 1 ...

in the BBC TV production ''Riot at the Rite'' (2005). His first film appearance was in ''Abraham's Point'' (2008). After seeing a performance of ''Rosebud'' at the 2007 "Brits Off Broadway" festival,

Richard Linklater Richard Linklater (; born July 30, 1960) is an American filmmaker. He is known for making films that deal thematically with suburban culture and the effects of the passage of time. In 2015, Linklater was included on the annual ''Time'' 100 li ...

cast McKay as Welles in his film '' Me and Orson Welles'', retaining McKay over the subsequent producer objections to his casting. In this, his second film and first lead role, McKay received critical praise for his performance as Orson Welles. McKay has recently been seen in the biographical drama '' Rush'', alongside Chris Hemsworth and

Daniel Brühl Daniel César Martín Brühl González (; ; born 16 June 1978) is a German and Spanish actor. He has received various accolades, including three European Film Awards and three German Film Awards, along with nominations for two Golden Globe Awar ...

, the

BAFTA The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA, ) is an independent trade association and charity that supports, develops, and promotes the arts of film, television and video games in the United Kingdom. In addition to its annual awa ...

-nominated music film ''

Northern Soul Northern soul is a music and dance movement that emerged in Northern England and the Midlands in the early 1970s. It developed from the British Mod (subculture), mod scene, based on a particular style of African American music, Black American ...

'', and the

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People and fictional and mythical characters * Oscar (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters named Oscar, Óscar or Oskar * Oscar (footballer, born 1954), Brazilian footballer ...

-winning biographical drama '' The Theory of Everything'', alongside

Eddie Redmayne Edward John David Redmayne OBE (; born 6 January 1982) is an English actor. His accolades include an Academy Award, a Tony Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Golden Globe Award, and two Olivier Awards. Redmayne began his professional ac ...

and Felicity Jones. All of these were met with critical acclaim, with ''The Theory of Everything'' receiving a nomination for the

Academy Award for Best Picture The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards (also known as Oscars) presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) since the awards debuted in 1929. This award goes to the producers of the film a ...

Theatre

McKay has portrayed

in the one-man play ''Rosebud: The Lives of Orson Welles'' at a number of venues, including the

Edinburgh Festival __NOTOC__ This is a list of Arts festival, arts and cultural festivals regularly taking place in Edinburgh, Scotland. The city has become known for its festivals since the establishment in 1947 of the Edinburgh International Festival and the ...

and King's Head (London). He subsequently reprised the role in the US at the 2007 "Brits Off Broadway" festival. In 2013, McKay played Gerard in '' Strangers on a Train'' at London's

Gielgud Theatre The Gielgud Theatre is a West End theatre, located on Shaftesbury Avenue, at the corner of Rupert Street, in the City of Westminster, London. The house currently has 994 seats on three levels. The theatre was designed by W. G. R. Sprague and ...

Personal life

McKay was married to Emily Allen. They divorced in 2021. He has two children, Maximilian Sidney McKay, born 2011 and Aniela Rita Lynn McKay, born 2015.

Selected filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:McKay, Christian 1973 births Living people English male stage actors English male film actors English male television actors Male actors from Bury, Greater Manchester Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art