Kenneth Cranham

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Kenneth Cranham bigraphy, stories - Scottish actor

Kenneth Cranham : biography

12 December 1944 –

Kenneth Cranham (born 12 December 1944) is a Scottish film, television, radio and stage actor.

Acting career

Cranham starred in the title role in the popular 1980s comedy drama Shine on Harvey Moon. He also appeared in Layer Cake, Gangster No. 1, Rome, Oliver! and many other films. He is probably best known to horror genre fans as the deranged Dr. Philip Channard and his Cenobitic alter-ego from Hellbound: Hellraiser II. His many stage credits include West End productions of Entertaining Mr Sloane, Loot, An Inspector Calls, (both transferring to Broadway), The Ruffian on the Stair, The Birthday Party and Gaslight (at the Old Vic). Most recently, he has been heard on BBC Radio 4’s Afternoon Play series as "DS Max Matthews" in the three-play series The Interrogation by Roy Williams.

Television credits

  • Panto!
  • Hustle
  • Sinking of the Lusitania: Terror at Sea
  • Doc Martin Christmas Special
  • The Line of Beauty
  • The Lavender List
  • Rome as Pompey Magnus (Season 1)
  • The Genius of Mozart
  • Sparkling Cyanide
  • Killing Hitler
  • Pollyanna
  • Inspector Morse: The Wolvercote Tongue
  • Dickens
  • Dalziel and Pascoe: Home Truths
  • Kavanagh QC
  • Heartbeat
  • Lovejoy
  • NCS: Manhunt
  • The Murder of Stephen Lawrence
  • On Dangerous Ground
  • Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit
  • Our Mutual Friend
  • Royal Celebration
  • Rules of Engagement
  • Dead Man’s Folly
  • Brideshead Revisited
  • The Merchant of Venice
  • Shine on Harvey Moon
  • Danger UXB
  • Casualty
  • Chimera
  • Reilly, Ace of Spies
  • Merlin
  • Falcón

Filmography

  • Closed Circuit
  • Valkyrie
  • Hot Fuzz
  • Hellbound: Hellraiser II – Dr. Philip Channard/The Channard Cenobite
  • Layer Cake
  • Trauma
  • A Good Year
  • Blackball
  • Man Dancin’
  • Shiner
  • Gangster No. 1
  • Kevin & Perry Go Large
  • Women Talking Dirty
  • Deep in the Heart
  • RPM
  • The Boxer
  • Chocolat
  • Under Suspicion
  • Tale of a Vampire
  • Timeslip
  • Stealing Heaven
  • Robin and Marian
  • Up Pompeii!
  • Oliver!
  • Two Men Went to War
  • Brother Sun, Sister Moon
  • Made in Dagenham

Personal life

Cranham was born in Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland, the son of Lochgelly-born Margaret McKay Cranham (née Ferguson) and Ronald Cranham, a London-born civil servant.Secondary school in Brixton, London, left 1961 to follow acting career. His first wife was actress Diana Quick. He has two daughters: Nancy Cranham with actress Charlotte Cornwell, and Kathleen Cranham with his second wife, actress Fiona Victory.