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Lorcan Cranitch

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Lorcan Cranitch
Born (1959-08-28) 28 August 1959 (age 65)
Dublin, Ireland
NationalityIrish
OccupationActor
Years active1978–present

Lorcan Cranitch (born 28 August 1959) is an Irish actor.

Born in Dublin, Lorcan Cranitch became involved in drama while a student. In 1980 he moved to London, where he trained at RADA.[1]

Career

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His first major role on British television was as Tim Healy in the 1991 BBC drama series Parnell and the Englishwoman.[2] It was as the troubled DS Jimmy Beck in Cracker (1993-1995) that he became a familiar face to viewers.

Following Cracker he returned to the BBC in a part specially written for him, as Sean Dillon in Ballykissangel.[3] In 2001 he starred in the short-lived drama series McCready and Daughter, taking on a role originally intended for his former Ballykissangel co-star, Tony Doyle, who died shortly before the series was due to be filmed. He appeared in several other British television dramas, including Deacon Brodie (with Billy Connolly), Shackleton (as Frank Wild) with Kenneth Branagh, Omagh, Hornblower (with Ioan Gruffudd), The Street, Waking the Dead, Spooks, Silent Witness and New Tricks. In 2005 he took a villainous role in the HBO/BBC production of Rome, as the underworld baron Erastes Fulmen. In the 2009 BBC drama Best: His Mother's Son, he played Dickie Best, the father of footballer George Best. He also appeared in The Bill playing DCI Frank Keane.

Lorcan briefly appeared as DI Littlejohn in the Sky Atlantic series Fortitude.

On film he has appeared in Dancing at Lughnasa with Meryl Streep, The Playboys and Titanic Town.

He played Melvin in "New Tricks" "Communal Living" (S5:E7), 2008. In 2011 he appeared as Liam Cullen in “The Gift of Promise”, (S5:E4) of Lewis. He appeared in the BBC series Death in Paradise (S5:E7), 2016. In 2017 he played Assistant Chief Constable Nicholls in the first part of the final series of the BBC drama Inspector George Gently, (S8.E1)

He has combined this with stage work with The Royal National Theatre, The Royal Shakespeare Company, Donmar West End, The Abbey and The Gate Theatre in Dublin.[4]

In February 2021, Cranitch took a lead role as Detective Chief Superintendent Jackie Twomey in the BBC crime drama series Bloodlands.[5]

Personal life

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Cranitch attended secondary school at Terenure College.[6] Cranitch was married to Susan Jackson, a journalist and newsreader with RTÉ.[7] They adopted an Ethiopian child in 2010.[8] The couple separated in 2016. His sister, Ellen Cranitch, is a regular presenter on Lyric FM, RTÊ's classical music station.

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1987 The Magic Toyshop Francie
Empire State Richard
1991 Chernobyl: The Final Warning Chernov Television film
1992 The Playboys Ryan / John Joe
You, Me and Marley Father Tom Television film
1997 The Heart Surgeon Larry Duggan Television film
Food of Love Luke
1998 Macbeth Macduff Television film
Titanic Town Tony
Night Train Billy
Dancing at Lughnasa Danny Bradley
2000 McCready and Daughter Michael McCready Television film
My Fragile Heart Bernard Cleve Television film
2003 Loyalty Wolfe Television film
Duty Television film
2004 Magic Circle Clerk Short film
Omagh Ronnie Flanagan Television film
The Queen of Sheba's Pearls Harold Bradley
2008 Summer of the Flying Saucer Ciaran
God on Trial Blockaltester Television film
2009 Best: His Mother's Son Dickie Best Television film
2012 Come On Groom Short film
Flying Blind Duncan Morehouse
2013 The Food Guide to Love Eddie
2014 Love, Rosie Dennis Dunne
The Legend of Longwood Lance Wicklow
2015 The Bloody Irish James Connolly Television film
2016 My Life for Ireland Pump Man Short film
2017 Take Me Swimming Interviewer Short film
2018 The Dig Sean McKenna
2019 Dad Dad Television film
2020 Herself Michael
Drifting Diarmuid Short film
2021 Ship of Souls Michael Short film
Christmas at Castle Hart Patrick O'Reilly Television film
2022 Róise & Frank Donncha
Aisha Peter Flood
Tarrac Bear
Lakelands Diarmuid
Burn It All Mr. Barrett Short film
LOLA Major General Norbury
Stumbling Logan
2023 A Greyhound of a Girl Make Judge Voice only

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1978 The Spike Fiona's Boyfriend Episode: "The Curtin Equation"
1985 Bergerac Police Sniper Episode: "Avenge O Lord"
1987 ScreenPlay Mr. Scott Episode: "The Venus de Milo Instead"
1991 Parnell and the Englishwoman Timothy Healy Miniseries; 4 episodes
1993 The Bill Laurence Connor Episode: "If It Isn't Hurting"
1993–1995 Cracker DS Jimmy Beck Series regular; 19 episodes
1994 Family Tutorial Teacher Episode: "John Paul"
1995 Screen Two Leo Doyle Episode: "Life After Life"
1996 The Bill Trevor Davis Episode: "Repossession"
1997 Screen Two George Smith Episode: "Deacon Smith"
1998 Close Relations Stephen Miniseries; 5 episodes
1998–1999 Ballykissangel Sean Dillon Series regular; 24 episodes
2001 McCready and Daughter Michael McCready Series regular; 5 episodes
Rebel Heart Inspector Nelson Miniseries; 2 episodes
2002 Shackleton Frank Wild Miniseries; 2 episodes
2002–2003 Spooks Patrick McCann Recurring role; 2 episodes
2003 Hornblower Wolfe Recurring role; 2 episodes
2005–2007 Rome Erastes Fulmen Recurring role; 6 episodes
2006 The Bill DCI Frank Keane Recurring role; 7 episodes
2007 Trouble in Paradise Doc Little Recurring role; 2 episodes
The Last Detective Patrick Cunningham Episode: "The Dead Peasants Society"
Rebus Thomas Steele Episode: "The First Stone"
The Street Danny Parr Recurring role; 2 episodes
2008 The Palace Jonty Roberts Series regular; 8 episodes
Waking the Dead Victor Coleridge Episode: "Wounds"
New Tricks Melvin Episode: "Communal Living"
2009 The Clinic Diarmuid Recurring role; 3 episodes
Paradox Simon Manning Miniseries; 5 episodes
2010 1916 Seachtar na Cásca James Connolly Miniseries; 7 episodes
Law & Order: UK Mike Jones Episode: "Help"
Single-Handed Niall O'Sullivan Episode: "A Cold Heaven"
2011 Silent Witness DS Mansfield Episode: "The Prodigal"
Lewis Liam Cullen Episode: "The Gift of Promise"
2013 1916 Seachtar Dearmadta James Connolly Miniseries; 7 episodes
Moonfleet Meech Miniseries; 3 episodes
2014 The Crimson Field Aloysius McCafferty Episode: "Episode 3"
Penny Dreadful Inspector Granworthy Recurring role; 2 episodes
2014–2015 Atlantis Cilix Series regular; 7 episodes
2015 Fortitude DI Littlejohn Recurring role; 4 episodes
Code of a Killer DI Alan Madden Miniseries; 2 episodes
The Last Kingdom Father Selbix Recurring role; 2 episodes
2016 Death in Paradise Tosh Walker Episode: "The Blood Red Sea"
Barbarians Rising Avitus Episode: "Ruin"
2017 Inspector George Gently ACC Nicholls Episode: "Gently Liberated"
Acceptable Risk James Nulty Miniseries; 3 episodes
2019 Les Misérables Chief Inspector Recurring role; 2 episodes
Vera Roy Brewer Episode: "Cuckoo"
2020 Rig 45 Adam Series regular; 6 episodes
2021–2022 Bloodlands Jackie Twomey Series regular; 10 episodes
2022 Magpie Murders Sir Magnus Pye / Max Ryeland Recurring role; 4 episodes
2023 The Crown Commissioner Stevens Episode: "Hope Street"

References

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  1. ^ Times Online interview[dead link]
  2. ^ "PBS Masterpiece God on Trial: Characters". Archived from the original on 19 August 2016. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
  3. ^ "Ballykissangel Examiner". Archived from the original on 22 October 2008. Retrieved 18 June 2009.
  4. ^ Abbey Theatre: Lorcan Cranitch Archived 2012-11-18 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ "Bloodlands actor Lorcan Cranitch on filming crime drama in Northern Ireland, 20 February 2021". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  6. ^ "President pays tribute to acting genius who mesmerised on stage". 8 May 2013. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
  7. ^ "Super Susan reads the RTE news in hoodie and T-shirt", herald.ie, 18 May 2013. Accessed 7 Nov 2014
  8. ^ "Lorcan's biggest role", independent.ie, 8 May 2011. Accessed 7 Nov 2014
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