Angus MacFadyen, who is approx. 5' 10", was born the 21st of October 1963, and for those into astrology, that puts his Sun in Libra, moon in Sagittarius, Mercury in Libra, and both his Venus and Mars in Scorpio.
He originally went to audition for the part of Edward II in Braveheart--that's right, Edward II, the homosexual son of British King Edward Longshanks, not Robert the Bruce. But Angus had no intention of playing "another wimp," so he stoked his courage with a bottle of wine, and went to talk to Braveheart director and star Mel Gibson. "I explained that I knew that Bruce was on offer to someone, but I didn't want to play anyone else," MacFadyen told Scottish newspapers. "And I talked about how I thought the character should be played."
His U.K. television appearances include "Making Waves," "The Lost Language of Cranes," "Soldier, Soldier," "Two Golden Balls," "God of Happiness" and "Care." Born in Scotland, but raised in France, MacFadyen attended the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, and graduated from the Central School of Speech and Drama. At Edinburgh's Fringe Festival, he performed in "Faculty Of Rats," "The Tempest," "Hess," "The Beautiful And Damned," "Cloud Nine," and "The Immortals.""I was an angry kid who didn't understand myself or the world," he says. "Then I began to acquire bits of wisdom here and there." Angus and his sister Morag grew up in a family that moved around a lot, as his dad worked for the World Health Organization. He attended high school entirely in Denmark and learned life lessons in locales such as Africa, France, the Philippines, Singapore and Bellvue Hill in Sydney, Australia. Ideal training for the nomadic lifestyle of an actor, he agrees, since "now, I can't settle down for very long in one place." His theatre credits include "The Tempest", "Cloud Nine" and "The lmmortals" for the Edinburgh Fringe Theatre. He is also a playwright whose "1905" was honored with the 1991 Questors Student Playing Award. It seems there's well nigh nothing he can't do when he sets his mind to it. "I paint, I write, I live," he says, "and I drink a good bottle of wine at the end of the day."
Angus' usual home is in London, but he's been known to live in Los Angeles,
California lately. Another film for which he's known is called the
"BRYLCREEM
BOYS" in which he plays a World War 2 German air pilot(possible release this year...), filmed on the Isle of Man, running time 105 minutes. Angus plays a World War 2 German air pilot, in 1941. The movie is based in 1941--as part of an effort to remain strictly neutral--the Dublin Government made a deal with both Berlin and London whereby any soldier captured on Irish soil, whether of German or Allied forces, would be interned for the duration of the war. What the Irish failed to mention was that they would intern everbody in the same camp. It is here that two Canadian and German airmen meet, outside the camp, both fall in love with an independent Irishwoman, who refuses to choose sides in their private war. Gabriel Byrne stars.
Angus is also noted for
"WARRIORS OF VIRTUE," (MGM/UA).
This is a fantasy film about an insane emperor, and
is available on videotape. Angus is also in "STILL BREATHING", filmed
in Los Angeles and San Antonio, Texas, as well as the movie "NEVADA", which stars Kirstie Alley. This movie was
four weeks of intensive and heavy duty shooting for Angus.
The director of this film is of Academy Award caliber.
Another movie of his
is Snide
And Prejudice, in which he plays a mentally ill man
who thinks he's Adolph Hitler. He's also worked on a script which
he'll direct that asks the questions: "What is success
and failure?" and, "In order to be an artist, must you
be tortured?" Another movie he plays an important role in was
Death Valley with Eric Roberts in Las Vegas.
"It's about an insane Frenchman who tries to rebuild
the Versailles palace in the middle of the desert to make
it into a gambling casino," he laughs, adding, "he's mad."
Also recently finished, Angus plays the lead in "Lanai-Loa", a supernatural
ghost story in which MacFadyen plays an American cop drawn
into a web of murder. This movie is the first from a company
called Chrome Dragon, which was founded last year by filmmakers
Francis Ford coppola and Wayne Wang.
Also, he was worked on
An Angel's Gift as well as
The Cradle Will Rock, where Angus plays Orson Wells. It is
being shown at the Cannes Film Festival and is one of only 2
American movies in competition at the festival in 1999. The latest info lists him in
the upcoming film Titus.
According to the BBC, you can reach Angus by Snail Mail at:
Angus MacFadyen
c/o I.C.M. Oxford House
76 Oxford Road
London W1R 1RD