Peter Mullan (born 2 November 1959) is a Scottish actor, filmmaker and socialist. He is known for his acting roles in Trainspotting, the Harry Potter film series and My Name Is Joe, winning Best Actor Award at 1998 Cannes Film Festival. Mullan is also successful art house movie director, winning Golden Lion at 59th Venice International Film Festival for The Magdalene Sisters, listed by many critics among best films of 2003, and Golden Shell at San Sebastián International Film Festival for Neds.

Biography

Mullan is a lifelong supporter of Celtic Football Club. A Marxist, he was a leading figure in the left-wing theatre movement which blossomed in Scotland during the Conservative Thatcher government, including stints in the 7:84 and Wildcat Theatre companies. A passionate critic of Tony Blair's New Labour government, he told The Guardian "the TUC and the Labour Party sold us [the working class] out big style, unashamedly so". Mullan took part in a 2005 occupation of the Glasgow offices of the UK Immigration Service, protesting against the UKIS's "dawn raid" tactics when deporting failed asylum seekers.

In January 2009, Mullan joined other actors in protesting against the BBC's refusal to screen a Disasters Emergency Committee appeal for Gaza. They told BBC director general Mark Thompson: "Like millions of others, we are absolutely appalled at the decision to refuse to broadcast the appeal. We will never work for the BBC again unless this disgraceful decision is reversed. We will urge others from our profession and beyond to do likewise." Mullan has agreed to appear in an adaptation of Iain Banks’ Stonemouth after the BBC aired a DEC appeal for Gaza in late 2014.

Mullan was a supporter of the Yes Scotland campaign in the Scottish independence referendum, 2014. In 2015 he criticised the BBC for "horrendous bias" against the Yes campaign and told the Radio Times that the broadcaster had "broke his heart".

Peter has three children from his long-term partner Anne Swan.

Best films