Lorcan Cranitch

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Lorcan Cranitch
Born (1959-08-28) 28 August 1959 (age 64)
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[edit]

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[edit]

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

References[edit]

  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. ^ "Super Susan reads the RTE news in hoodie and T-shirt", herald.ie, 18 May 2013. Accessed 7 Nov 2014
  7. ^ "Lorcan's biggest role", independent.ie, 8 May 2011. Accessed 7 Nov 2014

External links[edit]