# Con O'Neill (actor)
**Con O'Neill** (born Robert O'Neill, 1966) is an English actor who began in Liverpool theater, won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical for *[Blood Brothers](https://www.edgepedia.org/blood-brothers-musical)*, and is known on screen for roles including [Viktor Bryukhanov](https://www.edgepedia.org/viktor-bryukhanov) in *Chernobyl*, Izzy Hands in *Our Flag Means Death*, and Chief Mackenzie Bock in *The Batman* and *The Penguin*.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0642126/) • [2](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne_gen_cpersonne%3D14011.html)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name / birth | Robert O'Neill, born 1966 in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, England[2](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne_gen_cpersonne%3D14011.html) |
| Stage breakthrough | Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical, 1988 season, as Michael "Mickey" Johnstone in Willy Russell's *Blood Brothers*[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0642126/bio/) |
| Signature screen roles | Viktor Bryukhanov in *Chernobyl* (2019); Izzy Hands in *Our Flag Means Death* (2022–2023, 16 episodes); Chief Mackenzie Bock in *The Batman* (2022) and *The Penguin* (2024)[4](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-14011/filmographie/) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0642126/) |
| Biographical lead | Joe Meek, the songwriter and record producer, in *Telstar: The Joe Meek Story* (2008)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0642126/) • [5](https://fmdb.mov/en/people/96279-con-o-neill) |
| Recent television | Neil Ackroyd in *Happy Valley* (2016–2023, 11 episodes); General Montgomery in *Rogue Heroes* (2025, 2 episodes)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0642126/) |
| Upcoming | Air Marshal Leigh-Mallory in *Pressure* (2026); Arthur Goodwin in *Legends* (2026); Enoch in Terrence Malick's *The Way of the Wind*[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0642126/) |
## Early career and theater
O'Neill started his acting career at the Everyman Theatre in Liverpool, appearing regularly in theatrical productions during the 1980s while taking small roles in television series.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0642126/) In 1988 he won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his performance as Michael "Mickey" Johnstone in [Willy Russell](https://www.edgepedia.org/willy-russell)'s *Blood Brothers*; BroadwayWorld records the honor as the Olivier Award for Outstanding Performance of the Year by an Actor in a Musical.[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0642126/bio/) • [6](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Con-ONeill/) His BroadwayWorld theater credits also include *A Tribute to the Blues Brothers*.[6](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Con-ONeill/)
His early screen work leaned British comedy. He played Peter McGeghan in *Dancin' Thru the Dark* (1990), Jed in *The Riff Raff Element* (1993), and Nick in two series of *Moving Story* (1994–1995).[7](https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/con_oneill/)
## Screen career
**Television.** O'Neill's television work spans comedy and drama. On the comedy side he played Val, a recurring role in *Uncle* from the 2012 pilot through series 3 in 2017, and appeared in *Learners* (2007) and *Frank* (2012).[7](https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/con_oneill/) In drama he was Neil Ackroyd across the run of *Happy Valley* from 2016 to 2023, played Viktor Bryukhanov, the plant director at the center of the 2019 docudrama *Chernobyl*, and appeared as Graham in *Cleaning Up* (2019) and Mr Stones in *Ladhood* (2019).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0642126/) • [4](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-14011/filmographie/)
**Film.** He played the leading role of [Joe Meek](https://www.edgepedia.org/joe-meek) (1929–1967), the songwriter and record producer, in the biographical film *Telstar: The Joe Meek Story* (2008), and appeared in the comedy *Bedrooms & Hallways* (1999) with [Kevin McKidd](https://www.edgepedia.org/kevin-mckidd).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0642126/) • [8](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/con-oneill/) In 2021 he played [Harry Kane](https://www.edgepedia.org/harry-kane) in *Vengeance Is Mine*.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0642126/)
**Franchise and genre work.** In 2022 he took the role of Gotham police chief Mackenzie Bock in *The Batman*, reprising it in two episodes of the 2024 series *The Penguin*.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0642126/) • [9](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/57534/con-oneill) The same year he voiced Mohg in the video game *Elden Ring*, and in 2024 he played the [Sheriff of Nottingham](https://www.edgepedia.org/sheriff-of-nottingham) in one episode of *Time Bandits*.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0642126/) In *Rogue Heroes* he played General Montgomery in two 2025 episodes.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0642126/)
## Izzy Hands in Our Flag Means Death
O'Neill played Israel "Izzy" Hands, Blackbeard's first mate, in the Max comedy *Our Flag Means Death* across its two seasons (2022–2023), appearing in 16 episodes.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0642126/) *Time* described the character as Blackbeard's bitter first mate, and noted that at the beginning of season two Izzy admits his love for [Blackbeard](https://www.edgepedia.org/blackbeard) and loses a leg in the process.[10](https://time.com/6321042/our-flag-means-death-romance-explainer/) • [11](https://time.com/6320025/our-flag-means-death-season-2-review/) Max did not move forward with a third season, announced in January 2024.[8](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/con-oneill/)
## Upcoming projects
O'Neill has several projects scheduled for 2026: he plays Air Marshal Leigh-Mallory in *[Pressure](https://www.edgepedia.org/pressure-2026-film)*, a war film starring [Brendan Fraser](https://www.edgepedia.org/brendan-fraser) and Andrew Scott; Arthur Goodwin in the series *Legends*; Karl in *The Trial*; and the title role in the short *Being Billy*.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0642126/) • [9](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/57534/con-oneill) He is also cast as Enoch in *[The Way of the Wind](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-way-of-the-wind)*, Terrence Malick's biblical drama, which remains in post-production.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0642126/)
## References
1. [Con O'Neill (I), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0642126/)
2. [Con O'Neill, AlloCiné (biography page)](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne_gen_cpersonne%3D14011.html)
3. [Con O'Neill – Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0642126/bio/)
4. [Con O'Neill : Filmographie, AlloCiné](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-14011/filmographie/)
5. [Con O'Neill, FMDb](https://fmdb.mov/en/people/96279-con-o-neill)
6. [Con O'Neill (Actor) – Broadway & Theatre Credits, BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Con-ONeill/)
7. [Con O'Neill, British Comedy Guide](https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/con_oneill/)
8. [Con O'Neill – Actor, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/con-oneill/)
9. [Con O'Neill, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/57534/con-oneill)
10. [How Our Flag Means Death Crafts a Full-Bodied Romance, Time](https://time.com/6321042/our-flag-means-death-romance-explainer/)
11. [The Radical Freedom of Our Flag Means Death, Time](https://time.com/6320025/our-flag-means-death-season-2-review/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › English actors: 2000s onward › Surnames N to P*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license