# Gary Lewis (actor)
**Gary Lewis** (birth name Gary Stevenson) is a Scottish actor known for playing Jackie Elliot, the father, in *Billy Elliot* (2000), McGloin in Martin Scorsese's *Gangs of New York* (2002), and Colum MacKenzie in the Starz series *Outlander*. He came to acting in his early 30s without formal training and became one of the Scottish performers who made a mark on world cinema from the 1990s onward.[1](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-24855/biographie/) • [2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/gary-lewis/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Gary Stevenson; born in Easterhouse, Glasgow, Scotland[1](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-24855/biographie/) |
| Birth year | 1957 (30 November) per AlloCiné, TV Insider, and NNDB; IMDb and TVmaze list 1958[1](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-24855/biographie/) • [3](https://www.nndb.com/people/047/000130654/) • [4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0507207/) |
| Breakthrough | Jackie Elliot, the father in *Billy Elliot* (2000), a film that earned more than 110 million US dollars on a five-million-dollar budget[1](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-24855/biographie/) |
| Path into acting | BA in Social Sciences from Glasgow College of Technology, 1983; joined Robert Carlyle's Raindog Theatre Group in 1991 with no formal training[5](https://www.gcu.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/313085/GCU-Alumni-MagFINAL.pdf) |
| Ken Loach films | Sammy in *Carla's Song* (1996), Shanks in *My Name Is Joe* (1998), Danny in *Ae Fond Kiss* (2004)[6](https://cam.co.uk/talent/gary-lewis/) |
| Recent television | Colin Robertson in *Vigil* (series regular, seasons 1 to 3), Jack Mac in *A Thousand Blows* (Disney+, seasons 1 and 2), Captain Donny in *Down Cemetery Road* (Apple TV)[6](https://cam.co.uk/talent/gary-lewis/) |
| Blockbuster role | Emperor Dro'ge in *The Marvels* (2023), the 33rd film of the Marvel Cinematic Universe[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0507207/) • [1](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-24855/biographie/) |
## Early life and route into acting
Lewis grew up in Easterhouse, a district of Glasgow he and interviewers have described as tough. His parents valued education, but his own schooling was irregular; after leaving he worked as a roadsweeper and later in a local library. Encouraged by his brother, he read widely, discovered classic drama, and began performing with an amateur theater group.[1](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-24855/biographie/) • [2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/gary-lewis/)
He graduated in 1983 with a BA in Social Sciences from Glasgow College of Technology, one of the founding colleges of [Glasgow Caledonian University](https://www.edgepedia.org/glasgow-caledonian-university), and started acting as a career in his early 30s, joining [Robert Carlyle](https://www.edgepedia.org/robert-carlyle)'s newly formed Raindog Theatre Group in 1991 despite having no formal training.[5](https://www.gcu.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/313085/GCU-Alumni-MagFINAL.pdf) A friendship with the actor-director [Peter Mullan](https://www.edgepedia.org/peter-mullan), whom he met at a socialist lecture, led to a role in Mullan's short film *Close*, which began filming in 1991 and took about three years to complete; by then both had appeared in Danny Boyle's *Shallow Grave* (1994).[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/gary-lewis/)
## 1990s: Scottish cinema and Ken Loach
Through the 1990s Lewis worked with prominent British directors. He appeared in [Danny Boyle](https://www.edgepedia.org/danny-boyle)'s *Shallow Grave* (1994) and in films by [Ken Loach](https://www.edgepedia.org/ken-loach), co-starring with Carlyle in *Carla's Song* (1996) as Sammy and playing Shanks, a recovering alcoholic, alongside Mullan in *My Name Is Joe* (1998).[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/gary-lewis/) • [6](https://cam.co.uk/talent/gary-lewis/) Mullan cast him as Thomas, the over-righteous elder sibling, in *[Orphans](https://www.edgepedia.org/orphans-1998-film)* (1997), a performance described as one of that film's highlights.[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/gary-lewis/)
## Billy Elliot and international work
**Breakthrough.** Lewis's international breakthrough came as the father in *Billy Elliot* (2000), directed by Stephen Daldry for Working Title, playing a widowed miner during the strike who confronts his son's wish to become a ballet dancer. The film won numerous awards and took in more than 110 million dollars against a five-million-dollar budget.[1](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-24855/biographie/) • [6](https://cam.co.uk/talent/gary-lewis/) The same year he supported [Michael Caine](https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-caine) as a boxing coach in *Shiner*, screened at the San Sebastián Film Festival, and appeared with Sean McGinley in *What Where*, a 12-minute short based on [Samuel Beckett](https://www.edgepedia.org/samuel-beckett)'s play.[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/gary-lewis/)
Larger roles followed. He played McGloin, one of the henchmen of [Daniel Day-Lewis](https://www.edgepedia.org/daniel-day-lewis)'s character, in Martin Scorsese's *Gangs of New York* (2002), and Palmer, an Anglican pastor who becomes a stretcher-bearer, in the Christmas-truce film *Joyeux Noël* (2005).[1](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-24855/biographie/) • [3](https://www.nndb.com/people/047/000130654/) Other credits from this period include *Goal!: The Dream Begins* (2005) as the player's father Mal Braithwaite, King Hrothgar in *Eragon* (2006), the skipper in *True North* (2006), and Kare, a Christian Viking, in [Nicolas Winding Refn](https://www.edgepedia.org/nicolas-winding-refn)'s *Valhalla Rising* (2009).[6](https://cam.co.uk/talent/gary-lewis/) • [4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0507207/) On Rotten Tomatoes his best-rated film is *Catch Me Daddy* (2014) at 93 percent and his lowest is *Eragon* (2006) at 15 percent.[7](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/gary-lewis)
## Television career from the 2010s
From the 2010s Lewis became a familiar face on television. He played Colum MacKenzie in *Outlander* (Starz, series 1 and 2), Alator in *Merlin*, and roles in *One of Us*, *The Level*, *Frontier* (season 3, Netflix), *[His Dark Materials](https://www.edgepedia.org/his-dark-materials-tv-series)* (Thorold), *Rig 45*, *The Bay* (series 3, ITV), and *It's a Sin*.[1](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-24855/biographie/) • [6](https://cam.co.uk/talent/gary-lewis/) His most sustained television part is Inspector Colin Robertson in the BBC submarine thriller *Vigil*, a series regular role across seasons 1, 2, and the announced third season.[6](https://cam.co.uk/talent/gary-lewis/)
He has continued in film, playing Inspector Roy opposite [James McAvoy](https://www.edgepedia.org/james-mcavoy) in the remake *My Son* (2021) and Emperor Dro'ge in *The Marvels* (2023).[1](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-24855/biographie/) Recent and announced work includes *A Thousand Blows* (Disney+, seasons 1 and 2, as Jack Mac), *Down Cemetery Road* (Apple TV, as Captain Donny), *Deadpoint* for [Channel 4](https://www.edgepedia.org/channel-4), and *The Undertow* for Netflix.[6](https://cam.co.uk/talent/gary-lewis/)
## Working profile
His agency lists him at 5 feet 6 inches with blue eyes, and credits his range of accents, from Glasgow and Scottish-Standard to American, Cockney, Dublin, German, and Russian, plus English and French as spoken languages.[6](https://cam.co.uk/talent/gary-lewis/) Critics have noted his compact build and blue eyes, and his recurring casting as worn, ordinary men: an alcoholic security guard, a grief-stricken striking miner, a sanctimonious sibling.[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/gary-lewis/)
## Notes on the name
The actor's screen name is shared by several other public figures, most prominently the American singer [Gary Lewis](https://www.edgepedia.org/gary-lewis-musician) (born 1945, son of comedian [Jerry Lewis](https://www.edgepedia.org/jerry-lewis)), leader of Gary Lewis and the Playboys, whose 1960s hits included "This Diamond Ring".[8](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/gary-lewis-mn0000988446) The Scottish actor is a distinct person and should not be confused with the musician.
## References
1. [Gary Lewis : Sa biographie, AlloCiné](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-24855/biographie/)
2. [Gary Lewis – Actor, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/gary-lewis/)
3. [Gary Lewis, NNDB](https://www.nndb.com/people/047/000130654/)
4. [Gary Lewis (III), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0507207/)
5. [GCU Alumni Magazine: Alumnus Profile – Gary Lewis, Glasgow Caledonian University](https://www.gcu.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/313085/GCU-Alumni-MagFINAL.pdf)
6. [Gary Lewis, Creative Artists Management](https://cam.co.uk/talent/gary-lewis/)
7. [Gary Lewis Movies & TV Shows, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/gary-lewis)
8. [Gary Lewis Biography, AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/gary-lewis-mn0000988446)
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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 › Scottish actors › Surnames A to L*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; 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