# Zach McGowan
**Zach McGowan** (full name Zachary Brendan McGowan) is an American film and television actor and voice-over artist, known for playing Captain Charles Vane in the Starz pirate drama *Black Sails*, Jody Silverman on Showtime's *Shameless*, and King Roan on [The CW](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-cw)'s *The 100*.[1](https://www.zachmcgowan.com/) He was born in New York City; IMDb lists his birth date as 1980,[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2090702/) while AlloCiné gives May 5, 1981[3](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne_gen_cpersonne%3D235787.html) and TVmaze gives October 25, 1981.[4](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/28315/zach-mcgowan)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Zachary Brendan McGowan[5](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/zach-mcgowan/credits/3000299516/) |
| Signature TV roles | Captain Charles Vane in *Black Sails* (Starz, series regular); Jody Silverman in *Shameless* (Showtime, series regular for 3 seasons); King Roan in *The 100* (The CW, 2016–2020, 17 episodes)[6](https://resumes.actorsaccess.com/zachmcgowan) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2090702/) |
| Other notable TV | Anton Ivanov in *Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.* (2017–2018, 9 episodes); Jed in *The Walking Dead*; recurring as Dogknott in *The Boys* and *Gen V*[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2090702/) • [6](https://resumes.actorsaccess.com/zachmcgowan) |
| Film leads | *Robert the Bruce* (2019, as Brandubh), *The Scorpion King: Book of Souls* (2018), *Murder at Yellowstone City* (2022), *Last Call* (2021), *Sanctioning Evil* (2022)[6](https://resumes.actorsaccess.com/zachmcgowan) |
| Supporting film work | Shkelgim in *Dracula Untold* (2014); *Terminator Salvation* (2009); *Death Race 4: Beyond Anarchy* (2018)[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2090702/) • [6](https://resumes.actorsaccess.com/zachmcgowan) |
| Voice work | Video games including *Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier*, *Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City*, and *Iron Man*; narration and hosting for the Scream Awards and Animal Planet[1](https://www.zachmcgowan.com/) |
| Education | Carleton College, Northfield, Minnesota, 1998–2002; American Studies major[7](https://www.startribune.com/carleton-college-grad-zach-mcgowan-lands-a-juicy-role-in-starz-s-black-sails/241856681) • [8](https://www.inverse.com/article/27010-zach-mcgowan-career-stunts-roan-vane) |
| Marriage | Emily Johnson, September 27, 2008; they met at Carleton[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2090702/) • [4](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/28315/zach-mcgowan) |
## Early life and education
McGowan was born and raised in New York City, the youngest of three brothers, and started acting in school productions at an early age.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2090702/) • [4](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/28315/zach-mcgowan) He attended the Ethical Culture Fieldston School, where he captained the football and ice hockey teams, and then chose [Carleton College](https://www.edgepedia.org/carleton-college) in Northfield, Minnesota, over East Coast schools because, he told the *Minnesota Star Tribune*, he "wanted to get a better sense of the country." He attended from 1998 to 2002, continued playing sports, worked in theater, and met his wife Emily at the school.[7](https://www.startribune.com/carleton-college-grad-zach-mcgowan-lands-a-juicy-role-in-starz-s-black-sails/241856681) • [4](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/28315/zach-mcgowan)
After college he appeared on the New York stage in off-Broadway productions starting in 2003, and moved to Los Angeles in 2005 to work in film and television.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2090702/) His short film work includes leading roles in *The 14th Morning* and in Sean Mullin's *Sadiq*, which was nominated for the 2006 MTVU Student Film Maker Award and won Best Short at the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2090702/)
## Television roles
**Shameless.** McGowan joined the Showtime dramedy *[Shameless](https://www.edgepedia.org/shameless-american-tv-series)* in mid-2011 as Jody Silverman, first as a guest star and then as a series regular, playing the boyfriend of Sheila Gallagher ([Joan Cusack](https://www.edgepedia.org/joan-cusack)) for three seasons.[6](https://resumes.actorsaccess.com/zachmcgowan) • [9](https://shameless.fandom.com/wiki/Zach_McGowan) In a 2017 interview with Inverse he described the role, a cheerfully dim-witted sex addict, as the one that first catapulted him to prominence.[8](https://www.inverse.com/article/27010-zach-mcgowan-career-stunts-roan-vane)
**Black Sails.** He was cast as Captain Charles Vane in the Starz series *Black Sails*, a [Michael Bay](https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-bay)-produced prequel to *Treasure Island*, as a series regular.[6](https://resumes.actorsaccess.com/zachmcgowan) Co-creator Robert Levine recalled that McGowan's audition tape introduced him simply as [Charles Vane](https://www.edgepedia.org/charles-vane); the producers thought that "kind of cocky" but concluded he was the right man for the role.[7](https://www.startribune.com/carleton-college-grad-zach-mcgowan-lands-a-juicy-role-in-starz-s-black-sails/241856681) McGowan has said the producers were not looking to cast actors doing English accents, so he auditioned in character and "slipped past" before they realized he was an American.[10](https://www.mandatory.com/fun/649941-exclusive-interview-zach-mcgowan-on-black-sails-and-dracula-untold) The coin roll Vane performed over his fingers, a move the character became known for, was McGowan's own idea; he taught himself the trick on the flight to South Africa, where the series was shot.[8](https://www.inverse.com/article/27010-zach-mcgowan-career-stunts-roan-vane)
**The 100.** McGowan debuted as Roan, a Grounder, in Season 3 of The CW's post-apocalyptic drama *[The 100](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-100-tv-series)* as a recurring guest star, and was promoted to series regular for Season 4 in July 2016.[11](https://www.thewrap.com/the-100-promotes-zach-mcgowan-to-series-regular-for-season-4/) Over the season Roan moved from enemy to uneasy ally of Clarke ([Eliza Taylor](https://www.edgepedia.org/eliza-taylor)) and Bellamy ([Bob Morley](https://www.edgepedia.org/bob-morley)) and ended it as King of the Ice Nation.[11](https://www.thewrap.com/the-100-promotes-zach-mcgowan-to-series-regular-for-season-4/) IMDb credits him as King Roan and Prince Roan across 17 episodes from 2016 to 2020.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2090702/) McGowan said the role came about because showrunner Jason Rothenberg was a fan of his *Black Sails* work and offered it to him two days before filming.[12](https://www.thewrap.com/the-100-star-zach-mcgowan-on-roans-odds-of-survival/) He has described Roan as "my cowboy," an archetypal outcast, and said the character is a reasonable person rather than a warmonger.[8](https://www.inverse.com/article/27010-zach-mcgowan-career-stunts-roan-vane)
**Later series work.** He played the Russian supervillain Anton Ivanov, also known as The Superior, in *Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.* across nine episodes in 2017 and 2018.[1](https://www.zachmcgowan.com/) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2090702/) His résumé lists recurring roles on *The Walking Dead* (as Jed), *Damnation*, *[L.A.'s Finest](https://www.edgepedia.org/l-a-s-finest)*, *Project Blue Book*, *MacGyver*, and *Blood & Treasure*, and, more recently, recurring parts as Dogknott in Amazon's *The Boys* and its spinoff *Gen V*.[6](https://resumes.actorsaccess.com/zachmcgowan) • [13](https://www.documentarytube.com/blog/what-zach-mcgowan-has-done-since-black-sails/)
## Film and voice work
McGowan's film credits span action, historical drama, and independent features. He had a supporting role as the gypsy Shkelgim in Universal's *Dracula Untold* (2014) opposite [Luke Evans](https://www.edgepedia.org/luke-evans), and appeared in *Terminator Salvation* (2009).[10](https://www.mandatory.com/fun/649941-exclusive-interview-zach-mcgowan-on-black-sails-and-dracula-untold) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2090702/) His résumé lists lead roles in *Robert the Bruce* (2019), *The Brawler* (2019), *Imperfections* (2016), *Last Call* (2021), *Murder at Yellowstone City* (2022), and *Sanctioning Evil* (2022), and he starred as the title character in *The Scorpion King: Book of Souls* (2018).[6](https://resumes.actorsaccess.com/zachmcgowan) He has said he deliberately works across genres: "a story can take place in any different genre, but characters are consistently real people."[14](https://crypticrock.com/interview-zach-mcgowan/)
His voice-over work includes video games such as *[Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier](https://www.edgepedia.org/tom-clancys-ghost-recon-future-soldier)*, *Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City*, and *Iron Man*, along with live narration and hosting for the Scream Awards and [Animal Planet](https://www.edgepedia.org/animal-planet).[1](https://www.zachmcgowan.com/) An upcoming project is the western-horror thriller *The Wolf and the Lamb*, which Samuel Goldwyn Films lists for theatrical and VOD release on April 24, 2026.[13](https://www.documentarytube.com/blog/what-zach-mcgowan-has-done-since-black-sails/)
## Stunts and physical approach
McGowan performs his own stunt work, from the widely discussed fight in *The 100* Season 3 to the brawls and horse leaps on *Black Sails*.[8](https://www.inverse.com/article/27010-zach-mcgowan-career-stunts-roan-vane) He has explained the difference in equipment between the two shows: *The 100* used bamboo swords, while *Black Sails* used metal ones, which he said "adds a level of realness." He described his fighting style as precise aggression, and said he had done no official sword training before *Black Sails*, learning the show's brawling, gritty sword system from scratch.[8](https://www.inverse.com/article/27010-zach-mcgowan-career-stunts-roan-vane) • [10](https://www.mandatory.com/fun/649941-exclusive-interview-zach-mcgowan-on-black-sails-and-dracula-untold) His athletic background, including captaining his high school's football and hockey teams, helped him through the month of boot camp that preceded *Black Sails* filming.[7](https://www.startribune.com/carleton-college-grad-zach-mcgowan-lands-a-juicy-role-in-starz-s-black-sails/241856681)
## Personal life
McGowan married Emily Johnson on September 27, 2008.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2090702/) He has spoken about having two children, a seven-year-old and a five-year-old at the time of a 2017 interview, and said *The Scorpion King: Book of Souls* was the first project he had done that was rated PG-13 and that his children could potentially watch.[15](https://www.supanova.com.au/interview-zach-mcgowans-larger-life-roles/) He lives in Los Angeles and is a member of both SAG and AFTRA.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2090702/)
## References
1. [Zach McGowan, Actor and Voice Over Artist, official website](https://www.zachmcgowan.com/)
2. [Zach McGowan, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2090702/)
3. [Zach McGowan, AlloCiné](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne_gen_cpersonne%3D235787.html)
4. [Zach McGowan, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/28315/zach-mcgowan)
5. [Zach McGowan, TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/zach-mcgowan/credits/3000299516/)
6. [Zach McGowan résumé, Actors Access](https://resumes.actorsaccess.com/zachmcgowan)
7. [Carleton College grad Zach McGowan lands a juicy role in Starz's 'Black Sails', Minnesota Star Tribune (January 24, 2014)](https://www.startribune.com/carleton-college-grad-zach-mcgowan-lands-a-juicy-role-in-starz-s-black-sails/241856681)
8. [Zach McGowan Makes Art Out of Getting Punched in the Face, Inverse (January 31, 2017)](https://www.inverse.com/article/27010-zach-mcgowan-career-stunts-roan-vane)
9. [Zach McGowan, Shameless Wiki](https://shameless.fandom.com/wiki/Zach_McGowan)
10. [Exclusive Interview: Zach McGowan on 'Black Sails' and Dracula Untold, Mandatory (February 21, 2014)](https://www.mandatory.com/fun/649941-exclusive-interview-zach-mcgowan-on-black-sails-and-dracula-untold)
11. ['The 100' Promotes Zach McGowan to Series Regular for Season 4, TheWrap (July 22, 2016)](https://www.thewrap.com/the-100-promotes-zach-mcgowan-to-series-regular-for-season-4/)
12. ['The 100' Star Zach McGowan on Roan's Odds of Survival, TheWrap](https://www.thewrap.com/the-100-star-zach-mcgowan-on-roans-odds-of-survival/)
13. [What Zach McGowan Has Done Since 'Black Sails', DocumentaryTube (October 2026)](https://www.documentarytube.com/blog/what-zach-mcgowan-has-done-since-black-sails/)
14. [Interview: Zach McGowan, Cryptic Rock](https://crypticrock.com/interview-zach-mcgowan/)
15. [Interview: Zach McGowan's Larger Than Life Roles, Supanova Comic Con & Gaming](https://www.supanova.com.au/interview-zach-mcgowans-larger-life-roles/)
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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 › American actors: 2000s onward › Surnames Mc to Mi*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 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