Ron Donachie
Scottish actor
Ron Donachie
Donachie in 2013
Born Ronald Eaglesham Porter
(1956-04-26 ) 26 April 1956 (age 68) Nationality Scottish Education Madras College Alma mater Glasgow University Occupation Actor Years active 1980–present Spouse
Children 2, including Daniel Portman
Ronald Eaglesham Porter (born 26 April 1956), known professionally as Ron Donachie , is a Scottish character actor. He has appeared in supporting roles in films The Jungle Book (1994), Titanic and television series Game of Thrones , in which he recurred as Ser Rodrik Cassel. He is however perhaps best known for portraying DI John Rebus in the BBC Radio 4 dramatisations of Sir Ian Rankin 's Rebus detective novels, a role he reprised for the stage play Rebus: Long Shadows .
Biography
Early life and career
Ronald Porter was born in Dundee , Scotland and educated at Madras College , St Andrews [ 1] where he performed in three school plays: Serjeant Musgrave's Dance [ 2] in 1972, A Man For All Seasons [ 3] in 1973 for which the newspaper review said "Ron Porter was impressive from start to finish, handling a mammoth part with apparent ease, giving a sensitive, subtle and well-controlled performance, especially in the second act", and Taming of the Shrew [ 4] in 1974 for which the newspaper review said "Ron Porter's affability shines out like the proverbial beacon ... as the most experienced member of the cast, he has the confidence to be able to establish an immediate rapport with the audience. ... [He] turned in his usual high standard of performance as the enormously arrogant Petruchio".
His education continued at the University of Glasgow where he was President of the Glasgow University Students' Representative Council (1976–1977) and graduated MA (Hons) in English Literature and Drama in 1979.[ 5]
He joined John McGrath 's 7:84 theatre group for their 1980–1981 touring production, John Burrows ' One Big Blow , in which the cast mimicked a traditional colliery band by singing in six part harmony. Following the success of this play members of the cast founded the a cappella vocal group The Flying Pickets in 1982, but Donachie left before their 1983 Christmas number one hit.
Acclaim
Although Donachie has been prolific in television and films, these have all been ensemble or supporting parts. His leading roles on radio and the theatre have achieved acclaim:
"Ron Donachie plays [Rebus] in the BBC radio versions and he's really got the voice"
— Ian Rankin , author of the Rebus novels [ 6]
Ron Donachie plays her father with an authority that makes his role as a sexual predator even more creepy.
— Six Characters in Search of an Author – Mark Fisher, The Guardian [ 7]
When Ron Donachie takes the stage as Deputy Governor Danforth in the second half of Arthur Miller's classic, it's as if this 17th century parable of superstition and intolerance has a new centre of gravity. It's partly that Donachie seems three times bigger than everyone else, a bullish figure, no less fearsome for his legal attire. It's partly that his charismatic stillness commands attention and defies contradiction. But it's also that, in presenting himself as reasonable, considerate and fair, he puts you in mind of every leader who gets his way by masking ruthless force with politeness. — The Crucible review – Mark Fisher, The Guardian [ 8]
Personal life
Donachie married Fiona Biggar, a complementary therapist,[ 9] in 1989; the couple have two children: the actor Daniel Portman and Naomi Porter, a linguist. His brother, Stewart Porter, is also an actor and his sister-in-law is Scottish film costume designer Trisha Biggar.
Film
Television
Year
Title
Role
Notes
1983
Goodnight and God Bless
Bouncer
Episode: "Ronnie's Wonderful Day"
1983
Grey Granite
Provost James Speight
Episodes: "Duncalm" & "Stone Circle"
1983
Those Glory Glory Days
1961 Spurs Team Member
Television film
1984
Sakharov
Play for Today
Big Lick
Episode: "It Could Happen to Anybody "
Coronation Street
Joe Schofield
Episode: 2461
1985
Bulman
Bill Allison
Episode: "A Man of Conviction "
1986
The Monocled Mutineer
Strachan
Episodes: "Before the Shambles " & "When the Hurly-Burly's Done "
Blood Red Roses
Charles Riggins
1987
Tutti Frutti
Dennis Sproul
All 6 episodes
Taggart
Pat Connolly
Episode: "Funeral Rites "
Bust
Willie McGraw
Episode: "Family Business"
1988
Down Where the Buffalo Go
Drunk on ferry
Television film
The Great Escape II: The Untold Story
Al Hake
City Lights
Shughie McGlinchey
Episode: "Catch 23"
God's Frontiersmen
Allen
Television dramatised documentary
1989
The Justice Game
Alex Patterson
All 4 episodes, series 1
Snakes and Ladders
Mr Pym
Episodes 1, 2 & 6
Mornin' Sarge
Stanley the Knife
Episode: "Stan the Knife"
The Pied Piper (Crossing to Freedom )
RAF corporal
Television film
1990
The Gravy Train
Hatted Man
All 4 episodes
Screen One
Big Mac
Episode: "Sweet Nothing "
Stay Lucky
Jock
Episode: "Burning Your Boats"
Rab C Nesbitt
James Balloon McSwaggerty
Episode: "Rat "
The Bill
Sgt. Willis
Episode: "Effective Persuaders "
Coasting
Frank
Episode: "Another Fine Mess"
1991
Jute City
Ginger McCrindle
Boon
Dougie
Episode: "Stamp Duty "
Specials
Special Constable Freddy Calder
All 12 episodes
1992
Me, You and Him
Todd
All 6 episodes
Casualty
PC Pewsey
Episode: "Rates of Exchange "
1992 – 1993
Take the High Road
Duncan Strachan
Recurring, 15 episodes
1993
Taggart
Marco Cellini
Episode: "Death Benefits "
Strathblair
Bob Scott
Episode: "2.1 "
1994
Lie Down with Lions
Kelly
Television film
1995
The Gambling Man
Alec McLean
Television serial
Cracker
Barney, the psychologically damaged war veteran
Episode: "Brotherly Love "
1996
The Bill
William Hall
Episode: "Pointing the Finger "
1995 – 1996
Hamish Macbeth
Zoot McPherrin
Episodes: "West Coast Story " & "A Perfectly Simple Explanation "
The Governor
Prison Officer Russell Morgan
Main cast, both series
1996
Casualty
Ralph Sutcliffe
Episode: "Mother's Little Helper "
1997
Ivanhoe
Friar Tuck
Episodes 3, 4 & 6
Supply & Demand
Supt. Brent
Episode: "Supply & Demand "
The Bill
Mike Shearon
Episode: "Strange Meeting "
Ain't Misbehavin'
Billy the Book
All 3 episodes
1998
Looking After Jo Jo
Des
Episodes: "Working Week " & "Sink the Belgrano "
Magic with Everything
Police sergeant
Episode: "Imagine the Unimaginable"
Taggart
Hamish Baird
Episode: "Dead Reckoning "
The Life and Crimes of William Palmer
Leonard Bladon
Television film
1999
The Scarlet Pimpernel
Mazarini
4 episodes
Rab C Nesbitt
Huggett
Episode: "Commons "
Extremely Dangerous
Gebbert
All 4 episodes
2000 – 2001
Starhunter
McDuff
Episodes: "The Divinity Cluster " & "Dark and Stormy Night "
2000
Too Much Sun
Arnold Wyckoff
Episode: "Hollywood Phonies"
2001
Taggart
Peter Jenkins
Episode: "Falling in Love "
Rebus
CS Wilson
Episode: "Dead Souls "
Murder Rooms: Mysteries of the Real Sherlock Holmes
Fergusson
Episode: "The White Knight Stratagem "
'Orrible
DI Chris Dodds
Episodes: "Dirty Dozen" & "New Best Friend"
2002
Shackleton
Keltie
Television serial / film
Nova
Chippy McNeish
Episode: "Shackleton's Voyage of Endurance "
The Inspector Lynley Mysteries
John Ross
Episode: "Payment in Blood "
Auf Wiedersehen, Pet
Dan Calhoun
Episodes: "Heavy Metal", "Bridge Over Troubled Water" & "A Bridge Too Far"
Silent Witness
DCI Luke Telford
Episode: "Tell No Tales "
2002 – 2004
The Bill
DCI Andrew Ross
Recurring, 15 episodes
2003
The Key
MacKaveny
All 3 episodes
Monarch of the Glen
Alec McTavish
Episode: "Series 5, episode 10 "
2004
The Genius of Mozart
Joseph Haydn
Episode: "The First Romantic" [ 11]
2005
Uncle Adolf
Martin Bormann
Television film
The Commander
George Hart
Episodes: "Virus " & "Blackdog "
Heartbeat
Mr Gordon
Episode: "Services Rendered "
Where the Heart Is
Gavin Morley
Episode: "Legacy"
The Golden Hour
David Tremaine
Episode: "Episode 3 "
Summer Solstice
Macgregor
Television film
2006
Taggart
Harry Stein
Episode: "Law "
Doctor Who
Steward
Episode: "Tooth and Claw "
The Chatterley Affair
Mr Allen Lane
Television film
2001 – 2007
Rebus
DCS Wilson/DCS Jack Gunner
Episodes: "Dead Souls ", "Let It Bleed ", "Resurrection Men " & "The Naming of the Dead "
2007
Party Animals
Roger Brenton
Episode: "Episode 1"
Recovery
Len Hamilton
Television film
Sea of Souls
Minister
Episode: "The Prayer Tree: Part 1 "
Still Game
Cameron
Episode: "Fly Society "
Heartbeat
Ken Dekin
Episode: "Where There's Smoke "
2008
Love Soup
Inspector Harbin
Episode: "The Menaced Assassin "
2009
No Holds Bard
Prison Officer
Television film
2010
Lewis
Professor Angus Rawbone
Episode: "Falling Darkness "
The Deep
Sturridge
Television serial
2011
Doctors
John Harold Doric
Episode: "Doric's Column"
Garrow's Law
Sir Alexander Lamb
Episode: "Episode 3 "
2011 – 2012
Game of Thrones
Ser Rodrik Cassel
Recurring, 13 episodesScreen Actors Guild Award – nominated
2012
Waterloo Road
Billy Byrne
Recurring, 7 episodes
Silk
Alasdair McKinley QC
Episode: "Wooden Overcoat "
Downton Abbey
Mr McCree
Episode: "A Journey to the Highlands "
2013
Bob Servant Independent
Medical Director
Episode: "A Local Man"
Shameless
'Biddy' Baxter
Episode: "Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang "
The Field of Blood
DCI Sullivan
Episode: "The Dead Hour "
Atlantis
Theos
Episode: "The Earth Bull "
The Beautiful Spy
Major Bloomberg
Television film
2013 – 2014
Blandings
Angus McAllister
Episodes: "Lord Emsworth and the Girlfriend ", "Throwing Eggs ", "Sticky Wicket at Blandings " & "Custody of the Pumpkin "
2014
Bob Servant
Medical Director
Episode: "Court"
2015
Father Brown
Jock Hamilton
Episode: "The Owl of Minerva "
Casualty
DI John Hartley
Episode: "The Rita Supremacy " [ 12]
2016
Doctors
Jack Rayburn
Episode: "Play Date"
Agatha Raisin
Ron Allen
Episode: "The Wellspring of Death "
2017
River City
Dr Michael ‘Mikey’ Rosenburg
Recurring, 4 episodes
The Loch
Iain Sutherland
Television serial
2018
Vera
Jesse Hennings
Episode: "Blood and Bone "
Starhunter ReduX
McDuff
Episodes: "The Divinity Cluster " & "Dark and Stormy Night "
Casualty
Ben Loksley
Episode: "Episode 39 " [ 13]
2019
Holby City
Richard MacDonagh
Episode: "Mothers and Their Daughters "
2020
Deadwater Fell
Callum McKenzie
Episodes: "Episode 1 " & "Episode 2 "
2022
Screw
Don Carpenter
12 episodes[ 14] [ 15]
Karen Pirie
Archie Duff
In this series his son Daniel Portman plays his character's son Colin Duff.
Granite Harbour
Clellan Coburn
[ 16]
Theatre
Date
Title
Role
Director
Company / Theatre
Easter 1972
Serjeant Musgrave's Dance [ 2]
Pte. Attercliffe
Ann & Bob Bridges
Madras College The Byre
Easter 1973
A Man For All Seasons [ 3]
Sir Thomas More
Easter 1974
Taming of the Shrew [ 4]
Petruchio
1980 – 1981
One Big Blow
John Burrows
7:84 theatre group tour
1981 –
Civilians
Bill Bryden
Scottish Theatre Company Theatre Royal, Glasgow
18 August 1981 – 26 September 1981
The Threepenny Opera [ 17]
MacHeath
Alan J. Wands
Borderline Theatre Company
–
Death of a Salesman
Willy Loman
Giles Havergal
Glasgow Citizens Theatre
–
'Tis Pity She's a Whore
Soranzo
Philip Prowse
–
The Merchant of Venice [ 18]
Shylock
January 1989 –
The Alchemist
Sir Epicure Mammon
Robert David MacDonald
–
Douglas
Lord Randolph
–
A Tale of Two Cities
Etienne Defarge
Philip Prowse
30 August 1984 – 22 September 1984
Submariners [ 19]
Housey
Philip Partridge
Gateway Theatre, Chester
27 September 1984 – 20 October 1984
Trafford Tanzi [ 20]
Dad
Noreen Kershaw
1 November 1984 – 24 November 1984
Macbeth [ 21]
Macduff
Phil Partridge
–
A View from the Bridge
Eddie Carbone
26 February 1985 – 30 March 1985
Scrap [ 22] [ 23]
Mulligan
Chris Bond
Half Moon Theatre , London
11 July 1985 – 10 August 1985
Destiny [ 24]
Major Rolfe
November 1985 – 11 January 1986
Dracula [ 25] [ 26]
Sir Robert Heward
21 February 1986 – 15 March 1986
A Streetcar Named Desire [ 27]
Stanley Kowalski
Ian Wooldridge
Royal Lyceum Theatre , Edinburgh
6 October 1987 – 7 November 1987
Macbeth [ 28] [ 29]
Macbeth
Chris Bond
Half Moon Theatre , London
May 1990 –
Mother Courage
Philip Prowse
Mermaid Theatre , London
31 October 1990 – 24 November 1990
The Price
Victor Franz
Caroline Smith
Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough
11 April 2003 – 21 June 2003
Scenes from the Big Picture [ 30]
Bobby
Nicholas Hytner
National Theatre , London
26 October 2007 – 17 November 2007
Living Quarters [ 31] [ 32]
Commandant Frank Butler
John Dove
Royal Lyceum Theatre , Edinburgh
15 February 2008 – 8 March 2008
Six Characters in Search of an Author [ 33] [ 7] [ 34]
Father
Mark Thomson
16 January 2009 – 14 February 2009
The Man Who Had All the Luck [ 35] [ 36]
Patterson Beeves
John Dove
4 May 2009 – 9 May 2009
The Oddest Couple [ 37]
Ken
Eleanor Yule
Òran Mór, Glasgow
22 June 2009 – 4 July 2009
Everything Must Go! [ 38]
Various
Lisa Goldman & Esther Richardson
Soho Theatre , London
25 September 2013 – 19 October 2013
Dark Road [ 39] [ 40]
Black Fergus McLintock
Mark Thomson
Royal Lyceum Theatre , Edinburgh
6 April 2015 – 11 April 2015
Broth [ 41] [ 42]
Jimmy
Andy McNamme
Òran Mór, Glasgow
14 April 2015 – 18 April 2015
Traverse Theatre , Edinburgh
18 February 2016 – 19 March 2016
The Crucible [ 43] [ 8]
Deputy Governor Danforth
John Dove
Royal Lyceum Theatre , Edinburgh
20 April 2016 – 14 May 2016
The Iliad [ 44] [ 45]
Agamemnon / Priam
Mark Thomson
6 March 2017 – 11 March 2017
The Beaches of St Valery [ 46] [ 47] [ 48] [ 49]
Callum / McGregor / McLean
Stuart Hepburn
Òran Mór, Glasgow
11 August 2017 – 26 August 2017
Stand By [ 50] [ 51]
Joe Douglas
Summerhall , Edinburgh
12 November 2018 – 17 November 2018
Oscar Slater – The Trial That Shamed a City [ 52] [ 53]
Arthur Conan Doyle
Stuart Hepburn
Òran Mór, Glasgow
29 January 2019 – 1 February 2019
Rebus: Long Shadows [ 54] [ 55]
Inspector Rebus
Robin Lefevre
Theatre Royal, Glasgow
4 February 2019 – 9 February 2019
New Theatre, Cardiff
11 February 2019 – 18 February 2019
Cambridge Arts Theatre
25 February 2019 – 2 March 2019
Theatre Royal, Newcastle
4 March 2019 – 9 March 2019
Theatre Royal, Bath
12 March 2019 – 16 March 2019
Rose Theatre, Kingston
16 March 2020 – 17 March 2020 [ Note 1]
The Beaches of St Valery [ 56]
Callum / McGregor / McLean
Stuart Hepburn
Òran Mór, Glasgow
Notes:
^ Closed early because of COVID-19 restrictions
Radio
References
^ Madras College school photo September 1971, class 4Y, Ronald Porter is back row, fifth from left – The Madras College Archive (This photo with caption is the third photo on this page)
^ a b Serjeant Musgrave's Dance – The Madras College Archive
^ a b A Man For All Seasons – The Madras College Archive
^ a b Taming of the Shrew – The Madras College Archive
^ Here are the Scottish actors made famous by Game of Thrones – Alex Nelson, The Scotsman, 12 April 2019
^ Rebus Festival planned to mark 30th anniversary of top cop – The Scotsman, 30 October 2016
^ a b Six Characters in Search of an Author – Mark Fisher, The Guardian, 21 Feb 2008
^ a b The Crucible review – brisk and bullish, with a new centre of gravity – Mark Fisher, The Guardian, 21 Feb 2016
^ "Game of Thrones' Daniel Portman: 'People expect Podrick – that's not what they get'" – Chris Wiegand, The Guardian, 19 August 2019
^ High on the short leet — The Herald, 16 August 1996
^ BBC – The Genius of Mozart: The First Romantic
^ Writer: Jeff Povey ; Director: Seán Gleeson ; Producer: Caroline Brittain (25 April 2015). " "The Rita Supremacy" " . Casualty . BBC . BBC One .
^ Writers: Jess O'Kane & Jeff Povey; Director: Roberto Bangura; Producer: Gwenllian Gravelle (16 June 2018). "Episode 39" . Casualty . BBC . BBC One .
^ Game of Thrones' Ron Donachie stars alongside Derry Girl in new drama Screw
^ Screw | Interview with Ron Donachie (Don Carpenter)
^ BBC – Granite Harbour
^ The Threepenny Opera – Opera Scotland
^ Cast photo – The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare - Glasgow Citizens Theatre Company
^ Submariners – Theatricalia
^ Trafford Tanzi – Theatricalia
^ Macbeth , Gateway Theatre, Chester – Theatricalia
^ Scrap – Stages of Half Moon
^ Scrap – Theatricalia
^ Destiny – Stages of Half Moon
^ Dracula – Stages of Half Moon
^ Dracula – Theatricalia
^ A Streetcar Named Desire – Theatricalia
^ Macbeth – Stages of Half Moon
^ Macbeth – BBA Shakespeare
^ Scenes from the Big Picture – Michael Billington, The Guardian, 11 Apr 2003
^ Living Quarters – Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh
^ Lynne Walker (12 November 2007). "Living Quarters, Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh" . The Independent . Retrieved 28 June 2020 .
^ Six Characters in Search of an Author – Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh
^ Six Characters in Search of an Author – The Stage
^ The Man Who Had All the Luck – Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh
^ The Man Who Had All the Luck – The Stage
^ The Oddest Couple — The Herald, 7 May 2009
^ Everything Must Go: Soho theatre's economical response to the recession — Lyn Gardner, The Guardian, 23 Jun 2009
^ Dark Road – Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh
^ David Pollock (30 September 2013). "Ian Rankin's Dark Road, Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh" . The Independent . Retrieved 25 October 2013 .
^ Broth – A Play, A Pie & A Pint
^ Live Review: Broth at Oran Mor, Glasgow — Mary Brennan, The Herald, 6 April 2015
^ The Crucible – Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh
^ The Iliad – Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh
^ The Iliad to herald Royal Lyceum's Mark Thomson's last hurrah – The Scotsman, 16 April 2016
^ The Beaches of St Valery – A Play, A Pie & A Pint
^ Theatre: The Beaches Of St Valery; Transit; La Cage Aux Folles – Joyce McMillan, The Scotsman, 11 March 2017
^ Theatre review: The Beaches of St Valery, Oran Mor, Glasgow — Mary Brennan, The Herald, 6 March 2017
^ Theatre: The playwrights shining a light on the forgotten corners of history – The Scotsman, 2 May 2017
^ Theatre review: Stand By – The Scotsman, 25 Aug 2017
^ “Compellingly authentic police drama” – The Stage, 21 August 2017
^ Oscar Slater – The Trial That Shamed a City – A Play, A Pie & A Pint
^ Theatre Oscar Slater – The Trial That Shamed a City, Oran Mor, Glasgow, four stars — Mary Brennan, The Herald, 13 November 2018
^ "Rebus Long Shadows Extends Tour With Ron Donachie in Title Role" . Theatre Weekly . Retrieved 9 December 2018 .
^ Rose Theatre Kingston Added to Tour of Rebus Long Shadows – Theatre Weekly Press, 28 January 2019
^ Theatre: The Beaches of St Valery, Oran Mor, Glasgow, Four stars — Neil Cooper, The Herald, 18 March 2020
^ BBC – Citizens
^ BBC – The Saturday Play – Rebus: The Falls
^ BBC – The Saturday Play – Rebus: Resurrection Men
^ BBC – Afternoon Play – McLevy: Sins of the Fathers
^ BBC – The Saturday Play – Rebus: Black and Blue
^ BBC – The Wire – Salmonella Men on Planet Porno
^ BBC – Fags, Mags and Bags – Mr Majhu Goes to Lenzie
^ BBC – The Saturday Play – Rebus: Strip Jack
^ BBC – Classic Serial – Rebus: The Black Book
^ BBC – Classic Serial – Rebus: Set in Darkness
^ BBC – The Saturday Play – Rebus: A Question of Blood
^ BBC – Afternoon Drama – The Trial of Joseph Knight
External links
International National People
Issues to be resolved in this article