Ian McShane, a British actor known on both sides of the Atlantic, has entered his eighth decade.
The northerner turns 80 on Thursday (September 29) after a life that can be best described as colourful.
The former Pirates Of The Caribbean star has been open about his “hell-raising” years, which were spent drinking vodka for breakfast and learning his lines with his actor mates in the pub.
Such a lifestyle took its toll — and crashed marriages — before McShane decide to get sober and go to Alcoholics Anonymous.
He says he has not touched a drop for more than 30 years.
That stability is reflected in his career and romantic choices, having celebrated his ruby anniversary with his third wife in recent times.
Who is Ian McShane?
Ian McShane was born in Blackburn, Lancashire, in 1942.
He grew up in Manchester and studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and was still a student when he landed his first film role in The Wild And The Willing in 1962.
He is best known in the UK for playing antiques dealer Lovejoy in the BBC series of the same name, which aired from 1986 until 1994.
Dressed in high-waisted blue jeans and a leather biker jacket, his roguish yet loveable character became a Sunday night staple.
McShane also played the part of Mr Wednesday in the highly rated Amazon Prime series, American Gods.
In the programme, his disguised character leads an old group of gods who are moored in the US and preparing to fight against new ones of their ilk.
He also made a guest appearance in HBO mega series Game of Thrones.
But he has not exactly try to win over the hearts of diehard fans of the show.
He called the fantasy drama “just tits and dragons” and further infuriated fans by giving away crucial plot twists.
When the internet went into meltdown in 2016 following his comments, he suggested fans “get a f**king life”.
Hollywood career
Over in the States, he garnered fame for his role as British film director Don Lockwood in Dallas and for playing historical figure Al Swearengen in the HBO series Deadwood.
He won the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Television Drama for his acting in Deadwood in 2005.
Film-wise, the veteran actor played Blackbeard in Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.
He also voiced Captain Hook in Shrek The Third and was the voice of Tai Lung in Kung Fu Panda.
In 2018, he was in Pottersville opposite Christina Hendricks.
Is Ian McShane married?
Ian married and divorced his first wife Suzan Farmer in the 1960s.
He began a five-year affair with Dutch model and actress Sylvia Kristel after meeting her on the set of The Fifth Musketeer.
The affair ended his marriage to his second wife Ruth Post, who was a model and the mother to his two children, Kate and Morgan.
On August 30 1980, he married actress Gwen Humble, 63, and they live in Venice Beach in California together.
Last month, the British actor and his American wife celebrated their 42nd wedding anniversary together.
In 2017, he told The Times the secret to their longevity was: “I really like her and I still get a kick out of looking at her.”
