Ian McShane is a classically trained, award-winning actor who has captured the attention and acclaim of audiences and critics worldwide with his unforgettable gallery of scoundrels, kings, mobsters, and thugs.
As the star and executive producer of the hit Starz series "American Gods", McShane plays the role of Mr. Wednesday, a shifty, silver-tongued conman who masks his true identity as the Norse god of war, Odin, assembling a team of elders to bring down the new false idols.
He is also known for his critically acclaimed role as the charismatic, menacing, and lawless 19th-century brothel-and-bar keep, Al Swearengen, in the HBO western series "Deadwood". McShane won the 2005 Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Television Drama for his work on the series' second season and received the Television Critics Association Award for Individual Achievement in Drama.
Additionally, McShane has had starring roles in various films, including "Hellboy", "Bolden", and "John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum", and has appeared in numerous television shows, such as "American Horror Story", "Ray Donovan", and "Game of Thrones".
Throughout his career, McShane has demonstrated his versatility, playing a wide range of characters from the sinister Cockney mobster, Teddy Bass, in "Sexy Beast" to the infamous pirate, Blackbeard, in "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides".
On stage, McShane has appeared in numerous productions, including the original 1965 production of Joe Orton's "Loot" and the 40th anniversary staging of Harold Pinter's "The Homecoming" on Broadway.
In addition to his work in front of the camera, McShane is also known for his voiceover work, lending his distinctive baritone to projects such as "Coraline", "Kung Fu Panda", and "Shrek the Third".
