James Faulkner is a renowned English actor, best recognized for his captivating portrayals in various roles. His most notable performances include Pope Sixtus IV in the historical fantasy series Da Vinci's Demons and Randyll Tarly in the HBO series Game of Thrones.
During his school days, Faulkner's academic abilities were not exceptional, but he compensated by immersing himself in the arts. He trained as a chorister and actively participated in every available house play, school play, and choral society concert. This artistic inclination ultimately led him to pursue a career in the performing arts.
Faulkner's journey in the industry began with an acceptance into the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, where he spent three years studying exhaustively. His hard work paid off when he won the lead role in the final graduation production of Kiss Me Kate. This marked the beginning of his stage career, which saw him take on various roles in productions such as Much Ado About Nothing, Dear Antoine, and The Bacchae.
In 1972, Faulkner made his big-screen debut in the MGM musical The Great Waltz, playing the role of Josef Strauss. This led to a plethora of film roles, including appearances in Whispering Death, Murder on the Orient Express, and Priest of Love. He also had notable roles in I Claudius, Underworld: Blood Wars, The Three Investigators, and the Bridget Jones films.
Throughout his long and illustrious career, Faulkner has lent his voice to numerous video games, including Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, where he voiced Severus Snape, and Dragon Age: Inquisition. Most recently, he has voiced Swain in the popular League of Legends.
In 2016, Faulkner joined the cast of Game of Thrones, playing the character of Randyll Tarly. Although his lifespan in the show was short, his character's harsh and ruthless ways made his death a memorable event.
Faulkner has recently appeared in films such as Atomic Blonde and Final Portrait, as well as in the roles of Saint Paul in Paul, Apostle of Christ and Frith in the BBC-Netflix adaptation of Watership Down.
