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Ian McShane (born 29 September 1942) is a Golden Globe-winning English actor.

McShane was born in Blackburn, Lancashire and was a good friend and relative of the Duffy family of banktop who later moved to the infirmary district of the town. His parents were Irene and Harry McShane, a professional footballer with Manchester United. He grew up in Urmston, Manchester. He attended Stretford Grammar School.

McShane as Al Swearengen in HBO's Deadwood.

In the United Kingdom his best known role is that of roguish but dashing antiques dealer Lovejoy in the BBC drama series of the same name. He also enjoyed fame in the United States as bounding English cad Don Lockwood in the soap opera Dallas.

Even before Lovejoy, McShane was a pin-up as a result of appearances in television series such as Wuthering Heights (1967, as Heathcliff), Jesus of Nazareth (1977, as Judas Iscariot), and Disraeli (1978) -- as well as films like Sky West and Crooked (1966) and Battle of Britain (1969).

In 1977 he began a turbulant five-year relationship with Sylvia Kristel after meeting her on the set of Man Behind the Mask.

In 1985 he featured as guest vocalist on Grace Jones' hit Slave to the Rhythm.

Work in the 2000s has included roles in movies Scoop, Sexy Beast and Agent Cody Banks, and playing the role of historical figure Al Swearengen in the HBO series Deadwood. For his performance in this role as the storm centre of the series, he won the 2005 Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Television Drama.

In 2000 he appeared as Darryl Van Horne in Cameron Mackintosh's musical The Witches of Eastwick - his first London stage appearance since he starred with Dame Judi Dench in The Promise in the late 1960s. His next roles are the part of Captain Hook in Shrek the Third, the voice of Iofur Raknison (known as Ragnar Sturlusson in the film) in His Dark Materials: Northern Lights and the voice of Mr. Bobinski, a beet-eating Russian giant in the film Coraline.

He is currently filming Hot Rod in the Vancouver area.

He is married to Gwen Humble.

His hair is grey, but he dyes it black.

• Ian McShane at the Internet Movie Database

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