Introduction
Christian Stuart McKay (born 30 December 1973) is an English stage and screen actor. He is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Orson Welles in the 2008 film Me and Orson Welles, for which he was nominated for over two dozen awards including the BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor. He also appeared in movies such as Florence Foster Jenkins, The Theory of Everything, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and Rush.
Early life
McKay was born in Bury, Lancashire. He has a sister, Karen. His mother, Lynn, worked as a hairdresser, and his father, Stuart, was a railway worker. He studied piano as a youth, and performed the Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 3 at age 21. McKay subsequently halted his concert career and enrolled at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art to study acting.
Career
McKay's television appearances include portraying conductor Pierre Monteux in the BBC TV production Riot at the Rite (2005). His first film appearance was in Abraham's Point (2008).
After seeing a performance of Rosebud at the 2007 "Brits Off Broadway" festival, Richard Linklater cast McKay as Welles in his film Me and Orson Welles, retaining McKay over the subsequent producer objections to his casting. In this, his second film and first lead role, McKay received critical praise for his performance as Orson Welles.
McKay has recently been seen in the biographical drama Rush, alongside Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Brühl, the BAFTA-nominated music film Northern Soul, and the Oscar-winning biographical drama The Theory of Everything, alongside Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones. All of these were met with critical acclaim, with The Theory of Everything receiving a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Theatre
McKay has portrayed Orson Welles in the one-man play Rosebud: The Lives of Orson Welles at a number of venues, including the Edinburgh Festival and King's Head (London). He subsequently reprised the role in the US at the 2007 "Brits Off Broadway" festival.
In 2013, McKay played Gerard in Strangers on a Train at London's Gielgud Theatre.
Personal life
McKay was married to Emily Allen. They divorced in 2021. He has two children, Maximilian Sidney McKay, born 2011 and Aniela Rita Lynn McKay, born 2015.
Selected filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Abraham's Point | Robert | |
| 2009 | Me and Orson Welles | Orson Welles | Austin Film Critics Association Award for Breakthrough Artist San Francisco Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor Utah Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor Nominated — BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor Nominated — British Independent Film Award for Most Promising Newcomer Nominated — Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor Nominated — Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor Nominated — Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Most Promising Performer Nominated — Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor Nominated — Denver Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actor Nominated — Detroit Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actor Nominated — Evening Standard British Film Award for Best Actor Nominated — Houston Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actor Nominated — Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male Nominated — International Cinephile Society Award for Best Supporting Actor Nominated — London Film Critics Circle Award for British Actor of the Year Nominated — National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor Nominated — New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor Nominated — San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor Nominated — Toronto Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor Nominated — Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Breakthrough Performance |
| 2010 | You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger | Poker Friend | |
| Mr. Nice | Hamilton McMillan | ||
| 2011 | I Melt With You | Tim | |
| Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy | Mackelvore | ||
| 2013 | Rush | Alexander Hesketh | |
| The Devil's Violinist | John Watson | ||
| 2014 | Closer to the Moon | Iorgu | |
| Northern Soul | Dad | ||
| The Theory of Everything | Roger Penrose | ||
| 2015 | Creditors | Grant Pierce | Nominated — Blow-Up International Arthouse Film Festival for Best Actor |
| 2016 | The Young Messiah | Cleopas | |
| ChickLit | David Rose | ||
| Florence Foster Jenkins | Earl Wilson | ||
| 2017 | The Leisure Seeker | Will Spencer | |
| Crooked House | Roger Leonides | ||
| Provenance | John | ||
| 2018 | The Talent Agent | Jeff Rogers | Short film |
| 2019 | The Second Hearing | Short film | |
| 2022 | Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris | Giles Newcombe |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Doctors | Neville Gordon | Episode: "Pardon" |
| 2005 | Riot at the Rite | Pierre Monteux | TV film |
| 2008 | Agatha Christie's Poirot | Jefferson Cope | Episode: "Appointment with Death" |
| 2009 | A Short Stay in Switzerland | Carsten | TV film |
| Margaret | John Whittingdale | ||
| 2010 | The Road to Coronation Street | Harry Elton | |
| 2011–2013 | Borgia | Cardinal Sforza | |
| 2012 | Getting On | Dr. Nigel Hoskins | Episode #3.3 |
| 2015 | Jekyll and Hyde | Maxwell Utterson | |
| 2016 | Churchill's Secret | Christopher Soames | TV film |
| Frontier | Father James Coffin | ||
| 2019 | Grantchester | Anthony Hobbs | 4 episodes |
| 2019–2020 | Warrior | Mayor Samuel Blake | |
| 2023 | FDR | President Franklin D. Roosevelt |