Brian McCardie

When he was 30 in 1995, Glasgow-born actor Brian McCardie's name appeared for the first time in the credits of a major film, the Scottish historical epic Rob Roy. Wearing a traditional tartan kilt, McCardie portrayed the younger brother of the rebel highland brigand Rob (Liam Neeson), who was lionized in the Sir Walter Scott novel. In that same year, McCardie co-starred with Armand Assante in Kidnapped, a highly entertaining TV production also set in Scotland and based on a classic Robert Louis Stevenson novel. In both of these roles, McCardie gained a devoted following in his native Scotland -- and caught the attention of movie bigwigs. Consequently, he landed roles in other high-profile productions. One was The Ghost and the Darkness (1996), in which he shared the screen with Michael Douglas and Val Kilmer. Although the film received reviews ranging from bad to mediocre, McCardie was praised as one of the bright spots in the production. A year later, he appeared in another major production, Speed 2: Cruise Control, an okay action film, then co-starred in the romantic comedy 200 Cigarettes in 1999, again earning the praise of many critics. After acting in two other films -- Rituals and Resolutions (2000) and Beyond the City Limits (2002) -- McCardie signed on to do two more films in 2003, Mr. Barrington and Battle Above the Clouds. McCardie has also appeared in various TV series in Great Britain.

~ Mike Cummings, All Movie Guide