Raised in Easterhouse section of Glasgow, Scotland

Began acting career at age 32 when he joined the recently formed Raindog Theatre, founded by Robert Carlyle

Began acting in films in Peter Mullan's short "Close"; not completed until 1994

Feature film debut, "Shallow Grave"; Mullan had co-starring role

Acted in two shorts directed by Mullan, "Good Day for the Bad Guys" (1995) and "Fridge" (1996)

Had supporting role in "Carla's Song", starring Carlyle; written by Paul Laverty and directed by Kenneth Loach

US TV acting debut in the made for cable movie "The Princess Stallion"

Had featured role as the sanctimonious oldest sibling in "Orphans", directed by Mullan

Reunited with Loach for "My Name Is Joe", a portrait of a recovering alcoholic scripted by Laverty and starring Peter Mullan; cast as a former hard-drinking security guard

Acted in the direct-to-video thriller "Postmortem", starring Charlie Sheen; played on Cinemax in 1999

Played supporting role in "The Match", a drama about a soccer team; released direct-to-video in USA in 2001

Breakthrough screen role as the striking miner whose youngest son expresses an interest in becoming a ballet dancer in the crowd-pleasing "Billy Elliot"

Acted with Sean McGinley in the screen adaptation of Samuel Beckett's play "What Where"; screened at Toronto Film Festival; released theatrically in summer 2001 as part of the package "Samuel Beckett on Film" before airing on TV

Supported Michael Caine in "Shiner"; screened at the San Sebastian Film Festival

Cast in Martin Scorsese's "Gangs of New York"

Cast in Danny Cannon's "Goal! The Dream Begins"

Cast in "Eragon" a fantasy/adventure movie based on the novel of the same name