Spent his childhood in Mosspark, Glasgow

Quit school and worked briefly in local factory

While at university; wrote and directed first film, "Then There Was an Englishman"

Application to National Film School rejected; decided to become drama teacher

In the 1980s, was active during a miner's strike that crippled Britain and in a movement against the poll tax that Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher first introduced in Scotland; wrote "Harmony Row", a play protesting poll tax

Professional acting debut with Wildcat Theatre Company in a Christmas pantomime

First worked with Douglas Henshall in Citizen's Theatre production of the two-character play "Crow"

First film appearances in "The Big Man" (alongside Henshall) and Ken Loach's "Riff-Raff"

Began filming the short "Close" with support from Scottish television; completed in 1994; project brought together creative team including producer Frances Higson, cinematographer Grant Cameron, editor Colin Monie and actor Gary Lewis, all of whom would subsequently collaborate on other shorts and Mullan's feature debut

Had featured role in Danny Boyle's "Shallow Grave" as one of the thugs searching for missing money

Played small role in Mel Gibson's Oscar-winning "Braveheart"; portrayed character who told Gibson's William Wallace that he wasn't tall enough to be Wallace

Wrote and directed the First Reels short, "Good Day for Bad Guys" (1995), followed by "Fridge" (1996), an award-winning Tartan Short which garnered no less than 15 international awards (Tartan Shorts began in 1992 with the support of BBC Scotland)

Appeared in Boyle's "Trainspotting" as a drug dealer

Starred in Loach's "My Name Is Joe"; received Cannes Best Actor Award; Lewis co-starred

Wrote and directed feature "Orphans"; film debuted at Cannes and won several prizes at the Venice Film Festival; released theatrically in the USA in 1999

Co-starred with Kevin Spacey in "Ordinary Decent Criminal", a fictionalized version of the life of Martin Cahill; ironically, Mullan bested Brendan Gleeson, who had played Cahill in John Boorman's "The General", for the 1998 Best Actor honors at Cannes

Played Jean in Mike Figgis' film adaptation of of August Strindberg's "Miss Julie"

Starred as a wealthy town owner in 1860s California who at one time traded his wife and child for the chance to mine gold in "The Claim", an adaptation of Thomas Hardy's novel "The Mayor of Castorbridge" directed by Michael Winterbottom

Co-starred in "Session 9"

Wrote and Helmed the shattering drama "The Magdalene Sisters", nominated for best foreign film for the Independent Spirit Awards

Co-starred with Ewan McGregor and Tilda Swinton in "Young Adam"

Played a middle age man who decides to swim the English Channel in "On a Clear Day"

Cast in Alfonso Cuaron's futuristic tale, "The Children of Men," adapted from P.D. James' novel

Co-starred with Sir Ben Kingsley and Colin Firth in "The Last Legion"