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Ian Beattie

Ian Beattie

Actor · Born March 3, 1965 (61) · Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK

Ian Beattie is a Northern Irish actor best known for his roles as Antigonus in Oliver Stone's film Alexander, and as Ser Meryn Trant in the HBO series, Game of Thrones. For Beattie, acting has always been a part of his life, beginning at an early age when he toured Northern Ireland in a circus with his father. Beattie has appeared in a number of television and film projects over his career, with credits including The Tudors, Mo, Vikings, and Space Truckers. Announced in 2010, Beattie was confirmed in the role of Ser Meryn Trant, a member of the Kingsguard under King Joffrey. Initially only appearing as a guest in the first season, he soon reprised the role in the second, third, fourth and fifth seasons. Though being far different in person, Beattie's sadistic, brutal and all round vile portrayal of the character led to one of the most graphic, yet satisfying deaths on the show. It's safe to say that Ser Meryn Trant was one of the many characters we loved to hate. Alongside his filmography, Beattie has also appeared in the play Demented by Gary Mitchell at the Lyric Theatre in Belfast. Most recently, Ian Beattie has appeared in the latest season of Doctor Who alongside Peter Capaldi, Hayfield, US hit series Quantico, and the historical drama film Viking Destiny.

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Biography from IMDb.

Born
March 3, 1965 (61)
From
Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
Works as
Actor
Titles
25 on MovieCove · 41 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 64 days to Oct 27Down 3% in 30 days

What are Ian Beattie's films like?

Across their 9 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Power.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
28%
Power
21%
Survival
19%
Self
10%
Bonds
9%
Society
7%
Ideas
6%
Justice3 titles, browse their movies with this themePower2 titles, browse their movies with this themeOppression2 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty2 titles, browse their movies with this themeViolence2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 5 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 4 · Stylized 1 · Heightened 0

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 1 · Charged 2 · Intense 2

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 1 · Shifting 3 · Whiplash 1

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 4 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 0

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

A split, not a type: Slow burn 3 · Even-paced 2 · Relentless 0

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 2 · Engaged 3 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 3 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 1

Roles they play

1 analyzed role

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
6
Dread
4
Contemplative
4
Hopeful
3
Thrilling
2
Other
6

How their films linger

Thought-provoking6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy1
  • Bittersweet5
  • Ambiguous2
  • Cyclical1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Ian Beattie's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 21 of their 25 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (9).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Ian Beattie's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

41 credits, 25 with a MovieCove page; 3 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • One of Us (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    Actor

  • Art Detectives(2025)

    Show 1 episode · as Alexander Buchanan

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all shows

  • Ancient Empires(2023)

    Show 2 episodes · as Pompey Magnus

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all shows

  • Water Over Blood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    as Devil

  • Ann (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    as Diarmuid

  • Blackbird (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    as Nick

  • Mandrake(2022)

    as Massey

    Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all films

  • The Spectacular(2021)

    Show 4 episodes · as Corey O'Keeffe

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all shows

  • Colosseum(2022)

    Show as Symmachus

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all shows

  • Gangs of London(2020)

    Show 2 episodes · as Colin

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all shows

  • Time and Again (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    as Brian's Dad

  • Viking Destiny(2018)

    as Kirkwood

    Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films

  • The Pugilist (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    as Desmond Shaw

  • The Journey(2016)

    as Gerry Adams

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Prime Suspect: Tennison(2017)

    Show 3 episodes · as Dr Martin

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all shows

  • A Sign of Things (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    as Roy

  • Barbarians Rising(2016)

    Show 2 episodes · as Varus

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all shows

  • The Truth Commissioner (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    as Beckett

  • The Climb (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    as Darren

  • Quantico(2015)

    Show 1 episode · as Titus Walker

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all shows

  • Farr (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Show 4 episodes · as Cormac Farr

  • Starred Up(2013)

    as Officer Johnson

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • 37 Days (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Show 3 episodes · as Tsar Nicholas II

  • A Belfast Story(2013)

    as Colum

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • Vikings(2013)

    Show 1 episode · as King Brihtwulf

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • Blandings(2013)

    Show 1 episode · as Claude

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all shows

  • The Attendant (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • Keith Lemon: The Film(2012)

    as Awards Host

    Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films

  • Line of Duty(2012)

    Show 2 episodes · as Bob · as Bob Carson

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all shows

  • Game of Thrones(2011)

    Show 18 episodes · as Meryn Trant

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all shows

  • Brendan Smyth: Betrayal of Trust(2011)

    as Father Brendan Smyth

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Mo(2010)

    as Michael Stone

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Storyland (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Show 1 episode · as Colin · as Richard · as Roy

  • Closing the Ring(2007)

    as Seamus McCarty

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Doctor Who(2005)

    Show 1 episode · as Jackdaw

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • Alexander(2004)

    as Antigonus

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Stray Bullet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    as Pryke

  • Space Truckers(1996)

    as Trooper

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • The Hanging Gale(1995)

    Show 4 episodes · as Brian Sweeney

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all shows

  • The Hanging Gale (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    as Brian Sweeney

  • Garrison 7: The Fallen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    as General Asha

Career shape

Star power in the 83rd percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 40 titles, 39 of them dated from 1995 to 2026; peak year 2017.

Biggest box office

The Journey (2016)

$482K worldwide

Highest rated

Game of Thrones: A Day in the Life (2015)

Midcredits 94th

Most popular right now

Barbarians Rising (2016)

Film career

19952026

Peak 2017 · steadily prominent in film for years. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting39 of 40: 39 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score62ndDirecting1 of 40: 0 only directing, 1 with another roleWriting1 of 40: 0 only writing, 1 with another roleProducing1 of 40: 0 only producing, 1 with another role

By decade

1990s4 · acting2000s4 · acting2010s22 · 21 acting · 1 crew2020s9 · acting

Billing

usually 8th · top billed in 0% of 6 roles

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.

How do Ian Beattie's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 30th percentile, the median of all 11; across their 5 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 32nd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

32ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 5

Approval · how many liked their films

67thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 5

Reach · how many have seen their films

61stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 5

Midcredits score across 25 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up10
  • 50th to 74th6
  • 25th to 49th5
  • Below 25th4

Shape of the crowd

10 of their 25 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved4
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser10
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed9

Most divisive · actor

A Belfast Story (2013)

79th percentile spread · 45% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Game of Thrones (2011)

Midcredits 99th · 93% liked

Reviewers score the acting 64/100 in their films, across 4 reviewed titles; fans 78, detractors 52. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Ian Beattie work with?

People who share at least 2 of Ian Beattie's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Roel Reiné shares the most, 2.

Directors

Actors

Producers