---
name: "John Kavanagh"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/john-kavanagh"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "1 January 1946"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 3
average_fi1m_score: 69
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 3
updated: "2026-09-20T10:28:06.257210+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# John Kavanagh

Actor. Born 1 January 1946 in Ireland.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 1 January 1946, Ireland
- **Active:** 1988–2006
- **Also known as:** Джон Кэвэна
- **Average Fi1m score:** 69, as actor, over 3 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1980s 82 (1), 1990s 68 (1), 2000s 56 (1)
- **Score spread:** 1 at 80+, 1 at 60–79, 1 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 0 of 1 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Drama 3, Action 1, Action & Adventure 1, Crime 1, Family 1, History 1
- **Screen time:** 5 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $263m across 2 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Kavanagh_(actor), https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3181852, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0442559/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/20282

## Biography

John Kavanagh is an Irish actor born in 1946. He trained at the Brendan Smyth Academy from the age of 19 and at the Abbey Theatre, joining the Abbey company in 1967 and remaining for ten years before working as a freelancer. He has a background in stage performance.

Kavanagh has appeared in over twenty films, including *Cal* (1984), *Braveheart* (1995) as Craig, *Alexander* (2004) as Parmenion, *The Black Dahlia* (2006) as Emmett Linscott, *Florence Foster Jenkins* (2016) as Arturo Toscanini and *The Last Duel* (2021) as Le Gris' Priest. He received a Drama Desk Award nomination in 1989 for a revival of *Juno and the Paycock*.

On television he has played Cardinal Campeggio in *The Tudors* (2007), Pope Leo IV and The Seer in *Vikings* (2013–2020), and The Seer in *Vikings: Valhalla* (2022).

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (3)

- *The Black Dahlia* (2006), Fi1m 56, as Emmett Linscott — [page](https://film.one/film/the-black-dahlia.md)
- *Braveheart* (1995), Fi1m 68, as Craig — [page](https://film.one/film/braveheart.md)
- *The Storyteller* (1988), Fi1m 82, as Beggar — [page](https://film.one/tv/the-storyteller.md)

## Complete filmography (76)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Bucking Fastard* (2026), as Mr. Westmoreland
- *Der Irland-Krimi: Zerrissene Seelen* (2024), as Arthur Browne
- *Baltimore* (2024), as Sir Alfred Beit
- *Peacock* (2022), series, as Georgia's Boss
- *Vikings: Valhalla* (2022), series, as The Seer
- *The Last Duel* (2021), as Le Gris' Priest
- *Riverdance: The Animated Adventure* (2021), as Gatekeeper (voice)
- *Supervized* (2019), as Windsor
- *Deposits* (2017), as Narrator (voice)
- *Lost Memories* (2017), as Dad
- *Florence Foster Jenkins* (2016), as Arturo Toscanini
- *Vikings: Athelstan's Journal* (2015), series, as The Seer (archive footage), The Seer
- *Horse* (2014), as Junior
- *In Secret* (2014), as Inspector Michaud
- *The Invisible Woman* (2013), as Reverend Benham
- *The Stag* (2013), as Fionan and Little Kevin's Dad
- *Vikings* (2013), series, as Pope Leo IV, The Seer (voice), The Seer
- *Titanic: Blood and Steel* (2012), series, as Edward Carson
- *The Runway* (2010), Actor
- *Father & Son* (2009), series, as John O'Connor
- *Closing the Ring* (2007), as Reverend Smith
- *The Tudors* (2007), series, as Cardinal Campeggio, Cardinal Lorenzo Campeggio
- *The Tiger's Tail* (2006), as Harry
- *The Black Dahlia* (2006), as Emmett Linscott — Fi1m 56, [page](https://film.one/film/the-black-dahlia.md)
- *Alexander* (2004), as Parmenion
- *The Halo Effect* (2004), as Stan
- *The Wonderful Story of Kelvin Kind* (2004), Actor
- *Mystics* (2003), as Gerry the Barman
- *Benedict Arnold: A Question of Honor* (2003), as Judge Shippen
- *Pete's Meteor* (2002), as Sergeant Maloney
- *Sinners* (2002), as Frank
- *Puckoon* (2002), as Haggerty
- *Last Days in Dublin* (2001), Actor
- *Rebel Heart* (2001), series, as Eugene O'Brien
- *Vicious Circle* (1999), as Charlie Rice
- *Dancing at Lughnasa* (1998), as Father Carlin
- *The Butcher Boy* (1998), as Dr. Boyd
- *The Informant* (1997), as IRA Chief
- *Some Mother's Son* (1996), as Cardinal
- *Samuel Beckett: As the Story Was Told* (1996), as Voice
- *Shadow of a Gunman* (1995), as Adolphus Grigson
- *Braveheart* (1995), as Craig — Fi1m 68, [page](https://film.one/film/braveheart.md)
- *Sharpe's Sword* (1995), as Father Patrick Curtis
- *Circle of Friends* (1995), as Brian Mahon
- *Scarlett* (1994), series, as Jamie O'Hara
- *Widows' Peak* (1994), as Canon Murtagh
- *Love Lies Bleeding* (1993), as Sean Kerrigan
- *Bad Company* (1993), as Patrick Molloy
- *Sharpe* (1993), series, as Father Curtis
- *Into the West* (1992), as Hartnett
- *Children of the North* (1991), as Seamus Reilly
- *Performance* (1991), series, as Adolphus Grigson
- *Arise and Go Now* (1991), as Father Dade
- *Events at Drimaghleen* (1991), as Superintendent O'Kelly
- *August Saturday* (1990), as Tom Crosbie
- *Fools of Fortune* (1990), as Johnny Lacy
- *Who Bombed Birmingham?* (1990), as Z
- *Joyriders* (1988), as Manager
- *The Storyteller: A Story Short* (1988), as Beggar
- *The Storyteller* (1988), series, as Beggar — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-storyteller.md)
- *Bellman and True* (1987), as Donkey
- *The Fantasist* (1986), as Robert Foxley
- *ScreenPlay* (1986), series, as Tom Crosbie, Superintendent O'Kelly, Father Dade, Sean Kerrigan
- *Lovejoy* (1986), series, as Hennessey
- *The Price* (1985), series, as Kearney
- *The Price* (1985), as Kearney
- *Children in the Crossfire* (1984), Actor
- *Cal* (1984), as Skeffington
- *The Country Girls* (1983), as James
- *Attracta* (1983), as Mr. Devereux
- *The Ballroom of Romance* (1982), as Bowser Egan
- *Revival: Pearse's Concept of Ireland* (1980), as Patrick Pearse
- *A Week in the Life of Martin Cluxton* (1971), as Priest
- *The McKenzie Break* (1970), Actor
- *One Sweet Hour*, as Tommy
- *Weeks*, as Jim

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© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/john-kavanagh