---
name: "Mark Bonnar"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/mark-bonnar"
fi1m_id: "mark-bonnar"
imdb_id: "nm1326440"
tmdb_id: 1231402
wikidata_id: "Q4845536"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "19 November 1968"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 12
average_fi1m_score: 72
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 12
updated: "2026-10-07T16:14:00.614123+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."
---

# Mark Bonnar

## Identity

Mark Bonnar

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/mark-bonnar
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** mark-bonnar
- **IMDb ID:** nm1326440
- **TMDB ID:** 1231402
- **Wikidata ID:** Q4845536
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Bonnar, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4845536, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1326440/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1231402

Actor. Born 19 November 1968 in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 19 November 1968, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
- **Active:** 2005–present
- **Also known as:** Richard Mark Bonnar
- **Frequently works with:** [Ashley Jensen](https://film.one/person/ashley-jensen.md)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 72, as actor, over 12 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 2000s 78 (1), 2010s 74 (6), 2020s 69 (5)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 73 to 71 across 8 titles
- **Score spread:** 1 at 80+, 11 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 0 of 5 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Drama 10, Mystery 6, Crime 5, Comedy 3, History 2, Sci-Fi & Fantasy 2
- **Screen time:** 6 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $263m across 3 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Bonnar, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4845536, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1326440/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1231402

## Streaming the US now

- **Apple TV:** [*Ludwig*](https://film.one/tv/ludwig.md) (76), [*Napoleon*](https://film.one/film/napoleon.md) (63), [*Shetland*](https://film.one/tv/shetland.md) (62)
- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Catastrophe*](https://film.one/tv/catastrophe-2015.md) (86)
- **Peacock:** [*Last Breath*](https://film.one/film/last-breath-2025.md) (66)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on Mark Bonnar

> Mark Bonnar has one look, a cold flat stare that says he has already made up his mind about you, and he has spent two decades finding uses for it. In *Catastrophe* it is the funniest thing at the table; in most other rooms it is the most dangerous.

Watch what Mark Bonnar does when a scene stops asking anything of him. He goes still, the jaw sets, and he looks at whoever is talking as if he has already decided what they are worth. "I do a good cold, hard stare," he once said, and it has kept him in work since 2001. What is less often said is how funny it can be. In *Catastrophe* (2015) that same look sits across a dinner table on the face of Chris, a husband who has given up and is prepared to say so, and the stare turns a marriage into a punchline without anyone raising their voice.

That is the performance we rate highest. Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney write everyone outside their central couple thinner than the couple, and Chris is the one supporting part drawn with the same care. Bonnar is bleakly funny in every scene he is given. We laughed at him harder than at anyone in the show who was not Horgan or Delaney, and it was the flatness that did it: he says the unforgivable thing in the voice of a man reading a gas bill and lets the others react for him.

The career before that was mostly the stare without the jokes. Bonnar trained at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, worked in theatre and radio, and made his screen debut in an episode of *Rebus* in 2001. Then came the long apprenticeship of the British television actor: a regular part in *Casualty* (2005–2006), guest turns in *Doctor Who* and *Psychoville*, and from 2013 Duncan Hunter in *Shetland*. The turn came with *Line of Duty* (2014), as DCC Mike Dryden, a part that fixed him in the public mind as a man not to be trusted, and *Catastrophe* the following year, which proved the same face could carry a comedy. Since then he has been hard to avoid: *Unforgotten* (2017) as Colin Osborne, *Guilt* (2019) as a manipulative Edinburgh lawyer, *The Rig*, *Dept. Q*, and on the big screen *Operation Mincemeat* and *Napoleon* (2023).

The cinema has not yet found much use for him. In *Napoleon* he plays Junot, and Ridley Scott, rushing everything between the battles, waves him past along with every other officer who is not Phoenix or Kirby. Television, where a supporting actor gets six or eight hours rather than six or eight minutes, suits him better. So does an ensemble: he is at his best when there is a lead to be sceptical of, and he has twice shared a screen with Jamie Sives, a friend from school, which may be why those scenes feel lived in.

He has said himself that he spent his first ten years playing psychotic Scotsmen and is still playing them, only funnier. That is a fair account and also the caveat. The intensity is real and it is always the same intensity, and a writer who wants a Bonnar part knows exactly what they are ordering. We would like to see somebody hand him the lead in a comedy and make him keep the stare in his pocket for an hour.

## Biography

Mark Bonnar is a Scottish actor. Born Richard Mark Bonnar on 19 November 1968 in Edinburgh, he trained at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

He is known for roles including DCC Mike Dryden in *Line of Duty* (2012–), Duncan Hunter in *Shetland*, Max McCall in *Guilt*, Colin Osborne in *Unforgotten*, Jock Horsfall in *Operation Mincemeat* (2022) and Jean-Andoche Junot in *Napoleon* (2023). He has also appeared in *Doctor Who*, *Humans*, *Inside No. 9* and *Midsomer Murders*. Bonnar is married to actor Lucy Gaskell.

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

## On Fi1m (12)

- *Dept. Q* (2025), Fi1m 74, as Stephen Burns — [page](https://film.one/tv/dept-q.md)
- *Last Breath* (2025), Fi1m 66, as Craig (Dive Supervisor) — [page](https://film.one/film/last-breath-2025.md)
- *Ludwig* (2024), Fi1m 76, as Gerran Howell — [page](https://film.one/tv/ludwig.md)
- *Napoleon* (2023), Fi1m 63, as Junot — [page](https://film.one/film/napoleon.md)
- *Operation Mincemeat* (2022), Fi1m 66, as Jock Horsfall — [page](https://film.one/film/operation-mincemeat.md)
- *Catastrophe* (2015), Fi1m 86, as Chris — [page](https://film.one/tv/catastrophe-2015.md)
- *Humans* (2015), Fi1m 74, as Neil — [page](https://film.one/tv/humans.md)
- *Unforgotten* (2015), Fi1m 64, as Colin Osborne — [page](https://film.one/tv/unforgotten.md)
- *Shetland* (2013), Fi1m 62, as Duncan Hunter — [page](https://film.one/tv/shetland.md)
- *Line of Duty* (2012), Fi1m 79, as DCC Mike Dryden — [page](https://film.one/tv/line-of-duty.md)
- *Twenty Twelve* (2011), Fi1m 77, as Ben Farrell — [page](https://film.one/tv/twenty-twelve.md)
- *Doctor Who* (2005), Fi1m 78, as Jimmy — [page](https://film.one/tv/doctor-who-2005.md)

## Complete filmography (63)

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

- *Dept. Q* (2025), series, as Stephen Burns — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/tv/dept-q.md)
- *Last Breath* (2025), as Craig (Dive Supervisor) — Fi1m 66, [page](https://film.one/film/last-breath-2025.md)
- *Lockerbie: A Search for Truth* (2025), series, as Roderick McGill
- *Ludwig* (2024), series, as Gerran Howell — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/tv/ludwig.md)
- *Murder Is Easy* (2023), series, as Reverend Humbleby
- *Napoleon* (2023), as Junot — Fi1m 63, [page](https://film.one/film/napoleon.md)
- *Calamity James* (2023), as Brian
- *The Rig* (2023), series, as Alwyn Evans, Alwyn
- *Litvinenko* (2022), series, as DSU Clive Timmons
- *Operation Mincemeat* (2022), as Jock Horsfall — Fi1m 66, [page](https://film.one/film/operation-mincemeat.md)
- *Zog and the Flying Doctors* (2021), as Unicorn (voice)
- *Larchview* (2020), Actor
- *Quiz* (2020), series, as Paul Smith
- *Guilt* (2019), series, as Max McCall
- *World on Fire* (2019), series, as Sir James Danemere
- *Summer of Rockets* (2019), series, as Field
- *The Kid Who Would Be King* (2019), as Mr. Jeffreys
- *Say My Name* (2018), as Dec
- *Eric, Ernie and Me* (2017), as Eric Morecambe
- *Porridge* (2017), series, as Officer Meekie
- *Edmund the Magnificent* (2017), as Nate
- *Apple Tree Yard* (2017), series, as Gary Carmichael
- *Urban Myths* (2017), series, as Billy
- *Wild Flight: Conquest of the Skies 3D* (2016), as Narrator
- *Fright Bites* (2016), series, as Man
- *Porridge* (2016), as Officer Meekie
- *New Blood* (2016), series, as Peter Mayhew
- *Take Down* (2016), as Lawrence Close
- *Undercover* (2016), series, as John Halliday
- *Sunset Song* (2015), as Reverend Gibbon
- *Unforgotten* (2015), series, as Colin Osborne — Fi1m 64, [page](https://film.one/tv/unforgotten.md)
- *Camera Trap* (2015), as Iain
- *Humans* (2015), series, as Neil — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/tv/humans.md)
- *Home Fires* (2015), series, as Adam Collingborne
- *All the Ordinary Angels* (2015), as Mr. Taylor
- *Catastrophe* (2015), series, as Chris — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/tv/catastrophe-2015.md)
- *Grantchester* (2014), series, as Dr. Robinson
- *X Moor* (2014), as Fox
- *Inside No. 9* (2014), series, as Raymond — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/tv/inside-no-9.md)
- *Shetland* (2013), series, as Duncan Hunter — Fi1m 62, [page](https://film.one/tv/shetland.md)
- *The Paradise* (2012), series, as Peter Adler
- *Line of Duty* (2012), series, as DCC Mike Dryden — Fi1m 79, [page](https://film.one/tv/line-of-duty.md)
- *Playhouse Presents* (2012), series, as Gerry McCluskey
- *National Theatre Live: The Cherry Orchard* (2011), as Trofimov
- *Case Histories* (2011), series, as Andy Marshall
- *Vera* (2011), series, as Danny Pryor — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/tv/vera.md)
- *Twenty Twelve* (2011), series, as Ben Farrell — Fi1m 77, [page](https://film.one/tv/twenty-twelve.md)
- *PhoneShop* (2010), series, as Don
- *Paradox* (2009), series, as D.S. Ben Holt
- *Psychoville* (2009), series, as Detective Finney
- *Britz* (2007), as Richard
- *Britz* (2007), series, as Richard
- *The Trial of Tony Blair* (2007), as Tommy
- *Nuclear Secrets* (2007), series, Actor
- *Afterlife* (2005), series, Actor
- *Doctor Who* (2005), series, as Jimmy — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/tv/doctor-who-2005.md)
- *Loving You* (2003), as DC Colin Morris
- *Wire in the Blood* (2002), series, as Stevie McTeer
- *The Inspector Lynley Mysteries* (2002), series, as DC Ed Harvey
- *Rebus* (2000), series, as DI Jim Margolies
- *Midsomer Murders* (1997), series, as William Carnarvon — Fi1m 66, [page](https://film.one/tv/midsomer-murders.md)
- *Casualty* (1986), series, as Bruno Jenkins — Fi1m 68, [page](https://film.one/tv/casualty.md)
- *Taggart* (1983), series, Actor

## Gallery

- ![Mark Bonnar](https://film.one/media/person/562/gallery-cb870f7c2df0.jpg) Mark Bonnar — Image via TMDB
- ![Mark Bonnar](https://film.one/media/person/562/gallery-5ebcee16cc6c.jpg) Mark Bonnar — Image via TMDB

---
© 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/mark-bonnar