---
name: "Neil Maskell"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/neil-maskell"
fi1m_id: "neil-maskell"
imdb_id: "nm0556453"
tmdb_id: 30433
wikidata_id: "Q16215920"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "1 January 1976"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 11
average_fi1m_score: 72
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 11
updated: "2026-10-22T03:31:12.361718+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."
---

# Neil Maskell

## Identity

Neil Maskell

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/neil-maskell
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** neil-maskell
- **IMDb ID:** nm0556453
- **TMDB ID:** 30433
- **Wikidata ID:** Q16215920
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_Maskell, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q16215920, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0556453/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/30433

Actor. Born 1 January 1976 in London, England, UK.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 1 January 1976, London, England, UK
- **Active:** 1997–present
- **Also known as:** Нил Мэскелл
- **Frequently works with:** [Samuel Donovan](https://film.one/person/sam-donovan.md)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 72, as actor, over 11 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1990s 87 (1), 2000s 60 (2), 2010s 74 (7), 2020s 66 (1)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 71 to 68 across 9 titles
- **Score spread:** 4 at 80+, 5 at 60–79, 2 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 2 of 8 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Drama 9, Mystery 4, Crime 3, Sci-Fi & Fantasy 2, Thriller 2, Action & Adventure 1
- **Screen time:** 11 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $174m across 4 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_Maskell, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q16215920, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0556453/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/30433

## Coming up

- *Straight Circle* (2026-11-13), as Noll

## Streaming the US now

- **Apple TV:** [*Utopia*](https://film.one/tv/utopia.md) (83), [*Hijack*](https://film.one/tv/hijack.md) (66)
- **AMC+:** [*Kill List*](https://film.one/film/kill-list.md) (82)
- **Peacock:** [*Humans*](https://film.one/tv/humans.md) (74)
- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Wild Bill*](https://film.one/film/wild-bill.md) (74)
- **Pluto TV:** [*The Great Train Robbery*](https://film.one/tv/the-great-train-robbery-2013.md) (73)

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

## Fi1m on Neil Maskell

> Neil Maskell makes violent men disconcertingly ordinary, and we rate him for the vulnerability he finds beneath their aggression. *Kill List* gives that gift room to work: even the conversation at home becomes uncomfortable.

In *Kill List* (2011), Neil Maskell's Jay talks to his criminal partner Gal with the ease of someone who has long since stopped choosing his words. Michael Smiley makes the familiarity mutual; neither actor needs to announce how dangerous these men are. We were unnerved by the friction at home because Maskell and the cast made it sound like an argument we might overhear. It becomes harder to treat the brutality as routine crime-film business.

His early parts offered fewer opportunities to make that impression. There was Schmuddie in Gary Oldman's *Nil by Mouth* (1997), a small role in a family drama we admire for its compassion as much as its severity. Supporting work in *The Football Factory* (2004) and *Rise of the Footsoldier* (2007) helped establish the gangster casting that could so easily have confined him. The risk with such parts is that an actor is employed to look threatening and given little else to do.

Ben Wheatley wrote the lead in *Kill List* for Maskell, and the film marked the decisive change. Wheatley and co-writer Amy Jump give Jay and Gal everyday conversation, allowing Maskell to be intimidating without making every line a warning. The performance has vulnerability, too, though nothing in its plainness softens the brutality. We find the final stretch of the film less persuasive, but the earlier scenes show how much horror Wheatley can get from letting these actors sound like people we know.

*Utopia* (2013–2014) took that mixture of threat and vulnerability into television with Arby, a disturbed assassin. *Bull* (2021) gave him another violent lead, this time in a revenge thriller. These are substantial parts, but the repeated casting carries a risk: familiarity can make menace feel routine. We would like to see that vulnerability given as much attention as the menace, rather than treated as something an actor supplies between the violent scenes.

He has also stepped behind the camera with *Klokkenluider* (2023), his feature directorial debut, a black comedy about whistleblowers. That gives us a reason to follow him beyond the familiar casting. For the acting, start with *Kill List*, provided the graphic violence is tolerable.

## Biography

Neil Maskell is an English actor, writer and director. Born in London in 1976, he trained at the Anna Scher Theatre in Islington from the age of eleven and studied at the Miskin Theatre at North West Kent College from 1992, later working there as a director.

His screen career began with the role of Schmuddie in *Nil by Mouth* (1997). He has appeared in *The Football Factory* (2004), *Kill List* (2011), for which he was nominated for a British Independent Film Award for Best Actor, *Bull* (2021), *King Arthur: Legend of the Sword* (2017) and *The Mummy* (2017). Television credits include *Utopia*, *Peaky Blinders* and *Hijack* (2023). He has also directed and written the film *Klokkenluider* (2023).

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

## On Fi1m (11)

- *Hijack* (2023), Fi1m 66, as Stuart Atterton — [page](https://film.one/tv/hijack.md)
- *High-Rise* (2015), Fi1m 58, as P.C. White — [page](https://film.one/film/high-rise.md)
- *Humans* (2015), Fi1m 74, as DS Pete Drummond — [page](https://film.one/tv/humans.md)
- *No Offence* (2015), Fi1m 73, as Dennis Caddy — [page](https://film.one/tv/no-offence.md)
- *The Great Train Robbery* (2013), Fi1m 73, as Buster Edwards — [page](https://film.one/tv/the-great-train-robbery-2013.md)
- *Utopia* (2013), Fi1m 83, as Arby — [page](https://film.one/tv/utopia.md)
- *Kill List* (2011), Fi1m 82, as Jay — [page](https://film.one/film/kill-list.md)
- *Wild Bill* (2011), Fi1m 74, as Dicky — [page](https://film.one/film/wild-bill.md)
- *Atonement* (2007), Fi1m 83, as Soldier in Bray Bar — [page](https://film.one/film/atonement.md)
- *Basic Instinct 2* (2006), Fi1m 36, as Ferguson — [page](https://film.one/film/basic-instinct-2.md)
- *Nil by Mouth* (1997), Fi1m 87, as Schmuddie — [page](https://film.one/film/nil-by-mouth.md)

## Complete filmography (96)

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

- *Straight Circle* (2026), as Noll
- *The Witness* (2026), series, as DI Keith Pedder
- *Molly vs. THE MACHINES* (2026), as Oliver Sanders KC
- *The Hack* (2025), series, as Glen Campbell
- *Klokkenluider* (2023), Director, Writer
- *Hijack* (2023), series, as Stuart Atterton — Fi1m 66, [page](https://film.one/tv/hijack.md)
- *Litvinenko* (2022), series, as DI Brent Hyatt
- *Stuck* (2022), series, as Dr. Pete Cosmos
- *Death of England: Face to Face* (2021), as Michael
- *Bull* (2021), as Bull
- *Small Axe* (2020), series, as Inspector Willis — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/tv/small-axe.md)
- *Baghdad Central* (2020), series, as Douglas Evans
- *King Gary* (2020), series, as Winkle
- *The Bay* (2019), series, as Steve Dawson
- *Sex Education* (2019), series, as Police Officer — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/tv/sex-education.md)
- *Cleaning Up* (2019), series, as Warren
- *Happy New Year, Colin Burstead* (2018), as Colin Burstead
- *Little Monster* (2018), as Harry
- *Dodgy Dave* (2018), as Dave
- *In Darkness* (2018), as Mills
- *Judgement* (2018), as Tom
- *Eric, Ernie and Me* (2017), as Ernie Wise
- *The Mummy* (2017), as Dr. Whemple
- *King Arthur: Legend of the Sword* (2017), as Back Lack
- *Bonded by Blood 2* (2016), as Craig Rolfe
- *Level Up* (2016), as Dmitri
- *High-Rise* (2015), as P.C. White — Fi1m 58, [page](https://film.one/film/high-rise.md)
- *Instruments of Darkness* (2015), as Kern
- *Tank 432* (2015), as Research Team Announcement
- *Humans* (2015), series, as DS Pete Drummond — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/tv/humans.md)
- *No Offence* (2015), series, as Dennis Caddy — Fi1m 73, [page](https://film.one/tv/no-offence.md)
- *Raised by Wolves* (2015), series, as Michael
- *Bone in the Throat* (2015), as Lewis
- *Hyena* (2015), as Martin
- *Strange Weather* (2015), as Dave
- *Open Windows* (2014), as Chord
- *Evil Never Dies* (2014), as Sean McCann
- *The Great Train Robbery* (2013), series, as Buster Edwards — Fi1m 73, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-great-train-robbery-2013.md)
- *By Any Means* (2013), series, as Joe Gregory
- *Peaky Blinders* (2013), series, as Winston Churchill — Fi1m 77, [page](https://film.one/tv/peaky-blinders.md)
- *Turncoat* (2013), as Jimmy Parton
- *Run* (2013), series, as Kieran
- *Dates* (2013), series, as Nick
- *All Things To All Men* (2013), Actor
- *The Mimic* (2013), series, as Neil
- *The ABCs of Death* (2013), as Lord Scanlon (segment U is for Unearthed)
- *Utopia* (2013), series, as Arby — Fi1m 83, [page](https://film.one/tv/utopia.md)
- *Utopia* (2013), as Arby
- *Pusher* (2012), as Marlon
- *The Rise* (2012), as Steven Roper
- *St George's Day* (2012), as Jimmy McCudden
- *Them From That Thing* (2012), series, as Various
- *It Follows Me Around* (2012), as Dad
- *Piggy* (2012), as John
- *Driftwood* (2012), as Father
- *How to Stop Being a Loser* (2011), as Hands Henry
- *Comedy Blaps* (2011), series, Actor
- *Will* (2011), as Lenny
- *Wild Bill* (2011), as Dicky — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/film/wild-bill.md)
- *Turnout* (2011), as Scott
- *Kill List* (2011), as Jay — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/kill-list.md)
- *Ghosted* (2011), Actor
- *Jack Falls* (2011), as Sid
- *Jack Falls: Sid's Story* (2011), as Sid
- *The Morgana Show* (2010), series, Actor
- *Bonded by Blood* (2010), as Craig Rolfe
- *The Shouting Men* (2010), as Terry
- *Tony* (2010), as Mike Hemmings
- *Doghouse* (2009), as Banksy
- *Paintball* (2009), as Frank
- *Rise of the Footsoldier* (2007), as Darren Nicholls
- *Atonement* (2007), as Soldier in Bray Bar — Fi1m 83, [page](https://film.one/film/atonement.md)
- *The Englishman* (2007), as John
- *Basic Instinct 2* (2006), as Ferguson — Fi1m 36, [page](https://film.one/film/basic-instinct-2.md)
- *Mike Bassett: Manager* (2005), series, as Wirral Web Presenter
- *Fat Slags* (2004), as Policeman
- *It's All Gone Pete Tong* (2004), as Jack Stoddart
- *The Football Factory* (2004), as Rod
- *Bodily Harm* (2002), series, as Danny Patters
- *The Jury* (2002), series, as Chris Maher
- *AKA* (2002), as Marcus
- *Ice Cool Reception* (2001), as Removal Man
- *Sorted* (2000), as Record Shop Geezer
- *Nature Boy* (2000), series, as Jimmy
- *The Murder of Stephen Lawrence* (1999), as Gary Dobson
- *Ultraviolet* (1998), series, as Neil
- *Titanic Town* (1998), as Soldier
- *Nil by Mouth* (1997), as Schmuddie — Fi1m 87, [page](https://film.one/film/nil-by-mouth.md)
- *Crocodile Snap* (1997), Actor
- *The Thin Blue Line* (1995), series, as Gasforth FC Player
- *Wycliffe* (1994), series, as Tully
- *Murder Most Horrid* (1991), series, as Martin Greaves
- *Perfect Scoundrels* (1990), series, as Dean
- *Casualty* (1986), series, as Luke Lowther — Fi1m 68, [page](https://film.one/tv/casualty.md)
- *A Rare Breed*, as Dominic
- *Charmer*, series, Actor

## Gallery

- ![Neil Maskell](https://film.one/media/person/87217/gallery-4d78c97cac28.png) Neil Maskell — AMFM STUDIOS LLC, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e9/Neil_Maskell_2022.png?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Neil Maskell](https://film.one/media/person/87217/gallery-f094efb1bc34.jpg) Neil Maskell — Image via TMDB
- ![Neil Maskell](https://film.one/media/person/87217/gallery-4a499c379aea.jpg) Neil Maskell — 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/neil-maskell