--- name: "Sean Gilder" canonical: "https://film.one/person/sean-gilder" fi1m_id: "sean-gilder" imdb_id: "nm0318409" tmdb_id: 77292 wikidata_id: "Q3953566" roles: ["Actor"] born: "1 March 1964" reviewed_on_fi1m: 11 average_fi1m_score: 80 average_as: "actor" average_over: 11 updated: "2026-10-07T12:31:45.868483+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." --- # Sean Gilder ## Identity Sean Gilder - **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/sean-gilder - **Type:** Person - **Fi1m ID:** sean-gilder - **IMDb ID:** nm0318409 - **TMDB ID:** 77292 - **Wikidata ID:** Q3953566 - **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sean_Gilder, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3953566, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0318409/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/77292 Actor. Born 1 March 1964 in Brampton, Cumberland, England, UK. ## Details - **Work:** Actor - **Born:** 1 March 1964, Brampton, Cumberland, England, UK - **Active:** 1994–present - **Also known as:** Sean Brian Gilder - **Average Fi1m score:** 80, as actor, over 11 titles - **Fi1m score by decade:** 1990s 82 (1), 2000s 80 (4), 2010s 82 (3), 2020s 76 (3) - **Fi1m against the critics:** 79 to 74 across 8 titles - **Score spread:** 7 at 80+, 4 at 60–79, 0 under 60 - **Lead roles:** 0 of 3 acting credits billed first or second - **Genres:** Drama 8, Crime 5, Comedy 4, Mystery 3, Action & Adventure 1, History 1 - **Screen time:** 6 hours of reviewed films - **Box office:** $194m across 2 films with figures - **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sean_Gilder, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3953566, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0318409/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/77292 ## Streaming the US now - **AMC+:** [*The Selfish Giant*](https://film.one/film/the-selfish-giant.md) (88) - **Amazon Prime Video:** [*The Gold*](https://film.one/tv/the-gold.md) (80) For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country. ## Fi1m on Sean Gilder > Sean Gilder gives threatening men a convincing place in everyday life. In *The Selfish Giant*, his restraint makes an exploitative adult more disturbing, and we value that willingness to serve the film rather than advertise his presence. Kitten has something the boys in *The Selfish Giant* (2013) want: work that pays in terms they can understand. Sean Gilder makes him intimidating without turning him into a grand villain. Metal has a price, and collecting it earns money. The boys' wish to get involved is allowed to make sense. We were unsettled by Gilder's Kitten because he makes an adult's ability to exploit that wish seem so ordinary. His television work has often put him among rough men or handed him authority, sometimes with humour as well as menace. Styles in *Hornblower* (1998–2003) brought early prominence. Paddy Maguire in *Shameless* (2005–2010) made him more widely recognised, followed by a steady succession of supporting parts, including Sam Chapman in *Slow Horses* (2022). These are different settings, but the repeated demand for toughness can make the casting feel predictable. We would be wary of mistaking that familiarity for everything he can do. Director Clio Barnard is the collaborator who gives us the clearest reason to seek him out. Her screenplay for *The Selfish Giant* takes the scrap trade seriously as a source of income. That gives Gilder something more useful to play than a man who exists simply to frighten children. The plotting sometimes feels familiar, but Conner Chapman and Shaun Thomas make the central friendship matter. Gilder is effective here because he leaves that friendship at the centre; we are not being asked to admire how extravagantly unpleasant he can be. In *The Gold* (2023), he plays DI Neville Carter in Neil Forsyth's drama about shifting stolen gold. We recommend the first series for its plotting and ensemble, with a caveat about the lectures on class. It is worth watching without treating Gilder's presence as the chief attraction. For a sharper sense of what he contributes, start with *The Selfish Giant* and watch how little he needs to insist on Kitten's menace. ## Biography Sean Gilder is an English actor and playwright. He was born on 1 March 1964 in Brampton, Cumberland, England, and trained at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art after studying at Queen Mary, University of London. He is best known for playing Styles in the Hornblower television films and Paddy Maguire in Shameless from 2005 to 2010. His other credits include roles in Gangs of New York (2002), King Arthur (2004), Doctor Who (2005), The Fall (2006), The Last Kingdom (2015), His Dark Materials (2019), Shadow and Bone (2021), Slow Horses (2022) and The Gold (2023) as DI Neville Carter. *Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.* ## On Fi1m (11) - *Bad Apples* (2026), Fi1m 67, as Frank — [page](https://film.one/film/bad-apples.md) - *The Gold* (2023), Fi1m 80, as DI Neville Carter — [page](https://film.one/tv/the-gold.md) - *Sherwood* (2022), Fi1m 82, as Dean Simmons — [page](https://film.one/tv/sherwood.md) - *Atlanta* (2016), Fi1m 87, as Folk — [page](https://film.one/tv/atlanta.md) - *The Last Kingdom* (2015), Fi1m 72, as Wulfhere — [page](https://film.one/tv/the-last-kingdom.md) - *The Selfish Giant* (2013), Fi1m 88, as Kitten — [page](https://film.one/film/the-selfish-giant.md) - *Life on Mars* (2006), Fi1m 84, as Leslie Johns — [page](https://film.one/tv/life-on-mars.md) - *Shameless* (2004), Fi1m 75, as Paddy Maguire — [page](https://film.one/tv/shameless.md) - *State of Play* (2003), Fi1m 88, as DS Mark 'Chewy' Cheweski — [page](https://film.one/tv/state-of-play.md) - *Gangs of New York* (2002), Fi1m 74, as Rat Pit Game Master — [page](https://film.one/film/gangs-of-new-york.md) - *Knowing Me Knowing You with Alan Partridge* (1994), Fi1m 82, as Liam Partridge — [page](https://film.one/tv/knowing-me-knowing-you-with-alan-partridge.md) ## Complete filmography (74) Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page. - *Bad Apples* (2026), as Frank — Fi1m 67, [page](https://film.one/film/bad-apples.md) - *Possession* (2026), series, as Tom McKenzie - *The Witness* (2026), series, as DCS Nicholas Campbell - *Star City* (2026), series, as Vladimir Belikov - *Starve Acre* (2024), as Gordon - *Passenger* (2024), series, as Tony Corrigan - *Mary & George* (2024), series, as Sir Thomas Compton - *The Undertaker* (2023), as Kelly - *The Gold* (2023), series, as DI Neville Carter — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-gold.md) - *Sherwood* (2022), series, as Dean Simmons — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/tv/sherwood.md) - *The Road Dance* (2022), as Peter - *Slow Horses* (2022), series, as Sam Chapman — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/tv/slow-horses.md) - *The Amazing Mr. Blunden* (2021), as Dave Tucker - *Shadow and Bone* (2021), series, as Dressen - *Out of Her Mind* (2020), series, as Simon - *His Dark Materials* (2019), series, as Father Graves - *Alien: Isolation - The Digital Series* (2019), series, as Henry Marlow (voice) - *The Good Soldier Schwejk* (2018), Actor - *Faithless* (2017), as Det. McIlveny - *Atlanta* (2016), series, as Folk — Fi1m 87, [page](https://film.one/tv/atlanta.md) - *Rust* (2015), as Richard - *The Last Kingdom* (2015), series, as Wulfhere — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-last-kingdom.md) - *SunTrap* (2015), series, as Pirate Pete - *Poldark* (2015), series, as Tholly Tregirls — Fi1m 77, [page](https://film.one/tv/poldark.md) - *The Duchess of Malfi* (2014), as Bosola - *The Selfish Giant* (2013), as Kitten — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/film/the-selfish-giant.md) - *Them From That Thing* (2012), series, as Various - *Treasure Island* (2012), series, as Black Dog - *Treasure Island* (2012), as Black Dog - *Death in Paradise* (2011), series, as Skip Marsden - *Vera* (2011), series, as Bobby — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/tv/vera.md) - *The Fall* (2006), as Walt Purdy - *Life on Mars* (2006), series, as Leslie Johns — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/tv/life-on-mars.md) - *Doctor Who: The Christmas Invasion* (2005), as Sycorax Leader - *Desire Management* (2005), as Crying Man - *Doctor Who Confidential* (2005), series, Actor - *King Arthur* (2004), as Jols - *Shameless* (2004), series, as Paddy Maguire — Fi1m 75, [page](https://film.one/tv/shameless.md) - *New Tricks* (2004), series, Actor - *State of Play* (2003), series, as DS Mark 'Chewy' Cheweski — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/tv/state-of-play.md) - *Hornblower: Duty* (2003), as Styles - *Hornblower: Loyalty* (2003), as Styles - *Gangs of New York* (2002), as Rat Pit Game Master — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/film/gangs-of-new-york.md) - *Ultimate Force* (2002), series, Actor - *AKA* (2002), as Tim Lyttleton - *Mike Bassett: England Manager* (2001), as Journalist - *Murphy's Law* (2001), series, as Mawson — Fi1m 63, [page](https://film.one/tv/murphys-law.md) - *Hornblower: Retribution* (2001), as Styles - *Hornblower: Mutiny* (2001), as Styles - *Honest* (2000), as The Hawk - *Don Quixote* (2000), as Captain - *Hornblower: The Frogs and the Lobsters* (1999), as Styles - *Hornblower: The Duchess and the Devil* (1999), as Styles - *The Vice* (1999), series, as Officer Sam Shepley - *Hornblower: The Examination for Lieutenant* (1998), as Styles - *Hornblower: The Even Chance* (1998), as Styles - *Hornblower* (1998), series, as Styles - *Far from the Madding Crowd* (1998), series, as Joseph Poorgrass - *Far from the Madding Crowd* (1998), as Joseph Poorgrass - *Clancy's Kitchen* (1997), as Nick - *The Investigator* (1997), Actor - *Touching Evil* (1997), series, as Steve Carroll - *Midsomer Murders* (1997), series, as Danny Carver — Fi1m 66, [page](https://film.one/tv/midsomer-murders.md) - *Dual Balls* (1997), Actor - *Circles of Deceit: Kalon* (1996), as Tarleton - *The Innocent Sleep* (1996), as Police Constable - *Our Friends in the North* (1996), series, as PC Lukoschek — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/tv/our-friends-in-the-north.md) - *Rich Deceiver* (1995), as Sean Murphy - *Resort to Murder* (1995), series, as PC Graham - *Bugs* (1995), series, Actor - *A Touch of Frost* (1992), series, as Cpl Devenish — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/tv/a-touch-of-frost.md) - *Between the Lines* (1992), series, Actor - *Casualty* (1986), series, as D.S. Hennessy, DS Hennessy, D.I. Langen, DS Langen — Fi1m 68, [page](https://film.one/tv/casualty.md) - *The Bill* (1984), series, as John Kirkby --- © 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/sean-gilder