Though he may not be at his most recognizable in his role in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.
2, the actor who plays Tullk in the Marvel sequel is bound to look familiar to any avid
moviegoer.
His name is Tommy Flanagan, an actor with a mile-long resume and a pair of distinctive
scars.
He's one of those actors whose name you can't quite remember, but whose face you know by
heart.
Here are a few flicks you might have seen him in.
​Braveheart
Flanagan is an extraordinarily Scottish man, so it should come as no surprise that his
first big break was in 1995's Braveheart, the epic historical drama directed by and
starring Mel Gibson.
Flanagan played a villager named Morrison whose wedding is interrupted by the repulsive
Lord Bottoms, who steals Morrison's bride for the night.
Happily, Morrison gets his revenge when he joins WIlliam Wallace's army...
"It was my right!"
"Your right?
Well I'm here to claim the right of a husband!"
The Saint
This 1997 thriller cashed in on the then-solid superstar status of Val Kilmer, who was coming
off his one-movie stint as Batman and still sporting an action-hero's physique, perfect
for his role in The Saint.
Kilmer plays the lead role, a smarmy thief-for-hire with the world's most ridiculous collection
of disguises ...
"It's so early.
You guys want to get some coffee or something?"
Of course, the billionaire Russian oligarch who enlists the Saint also needs a couple
of loyal henchmen to help with his schemes — enter Flanagan, who joined the cast as
a thug known as Scarface.
For the most part, his role consists of hovering nearby and looking intimidating.
Flanagan was apparently not a fan of the movie's leading man.
In 2004, he "slowly and precisely" said this into one journalist's tape recorder: "Val
Kilmer's a prick."
Face/Off
Not content to play just one role per year as the right-hand man to a movie villain,
in 1997 Flanagan also showed up in John Woo's brilliant — and brilliantly absurd — Face/Off,
a film that was a giant hit at the box office, despite its repulsive and ridiculous premise.
Flanagan plays a Leo, a henchman to the evil Castor Troy, a role played by both Nicolas
Cage and John Travolta...you know, because of the face-swapping thing.
“I’d like to take his… his face… off.”
Flanagan turns up in multiple scenes as a strong, silent member of the villain's support
staff, where he's easily identifiable as a Bad Guy thanks to his stylishly sleazy turtleneck-and-blazer
combo.
The Game
1997 was a big year for Flanagan.
After playing a couple of toughs in The Saint and Face/Off, he also had a memorable turn
as a crazy cabbie in The Game.
A twisted David Fincher thriller, Michael Douglas starred as a cold-hearted businessman
who ends up fighting for his life on his forty-eighth birthday in an elaborate role-playing game...gone
mad!
Flanagan is on camera in this for only about fifteen seconds, and has zero lines, but his
performance makes a big impression.
Gladiator
With one historical epic already under his belt, Flanagan scored an even bigger part
in his next one in 2000: Ridley Scott's Gladiator, where he played Maximus' loyal servant Cicero.
It was one of the actor's most significant cinematic roles yet, and really showed off
his range.
Not only did Flanagan demonstrate that he makes a totally convincing good guy, complete
with a noble and dramatic on screen death ...
"I'm sorry."
… but he also toned down his thick accent considerably ...
"I do what I have to."
​Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle
Hollywood's always in need of a few good bad guys.
And by 2003, Flanagan was high on the list of the industry's most eligible henchmen.
"Lights!
Somebody got the lights!"
His nameless roughhouser in ​Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, credited only as "Irish Henchman,"
was part of the squad assembled by the evil Irishmen Seamus O'Grady.
Flanagan took plenty of licks from the ladies, but says Lucy Lui was the hardest-hitting
Angel in the trio.
Sin City
Flanagan next turned up in Robert Rodriguez's gruesome 2005 film Sin City.
There, he played a mercenary named Brian in a vignette titled "The Big Fat Kill," where
he memorably chucks a grenade at a mute assassin ...
"Suck on this, you stupid slag!"
… and then makes an elegant escape down a manhole with Benicio del Toro's severed
head — surely a career highlight.
When a Stranger Calls
This 2006 remake of the classic horror film features Flanagan as the namesake stranger,
who terrorizes a hapless babysitter with a series of threatening phone calls.
Although Flanagan doesn't actually speak in When a Stranger Calls — the creepy voice
on the line belongs to actor Lance Henriksen from the Alien series — the image of him
in the back of a police car in the film's final moments make it clear why he was a perfect
casting choice.
​Sons of Anarchy
Flanagan's is best-known role is also the one he played the longest, as fan favorite
"Chibs" Telford on the FX series Sons of Anarchy.
"Jackie boy, this place is fantastic!"
"I'm so excited."
The show tells the story of a gun-running motorcycle gang that may or may not be loosely
based on the famous Hell's Angels.
Flanagan played Telford for all seven seasons, as he rose in the ranks to become Sergeant-at-Arms,
Vice President, and finally President Motorcycle Guy.
Nice guys don't always finish last!
​There's more ...
Still don't know where you've seen Flanagan?
Over the years, you may have spotted him on one of several high-profile prime time properties,
including Revenge, Gotham, and a memorable turn as a loan shark on Law & Order: SVU,
in which he actually has the gall to threaten Ice-T ....
"Tell your girlfriend she's gonna be sorry."
"Threatening a detective, huh?
Why don't we add that to the rest of your charges?"
Going toe to toe with Ice T?
That's pretty...cool.
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