Kevin McKidd is a Scottish television and film actor, director and an occasional singer.
Before playing the role of Owen Hunt in Grey's Anatomy, McKidd starred as Tommy in Danny
Boyle's Trainspotting, Count Vronsky in the BBC miniseries Anna Karenina, and Lucius Vorenus
in the historical drama series Rome.
He also provides the voice of John "Soap" MacTavish in the video games Call of Duty:
Modern Warfare 2 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.
Early life McKidd was born on August 9, 1973 and brought
up in Elgin, in the north-east of Scotland, the son of Kathleen, a secretary, and Neil
McKidd, a plumber.
At the age of 17, he worked at the Macallan distillery in Speyside then later went to
work with a family of coppersmiths called the Lumsdens, and was an apprentice to famous
Elgin coppersmith Alan Lumsden.
He attended Seafield Primary School and Elgin Academy, and was a member of the local amateur
dramatic group, Moray Youth Theatre.
Planning to study engineering, he attended the University of Edinburgh, but dropped out
and instead enrolled at Queen Margaret College in Edinburgh to study drama.
He also joined Edinburgh University's student theatre company, Bedlam Theatre where he performed
as a member of the improvised comedy troupe The Improverts.
Career After playing Tommy in Trainspotting, McKidd
was cast as Father Deegan in the 1996 Christmas episode of Father Ted.
Subsequent roles include Malky Johnson in Small Faces.
In 2004, he played James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell, the third husband of Mary, Queen
of Scots, in the BBC mini-series Gunpowder, Treason & Plot.
In 1999 he was part of an ensemble cast in Mike Leigh's Topsy Turvy, depicting the development
of Gilbert and Sullivan's The Mikado.
The actors researched their historical characters and used this knowledge during extensive rehearsals
to help develop dialogue for scenes blocked out by Leigh.
McKidd, like the rest of the cast, did his own singing in the Gilbert & Sullivan operettas
portrayed in the film.
In 2001 he played Elliot in the British film Understanding Jane, directed by Caleb Lindsay.
He appeared in Ridley Scott's Kingdom of Heaven, and in the 2002 film adaptation of Nicholas
Nickleby.
In Neil Marshall's horror film, Dog Soldiers, he appeared as Pvt. Lawrence Cooper.
In the 2005 BBC drama, The Virgin Queen, he played Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk.
In 1998, McKidd was in the four part BBC2 series Looking After Jo Jo, playing the role
of Basil.
He was also one of the main stars of the joint HBO/BBC series Rome, where his portrayal of
the soldier/politician Lucius Vorenus received critical acclaim.
Additional work includes his role in the Silence of the Lambs prequel Hannibal Rising.
In late 2007, McKidd began his role as the lead character in the American Fantasy television
series Journeyman on NBC.
The show suffered from low ratings and only thirteen episodes were produced.
His role in Rome led to McKidd's casting in the medical drama series Grey's Anatomy as
Dr. Owen Hunt.
He made his directorial debut in the series' seventh season, directing the episode "Don't
Deceive Me".
He won the award for "Best Performance in a Drama Series Multi-Episode Storyline" at
the 14th Prism Awards for his work in "Grey's Anatomy".
McKidd has done voice work and voiced the character of Jezz Torrent, flame haired lead
singer of the fictional Scottish hard rock band Love Fist in the video games "Grand Theft
Auto: Vice City".
He is also credited with playing a voice-over for the character John "Soap" MacTavish in
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.
McKidd was in talks in 2008 to portray Conner Macleod in a big screen remake of the 1986
fantasy movie Highlander though the role eventually went to Ryan Reynolds.
In 2012, he voiced the characters of Lord MacGuffin and his son Young MacGuffin in the
Disney/Pixar film Brave.
Having grown up in Elgin, McKidd used a variation of the Doric dialect for Young MacGuffin,
and one of the running gags of his lines is that not even Lord MacGuffin is entirely sure
what he is saying.
Speyside Sessions McKidd instigated a Scottish folk music album
that was recorded in 2011/12 at Hogmanay in his home town of Elgin.
Many of the contributors to this 'collective' album are old school friends of McKidd's.
The album was released on 15 June 2012 in aid of Save the Children.
Many of the tracks on the album are Scottish folk songs that were handed down through the
generations including Now Westlin Winds, Both Sides the Tweed, Charlie is My Darlin', The
Water is Wide, The Fairie Dance, Fareweel Tae Tarwathie, Iaun Ghlinn Cuach, Muckin'
O' Geordie's Byre, The Lea Rig, Barnyard's O Delgaty, John Anderson, Raggle Taggle Gypsy,
in addition to the more contemporary These are My Mountains, and the album's sole new
original tune Diane of Pitgaveny.
Contributors to the album include Kevin McKidd, James D. Reid, Nick Lloyd Webber, Bryan Tolland,
Paul Anderson, Shona Donaldson, Delane Morrison-Wallace, Morna Young, Carron Anderson, Ali Napier,
Dan Conroy, Rose Oke Millett, Garry Morrison, Bob Sharp, Jen Lunan McKee, Carey Lunan, Gayle
Anderson, Donald Lunan, Diane Lunan, Dave Martin, Colin Reid, Jason Sinclair, Lesley
Skene, Lynsey Mason, Mick McGrory, Stuart McConachie, Iain Robertson, and Karin Gleason.
According to accounts from McKidd's tweeting, this seems to be one of his most personal
projects to date.
Filmography Television
Director Grey's Anatomy Seattle Grace: Message of Hope
.... "No Comment" .... "Take One"
.... "Award-Winning" .... "The Sizzle"
Grey's Anatomy .... "Don't Deceive Me" Grey's Anatomy .... "Poker Face"
Grey's Anatomy .... "Let the Bad Times Roll" Grey's Anatomy .... "I Saw Her Standing There"
Grey's Anatomy .... "Do You Believe in Magic" Grey's Anatomy .... "Two Against One"
Grey's Anatomy .... "I'm Winning" Voice work
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City — Jezz Torrent Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 — Captain
John "Soap" MacTavish Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 — Captain
John "Soap" MacTavish References
External links Kevin McKidd Online
Kevin McKidd at the Internet Movie Database Speyside Sessions