Quick Facts
VirgoBiography
Alexander "Sandy" Morton (born 24 March 1945 in Glasgow) is a Scottish actor.
Acting career
Morton trained in London at the Central School of Speech and Drama from 1965–68 and is well known for his roles in several leading drama series, such as Taggart, Second Sight, Between the Lines, Minder, and Casualty; movies such as Croupier and London to Brighton; and single dramas The One That Got Away (1996), Looking After Jo Jo (1998), and The Man-Eating Wolves of Gysinge (2005).
He is best known for playing the ghillie Golly Mackenzie in the BBC TV series Monarch of the Glen (2000–2005, appearing in all 64 episodes), and before that made regular appearances over the 1980s and 1990s as the evil Andy Semple in Scottish soap Take the High Road.
Highlights of his stage career include a Scots rendition of Shakespeare's Macbeth and R.P. McMurphy in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, both directed by Robert Carlyle, who was a founder member, with Morton, of the Raindog Theatre Company in the 1990s. Morton also worked regularly with theatre companies 7:84 and Borderline, and has appeared at the Traverse, the Lyceum, the Bush, the Royal Court, in repertory all over the UK, as well as regular appearances in pantomime, notably at Glasgow's King's Theatre.
In 2006, Morton played the Prince of Darkness in the BBC radio adaptation of Dracula (Voyage of the Demeter, 2006). He was also the first actor to play Detective Inspector John Rebus in the first adaptation of Ian Rankin's Rebus series of books. He regularly provides voices for video games, including Heavenly Sword, The Witcher series (as Zoltan Chivay) and Viking: Battle for Asgard. From 2012-2015, Morton played Criminal Billy Kennedy in Scottish soap opera River City. The character of Billy Kennedy was breafly reprised in January 2016. Scottish Actor Jon Morrison took over the role from Alexander.
Personal life
Morton has been married three times, and has a child — Kerry (b. 1970) and Jamie (b. 1980) — from each of his first two marriages. His first wife was Pam Scotcher. His third wife is Jane, whom he met before filming for Monarch of the Glen got underway. She was his landlady while he was doing television work in London, where they now live with her children.
Film and television credits
- 1971: Get Carter - Hubert
- 1979: Play for Today (TV): Ploughman's Share - Dave
- 1980-1994: Take the High Road (TV soap) - Andy Semple
- 1981: Play for Today (TV): The Good Time Girls - Alec Park
- 1984: Minder (TV series): Windows - Alex
- 1985: Taggart (TV series): Dead Ringer - David Balfour
- 1986: Dramarama – Waiting for Elvis (1986)
- 1987: First Sight (TV series) - Frank Riley
- 1987: Bookie (TV series) - Ross
- 1989: Winners and Losers
- 1990: Silent Scream - Don Winters
- 1992: Rab C. Nesbitt (TV series) - Police Inspector Mccrae
- 1992-1994: Firm Friends (TV sitcom) - D.I. Hogg
- 1993: Between the Lines (TV series) - Superintendent Tyrell
- 1993: Taggart (TV series): Death Benefits - John Fraser
- 1994: Screen Two: Men of the Month (TV play) - James
- 1994: Jolly a Man for All Seasons - Police Sergeant Watson
- 1994: Crime Story - John McVicar
- 1994: The Tales of Para Handy - John Cruickshank
- 1996: Bad Boys - Dick
- 1996: The One that Got Away - Big Bob (credited as Sandy Morton)
- 1996: Nightlife (TV movie) - D.C.Dave
- 1997: Looking After Jo Jo - DS Alistair Wright
- 1997: Bombay Blue - Jack Grey
- 1997: Love Me Tender (TV movie) - Tommy
- 1998: Croupier - David Reynolds
- 1999-2000: Second Sight (TV series) - DS Julian
- 1999: Life Support - Alan Carswell
- 2000-2005: Monarch of the Glen - Golly Mackenzie (in every episode)
- 2003: Dead Simple - Victor
- 2005: The Man-Eating Wolves of Gysinge (TV movie) - Malmberg Nilsson
- 2006-2008: Casualty (TV series)
- 2006: London to Brighton - Duncan Allen
- 2007: Kitchen (TV movie) - Mr. Glasgow
- 2009: Valhalla Rising - Chieftain Barde
- 2010: Taggart: The Rapture - James Hardie
- 2010: Luther (TV series) - Bill Winingham
- 2012-2015: River City (Soap opera) - Billy Kennedy
- 2013: Shetland (TV series) - Joseph Wilson
Selected theatre credits
| Selected stage productions | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Play | Role | Notes |
| 1976 | An Me Wi a Bad Leg Tae | Peter | Original production of Billy Connolly's first play, directed by Stuart Mungall |
| 1979 | Slab Boys Trilogy | Mr. Curry/Workman | John Byrne's critically acclaimed series of stage plays |
| 1984 | William Wallace | William Wallace | Borderline Theatre Company, Directed by Stuart Mungall. |
| 1985 | The Bruce | Robert the Bruce | Edinburgh Festival |
| 1986 | Robert Burns | Robert Burns | By Joe Corrie, Scottish Theatre Company; Directed by David Hayman |
| 1986 | The Gorbals Story | Peter O'Reilly | By Robert Mcleish. 7:84 Theatre Co. Directed by David Hayman |
| 1989 | The Sash | William MacWilliam | By Hector MacMillan. 7:84 Theatre Co. Directed by Gerard Kelly |
| 1991 | Red Riding Hood: The Sequel | Wolverine | Directed by Andy Gray. |
| 1991 | One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest | R.P.McMurphy | Raindog Theatre Company. Directed by Robert Carlyle |
| 1992 | Macbeth: In the Scots Tongue | Macbeth | Raindog Theatre Company. Best Director Award: Robert Carlyle |
| 1994 | Dick Wittington | King Rat | With Christopher Biggins. King's Theatre, Glasgow |
| 1995 | Follow Follow: The Rangers Story | Max Factor | King's Theatre Glasgow/Glasgow Rangers FC; Directed by Ron Bain |
| 1996 | The Architect | Leo Black | Directed by Philip Howard, Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh |
| 1998 | Buried Treasure | Frank McCoig | Directed by Robin Lefevre, Lyric Theatre, London |
Radio credits
| Selected BBC Radio plays | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1982 | The Thirty Nine Steps | Franklin P. Scudder | Considered the most faithful adaptation of John Buchan's book. |
| 1988 | Death of a Fly | Alec Bodine | Murder mystery told from the perspective of a fly. |
| 1995 | The Serpent's Back | Cully | First adaptation of Ian Rankin's Cully series |
| 1997 | Let It Bleed | DI John Rebus | First adaptation of Ian Rankin's Rebus books |
| 1998 | Tunes of Glory | Basil Barrow | |
| 2004 | Dr Korczak's Example | Dr. Janusz Korczak | BBC Radio 4 Saturday Play directed by Lu Kemp |
| 2005 | The Tragical Comedy or Comical Tragedy of Mr. Punch | Swatchell | BBC Radio 3 The Wire directed by Lu Kemp |
| 2007 | Voyage of the Demeter | Count Dracula | Morton offers a terrifying rendition of the Prince of Darkness |
| 2008 | They Have Oak Trees in North Carolina | Ray | BBC Radio 4 Friday Play directed by Gaynor Macfarlane |
| 2011 | Occupation | Kenny Gall | BBC Radio 4 Afternoon Play directed by Gaynor Macfarlane |