Actors
Vincent Regan –
An avid historian of ancient Rome with a passion for Shakespeare, Vincent Regan is equally at home in epic period roles as well as thought provoking contemporary dramas. He has appeared in more than 20 feature films and mini series, and from early March 2007 will be on screens across Europe and Asia as Captain in the Warner Bros release, 300, director Zack Snyder's adaptation of Frank Milller's graphic novel chronicling the battle of Thermopylae - one of ancient history's most famous 'last-stand' battles (impossible odds triumphs). Later in the year, in Juraj Jakubisko's Bathory, he portrays Ference Nadasdy, commander of the Hungarian army, one of the countries wealthiest noblemen and husband of the notorious Countess Elizabeth Bathory.
Regan recently appeared opposite Brad Pitt as Eudorus, Achilles' (Brad Pitt) second in command in Wolfgang Peterson's rousing re-telling of the Homerian war epic Troy. In the 6-hour mini-series Empire, he portrays Marc Antony, accomplished general and confident of Julius Caesar struggling to remain loyal after Caesar's murder. Luc Besson cast Regan as Buck in his stylistic and inspiring retelling of the Joan of Arc legend, The Messenger. These roles required grueling, daily workout sessions with a personal trainer, but the physical demands were a small price to pay for the actor's indulgence in his passion for history.
In a more comic turn, Regan starred as Sir Percival opposite Martin Lawrence in the medieval adventure comedy Black Knight, where the two vie for the affection of the rebellious chambermaid, Victoria.
Flash cut to the present, and you will find Regan as Raffles in Danny the Dog (aka Unleashed), director Louis Leterrier's brutal martial arts drama scripted by Luc Besson. Or opposite Christopher Lambert in the political thriller Point Men, in the crime comedy Ordinary Decent Criminal, starring Kevin Spacey, and in Hard Men, as the despicably likeable Tone in J K Amalou's dark, comic look at the seedy side of '90's London nightlife.
Regan's television series and mini-series credits are numerous and include acclaimed television projects in both Britain and Ireland, like the series' Hustle, Plan Man, Messiah II and Rescue Me. He has starred in several miniseries: 40, with Eddie Izzard, opposite James D'Arcy in Rebel Heart, and as O'Toole the working-class rifleman in the nascent Irish Republic Army in this ambivalent yet brutal depiction of British brutality in Northern Ireland, and with Fred Ward in Invasion Earth.
Additional television appearances include Jeremiah, with Patrick Dempsey and the James Nesbitt starrer, Murphy's Law, an undercover cop drama written by acclaimed novelist and screenwriter Colin Bateman.
In 1999 Regan received an Irish Best Actor nomination for his co-starring performance in the award-winning miniseries Eureka Street, about a group from Northern Ireland trying to navigate the increasingly polarized religious and political landscape.
Regan has over 15 stage roles to his credit, most recently as Achilles in Troilus and Cressida at the Edinburgh International Festival. In association with The Royal Shakespeare Company, the festival presented director Peter Stein's strongly cast and visually striking production.
Regan is also a screenwriter and director, developing projects for his own nascent film company.His script, Come Like Shadows, is an accessible but classic interpretation of Macbeth that is due to start shooting in 2007 with Sean Bean and Tilda Swinton, directed by John Maybury.
Born in Wales in 1956, the son of Irish immigrants, as a young adult Regan returned to Ireland with his parents. Regan and his wife, actress Amelia Curtis, live in London with their daughter, Chloe.
Film character
In the film, he is depicted in the same way as he was in real – a brave warrior nicknamed Black Beg. He loves his wife, which does not prevent him from treating her badly time to time. He sends her an Italian painter as a "present", and later he is jealous of him and tries to kill him, which almost causes Erzsebet's death. He spends more time in battles, accompanied by friends and Juraj Thurzo, than with his beloved wife and children. His meetings with Erzsebet are rather short, with unexpected turns…