Shaw

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Ian Shaw's theatrical roots are deep, beginning with training at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art after his time at Sussex University. On stage, he portrayed Friedrich in War Horse at the National Theatre. His repertory work includes performances at the Royal Exchange Manchester in Widowers' Houses, The Importance of Being Earnest, Nude With Violin, The Philadelphia Story, and The Brothers Karamazov. He also appeared in Much Ado About Nothing in the West End, Three Sisters at Nuffield/Bath, Private Lives and Closer at Birmingham Rep, and The Rivals at Derby Playhouse and Philadelphia Walnut St.

In Their Own Story

In 2019, Shaw co-authored the play The Shark Is Broken with Joseph Nixon. The production, directed by Guy Masterson, focused on the making of Jaws, featuring Shaw playing his own father, Robert Shaw. It became a hit at the Edinburgh Fringe, selling out its run and earning reviews stating, "They're going to need a bigger theatre." Originally scheduled to reopen at the Ambassadors Theatre in London on 11 May 2020 with Sonia Friedman producing, the COVID-19 pandemic halted production in March. The play eventually reopened in October 2021. In this role, Shaw portrayed Robert Shaw alongside Demetri Goritsas as Roy Scheider and Liam Murray Scott as Richard Dreyfuss.

Reader's Guide

Ian Shaw's television debut occurred in 1993 with an episode of Casualty. His filmography includes Century (1993), Moondance (1995), The Boys From County Clare (2003), The Contract (2006), and Johnny English Reborn (2011). He has also appeared in numerous TV series such as EastEnders, Soldier, Soldier, The Bill, The Queen, Sharpe, Ultimate Force, Ghosts, Silent Witness, and Medics. Specific television films include Sharpe's Gold (1995), Blood and Water (1995), Wuthering Heights (1998), and Hiroshima: BBC History of World War II (2005). Jessie Thomson reviewed the London production of The Shark Is Broken in the Evening Standard, noting Shaw "gives what is undoubtedly one of the best theatrical performances of the year," flitting between machismo and vulnerability.

Did You Know?

• Ian Shaw was born on 18 December 1969 to actress Mary Ure and actor Robert Shaw.
• He co-authored The Shark Is Broken with Joseph Nixon, playing his father Robert Shaw in the production.
• The play The Shark Is Broken sold out its run at the 2019 Edinburgh Fringe before being halted by the pandemic in March 2020.
• Shaw trained as an actor at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art after studying American Studies at Sussex University.
• His first television role was in a 1993 episode of Casualty.