Topsy-Turvy

Background:

English actor Allan Corduner is best remembered while portraying English composer Sir Arthur Sullivan (to Jim Broadbent's W. S. Gilbert), in writer/director Mike Leigh's Oscar-winning biopic "Topsy-Turvy" (1999). First appearing on screen in the mid 1970s, he has appeared in such films as "Yentl" (1983), "Bad Medicine" (1985), "Fat Man and Little Boy" (1989), "Antonia and Jane" (1991), "Carry on Columbus" (1992), "Joe Gould's Secret" (2000), "Gladiator" (2000), "The Search for John Gissing" (2001), "The Merchant of Venice" (2004), "Vera Drake" (2004), "The White Countess" (2005) and "Fred Claus" (2007). He will star in the upcoming films "The Waiting Room," an intelligent and distinctive film by writer/director Roger Goldby, and "Defiance," Edward Zwick's war drama which also stars Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber and Jamie Bell.

Meanwhile, Corduner has appeared in numerous TV series, miniseries, made-for-TV movies, and has done various voice works. He also appeared on Broadway, playing 1st Class Steward Henry Etches, in the Tony-award winning play "Titanic: The Musical" (1997), and recently played Danny in "Two Thousand Years," which was written and directed by Mike Leigh (National Theatre: Cottesloe Theatre 15 September 2005 to January 2006, Then UK Tour, National Theatre: Lyttelton Theatre from 26 March 2006 to 29 July).

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Childhood and Family:

Son of a German mother and a Russian/Finnish father, Allan Corduner was born in United Kingdom in 1951. He is gay and Jewish.

Two Thousand Years

Career:

In the mid of 1970s, at age 24, Allan Corduner began appearing on television, playing the Manservant on a popular BBC television series based on the historical novels by Winston Graham, "Poldark" (1975). He then was spotted as a guest in a January 1977 episode of the BBC drama series "Wings" and appeared in the BBC TV movie "Follow the Star" (1979).

In the early 1980s, Corduner starred in the drama series "Buccaneer" (1980) and "Maybury" (1981; starring Patrick Stewart), as well as ATV comedy series "Roots" (1981). Meanwhile, he made his first film in the independent "Phoelix" (1980) and continued to add to his resume with roles in Alan Bridges' BAFTA-nominated adaptation of Rebecca West's classic novel, "The Return of the Soldier" (1982; starring Julie Christie), and Barbra Streisand's Oscar-winning musical drama "Yentl" (1983). He also appeared in two episodes of ITV anthology series "Tales of the Unexpected."

Corduner went on to play small film roles in the rest of the 1980s. He could be seen in Harvey Miller's funny med school movie based on the novel "Calling Dr. Horowitz" by Steven Horowitz and Neil Offen, "Bad Medicine" (1985; starring Steve Guttenberg), the Danish comic-based animated feature film "Valhalla" (1986; voice of Loke), Richard Marquand's independent musical drama "Hearts of Fire" (1987; starring Bob Dylan), Oliver Stone's film loosely based the play and the life of the Denver-based, Jewish liberal radio talk show host Alan Berg who was murdered by Neo-Nazis, "Talk Radio" (1988; starring Eric Bogosian), and Roland Joffé's historical drama starring Paul Newman, "Fat Man and Little Boy" (1989).

During this time, TV viewers could catch him in the BBC miniseries "Cold Warrior" (1984), the Emmy-nominated TV movie about the the anti-apartheid activist, "Mandela" (1987; starring Danny Glover), and the TV movie version of William Shakespeare's play, "The fairy queen (La reine des fées)" (1989). He also appeared as a guest in an episode of British television sitcom "Girls On Top" and the BBC drama "The Collectors."

Entering the new decade, Corduner was tapped for Derek Jarman's film based on the play by Christopher Marlowe, "Edward II" (1991; starring Steven Waddington), Beeban Kidron's independent comedy "Antonia and Jane" (1991; starring Imelda Staunton and Saskia Reeves), and Gerald Thomas' "Carry on Columbus" (1992; starring Jim Dale), the first Carry On film to have been made since 1978's "Carry On Emmannuelle." He was also cast in Charlotte Brandstrom's romantic comedy "A Business Affair" (1994; with Christopher Walken, Carole Bouquet and Jonathan Pryce) and Malcolm Clarke's independent drama based on Mark A. Stuart's book, "Voices" (1995; alongside Jeremy Northam and Tushka Bergen).

Meanwhile, Corduner starred in the 1920s sitcom "Paris" (1994) and guest starred in such TV shows as the long-running British television police procedural drama "The Bill," British television drama series "Boon," and the detective series "Inspector Morse." He also acted in the 1994 made-for-television movies "Nobody's Children," starring Ann-Margret, and "Heart of Darkness," a Golden Globe-nominated adaptation of Joseph Conrad's novel starring Tim Roth and John Malkovich.

Corduner subsequently starred in two miniseries, "Nostromo" (1996), based on the epic novel by Joseph Conrad, and "No Bananas" (1996), both of which aired on BBC. He also co-starred with Marina Sirtis in the novel-based TV movie "Gadgetman" (1996) and with Ashley Judd and Mira Sorvino in the HBO Golden Globe-nominated biopic about the legendary Hollywood icon and sex symbol, "Norma Jean & Marilyn" (1996). Additionally, he guest starred in an episode of NBC sitcom "Mad About You" and in two episodes of the British satirical sitcom "Drop the Dead Donkey."

In 1996, Corduner supported Jason Flemyng in Nancy Meckler's comedic drama film with an adult love story, "Indian Summer," and shared the screen with Oliver Platt and Stanley Tucci two years later in the fresh and witty comedy movie set in the 1930s, "The Impostors," which was also written and directed by Tucci. Meanwhile, he appeared on Broadway, playing 1st Class Steward Henry Etches, in the Tony-award winning play "Titanic: The Musical" (1997). He returned to the big screen in 1999 to play his most prominent role to date, as English composer Sir Arthur Sullivan (to Jim Broadbent's W. S. Gilbert), in writer/director Mike Leigh's Oscar-winning biopic "Topsy-Turvy," which tells the background story of the creation of Gilbert and Sullivan's "The Mikado" in 1884-1885.

Entering the new millennium, Corduner co-starred with Stellan Skarsgård, Chris Penn and Paul Bettany in writer/director Stewart Sugg's dark comedy movie "Kiss Kiss (Bang Bang)," reteamed with Tucci in his film adaptation of Joseph Mitchell's 1965 true story-based book, "Joe Gould's Secret" (Ian Holm took the title role), and co-starred with Vanessa Zima in Deborah Attoinese's indie movie "Zoe." He also supported Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix and Connie Nielsen in Ridley Scott's Oscar-winning historical action drama film, "Gladiator."

More film roles rolled in. Corduner was cast in the 2001 films "Me Without You," "The Grey Zone," "The Search for John Gissing," as well as the 2002 films "Food of Love," "Moonlight Mile" and "The King's Beard" (voice). Meanwhile, he starred in the miniseries "The Way We Live Now" (2001) and provided his voice for the video game version of "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" (2002). He also guest starred in an episode of the British detective show "Foyle's War" and starred in the made-for-television movie alongside Hugh Dancy, "Daniel Deronda" (2002). Additionally, theatergoers could watch him as Sammy Samuels in "Comedians," by Trevor Griffiths (Samuel Beckett Theater, January 2003).

2004 saw Corduner in Irwin Winkler's Golden Globe-nominated biopic about composer Cole Porter, "De-Lovely," starring Kevin Kline and Ashley Judd, Michael Radford's BAFTA-nominated film adaptation of William Shakespeare's play, "The Merchant of Venice," starring Al Pacino, and writer/director Mike Leigh's Oscar-nominated period drama/thriller "Vera Drake," starring Imelda Staunton. During this time, he guest starred in an episode of BBC legal drama "Trust" and ITV drama "The Last Detective," as well as in two episodes of British police drama "Heartbeat." He also played Aramis in the swashbuckling TV movie "La Femme Musketeer" and lent his voice again for the video game version of "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban."

In the following year, Corduner acted in Al Corley's romantic drama/comedy film "Bigger Than the Sky," with Marcus Thomas, John Corbett and Amy Smart, and in James Ivory's romantic drama set in 1930s Shanghai, "The White Countess," starring Natasha Richardson. He also starred in the short films "A Higher Agency" and "Against Nature." He also co-starred with Douglas Henshall in "The Strange Case of Sherlock Holmes & Arthur Conan Doyle" and with Damian Lewis in "Friends & Crocodiles," two made-for-television movies that both aired on BBC. Additionally, he had a recurring role on the ITV drama series "Fat Friends."

During that time, Corduner returned to stage to play Danny in "Two Thousand Years," which was written and directed by Mike Leigh (National Theatre: Cottesloe Theatre 15 September 2005 to January 2006, Then UK Tour, National Theatre: Lyttelton Theatre from 26 March 2006 to 29 July).

Recently, in 2007, Corduner co-starred with Vince Vaughn and Paul Giamatti in David Dobkin's comedic, holiday film about Santa Claus' older brother, "Fred Claus." Meanwhile, TV viewers could catch him in an episode of the historical drama television series "Rome" and in the historical drama TV movie "The Last Days of the Raj." Harry Potter computer and video game fans could also hear his voice as Argus Filch/Professor Severus Snape in "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," which was released on June 25th in the U.S., June 28th in Australia and June 29th in the UK and Europe for PlayStation 3, PSP, PlayStation 2, Windows.

Corduner has completed filming "The Waiting Room," an intelligent and distinctive film by writer/director Roger Goldby. He is currently working on Edward Zwick's upcoming war drama titled "Defiance," alongside Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber and Jamie Bell.

Awards:
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