Liam Cunningham (born 2 June 1961) is an Irish actor. He is known for playing Davos Seaworth in the HBO epic-fantasy series Game of Thrones.
Cunningham has been nominated for the London Film Critics' Circle Award, the British Independent Film Award, has won two Irish Film & Television Awards, and shared a BAFTA with Michael Fassbender, for their crime-drama short film Pitch Black Heist. His film roles include War of the Buttons (1994), A Little Princess (1995), Jude (1996), Dog Soldiers (2002), The Crooked Man (2003), The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2006), Hunger (2008), The Escapist (2008), The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008), Good Vibrations (2013), Let Us Prey (2014) and The Childhood of a Leader (2015). In 2020, he was listed at number 36 on The Irish Times list of Ireland's greatest film actors.
Early life Cunningham was born in East Wall, which is an inner city area of the Northside of Dublin. He grew up in Kilmore West with his three sisters and a brother. Cunningham left secondary school at 15 and pursued a career as an electrician. In the 1980s, Cunningham moved to Zimbabwe for three years where he maintained electrical equipment at a safari park and trained Zimbabwean electricians. After returning to Ireland, Cunningham became dissatisfied with his work as an electrician and decided to pursue his interest in acting. He attended acting classes and began to work in local theatre, including the Royal Shakespeare Company. He appeared in a production of Studs at The Tricycle Theatre in Kilburn, London.
Career
Cunningham's debut film role came in Into the West (1992), where he played a police officer. His on-screen acting continued with roles in War of the Buttons (1994), and A Little Princess (1995), before making his role as Phillotson in Jude (1996). He continued with character roles in Falling for a Dancer (TV, 1998), RKO 281 (1999), Shooting the Past (TV, 1999), When the Sky Falls (2000) and Stranded (2002). Cunningham came to international prominence with his role as Captain Ryan in the critically acclaimed, independent horror film, Dog Soldiers (2002).
Cunningham starred in well-received films such as The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2006) which won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival; Hunger; The Escapist (both 2008); The Guard; and Black Butterflies (both 2011). He also had roles in many high budget British and American films including The League of Gentlemen's Apocalypse (2005), The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008), Harry Brown (2009), Clash of the Titans, Centurion (both 2010). On television, he appeared as President Richard Tate in the BBC programme Outcasts. Cunningham was producer Philip Segal’s first choice to portray the Eighth Doctor in the TV movie of Doctor Who (1996), but was vetoed by Fox executives.
In 2012, Cunningham joined the main cast for the second season of HBO's Game of Thrones portraying former smuggler Davos Seaworth, and in 2013 he starred in The Numbers Station alongside John Cusack. He was also cast in season 5 of the BBC series Merlin as a sorcerer. He featured in the music video for "High Hopes" by Irish alternative rock band Kodaline from their EP The High Hopes. In April 2013, he appeared in the seventh series of the BBC One series Doctor Who in the episode "Cold War", where he played Captain Zhukov, the commander of a Russian submarine in 1983 facing one of the Ice Warriors. In 2015, he played the father in Brady Corbet's directorial debut film, The Childhood of a Leader.
In 2021, Cunningham voiced Man-At-Arms in the Netflix animated series Masters of the Universe: Revelation.
Personal life Cunningham lives in Dublin with his wife Colette, with whom he has three children.
Political views and activism In 2025, Cunningham expressed his belief that high-profile individuals in society have a responsibility to speak out on significant political issues. However, Cunningham also noted he felt it was the role of elected politicians to fix problems in society, not celebrities.
Cunningham is opposed to private healthcare. In 2020, he stated "I don't have private health insurance. I never have had it because nobody should. It would be very easy to start a national health system here. Just make it illegal for TDs to have private health insurance, and we'd have a fucking great health service here very quickly".
Cunningham endorsed the Trotskyist political alliance Solidarity–People Before Profit in the 2020 Irish general election.
In 2020 Cunningham criticised the Irish government's housing policy, stating "The government are a bunch of fucking idiots who can't even plan to allow young people to afford their own houses". In 2022, Cunningham joined the "Raise the Roof" campaign, led by a coalition of left-wing Irish political parties and trade unions, which called on the government to act faster on housing.
In 2024, Cunningham stated he had been involved in pro-Palestinian campaigns for "30 to 40 years". In 2015, Cunningham was one of over 100 artists who signed a letter to The Guardian supporting a cultural boycott of Israel. In 2023, he was one of over two thousand to sign an Artists for Palestine letter calling for a ceasefire and accusing western governments of "not only tolerating war crimes but aiding and abetting them."
In June 2025, several outlets erroneously reported that Cunningham had joined the June 2025 Gaza Freedom Flotilla aboard the humanitarian aid ship Madleen, which departed from Sicily en route to the Gaza Strip; however, he was not onboard. It was also in June 2025 that Cunningham appeared at a People before Profit press event and criticised the Irish Government’s approach to the Gaza conflict, arguing that economic priorities are being placed ahead of humanitarian concerns. Cunningham called for stronger action, including passing the Occupied Territories Bill with meaningful provisions, and ending trade with Israel. While at the event, Cunningham also endorsed a campaign which called on the Irish government to retain the policies of Irish neutrality and the triple lock policy for its defence forces.
In August 2025, Cunningham took part in the Global Sumud Flotilla, a civilian-led attempt to break the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip.
Cunningham has on multiple occasions supported campaigns of the Independent Workers Union, in August of 2023 he supported workers in a Pay dispute following a change of ownership
In May of 2026, Cunningham expressed support and joined a picket line during a strike action by Dublin healthcare assistants, demanding pay parity.
Filmography
Film Year Title Role Notes1992Into the WestPolice OfficerPublic ToiletShort filmHeaven Only KnowsPaul Clarke1993 The Sea1994UndercurrentGreg LaughtonWar of the ButtonsThe Master1995 A Little PrincessCapt. Crewe / Prince RamaFirst KnightSir Agravaine1996JudePhillotson1997 The Doherty BrothersConnor DohertyShort film The Life of StuffAlex Sneddon1998 The Tale of Sweety BarrettDetective Bone1999 A Love DividedSean Cloney2000When the Sky FallsJohn Cosgrave The Second DeathJames Mangan Short film2001RevelationFather Ray Connolly The Island of the Mapmaker's WifeJohn Wyndham2002Dog SoldiersCapt. Ryan The Abduction ClubJohn Power2003MysticsSean Foley The Crooked ManHamilton The League of Gentlemen's ApocalypseDirector2004 The Card PlayerJohn BrennanScrewbackHarryShort film2005Breakfast on Pluto1st Biker2006 The Wind That Shakes the BarleyDan2008 The EscapistBrodieHungerFather Dominic MoranParis NoirDouglas The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon EmperorMad Dog Maguire2009Blood: The Last VampireMichael Harrison The TournamentPowersPerrier's BountyThe MuttHarry BrownSid Rourke2010CenturionBrickClash of the TitansSolon The WhistleblowerBill Hynes2011Pitch Black HeistLiamShort filmAlso executive producer The GuardFrancis Sheehy-SkeffingtonBlack ButterfliesJack Cope The Silence of JoanThe English CaptainWar HorseThe Army Doctor 2012Safe HouseAlec Wade2013SLRElliotShort film The Numbers StationGreyGood Vibrations Davy2014I Am HereFatherShort filmNobleThomasLet Us PreySix2015LadygreyAngusDusha shpionaHillsman The Childhood of a LeaderThe FatherPursuitFionn201724 Hours to LiveWetzler2021 The VaultWalter Moreland2023 The Last Voyage of the DemeterCaptain Elliot2025Palestine 36 Charles Tegart
Television Year Title Role Notes1993 A Handful of StarsStaplerTV moviePoor Beast in the RainDanger Doyle1994–1995RoughnecksChris13 episodes1995CrackerStuart Grady2 episodes1997Police 2020DCI Billy O'ConnellPilot1998Falling for a DancerMossie SheehanTV movie1999Shooting the PastChristopher AndersonMiniseriesToo Rich: The Secret Life of Doris DukeAlec Cunningham-ReidTV movieRKO 281Gregg Toland2000 A Likeness in StoneBill Armstrong2001Rebel HeartMichael MaloneAttilaTheodoric I2 episodes2002StrandedDavid RobinsonTV movie2003Final DemandDavid MilnerPrime SuspectRobert WestEpisode: "Part 1"2004MessiahPace TierneyEpisode: "The Promise"2005ShowbandsTony GoldenTV movie The ClinicMalcolm Keown5 episodes2006Hotel BabylonAdrian McBrideEpisode #1.8Showbands IITony GoldenTV movieMurphy's LawDrew Johnstone3 episodes2007AfterlifeJonathanEpisode: "Your Hand in Mine" The Wild WestWyatt EarpEpisode: "The Gunfight at the OK Corral"Northanger AbbeyGeneral TilneyTV movieAnner HouseNeil Barry The Catherine Tate ShowFatherEpisode: "Christmas Special"2009 The StreetThomas MillerEpisode #3.12011OutcastsPresident Richard Tate8 episodesCamelotColfurEpisode: "Justice"Strike Back: Project DawnDaniel Connolly2 episodes2012Saving the TitanicNarrator (voice)DocumentaryTitanic: Blood and SteelJim Larkin5 episodesMerlinRuadan2 episodes2012–2019Game of ThronesDavos Seaworth42 episodes2013Doctor WhoCaptain ZhukovEpisode: "Cold War" Vera Sam Harper Episode: "Prodigal Son"2015 The MusketeersBelgardEpisode: "The Prodigal Father" 2017 Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams General Olin Episode: "Human Is"2019 The Hot ZoneWade Carter6 episodes Rick and Morty Balthromaw (voice) Episode: “Claw and Hoarder: Special Ricktim's Morty”2020Solar OppositesPupa (voice)Episode: "Retrace-Your-Step-Alizer"2021DominaLivius8 episodes2021–2024Masters of the UniverseMan-At-Arms (voice)13 episodes2024–present3 Body ProblemThomas Wade8 episodes
Music video appearances Year Title Artist2013"High Hopes"Kodaline2026Irish GoodbyeKneecap
Video game Year TitleRole Notes2026Squadron 42Captain Noah WhiteMotion capture in 2015
Awards and nominations YearFilm/TelevisionAwardResult1999Falling for a DancerIrish Film and Television Award for Best Actor in a Lead Television Rolerowspan=4 A Love DividedIrish Film and Television Award for Best Male Actor in a Lead Film Role2006Showbands IIIrish Film and Television Award for Best Actor in a Lead Role in TelevisionMurphy's LawIrish Film and Television Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in TelevisionThe Wind That Shakes the BarleyIrish Film and Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Film2008HungerLondon Film Critics' Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor of the YearIrish Film and Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a FilmBritish Independent Film Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Film2012Pitch Black HeistBAFTA Award for Best Short FilmThe GuardIrish Film and Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Filmrowspan=6 2014Game of ThronesIrish Film and Television Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Drama201520162017Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama SeriesIrish Film and Television Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Drama
References
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