Sean Chapman

Sean Chapman (born 2 June 1961) is an English actor and writer. He is known for his collaborations with director Alan Clarke, including Scum, Made in Britain (1982) and Contact (1985), and for portraying Frank Cotton in Clive Barker's horror film Hellraiser (1987) and its sequel Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988).

His stage work includes the role of Prior Walter in the original London production of Tony Kushner's Angels in America at the Royal National Theatre in 1992. He later became known to video-game audiences as the voice of Sgt. Michael "Psycho" Sykes in Crysis (2007), Crysis Warhead (2008) and Crysis 3 (2013).

Early life

Chapman was born in Greenwich, London. As a teenager, he attended stage school, an experience he later credited with giving him a sense of belonging and leading him toward acting.

While still young, Chapman was introduced to director Alan Clarke, who was casting the feature-film version of Scum. Chapman was cast as James, one of the inmates at the film's borstal.

Career

Film and television

Chapman made his screen debut in Passion Flower Hotel (1978) before appearing in Scum the following year. His work with Alan Clarke continued in television films including Made in Britain and Contact. Chapman later described Clarke as an important influence on his early career and praised the director's openness and generosity toward actors.

During the 1980s, Chapman frequently played hard-edged or working-class characters. His film credits included Party Party (1983), Underworld (1985), Eat the Rich (1987) and The Fourth Protocol (1987).

In 1987, he played Frank Cotton in Clive Barker's directorial debut Hellraiser. He returned as Frank in Hellbound: Hellraiser II the following year. Chapman later said that while he remained interested in horror, he was more affected by realistic violence such as that depicted in Scum, Contact and Made in Britain than by effects-driven screen violence.

His later film work included For Queen and Country (1989), One of the Hollywood Ten (2000), in which he portrayed film director Edward Dmytryk, Gangster No. 1 (2000), Joy Division (2006) and A Mighty Heart (2007).

On television, Chapman appeared in series including The Professionals, Grange Hill, K-9 and Company, Cadfael, Wycliffe, Peak Practice, Kavanagh QC, Midsomer Murders and Murphy's Law.

Theatre

Chapman has also worked extensively in theatre. In 1992, he played Prior Walter in the first London production of Tony Kushner's Angels in America: Millennium Approaches at the National Theatre's Cottesloe Theatre, directed by Declan Donnellan. The production also featured Henry Goodman, Marcus D'Amico, Nick Reding and Felicity Montagu.

In a later interview, Chapman contrasted the role with the tougher characters for which he had often been cast on screen, describing the opportunity to play Prior as a welcome departure from years of typecasting.

Video games

Chapman voiced Sgt. Michael "Psycho" Sykes in the first-person shooter Crysis (2007). He reprised the role as the protagonist of Crysis Warhead (2008) and again in Crysis 3 (2013).

Writing

In addition to acting, Chapman has written fiction. He has said that writing gave him greater creative independence during periods between acting jobs, which he found increasingly difficult.

His fiction has included the novels A Distant Prospect (2010), The Blood in the Moon (2012) and The Mason's Son (2017), as well as the short-story collection Ms Derby Requires (2013). In a 2012 interview, Chapman discussed Ian McEwan and Alain de Botton among his literary influences and said his fiction was concerned with desire, relationships and mortality.

Selected filmography

Film Year Title Role 1978 Passion Flower Hotel Rodney 1979 Scum James 1983 Party Party Sam Diggins 1985 Underworld Buchanan1987 Eat the Rich Mark The Fourth Protocol Captain Lyndhurst Hellraiser Frank Cotton 1988 Hellbound: Hellraiser II Frank Cotton 1989 For Queen and Country Bob Harper 2000 One of the Hollywood Ten Edward Dmytryk 2000 Gangster No. 1 Bent Cop 2006 Joy Division Harris 2007 A Mighty Heart U.S. journalist 2010 Psychosis Detective Sergeant

Television Year Title Role Notes 1978 Grange Hill Andrews 1980 The Professionals Coleman Episode: "The Acorn Syndrome" 1981 K-9 and Company Peter Tracey Television film 1982 Made in Britain Television film 1995 Wycliffe Bonetti Episode: "All for Love" 1997 Cadfael Episode: "The Raven in the Foregate"

Video games Battle Engine Aquila (2003) Crysis (2007) – Psycho Crysis Warhead (2008) – Psycho Crysis 3 (2013) – Psycho