He is known for a variety of roles including those in Trainspotting, Hamish Macbeth, The Full Monty, The World Is Not Enough, Angela’s Ashes, The 51st State, and 28 Weeks Later. He left school at 16 without qualifications and went to work for his father as a painter and decorator, however he continued his education by attending night classes at Cardonald College in Glasgow. in 1994, he played the gay lover of Father Greg in the film Priest. Carlyle’s first high-profile role came as murderer Albie Kinsella in an October 1994 episode of Cracker opposite Robbie Coltrane (in which the character killed no fewer than five people, including the character DCI David Bilborough, played by Christopher Eccleston). This highly acclaimed role showcased Carlyle’s pure intensity. in 2006 he played the villain Durza in Eragon. He voices the character of Gabriel Belmont, the hero of the video game Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, released in 2010.
