KEN STOTT (voice of Trufflehunter) is a triple-threat in the English performance world

KEN STOTT (voice of Trufflehunter) is a triple-threat in the English performance world, an Olivier Award-winning veteran of the British stage, television and films.
Born in Edinburgh in 1955, Stott was educated at George Heriot's School, where his father was Dean of the English Department. He next trained at Mountview Theatre
School and began his acting career at the age of 18 at the Lyric Theatre in Belfast, Ireland.

He spent the next ten years doing repertory (in places like Belfast, Ipswich, Manchester and Plymouth) before landing his first lead role in “Through the Leaves” at the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh. When the play transferred to London, the 30-year-old actor began attracting notice, and a year later was performing at the Royal National Theatre. Over the next few years, the Scot established his reputation as one of Britain's finest performers, garnering numerous nominations and awards, including an Olivier Award as Best Supporting Actor for “Broken Glass” in 1994. He earned a second nomination the “Recruiting Officer” at the National Theatre.

His early stage work includes The Royal Shakespeare Company productions of “Henry V,” “Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2” and “The Merry Wives of Windsor,” before winning larger roles in Tennessee Williams’ “The Rose Tattoo,” Moliere’s “The Misanthrope” and Arthur Miller’s “Death of A Salesman,” in which he starred as Willy Loman opposite Jude Law as his son, Happy.

But it was his part in the initial cast of the West End hit “Art” (earning his third Olivier nomination) with Albert Finney and Tom Courtenay at Wyndham's that really brought him into the limelight. With his stage career on hold while winning acclaim on British television in the late 1990s, he returned to the West End boards in 2001 in Brian Friel's “Faith Healer” at the Almeida Theatre in King's Cross. More recently, he starred opposite Richard Griffiths and John Hurt in the drama “Heroes,” returning to the Wyndham’s in London’s West End in 2006.

While working to establish his name in the repertory theatre world, Stott debuted on English TV with a role in “The Secret Army” in 1977. Although small roles ensued over the next two decades in a variety of programs like “Your Cheatin’ Heart” and Dennis Potter’s “The Singing Detective” on the BBC, he won acclaim as the alcoholic hospital deejay in the BBC black comedy miniseries “Taking Over The Asylum,” which won the BAFTA as Best Drama series.

He became a familiar face on the BBC in such series and programs as “Mug’s Game,” “Rhodes,” “Stone, Scissors, Paper,” “Messiah,” “Vicious Circle” and a mainstay on ITV in the five seasons of “The Vice,” starring as Det. Inspector Pat Chappel (BAFTA nominated for his work in 1999). That show, one of the U.K.’s most popular series, drew an estimated 10 million viewers weekly. He most recently won praise over two seasons in the title role as Scotland's favorite anti-hero cop in another ITV series, “Rebus.”

While establishing his profile on the stage and television, Stott also found his way into motion pictures, making a dramatic debut in a brief (30 second) appearance as a 16th century Spaniard in 1983’s “Being Human.” He later had supporting roles in a wide variety of films, from the Oscar-winning short film “Franz Kafka's It’s A Wonderful Life” (with Richard E. Grant) to the musical spectacle “A Beggar’s Opera.”

He won his first major film role as the alcoholic coach Ike Weir in Jim Sheridan's “The Boxer” (after co-star Daniel Day-Lewis saw his performance onstage in “Art” and suggested him for the part) and two years later starred in his first lead role opposite Billy Connolly in the dark thriller “The Debt Collector,” a part written expressly for him. He played the sadistic Chance in Jake Scott’s “Plunkett & Macleane” (alongside Liv Tyler, Robert Carlyle and Jonny Lee Miller) and also co-starred in such motion pictures as Danny Boyle’s “Shallow Grave,” Antoine Fuqua’s “King Arthur,” Lasse Halstrom’s “Casanova,” Mike Hodges’ “I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead” and Bill Forsyth’s “Being Human.”

Stott's most recent screen work includes his role as Zvi Rafiah in Mike Nicholls film, “Charlie Wilson’s War”, and he is currently starring in Yazmina Reza's new play “God of Carnage” at the Gielgud Theatre with Ralph Fiennes,Tamsin Greig and Janet McTeer.