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Hugely respected by his fellow actors, Carlyle has acquired a hugely impressive CV by punching far heavier than his wiry frame might suggest. Born in Glasgow in 1961, he was raised by a somewhat bohemian father, enrolling in acting classes at 16 at the Glasgow Arts Centre. Ken Loach is the director who can perhaps take credit for introducing Carlyle to the big screen - he gave him a starring role as the love-struck builder in Riff Raff (alongside Ricky Tomlinson). Roles in Safe and Jimmy McGovern's gay priest drama Priest followed, alongside outstanding roles on the small screen in Cracker and Go Now. But it is for Begbie, the psycho with the hair-trigger temper in Trainspotting, that Carlyle may always be known, even though his diffident stripper in The Full Monty was seen and celebrated by millions more round the world.
