Angus Macfadyen was born in Glasgow, Scotland, on 21 September 1963. That means today, 21 September 2026, is his 63rd birthday. He is a Scottish actor, writer and director, probably best known internationally for playing Robert the Bruce in Braveheart.

Notable facts

• Although born in Glasgow, he spent parts of his childhood in France, the Philippines and Singapore, largely because his father's work took the family abroad.
• He studied French and English at the University of Edinburgh before training as an actor at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London. His own résumé states that he is fluent in French.
• His breakthrough international role was Robert the Bruce in Braveheart (1995).
• More than 20 years later, he played Robert the Bruce again in Robert the Bruce (2019) and also co-wrote the screenplay.
• One of his earlier Scottish TV roles was Fergus in the BBC Scotland series Takin' Over the Asylum (1994).
• He has played several real historical figures, including Robert the Bruce, Allan Pinkerton, Robert Rogers, Orson Welles, Richard Burton and Aleister Crowley.
• He has worked across everything from Scottish drama and historical epics to horror, science fiction and major US television.

Some of his best-known movies and TV shows

Year	Movie / TV Show	Role
1994	Takin' Over the Asylum	Fergus
1995	Braveheart	Robert the Bruce
1995	Liz: The Elizabeth Taylor Story	Richard Burton
1999	Cradle Will Rock	Orson Welles
1999	Titus	Lucius
2000	Jason and the Argonauts	Zeus
2002	Equilibrium	Vice-Counsel DuPont
2004	Spartacus	Marcus Crassus
2006	Saw III	Jeff Denlon
2006	Blackbeard	Edward "Blackbeard" Teach
2008	Californication	Julian
2011	We Bought a Zoo	Supporting role
2014–2017	TURN: Washington's Spies	Robert Rogers
2014–2015	The Pinkertons	Allan Pinkerton
2019	Robert the Bruce	Robert the Bruce
2019	Strange Angel	Aleister Crowley
2021	Superman & Lois	Jor-El
2023	Outlander	Brigadier General Simon Fraser
2024	Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1	Desmarais

His film and television credits span more than three decades, with Braveheart, Saw III, Equilibrium, TURN: Washington's Spies and Robert the Bruce among his most recognisable roles.

“Toffee Bob”: the Scotland football star behind RS McColl.

If you grew up in Scotland, you’ll probably recognise the name RS McColl. But did you know there was a record-breaking footballer behind the shops?

Robert Smyth McColl (1876–1959), known as “Toffee Bob”, played for Queen’s Park, Newcastle United and Rangers.

He started with Queen’s Park in 1894, turned professional with Newcastle in 1901, and joined Rangers in 1904. In 1907, he was reinstated as an amateur and returned to Queen’s Park, where his playing career ended in 1912.

He scored 13 goals in 13 appearances for Scotland between 1896 and 1908. He is credited as the only player to score an international hat-trick against each of the other three Home Nations:
Wales: 18 March 1899, at Wrexham — Scotland won 6–0.
Ireland: 25 March 1899, at Celtic Park — Scotland won 9–1.
England: 7 April 1900, at Celtic Park — Scotland won 4–1.
All three came while he was still an amateur with Queen’s Park.

In 1901, Bob and his brother Tom opened a sweet shop on Albert Drive in Pollokshields, Glasgow. The business expanded, and in 1916 they opened a confectionery factory on North Woodside Road to supply their 30 branches.

By 1925, the chain had around 75 shops. The brothers were later affected by the Wall Street crash, and in 1933 they sold a controlling interest to Cadbury. They continued running the business as salaried employees until retiring in 1946.

The shops expanded into England and broadened their range to include newspapers, tobacco and ice cream. By 1935, the business employed more than 800 people across 180 branches.
After decades of ownership changes, RS McColl became part of the wider business associated with the McColl’s and Martin’s names. Morrisons bought the McColl’s business out of administration in May 2022.

Quite a story behind a familiar shop sign. Does anyone remember their local RS McColl—or still call it “the toffee shop”?

He is buried in Cathcart Cemetery.

Our £119 million investment in Glasgow's infrastructure is underway, with £60 million allocated to improving the city's roads. Here are just a few more examples of road resurfacing projects as a result of the investment so far, with many more to still to come.

A vibrant new mural has been unveiled in Blackhill, marking the area's first large-scale public artwork in 36 years.

Created with input from local residents and young people, the colourful piece celebrates the people, history and community spirit that make Blackhill unique, while leaving a lasting legacy from Glasgow 2026.

Artist: Alex Coyle (Alko).