James Cosmo, born on 24 May 1948 in Clydebank, Scotland, is a prolific Scottish actor, who performs in film and television productions since the late 1960s. Cosmo was born in Clydebank, Scotland, the son of actor James Copeland. A staple of British television, with credits in hundreds of television shows, Cosmo made a name for himself playing Scottish "tough guy" characters, often with a screen dominating charisma.