Ivan Kaye
Born: 1961-07-01 in Northampton, Northamptonshire, England, UK
Known For: Acting
Biography
Ivan Kaye is internationally best known for his role as King Aelle in Vikings (2013-17). More recently, he has appeared as the goon leader Yankee in Gunpowder Milkshake (2021). Kaye has been interested in acting from early childhood. A remarkably versatile actor, he already had a successful stage career in London's West End in dramatic and musical theatre before starting his work in television and film in his early thirties. Since the beginning of the 1990s, he has been featured in over 50 roles in TV and film. Due to his enormous versatility, Ivan Kaye has been featured in a wide array of roles encompassing lead and main parts as well as antagonists, outright villains, and comical characters. Recent major productions and roles include: drug baron Polo Yakur in Assassination Games (2011), the Duke of Milan Ludovico Sforza in The Borgias (2011-2013), Joshua Collins (father of the main character played by Johnny Depp) in Dark Shadows (2012), Ivar the Boneless in Hammer of the Gods (2013), King Aelle of Northumbria in Vikings (2013-2017), pub landlord Mick Sturrock in The Coroner (2015-2016) and goon leader Yankee in Gunpowder Milkshake (2021). All of these productions have reached an international audience and have been dubbed in several languages. Kaye has also appeared in Layer Cake (2004) and is well-known in the UK as herdsman Bryan in BBC’s comedy series The Green Green Grass. From October 2017 to January 2018 he returned to theatre after almost twenty years, starring as Tom Kettle in the critically acclaimed multi-award-winning stage play The Ferryman at the Gielgud Theatre London. Kaye has also worked as a voice artist in several video games such as Star Wars The Old Republic, Stuntman, C-12 and more. As a founder and director of Comedy Ink Productions together with actor/writer Douglas McFerran, he has produced and acted as a lead in short comedic offerings such as the mini-series Brilliant! (2007), the short film Sherlock Holmes Confidential (2013) and his recent dark comedy short Acter (2020). Kaye has a reputation of being especially kind and appreciative towards his fans on social media and in person. He is a supporter of the Hounslow Urban Farm (where 'Green Green Grass' was partially filmed) and, with several other actors, the Justice for Andrew campaign, seeking justice for the murder of a young Liverpudlian. He has two grown-up daughters and lives in London.
Filmography
2025
- Brian and Maggie as Nigel Lawson
2023
- Apocalypse Clown as The Great Alphonso
2022
- Sister Boniface Mysteries as Ted Button
2021
- Gunpowder Milkshake as Yankee
- The Dead Collectors as Peter
- End of Term as Garth Stroman
2020
- The Dark Tower as Mayor Hart Thorin
2019
- The King as Scrope
- Cliffs of Freedom as Ghazi Khalif
- For Love or Money as Patrick
2018
- The Woman in White as Pesca
2015
- The Coroner as Mick Sturrock
- Vikings: Athelstan's Journal as King Aelle (archive footage)
- Undercover as Garabed
2013
- Vikings as King Aelle
- Hammer of the Gods as Ivar
2012
- Dark Shadows as Joshua Collins
- Tortoise in Love as Sean
2011
- The Borgias as Duke Ludovico Sforza
- Assassination Games as Polo Yakur
- Injustice as DS Harry Bowman
2004
- Photo Finish as Herbie Harris
- Control as Norton
- Layer Cake as Freddie Hurst
2003
- Inside the Mind of Paul Gascoigne as Narrator
2002
- Lenny Blue as DI Ron Featherstone
- Dinotopia
2000
- A Dinner of Herbs as Dan Bannaman
1999
- Bad Girls as Charlie Atkins
1998
- Microsoap as Roger
1997
- Trial & Retribution
- Solomon as Adonijah
- Solomon as Adonijah
1995
- Bugs
- Cold Comfort Farm as Reuben Starkadder
- Faith in the Future
1989
- The Paradise Club as Arthur Burns
1986
- Casualty as Guy