John Kavanagh

Acting

Born January 1, 1946, Dublin, Ireland

John Kavanagh (born 1946, Dublin, Ireland) is an Irish character actor who was a member of the Abbey Theatre company for ten years (1967–1977) before going freelance. He has worked in over 20 films and numerous TV series since 1970. His film credits include Braveheart (1995), The Butcher Boy (1997), Dancing at Lughnasa (1998), Florence Foster Jenkins (2016), and The Last Duel (2021). On television he is best known for playing The Seer / Pope Leo IV in Vikings (2013–2020) and Vikings: Valhalla (2022–2024), and Cardinal Lorenzo Campeggio in The Tudors (2007–2008). He received a Drama Desk Award nomination (1989) for Juno and the Paycock. He is also a singer, having played the lead in the Irish stage production of Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris in the 1970s. No other personal details are publicly confirmed.

Filmography

• 2026Bucking Fastard — Mr. Westmoreland
• 2024Baltimore — Sir Alfred Beit
• 2024Der Irland-Krimi: Zerrissene Seelen — Arthur Browne
• Peacock — Georgia's Boss
• Vikings: Valhalla — The Seer
• 2021Riverdance: The Animated Adventure — Gatekeeper (voice)
• 2021The Last Duel — Le Gris' Priest
• 2019Supervized — Windsor
• 2017Deposits — Narrator (voice)
• 2017Lost Memories — Dad
• 2016Florence Foster Jenkins — Arturo Toscanini
• Vikings: Athelstan's Journal — The Seer (archive footage)
• 2014Horse — Junior
• 2014In Secret — Inspector Michaud
• 2013The Invisible Woman — Reverend Benham
• 2013The Stag — Fionan and Little Kevin's Dad
• Vikings — Pope Leo IV, The Seer (voice)
• Titanic: Blood and Steel — Edward Carson
• 2010The Runway
• Father & Son — John O'Connor
• 2007Closing the Ring — Reverend Smith
• The Tudors — Cardinal Campeggio, Cardinal Lorenzo Campeggio
• 2006The Black Dahlia — Emmett Linscott
• 2006The Tiger's Tail — Harry
• 2004Alexander — Parmenion
• 2004The Halo Effect — Stan
• 2004The Wonderful Story of Kelvin Kind
• 2003Benedict Arnold: A Question of Honor — Judge Shippen
• 2003Mystics — Gerry the Barman
• 2002Pete's Meteor — Sergeant Maloney
• 2002Puckoon — Haggerty
• 2002Sinners — Frank
• 2001Last Days in Dublin
• Rebel Heart — Eugene O'Brien
• 1999Vicious Circle — Charlie Rice
• 1998Dancing at Lughnasa — Father Carlin
• 1998The Butcher Boy — Dr. Boyd
• 1997The Informant — IRA Chief
• 1996Samuel Beckett: As the Story Was Told — Voice
• 1996Some Mother's Son — Cardinal
• 1995Braveheart — Craig
• 1995Circle of Friends — Brian Mahon
• 1995Shadow of a Gunman — Adolphus Grigson
• 1995Sharpe's Sword — Father Patrick Curtis
• Scarlett — Jamie O'Hara
• 1994Widows' Peak — Canon Murtagh
• 1993Bad Company — Patrick Molloy
• 1993Love Lies Bleeding — Sean Kerrigan
• Sharpe — Father Curtis
• 1992Into the West — Hartnett
• 1991Arise and Go Now — Father Dade
• 1991Children of the North — Seamus Reilly
• 1991Events at Drimaghleen — Superintendent O'Kelly
• Performance — Adolphus Grigson
• 1990August Saturday — Tom Crosbie
• 1990Fools of Fortune — Johnny Lacy
• 1990Who Bombed Birmingham? — Z
• 1988Joyriders — Manager
• The Storyteller — Beggar
• 1988The Storyteller: A Story Short — Beggar
• 1987Bellman and True — Donkey
• Lovejoy — Hennessey
• ScreenPlay — Tom Crosbie, Superintendent O'Kelly, Father Dade, Sean Kerrigan
• 1986The Fantasist — Robert Foxley
• 1985The Price — Kearney
• The Price — Kearney
• 1984Cal — Skeffington
• 1984Children in the Crossfire
• 1983Attracta — Mr. Devereux
• 1983The Country Girls — James
• 1982The Ballroom of Romance — Bowser Egan
• 1980Revival: Pearse's Concept of Ireland — Patrick Pearse
• 1971A Week in the Life of Martin Cluxton — Priest
• 1970The McKenzie Break
• One Sweet Hour — Tommy
• Weeks — Jim