Today, the National Tartan Day New York Committee President, Kyle Dawson, announced that acclaimed actor Tommy Flanagan, born and raised in Glasgow, Scotland, will be the Grand Marshal of the 19th Annual New York Tartan Day Parade, which will take place on Saturday April 8th.
“It is an honor to celebrate my culture,” said Mr. Flanagan about his appointment to Grand Marshal. “I have great pride in my heritage. Although I now live in Malibu, I visit Scotland regularly with my family. I’ll have my daughter flying her flag forever.”
The parade steps off at 2:00 PM and marches up Sixth Avenue from 44th Street to
55th Street.
Bands, Pipers, Dancers and Clans from Scotland and throughout the United States and Canada are joining the Parade, along with dozens of Scottish and West Highland Terriers.
Flanagan stars in the upcoming movie Guardians of the Galaxy, Volume 2, scheduled for release in May 2017. His acting career spans 25 years, from Braveheart, Gladiator, and Alien vs Predator, to seven seasons on FX Network’s drama, Sons of Anarchy, one of the network’s highest-rated shows, where he plays fan-favorite ‘Chibs,’ a loyal member of a motorcycle gang.
The Parade is organized by The National Tartan Day New York Committee, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit registered charity. The NTDNYC is comprised of the St. Andrew’s Society of the State of New York, the New York Caledonian Club, the American-Scottish Foundation and Clan Campbell.
The New York Tartan Day Parade began 19 years ago with a handful of Scots and Scottish-Americans walking down a sidewalk, and now includes thousands marching through the heart of Manhattan. It is the culminating event of Tartan Week, the annual Scottish festival that has grown up around April 6, Tartan Day, the national holiday to recognize the contributions of Scots and Scottish-American to the United States.
Celebrations will run from April 2nd to 9th, and include a diverse range of events throughout New York City, from concerts, business seminars, a Pre-Parade Ceilidh, and much more.
For further information regarding the New York Tartan Day Parade, please visit nyctartanweek.org.
For further information regarding Barbour in the US, please contact Helene Fletcher at hfletcher@conecomm.com or call (617) 227-2111.
You may also contact Kyle Dawson, President, National Tartan Day New York Committee:
Email: president@nyctartanweek.org or info@nyctartanweek.org
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Notes to Editors
Tommy Flanagan was born and raised in Glasgow, Scotland. In his twenties, Tommy made his living as a DJ until his friend Robert Carlyle persuaded him to give acting a try. Mr. Flanagan joined Carlyle’s Raindog Theatre Company where he made his stage debut in such productions as Wasted I and II, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, and MacBeth.
Mr. Flanagan worked in various local and smaller film and television projects until he landed a small role in Mel Gibson’s epic Braveheart (1995). Mr. Gibson expanded the role of rebel ‘Morrison’ specifically for Mr. Flanagan, exposing him to a worldwide audience.
Following this, Mr. Flanagan went on to work with an array of top directors in films such as Phillip Noyce’s The Saint, John Woo’s Face/Off, and David Fincher’s The Game. In 1999, he would get the chance to once again work with Robert Carlyle in Plunkett & Macleane.
That same year, he earned critical praise and numerous Best Actor nominations for his role as ‘Da’, the troubled father in Lynne Ramsay’s Ratcatcher. The film earned Best Director awards at many European film festivals including the London Film Critics Circle and the BAFTA 2000 awards.
In 2000, Mr. Flanagan starred in Art Linson’s Sunset Strip for director Adam Collis, where he played a mysterious 1970’s heartthrob rock star.
He then played the role of ‘Cicero’, a faithful retainer of Russell Crowe’s character in the Academy Award-winning Gladiator for director Ridley Scott.
Mr. Flanagan followed this up with roles in the indie features Dead Dogs Lie and Strictly Sinatra, New Line’s All About the Benjamins opposite Ice Cube, and Trauma opposite Colin Firth.
In 2004, he starred in 20th Century Fox’s Alien vs. Predator for director Paul W.S. Anderson, and followed that up in 2005 with Miramax Films’ Sin City for director Robert Rodriguez. In 2006, Mr. Flanagan played the pivotal role of ‘the Stranger’ terrorizing Camilla Belle in Simon West’s re-make of When a Stranger Calls. He then played the enigmatic hit man ‘Lazlo Soot’ in Joe Carnahan’s Smokin’ Aces.
In 2008, Mr. Flanagan joined Charlie Hunnam in FX Network’s drama, Sons of Anarchy. A huge success with a devoted following, the series ran for seven seasons.
Mr. Flanagan continues to garner attention, creating memorable characters in other hit series and films. Among other notable roles, he stars in the critically acclaimed UK drama Winter by Heidi Greensmith, in which he plays an emotionally tortured painter trying to keep his family together after the sudden loss of his wife, The Jesuit opposite Tim Roth and fellow Braveheart alum Brian Cox, and a guest star appearance in Fox’s Gotham.
Audiences can look forward to Sand Castle, set during the Iraq War, Running Wild with Sharon Stone, The Ballad of Lefty Brown with Bill Pullman and Jim Caviziel, Papillon with Charlie Hunnam, and James Gunn’s much anticipated sequel, Guardians of the Galaxy, Volume 2.
