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Stephen McCole

Stephen McCole

Actor · Born February 18, 1974 (52) · Scotland

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Stephen McCole is a Scottish actor. McCole plays the leading role in the television black comedy High Times. McCole portrays Rab, an unemployed stoner who lives with his family in a bleak high-rise flat in Glasgow. The series, which received the 2004 BAFTA Scotland Best Drama Award, also features McCole's older brother, Paul. McCole credits the believability of his role to growing up in similar surroundings in Glasgow's Castlemilk project. McCole has also starred in the 2008 adventure comedy Stone of Destiny. Previous to High Times, McCole appeared in The Young Person's Guide to Becoming a Rock Star (TV Series) (1998), The Acid House (1998), Postmortem (1998) and the 2003 BBC One miniseries The Key. In 2005, McCole directed the comedy short Electric Blues, written by Paul McCole. Description above from the Wikipedia article Stephen McCole, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
February 18, 1974 (52)
From
Scotland
Works as
Actor
Titles
27 on MovieCove · 50 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 63 days to Oct 26Down 13% in 30 days

What are Stephen McCole's films like?

Across their 14 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.

Genres

Comedy4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 71st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 67th percentile
: browse their Drama movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Self
29%
Bonds
28%
Survival
16%
Morality
12%
Power
8%
Society
7%
Friendship4 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity4 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival3 titles, browse their movies with this themeRevenge2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFreedom2 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 13 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 5 · Serious 3 · Dark 5

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 11 · Stylized 0 · Heightened 2

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 2 · Charged 7 · Intense 4

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 4 · Shifting 6 · Whiplash 3

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 6 · Some laughs 5 · Funny 2

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 3 · Even-paced 9 · Relentless 1

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 5 · Engaged 7 · Full focus 1

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

A split, not a type: Resolved 6 · Open-ended 5 · Ambiguous 2

Roles they play

4 analyzed roles
Trickster
1 of 4
Ally
1 of 4
Shadow
1 of 4
Threshold guardian
1 of 4

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
8
Warm
4
Melancholic
6
Dread
4
Absurd
3
Other
14

How their films linger

Bittersweet7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy2
  • Bittersweet7
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous4

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Stephen McCole's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 22 of their 27 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (11).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Stephen McCole's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

50 credits, 27 with a MovieCove page; 2 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • The Education of Jane Cumming(2026)

    as John Clerk

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Swan Songs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    as Dad

  • Rise of the Footsoldier: Vengeance(2023)

    as Fergus

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Dirty Water (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    Show 3 episodes · as Legend

  • Mayflies(2022)

    Show 2 episodes · as Woodbine

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all shows

  • Don vs Lightning (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    as Murray

  • Adam (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    as Mental Health Nurse

  • A Christmas Gift from Bob(2020)

    as Mark

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Brassic(2019)

    Show 1 episode · as Nathan Beasley

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • Beats(2019)

    as Sergeant Ian Black

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Orphans Reunited (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Actor

  • Connect (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    as Jeff

  • Malevolent(2018)

    as Frank

    Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all films

  • Outlaw King(2018)

    as Seamus Barber, Chamberlain

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Natalie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    as Tony

  • Barney Thomson(2015)

    as Wullie

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Outlander(2014)

    Show 1 episode · as Graham Menzies

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows

  • Turncoat (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    as Vince Deacon

  • Shetland(2013)

    Show 6 episodes · as Logan Creggan

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • The Wee Man(2013)

    as Junior Thompson

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • The Hollow Crown(2012)

    Show 1 episode · as Douglas

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all shows

  • Young James Herriot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Show 3 episodes · Actor

  • Perfect Sense(2011)

    as Nice Official

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • The Field of Blood(2011)

    Show 2 episodes · as Danny Ogilvey

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all shows

  • A Lonely Place to Die(2011)

    as Mr Mcrae

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Neds(2010)

    as Mr. McLeod

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • I'll Be Right Here (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Actor

  • Crying with Laughter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    as Joey Frisk

  • Stone of Destiny(2008)

    as Gavin Vernon

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Merlin(2008)

    Show 2 episodes · as Ragnor

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • At the End of the Sentence (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Actor

  • High Times (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Show 12 episodes · as Rab

  • Electric Blues (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Director

  • The Key (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Actor

  • The Magdalene Sisters(2002)

    as Young Man in Car

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Sunday (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    as Para F

  • Last Orders(2001)

    as Young Vince

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Band of Brothers(2001)

    Show 1 episode · as Frederick T. (Moose) Heyliger

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all shows

  • Blackout (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Actor

  • Complicity(2000)

    as Al

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Acts of Passion (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Show 1 episode · as Denny

  • The Acid House(1998)

    as Boab

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Rushmore(1998)

    as Magnus Buchan

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • The Young Person's Guide to Becoming a Rock Star (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Show 6 episodes · as Wullie

  • Orphans (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    as John

  • Postmortem (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    as George Statler Jr.

  • My Name Is Joe(1998)

    as Mojo

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • The Crow Road (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Show 4 episodes · as Dean Watt

  • Dead Eye Dick (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Actor

  • Taggart(1983)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all shows

Career shape

Star power in the 96th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 50 titles, 49 of them dated from 1983 to 2025; peak year 1998.

Biggest box office

Rushmore (1998)

$17M worldwide

Highest rated

Rushmore (1998)

Midcredits 96th

Film career

MilestoneBreakout
19832025

Peak 1998 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 2 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting49 of 50: 49 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score78thDirecting1 of 50: 1 only directing, 0 with another role

By decade

1980s1 · acting1990s9 · acting2000s13 · 12 acting · 1 crew2010s19 · acting2020s7 · acting

Billing

usually 8th · top billed in 0% of 18 roles
980818

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Stephen McCole's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 74th percentile, the median of all 18; across their 13 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 56th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

56thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Approval · how many liked their films

52ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Reach · how many have seen their films

79thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Midcredits score across 27 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up15
  • 50th to 74th6
  • 25th to 49th5
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

14 of their 27 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved7
  • Crowd Pleaser14
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed4

Most divisive · actor

The Education of Jane Cumming (2026)

81st percentile spread · 17% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

The Magdalene Sisters (2002)

Midcredits 96th · 87% liked

Reviewers score the acting 73/100 in their films, across 12 reviewed titles; fans 81, detractors 50. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Stephen McCole's work okay for kids?

Across up to 7 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity and profanity run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore4 titlesmedian 68 · intenseMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity7 titles12–64 · median 44 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity5 titles59–87 · median 69 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs5 titles33–83 · median 40 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense3 titlesmedian 71 · intenseMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Stephen McCole work with?

People who share at least 2 of Stephen McCole's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Martin Compston shares the most, 4.

Directors

Actors

Cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles