Actor. Born in Glasgow, Carlyle was brought up in Maryhill. His mother left when he was just four years old and thereafter he had a rather Bohemian childhood accompanying his painter-and-decorator father around the country. Carlyle was inspired to take up acting after reading an Arthur Miller play and he went on to train at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. His films include Trainspotting (1996), The Full Monty (1997), Angela's Ashes (1999) and The Beach (2000). TV roles include Hamish Macbeth (1995) and as a Liverpudlian killer in Cracker (1993).
Carlyle is noted for thoroughly researching his roles, for example, he slept rough on the streets of London for 5 days in preparation for the film Safe (1993).
Carlyle married Anastasia, a makeup artist, in 1997 and was awarded an OBE (1999).
