Tommy Flanagan was DJing at a Glasgow club when a bunch of men claimed responsibility for killing his brother. Enraged, the 25-year-old confronted them outside, armed only with a beer bottle. He was almost fatally injured, sustaining multiple facial knife wounds, and a slash to this hand acquired when he tried to grab an attacker's knife. His face was slashed almost from ear to ear, leaving a wound called a "Glasgow Smile" (a type of injury that originated in Glasgow in the 1920's.) A thespian friend suggested Flanagan become an actor and join a theatre company that toured Scotland. With no experience, he did; leaving behind his jobs in DJing, decorating and painting. Have you ever made a huge change in careers rather spontaneously?

Initially cast in tough-guy roles on the screen, Flanagan's scars eventually became less relevant in being cast. He says, "I don't see the scars anymore. They are just ancient history now. It's like a big wrinkle on my face." Although he is not a household name, have you seen any of these films or TV shows he appeared in?