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