Paul McGillion (born January 5, 1969) is a Vancouver-based actor who has worked in television, film and theatre since 1990.
McGillion was born in Paisley, Scotland and his family moved to Canada when he was only 2. When Paul was 11 the family moved back to Scotland for three years while his father worked on the Shetland Oil Rigs. He is the sixth of seven children and despite popular belief, does not speak with a Scottish accent except when with his family.
He also taught scene study at the Vancouver Film School in 1998 and 1999. In 2004, McGillion took a role on the science fiction series Stargate Atlantis as the Scottish medical doctor, Carson Beckett. He was initially cast as a recurring guest, but his character appeared so frequently in the show's first season that he was promoted to main character for seasons two and three, and reverts back to a recurring character for seasons 4 and 5. McGillion also played the part of young Ernest Littlefield in Stargate SG-1's first season episode "The Torment of Tantalus", the first Tau'ri to have passed through the Stargate after its burial.
He expressed great interest in auditioning for the role of Montgomery Scott in the upcoming eleventh Star Trek film. “I grew up watching Star Trek and Scotty was my favourite character. It would be a great honour to follow in James Doohan’s footsteps," he said. McGillion also had the endorsement of Chris Doohan, the son of original Scotty actor James Doohan, to play the role of Scotty in the film. Though the part ultimately went to Simon Pegg, McGillion will still appear in the film in a different role.
