Irish actor Eoin Macken is set to saddle up for his latest screen role in Ransom Canyon, a sweeping new Western drama premiering on Netflix this week.
The star-studded series charts the intertwined lives and loves of three ranching families in the rugged heart of Texas Hill Country. With Josh Duhamel and Minka Kelly in leading roles, the show promises heartache, heat, and high-stakes family drama.
Joining the cast is Irish actor Eoin Macken, who plays Davis Collins, a mysterious cowboy who drifts into town just as long-buried secrets begin to resurface.
So, who is Eoin Macken? What’s his story, and where have we seen him before?
Where is Eoin from?
Eoin Christopher Macken was born and raised in Howth, Co Dublin.
He studied psychology at UCD, where a sports injury and a bit of curiosity led him to audition for a student play, he told the Irish Times in 2022. He caught the acting bug early and soon started exploring film-making as well.
He was also involved in UCD’s fashion show, which led to a successful modelling career. He became the face of Abercrombie & Fitch in 2003 and also modelled for brands like Ralph Lauren and GQ.
When did he get into acting?
Macken made his film debut in 2005’s Studs, starring alongside Brendan Gleeson and Emmett J Scanlan. A few years later, he joined the cast of Fair City as a drug dealer - but he didn’t stop there.
In 2008, he wrote, directed and produced his first feature film, Christian Blake, and has gone on to work on several more indie projects, including Leopard and the recent pandemic-inspired drama Grey Elephant.
He also trained in cinematography at Ballyfermot and studied acting in Los Angeles under Vincent Chase, coach to the likes of Bill Paxton and Shia LaBeouf.
What role is Eoin best known for?
TV fans may recognise him from his time on The Night Shift, a US medical drama where he played army doctor TC Callahan for four seasons. The show was a hit with audiences, peaking at over 8.5 million viewers.
He’s also known for playing the charming Sir Gwaine in the BBC fantasy series Merlin, a role that still earns him recognition on the street.
Sci-fi fans might have caught him in Nightflyers, a George RR Martin adaptation that sadly only lasted one season, or more recently in NBC’s La Brea.
What else has he done?
A man of many hats, Macken has worked both in front of and behind the camera. Alongside acting, he’s credited as a director, editor, photographer and cinematographer.
He’s appeared in Resident Evil: The Final Chapter, Killing Jesus for National Geographic, and the heartfelt music drama I Used to Be Famous, which is currently streaming on Netflix.
In that film, he played a former boyband star turned solo success, opposite Ed Skrein. The story centres on a neurodivergent teenager and the unlikely friendship that forms through music - a project Macken described as “really beautiful” and sensitively made.
What is Ransom Canyon about?
Ransom Canyon follows the drama, heartbreak and rivalries of three powerful families living in the fictional Texas town of the same name. With land, legacy and love on the line, the story blends romance, mystery and Western grit.
Macken’s character, Davis Collins, adds another layer of intrigue to the show as a brooding outsider with secrets of his own.
With a sprawling ensemble cast, and a tone that mixes old-school Westerns with modern emotional depth, Ransom Canyon is set to be one of Netflix’s big new offerings this spring.
Ransom Canyon premieres on Netflix on Thursday, April 17.
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