- Founded a Theatre Company in 1991.
- Owns the Rain Dog Theatre Company, named after the album "Rain Dogs" by Tom Waits.
- Featured in the music video for the Oasis song "Little by Little".
- Has not seen his estranged mother, Elizabeth "Liz" McDonald of Clan Donald, since he was four years old.
- He was awarded the degree of Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 1999 New Years Honours List for his services to drama.
- Turned down a role in 28 Days Later (2002) before taking a role in 28 Weeks Later (2007).
- Ranked seventh in the 2001 Orange Film Survey of greatest British actors.
- Good friends with Ewan McGregor who he worked with on Trainspotting (1996) and its sequel T2 Trainspotting (2017)..
- Of Clan Bruce.
- Trained at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (renamed the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland [RCS] in 2011) and formed his own Theatre Company, Rain Dog, in 1991.
- He was given the Special Acting Recognition Award by the Tallgrass Film Festival for his work in California Solo.
- He is of both Scottish and Irish ancestry.
- He is a Patron of School For Life in Romania.
- At age 17 he once worked as a butcher.
- Turned down a major role in Flight of the Phoenix (2004).
- His wife gave birth to a son, Pearce Joseph Carlyle of Clan Bruce (b. Queen Mother's Hospital, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, April 2006).
- A partner in the British film production company 4 Ways along with Antonia Bird, Irvine Welsh and Mark Cousins.
- His wife gave birth to a daughter, Ava Carlyle of Clan Bruce (b. 2002).
- His father, Joseph "Joe" Carlyle of Clan Bruce, died aged 76 on 7 January 2006 and was buried in Maryhill, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, on 14 January 2006.
- He was considered to replace David Tennant in Doctor Who (2005). He ultimately appeared in Stargate Universe (2009).
- His wife gave birth to a son, Harvey Carlyle of Clan Bruce (b. March 2004).
- He supports Glasgow Rangers Football Club.
- Met his wife, a make up artist, while filming Cracker.
- He missed out on Christopher Eccleston's roles in Shallow Grave (1994) and 28 Days Later (2002), both of which were directed by Danny Boyle. They did appear together in the Cracker (1993) storyline "To Be A Somebody".
- Brother-in-law of Paul Shirley.
- He was considered for Willem Dafoe's role in Go Go Tales (2007).
- He was originally offered David Thewlis' role in Divorcing Jack (1998), but he had to drop out when the shoot dates were changed and he became unavailable.
- He was considered for Matthew Modine's role in If... Dog... Rabbit (1999).
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