From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia John Irvin (born May 7, 1940) is an English film director. Born in Newcastle upon Tyne, he began his career by directing a number of documentaries and television works, including the BBC adaptation of John le Carré's Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. Also, he made several action films in the 1980s including The Dogs of War (1980), Raw Deal (1986), Hamburger Hill (1987) and Next of Kin (1989). In the 1990s and 2000s, Irvin directed films such as Robin Hood (1991), When Trumpets Fad