My top 10 favourite irish actors
Colin James Farrell
Colin James Farrell was
born 31 May (1976) he is an Irish
actor and was After TV and film work in the UK,
he was discovered by Joel
Schumacher while auditioning for Tigerland
in (2000) Farrell subsequently starred in several American thrillers, Phone
Booth (2002), S.W.A.T.
(2003), and The
Recruit (2003), establishing his international box office
bankability. During those same years, he also appeared in Steven
Spielberg’s Minority
Report (2002) and as the villain in Daredevil
(2003). After starring in independent films Intermission
(2003) and A
Home at the End of the World (2004), he headlined Oliver
Stone’s biopic Alexander
(2004) and the well-regarded Terrence
Malick Pocahontas
movie, The
New World
(2005).
Work in Michael Mann’s Miami
Vice (2006), Ask the Dust (2006), adapted from the
John Fante novel, and Woody Allen’s Cassandra's
Dream (2007), underscored Farrell’s continued popularity
among Hollywood’s important writers and directors, but it was
only his role in fellow Irishman Martin McDonagh’s In
Bruges by which he finally received official recognition in
the form of a Golden Globe in 2008. More
recently, he co-starred in the Fright
Night (2011) and Total
Recall (2012) remakes as well as McDonagh's second feature,
Seven
Psychopaths
(2012). Farrell will star as Peter Lake in the film
adaptation of Mark Helprin's 1983 novel Winter's
Tale and as Victor, opposite Noomi
Rapace, in the Niels
Arden Oplev-directed Dead
Man Down, among
others.
As well as being a favourite among top film
critics such as Roger Ebert, Peter Bradshaw, and Manohla Darsgi, in the (2000)s, Farrell amassed a reputation as a lothario, dating a range of women from Angelina Jolie to former Playboy playmate Nicole Narain. Around this time he was named one of People
magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People
Colm J.Meany
Colm J. Meaney
J born 30 May (1953) is an Irish
actor widely known for playing Miles
O'Brien in Star
Trek: The Next Generation and Star
Trek: Deep Space Nine. He is second only to Michael
Dorn in most appearances in Star
Trek episodes. He has guest-starred on many TV shows from Law
& Order to The
Simpsons, and currently stars as railroad magnate Thomas
Durant on AMC's
hit drama series Hell
on Wheels.
He has also had a significant career in motion pictures ,
appearing in the British sports film The
Damned United and all three film adaptations of Roddy
Doyle's The
Barrytown Trilogy.
Meaney was born in Dublin. He started studying acting when he was fourteen years of age,
and entered the Abbey
Theatre School of Acting after secondary
school. He became a member of the Irish
National Theatre and worked for the next
eight years in England, touring with several theatre
companies.
Meaney's first television appearance was in Z-Cars
on BBC1 in (1978). He guest-starred on shows such as Remington
Steele and Moonlighting
before embarking on a successful film career; he received a Golden
Globe nomination for Best Actor for his
role in The
Snapper.
Meaney first appeared on Star
Trek: The Next Generation in its (1987) pilot episode,
"Encounter
at Far point", as an unnamed helm officer.
His character became a frequently recurring one, and was given the name of
Miles
O'Brien as he became more prominent in the
crew as Transporter Chief. In (1993), Meaney left The
Next Generation for a more prominent regular role in its spin-off Star
Trek: Deep Space nine, and remained on that show until its
final episode in (1999). With 225 total appearances on Star
Trek 173 on Deep Space
Nine and 52 on The Next
Generation, he has made more appearances on the franchise than any other
actor except Michael
Dorn. Meaney appeared in two Star
Trek pilot episodes The Next
Generation and Deep Space
Nine, a distinction shared only with Patrick
Stewart and Armin
Shimerman. Meaney is also one of only six
actors to appear in the finales of two different Star
Trek series.
J born 30 May (1953) is an Irish
actor widely known for playing Miles
O'Brien in Star
Trek: The Next Generation and Star
Trek: Deep Space Nine. He is second only to Michael
Dorn in most appearances in Star
Trek episodes. He has guest-starred on many TV shows from Law
& Order to The
Simpsons, and currently stars as railroad magnate Thomas
Durant on AMC's
hit drama series Hell
on Wheels.
He has also had a significant career in motion pictures ,
appearing in the British sports film The
Damned United and all three film adaptations of Roddy
Doyle's The
Barrytown Trilogy.
Meaney was born in Dublin. He started studying acting when he was fourteen years of age,
and entered the Abbey
Theatre School of Acting after secondary
school. He became a member of the Irish
National Theatre and worked for the next
eight years in England, touring with several theatre
companies.
Meaney's first television appearance was in Z-Cars
on BBC1 in (1978). He guest-starred on shows such as Remington
Steele and Moonlighting
before embarking on a successful film career; he received a Golden
Globe nomination for Best Actor for his
role in The
Snapper.
Meaney first appeared on Star
Trek: The Next Generation in its (1987) pilot episode,
"Encounter
at Far point", as an unnamed helm officer.
His character became a frequently recurring one, and was given the name of
Miles
O'Brien as he became more prominent in the
crew as Transporter Chief. In (1993), Meaney left The
Next Generation for a more prominent regular role in its spin-off Star
Trek: Deep Space nine, and remained on that show until its
final episode in (1999). With 225 total appearances on Star
Trek 173 on Deep Space
Nine and 52 on The Next
Generation, he has made more appearances on the franchise than any other
actor except Michael
Dorn. Meaney appeared in two Star
Trek pilot episodes The Next
Generation and Deep Space
Nine, a distinction shared only with Patrick
Stewart and Armin
Shimerman. Meaney is also one of only six
actors to appear in the finales of two different Star
Trek series.
Pierce Brendan Brosan
Pierce Brendan Brosnan born 16 May (1953) is an irish actor,
film producer and environmentalist. After leaving school at 16, Brosnan began
training in commercial illustration, but trained at the Drama Centre in London
for three years. Following a stage acting career he rose to popularity in the
television series Remington
Steele
(1982–87)
After Remington Steele, Brosnan appeared in films such as The
Fourth Protocol and Mrs.
Doubtfire. In (1995), he became the fifth actor to portray
secret agent James Bond in the Eon Productions film series, starring in four films between (1995) and (2002).
He also provided his voice and likeness to Bond in the (2004) video game James
Bond 007: Everything or Nothing. During this period, he also
took the lead in other films such as Dante's
Peak and the remake of The
Thomas Crown Affair. After leaving the role of Bond, he has
starred in such successes as The
Matador nominated for a Golden Globe, (2005) Mamma
Mia! National Movie Award, (2008) and the
Ghost Writer
(2010).
In (1996), along with Beau St. Clair,
Brosnan formed Irish Dreamtime, a Los Angeles-based production company.
In later years, he has become known for his charitable work and environmental
activism.
He was married to Australian actress Cassandra Harris from (1980) until her death in
(1991). He married American journalist and author Keely Shaye Smith in (2001), and he
became an American citizen in
(2004).
film producer and environmentalist. After leaving school at 16, Brosnan began
training in commercial illustration, but trained at the Drama Centre in London
for three years. Following a stage acting career he rose to popularity in the
television series Remington
Steele
(1982–87)
After Remington Steele, Brosnan appeared in films such as The
Fourth Protocol and Mrs.
Doubtfire. In (1995), he became the fifth actor to portray
secret agent James Bond in the Eon Productions film series, starring in four films between (1995) and (2002).
He also provided his voice and likeness to Bond in the (2004) video game James
Bond 007: Everything or Nothing. During this period, he also
took the lead in other films such as Dante's
Peak and the remake of The
Thomas Crown Affair. After leaving the role of Bond, he has
starred in such successes as The
Matador nominated for a Golden Globe, (2005) Mamma
Mia! National Movie Award, (2008) and the
Ghost Writer
(2010).
In (1996), along with Beau St. Clair,
Brosnan formed Irish Dreamtime, a Los Angeles-based production company.
In later years, he has become known for his charitable work and environmental
activism.
He was married to Australian actress Cassandra Harris from (1980) until her death in
(1991). He married American journalist and author Keely Shaye Smith in (2001), and he
became an American citizen in
(2004).
Cillian Murphy
Cillian Murphy born 25 May (1976) is an Irish
film and theatre actor. He is often noted by critics for his chameleonic
performances in diverse roles and his distinctive blue
eyes
A native of Cork, Murphy began his performing career as a rock
musician. After turning down a record deal, he made his professional acting
debut in the play Disco Pigs,
in (1996). He went on to star in Irish and British film and stage productions
throughout the late (1990)s and early (2000)s, first coming to international
attention in (2003) as the hero in the post-apocalyptic film 28
Days Later. Murphy's best-known roles are his part in the
(2010) blockbuster Inception and as villains in two (2005) blockbusters:
the Scarecrow in the superhero film Batman
Begins a role later reprised as cameos in The
Dark Knight and The
Dark Knight Rises, and Jackson Rippner in the thriller Red
Eye.
A resident of London since (2001) Murphy often works in or near the city
and has expressed no desire to move to Hollywood. Uncomfortable on
the celebrity circuit, he customarily gives interviews about his work, but does
not publicly discuss details of his private life and did not appear on a
television talk show until
(2010).
film and theatre actor. He is often noted by critics for his chameleonic
performances in diverse roles and his distinctive blue
eyes
A native of Cork, Murphy began his performing career as a rock
musician. After turning down a record deal, he made his professional acting
debut in the play Disco Pigs,
in (1996). He went on to star in Irish and British film and stage productions
throughout the late (1990)s and early (2000)s, first coming to international
attention in (2003) as the hero in the post-apocalyptic film 28
Days Later. Murphy's best-known roles are his part in the
(2010) blockbuster Inception and as villains in two (2005) blockbusters:
the Scarecrow in the superhero film Batman
Begins a role later reprised as cameos in The
Dark Knight and The
Dark Knight Rises, and Jackson Rippner in the thriller Red
Eye.
A resident of London since (2001) Murphy often works in or near the city
and has expressed no desire to move to Hollywood. Uncomfortable on
the celebrity circuit, he customarily gives interviews about his work, but does
not publicly discuss details of his private life and did not appear on a
television talk show until
(2010).
Ardal O'Hanlon
Ardal O'Hanlon was born in (1965) in Carrickmacross, County
Monaghan, Ireland, the son of Rory
O'Hanlon, an Irish politician and doctor,
and has five siblings Ardal's family tree. He discovered that his paternal
grandfather, Michael O'Hanlon, a UCD medicine student, had joined the Irish
Republican Army during the Irish
War of Independence and was a member of
Michael
Collins's squad which assassinated British
secret service agents on the morning of Bloody
Sunday. Details of his grandfather's
activities survive in UCD Archives, as well as Blackrock
College. It also transpired that on his
mother's side he was a close relative of Peter
Fenelon Collier, the founder of Collier's
Weekly and Collier's
O'Hanlon was schooled in Blackrock
College in Dublin and graduated, in (1987),
from the National
Institute for Higher Education, Dublin now Dublin
City University with a degree in
Communications Studies.
Together with Kevin Gildea and Barry Murphy, Ardal O'Hanlon
founded the International Comedy Cellar, upstairs in the International Bar on
Dublin's South Wicklow Street. Dublin had no comedy scene at the time. As a
stand up, O'Hanlon won the Hackney
Empire New Act of the Year competition in
(1994). For a time he was the presenter of The
Stand-up Show.
He was spotted by Graham
Linehan, who was to cast him as Father
Dougal McGuire in Father
Ted (1995–98.) In (1995) he received the Top TV Comedy
Newcomer at the British Comedy Awards for this role. In (1995), he appeared as
Father Dougal in a Channel
4 ident Hello, you're watching television, and during Comic
Relief on BBC1. This was followed by the
award winning short comedy film Flying
Saucer Rock'n'Roll.
O'Hanlon moved into straight acting alongside Emma
Fielding and Beth
Goddard in the ITV comedy-drama Big Bad
World, which aired for two series in summer (1999) and winter (2001). He also
played a minor role in The
Butcher Boy as Joe's Francie's best friend father, and
appeared in an episode of the original Whose
Line is it Anyway?
In (2000), O'Hanlon starred in the comedy series My
Hero, in which he played a very naive superhero from the
planet Ultron. His character juggled world-saving heroics with life in suburbia.
He stayed in the role until early (2005 )and was replaced by James
Dreyfus for series 6 in
(2006).
Monaghan, Ireland, the son of Rory
O'Hanlon, an Irish politician and doctor,
and has five siblings Ardal's family tree. He discovered that his paternal
grandfather, Michael O'Hanlon, a UCD medicine student, had joined the Irish
Republican Army during the Irish
War of Independence and was a member of
Michael
Collins's squad which assassinated British
secret service agents on the morning of Bloody
Sunday. Details of his grandfather's
activities survive in UCD Archives, as well as Blackrock
College. It also transpired that on his
mother's side he was a close relative of Peter
Fenelon Collier, the founder of Collier's
Weekly and Collier's
O'Hanlon was schooled in Blackrock
College in Dublin and graduated, in (1987),
from the National
Institute for Higher Education, Dublin now Dublin
City University with a degree in
Communications Studies.
Together with Kevin Gildea and Barry Murphy, Ardal O'Hanlon
founded the International Comedy Cellar, upstairs in the International Bar on
Dublin's South Wicklow Street. Dublin had no comedy scene at the time. As a
stand up, O'Hanlon won the Hackney
Empire New Act of the Year competition in
(1994). For a time he was the presenter of The
Stand-up Show.
He was spotted by Graham
Linehan, who was to cast him as Father
Dougal McGuire in Father
Ted (1995–98.) In (1995) he received the Top TV Comedy
Newcomer at the British Comedy Awards for this role. In (1995), he appeared as
Father Dougal in a Channel
4 ident Hello, you're watching television, and during Comic
Relief on BBC1. This was followed by the
award winning short comedy film Flying
Saucer Rock'n'Roll.
O'Hanlon moved into straight acting alongside Emma
Fielding and Beth
Goddard in the ITV comedy-drama Big Bad
World, which aired for two series in summer (1999) and winter (2001). He also
played a minor role in The
Butcher Boy as Joe's Francie's best friend father, and
appeared in an episode of the original Whose
Line is it Anyway?
In (2000), O'Hanlon starred in the comedy series My
Hero, in which he played a very naive superhero from the
planet Ultron. His character juggled world-saving heroics with life in suburbia.
He stayed in the role until early (2005 )and was replaced by James
Dreyfus for series 6 in
(2006).
Eamonn Owens
Eamonn owens
born 18 January (1983) is an Irish actor. He has appeared in 19 films since (1997).
He starred in the (1997) film The
Butcher Boy and his performance won him an Honourable
Mention at the 48th
Berlin International Film Festival. With no
previous acting
experience, Irish-born Eamonn Owens impressed a casting assistant enough to
make the finals for the leading role in Neil Jordan's "The Butcher Boy (1997)
adapted from Patrick McCabe's. The then-13-year-old had been a participant in
his hometown's marching band and had modeled clothes for a local shop, but
acting was not on his agenda--until scouts auditioned him and his classmates
for the central role of a troubled youth with homicidal tendencies. The
red-haired Owens was a natural as the young Francie Brady, coping with the
death of his mother and his virtual abandonment. The adult character is
portrayed by Stephen Rea.When incarcerated in a correctional facility, the
youth becomes an altar boy and experiences visions of the Virgin Mary that
offer his comfort. The budding thespian followed with a turn as the younger
version of the criminal Martin Cahill played as an adult by Brendan Gleeson in
John Boorman's biopic The General 1998. Owens also landed a supporting role in
the BBC-produced series Amongst Women and made a cameo appearance as a hunchback
alongside younger brother Ciaran who was cast as the pre-teen Frank McCourt in
"Angela's Ashes" (1999)
born 18 January (1983) is an Irish actor. He has appeared in 19 films since (1997).
He starred in the (1997) film The
Butcher Boy and his performance won him an Honourable
Mention at the 48th
Berlin International Film Festival. With no
previous acting
experience, Irish-born Eamonn Owens impressed a casting assistant enough to
make the finals for the leading role in Neil Jordan's "The Butcher Boy (1997)
adapted from Patrick McCabe's. The then-13-year-old had been a participant in
his hometown's marching band and had modeled clothes for a local shop, but
acting was not on his agenda--until scouts auditioned him and his classmates
for the central role of a troubled youth with homicidal tendencies. The
red-haired Owens was a natural as the young Francie Brady, coping with the
death of his mother and his virtual abandonment. The adult character is
portrayed by Stephen Rea.When incarcerated in a correctional facility, the
youth becomes an altar boy and experiences visions of the Virgin Mary that
offer his comfort. The budding thespian followed with a turn as the younger
version of the criminal Martin Cahill played as an adult by Brendan Gleeson in
John Boorman's biopic The General 1998. Owens also landed a supporting role in
the BBC-produced series Amongst Women and made a cameo appearance as a hunchback
alongside younger brother Ciaran who was cast as the pre-teen Frank McCourt in
"Angela's Ashes" (1999)
Graham William Walker
Graham
William Walker,
known by his stage name Graham
Norton born 4tt of April 1963 is an Irish
comic presenter. Based in the United Kingdom, he is the host of comedy chat
show The
Graham Norton Show. Previously shown on BBC
Two, it took the prestigious Friday night slot on BBC
One from Jonathan
Ross in 2010. He also presents on BBC
Radio 2 and is the BBC
television commentator of the Eurovision
Song Contest, which led Hot
Press to describe him as "the 21st century's answer to Terry
Wogan. Norton has won the BAFTA
TV Award for Best Entertainment Performance on five occasions.
Norton is openly gay,
and is known for his camp
demeanour, innuendo-laden
dialogue and flamboyant presentation style.
Norton sold his production company to ITV in 2012 for around £17 million.
Norton was born in Clondalkin, a suburb of Dublin, but grew up in Bandon, County
Cork, Ireland. His father's family were from County
Wexford, while his mother was from
Belfast. He was educated at Bandon
Grammar School, in West
Cork, and then University
College, Cork (U.C.C.), but did not
complete his studies.
In 1992 his stand-up comedy drag act in the Edinburgh
Festival Fringe as a tea-towel clad
Mother
Teresa of Calcutta made the press when
Scottish
Television's religious affairs department
mistakenly thought he represented the real Mother Teresa.
His first appearances in broadcasting were in the United
Kingdom rather than his native Ireland where he had a spot as a regular comedian and panellist on the
BBC
Radio 4 show Loose
Ends, when the show ran on Saturday mornings, in the early
1990s. His rise to fame began as one of the early successes of Channel
5, when he won an award for his performance
as the stand-in host of a late-night
TV talk show usually presented by Jack
Docherty.This was followed by a comic
quiz
show on Channel 5 called Bring
Me the Head of Light Entertainment, which was not well
received as a programme, but did further enhance Norton's individual reputation
as a comic and TV host. In (1996), Norton co-hosted the late-night quiz show Carnal
Knowledge on ITV with Maria
McErlane.
In (1996), Norton played the part of Father
Noel Furlong in three episodes Hell Flight
Into Terror The
Mainland of the Channel
4 series Father
Ted, which was set in the West of Ireland. Father Noel Furlong was often seen taking charge of a small
youth folk-group. Norton gained particular fame in his native Ireland for this role.
William Walker,
known by his stage name Graham
Norton born 4tt of April 1963 is an Irish
comic presenter. Based in the United Kingdom, he is the host of comedy chat
show The
Graham Norton Show. Previously shown on BBC
Two, it took the prestigious Friday night slot on BBC
One from Jonathan
Ross in 2010. He also presents on BBC
Radio 2 and is the BBC
television commentator of the Eurovision
Song Contest, which led Hot
Press to describe him as "the 21st century's answer to Terry
Wogan. Norton has won the BAFTA
TV Award for Best Entertainment Performance on five occasions.
Norton is openly gay,
and is known for his camp
demeanour, innuendo-laden
dialogue and flamboyant presentation style.
Norton sold his production company to ITV in 2012 for around £17 million.
Norton was born in Clondalkin, a suburb of Dublin, but grew up in Bandon, County
Cork, Ireland. His father's family were from County
Wexford, while his mother was from
Belfast. He was educated at Bandon
Grammar School, in West
Cork, and then University
College, Cork (U.C.C.), but did not
complete his studies.
In 1992 his stand-up comedy drag act in the Edinburgh
Festival Fringe as a tea-towel clad
Mother
Teresa of Calcutta made the press when
Scottish
Television's religious affairs department
mistakenly thought he represented the real Mother Teresa.
His first appearances in broadcasting were in the United
Kingdom rather than his native Ireland where he had a spot as a regular comedian and panellist on the
BBC
Radio 4 show Loose
Ends, when the show ran on Saturday mornings, in the early
1990s. His rise to fame began as one of the early successes of Channel
5, when he won an award for his performance
as the stand-in host of a late-night
TV talk show usually presented by Jack
Docherty.This was followed by a comic
quiz
show on Channel 5 called Bring
Me the Head of Light Entertainment, which was not well
received as a programme, but did further enhance Norton's individual reputation
as a comic and TV host. In (1996), Norton co-hosted the late-night quiz show Carnal
Knowledge on ITV with Maria
McErlane.
In (1996), Norton played the part of Father
Noel Furlong in three episodes Hell Flight
Into Terror The
Mainland of the Channel
4 series Father
Ted, which was set in the West of Ireland. Father Noel Furlong was often seen taking charge of a small
youth folk-group. Norton gained particular fame in his native Ireland for this role.
Brendan Gleeson
Brendan Gleeson
born 29 March (1955) is an Irish actor. His best-known films include Brave
heart, Gangs
of New York, In
Bruges, 28
Days Later, Troy,
the Harry
Potter
films, The
Guard and the role of Michael
Collins in The
Treaty. He won an Emmy
Award in (2009) for his portrayal of Winston
Churchill in the film Into
the Storm. Gleeson was born in Dublin,
the son of Pat and Frank Gleeson has described himself as having been
an avid reader as a child. He received his second level education at St.
Joseph's CBS in Fairview, Dublin where he was a member of the school drama
group. After training as an actor, he returned to Ireland and worked for
several years as a secondary school teacher of Irish and English at the now
defunct Catholic Belcamp College in North County
Dublin, which closed in 2004. He was working simultaneously as an
actor while teaching, doing semi-professional and professional productions in
Dublin and surrounding areas. He left the teaching profession to commit
full-time to acting in (1991).
Gleeson started his film career at the age of 34. He first came
to prominence in Ireland for his role as Michael
Collins in The
Treaty, a television film broadcast on RTÉ
One, and for which he won a Jacob's
Award in (1992). He has acted in such films
as Brave
heart, I
Went Down, Michael
Collins, Gangs
of New York, Cold
Mountain, 28
Days Later, Troy,
Kingdom
of Heaven, Lake
Placid, Artificial
Intelligence: AI, Mission:
Impossible II, and The
Village. He won critical acclaim for his performance as
Irish gangster Martin
Cahill in John
Boorman's (1998) film The
General.
In (2003), Gleeson was the voice of Hugh the Miller in an episode
of the Channel
4 animated series Wilde
Stories.
While Gleeson portrayed Irish statesman Michael Collins in The Treaty, he later portrayed
Collins' close collaborator Liam
Tobin in the film Michael
Collins with Liam
Neeson taking the role of Collins. Gleeson
later went on to portray Winston
Churchill in Into
the Storm. Gleeson won an Emmy
Award for his performance. Gleeson played
Hogwarts professor Mad-Eye
Moody in the fourth, fifth and seventh Harry
Potter films. His son Domhnall played Bill
Weasley in the seventh
film.
Gleeson provided the voice of Abbot Cellach in The
Secret of Kells, an animated film co-directed by Tomm
Moore and Nora
Twomey of Cartoon
Saloon which premiered in February (2009) at
the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival.
Gleeson starred in the short film Six
Shooter in (2006), which won an Academy
Award for Best Live Action Short. This film
was written and directed by Martin
McDonagh who also wrote and directed In
Bruges in (2008). The film, and Gleeson's performance,
enjoyed huge critical acclaim, earning Gleeson several award nominations,
including his first Golden Globe nomination. In the movie, Gleeson plays a
mentor-like figure for Colin
Farrell's hitman. In his review of In Bruges, Roger
Ebert described the elder Gleeson as having a "noble
shambles of a face and the heft of a boxer gone to seed.
Gleeson will be making his directorial debut in a film
adaptation of Flann
O'Brien's novel At
Swim Two Birds. The Irish production company Parallel
Pictures will produce the film with a
budget of $11 million. Colin Farrell, Gabriel
Byrne, and Cillian
Murphy have been attached to star in the
film, which was originally set for release in (2010). In October, (2009), however,
Gleeson expressed concern that the Irish
Film Board's budget might be reduced given
the state of the Irish economy and that At
Swim Two Birds might fall through. Gleeson confirmed in July, (2011), that
he has secured funding for the project. He described the writing of the script
as tortuous, saying that it has taken fourteen drafts so far.
In July (2012), he started filming with Taylor
Kitsch The
Grand Seduction, a remake of Jean-François
Pouliot's French-Canadian La
Grande Seduction (2003) directed by Don
McKellar
born 29 March (1955) is an Irish actor. His best-known films include Brave
heart, Gangs
of New York, In
Bruges, 28
Days Later, Troy,
the Harry
Potter
films, The
Guard and the role of Michael
Collins in The
Treaty. He won an Emmy
Award in (2009) for his portrayal of Winston
Churchill in the film Into
the Storm. Gleeson was born in Dublin,
the son of Pat and Frank Gleeson has described himself as having been
an avid reader as a child. He received his second level education at St.
Joseph's CBS in Fairview, Dublin where he was a member of the school drama
group. After training as an actor, he returned to Ireland and worked for
several years as a secondary school teacher of Irish and English at the now
defunct Catholic Belcamp College in North County
Dublin, which closed in 2004. He was working simultaneously as an
actor while teaching, doing semi-professional and professional productions in
Dublin and surrounding areas. He left the teaching profession to commit
full-time to acting in (1991).
Gleeson started his film career at the age of 34. He first came
to prominence in Ireland for his role as Michael
Collins in The
Treaty, a television film broadcast on RTÉ
One, and for which he won a Jacob's
Award in (1992). He has acted in such films
as Brave
heart, I
Went Down, Michael
Collins, Gangs
of New York, Cold
Mountain, 28
Days Later, Troy,
Kingdom
of Heaven, Lake
Placid, Artificial
Intelligence: AI, Mission:
Impossible II, and The
Village. He won critical acclaim for his performance as
Irish gangster Martin
Cahill in John
Boorman's (1998) film The
General.
In (2003), Gleeson was the voice of Hugh the Miller in an episode
of the Channel
4 animated series Wilde
Stories.
While Gleeson portrayed Irish statesman Michael Collins in The Treaty, he later portrayed
Collins' close collaborator Liam
Tobin in the film Michael
Collins with Liam
Neeson taking the role of Collins. Gleeson
later went on to portray Winston
Churchill in Into
the Storm. Gleeson won an Emmy
Award for his performance. Gleeson played
Hogwarts professor Mad-Eye
Moody in the fourth, fifth and seventh Harry
Potter films. His son Domhnall played Bill
Weasley in the seventh
film.
Gleeson provided the voice of Abbot Cellach in The
Secret of Kells, an animated film co-directed by Tomm
Moore and Nora
Twomey of Cartoon
Saloon which premiered in February (2009) at
the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival.
Gleeson starred in the short film Six
Shooter in (2006), which won an Academy
Award for Best Live Action Short. This film
was written and directed by Martin
McDonagh who also wrote and directed In
Bruges in (2008). The film, and Gleeson's performance,
enjoyed huge critical acclaim, earning Gleeson several award nominations,
including his first Golden Globe nomination. In the movie, Gleeson plays a
mentor-like figure for Colin
Farrell's hitman. In his review of In Bruges, Roger
Ebert described the elder Gleeson as having a "noble
shambles of a face and the heft of a boxer gone to seed.
Gleeson will be making his directorial debut in a film
adaptation of Flann
O'Brien's novel At
Swim Two Birds. The Irish production company Parallel
Pictures will produce the film with a
budget of $11 million. Colin Farrell, Gabriel
Byrne, and Cillian
Murphy have been attached to star in the
film, which was originally set for release in (2010). In October, (2009), however,
Gleeson expressed concern that the Irish
Film Board's budget might be reduced given
the state of the Irish economy and that At
Swim Two Birds might fall through. Gleeson confirmed in July, (2011), that
he has secured funding for the project. He described the writing of the script
as tortuous, saying that it has taken fourteen drafts so far.
In July (2012), he started filming with Taylor
Kitsch The
Grand Seduction, a remake of Jean-François
Pouliot's French-Canadian La
Grande Seduction (2003) directed by Don
McKellar
Liam Neeson
Liam Neeson was born in Ballymena, County
Antrim, the son of Katherine "Kitty" Neeson
a cook, and Bernard "Barney" Neeson, a caretaker at the Ballymena Boys All Saints Primary School. He was raised
Roman
Catholic and was named Liam after the local
priest. The third of four siblings, he has three sisters: Elizabeth, Bernadette,
and Rosaline. At age nine, Neeson began boxing lessons at the All Saints Youth Club, and later became
Ulster's amateur senior boxing champion. Neeson first stepped on stage
at age 11. His English teacher offered him the lead role in a school play, and
he accepted because the girl he was attracted to was starring in it. From then
on, he kept acting in school productions for the following years.
His interest in acting and decision to become an actor was also
influenced by Minister Ian
Paisley, whose church Neeson would sneak
into. Neeson has said of Paisley: "He had a magnificent presence and it was
incredible to watch him just Bible-thumping away it was acting, but it was also
great acting and stirring too." In (1971), Neeson was enrolled as a physics and computer
science student at Queen's
University Belfast in Belfast Northern
Ireland, before leaving to work for the
Guinness
Brewery. Also at Queens, he discovered a
talent for football and was spotted by Sean
Thomas at Bohemian
F.C. There was a club trial in Dublin and Neeson played one game as a substitute against Shamrock
Rovers, but he was not offered a contract.
Antrim, the son of Katherine "Kitty" Neeson
a cook, and Bernard "Barney" Neeson, a caretaker at the Ballymena Boys All Saints Primary School. He was raised
Roman
Catholic and was named Liam after the local
priest. The third of four siblings, he has three sisters: Elizabeth, Bernadette,
and Rosaline. At age nine, Neeson began boxing lessons at the All Saints Youth Club, and later became
Ulster's amateur senior boxing champion. Neeson first stepped on stage
at age 11. His English teacher offered him the lead role in a school play, and
he accepted because the girl he was attracted to was starring in it. From then
on, he kept acting in school productions for the following years.
His interest in acting and decision to become an actor was also
influenced by Minister Ian
Paisley, whose church Neeson would sneak
into. Neeson has said of Paisley: "He had a magnificent presence and it was
incredible to watch him just Bible-thumping away it was acting, but it was also
great acting and stirring too." In (1971), Neeson was enrolled as a physics and computer
science student at Queen's
University Belfast in Belfast Northern
Ireland, before leaving to work for the
Guinness
Brewery. Also at Queens, he discovered a
talent for football and was spotted by Sean
Thomas at Bohemian
F.C. There was a club trial in Dublin and Neeson played one game as a substitute against Shamrock
Rovers, but he was not offered a contract.
Robert Micheal Sheehan
Robert Michael Sheehan
Irish
Roibeárd
born January 7, (1988) is an Irish
actor. He is best known for television roles such as Nathan
Young in Misfits
and Darren in Love/Hate,
as well as the 2009 film Cherry
bomb alongside Rupert
Grint. He has also co-starred in the film Killing
Bono, alongside Ben
Barnes, as Ivan McCormick. He recently starred in John Crowley's
production of J. M.
Synge's comic play The
Playboy of the Western World at the Old
Vic Theatre, London, which finished in November,
(2011).
He has three IFTA nominations and one BAFTA nomination. He also shared a BAFTA award with the cast of Misfits.
Sheehan was born in County
Laois, Ireland, the son of Maria and Joe
Sheehan.
He was born Robert Michael Sheehan, and added Adam as his confirmation name, becoming known as Robert
Michael Adam Sheehan. He is the youngest of three children. His father
was a garda. He played the banjo, the bodhrán, and the spoons at school,
joking that he was like "Footloose with spoons", and participated in Fleadh
Cheoil while at school. He first became
interested in acting in primary school, in St. Paul's in Portlaoise, when he
played Oliver in "Oliver with a Twist". Robert first considered acting when his
mother took him to an audition for Song
for a Raggy Boy when he was fourteen. He
was chosen for the film, which was shot for three months in West Cork. He stated
that he still keeps in touch with some of the boys from the film, and described
filming as an adventure. When he was sixteen, he played the crippled boy in
Cripple of Innishmaan with Open Door productions, and said afterwards that there
is nothing like good theatre.
He studied for a year at Galway-Mayo
Institute of Technology at the age of 17,
but left his course of Film and TV studies after a year as he failed and did not
return for the repeats, deciding that life behind the camera was not for him. He
has been quoted as saying, "I'm not sure if I want to be an actor. I want to go
to college but not to study acting. But I'd like to do it to see where it takes
me, so I'll keep at it. I never really made any plans of any sort. As long as I
can keep getting a few jobs, I will be grateful. It is great fun and wonderfully
rewarding for a young fella. I will continue as long as I keep getting
work."
He said his parents were wonderfully supportive, and that his
mother was virtually his manager in the early days of career, as well as his
chauffeur, driving him to and from auditions and film
sets.
Since then he has appeared in a number of feature films
including A
Dublin Story, Ghostwood,
An
Créatúr, Summer
of the Flying Saucer and Season
of the Witch. On television, he appeared in 15 episodes of
Foreign
Exchange (Magma Film/9 Network Australia) as Cormac
MacNamara and in all 13 episodes of Young
Blades (Insight/PAX TV) as Louis
XIV of France. More recently, Robert has
appeared in The
Clinic Parallel Films/RTÉ Bel's
Boys ITV and in Season 2 of The
Tudors Showtime/BBC.
In March and April (2008), he appeared in the leading role of
Addison Teller in the short-lived series Rock
Rivals produced by Shed
Productions for ITV.
In July (2008), he appeared in the role of Liam in Bitter
Sweet, a two-part RTÉ comedy drama directed by Declan
Eames.
In March (2009,) he appeared in the role of BJ in the dark
Channel
4 trilogy, Red
Riding. The TV adaptation of David Peace's cult noir
novels was set in Yorkshire during the 1970s and 1980s; he appeared in all three
episodes alongside Sean
Bean, David
Morrissey, Andrew
Garfield, Peter
Mullan, Maxine
Peake and Paddy
Considie.
He starred as one of the lead characters in the UK drama film
Cherrybomb
released in (2009) set in Belfast along with Rupert
Grint. The film depicts the events of a
weekend during which two best friends, Malachy Grint and Luke Sheehan go to
extreme and dangerous lengths in the battle for a girl's
affections.
From (2009) to (2010), he starred as a young offender named
Nathan
Young in the first two series of the E4
drama Misfits
which follows the tales of five young adults on community service for petty
crimes who find that they have superpowers after a powerful lightning storm
strikes them.
Sheehan at the Minghella Film Festival, March
(2011)
In (2010), he was nominated for an IFTA award in the Rising Star category. He was chosen to redo the
voice of Ray in A
Turtle's Tale: Sammy's Adventures, originally voiced by
Anthony Anderson.
In October (2010,) he was offered the part of Darren, a member of
gangland Dublin in the four-part drama Love/Hate
on RTÉ
One (Irish national television). Sheehan
received a call from his agent, Rose Parkinson, who told him he'd been offered
the part in a TV drama directed by David Caffrey. The Portlaoise actor said he
would do it, and didn't care what it was about, delighted to be involved in a
drama which is directed by David Caffrey, someone he greatly admired. He stated
he was "chuffed he had heard of him and had seen him in the Red Riding
Trilogy.
Sheehan is set for the lead role in the British-Italian natural
thriller film Bleak Sea.
Sheehan played Kay in the 2011 US fantasy thriller, Season
of the Witch.
In April (2011) it was announced that Robert Sheehan would not be
returning to Misfits for
season three.
In May 2011 he was nominated for a BAFTA in the "Male Supporting Actor category for his role in Misfits as Nathan Young. In June
2011 it was announced Robert would star in John Crowley's production of
J.
M. Synge's comic The
Playboy of the Western World. The performance ran from 17
September to 26 November 2011 at the Old
Vic Theatre. It also starred Ruth
Negga and Niamh
Cusack.
In October (2011), Sheehan starred in Arjun
Rose's Demons
Never Die.
Sheehan appeared in the second season of the BBC crime drama
series Accused.
In (2011), he was involved in a trailer for Bleak
Sea, a film trailer made specifically for a trailer competition, which is
not set to be expanded into a feature length film. Robert is expected to star in
the film, but his involvement is not
confirmed.
He is rumoured to star in upcoming feature In
Between The Waves, alongside Tom
Felton, and is set to appear in Wayfaring Strangers, alongside
Cillian
Murphy.
He also has a part in Romeo and Brittney, written and
directed by comedian David
Baddiel. The film is a comical parody of
Romeo
and Juliet. Sheehan is set to play Romeo, alongside
Karen
Gillan, and the film was completed in
summer (2012).
He will play Simon Lewis in the film City
of Bones which is set to release on 23 August
(2013).
Irish
Roibeárd
born January 7, (1988) is an Irish
actor. He is best known for television roles such as Nathan
Young in Misfits
and Darren in Love/Hate,
as well as the 2009 film Cherry
bomb alongside Rupert
Grint. He has also co-starred in the film Killing
Bono, alongside Ben
Barnes, as Ivan McCormick. He recently starred in John Crowley's
production of J. M.
Synge's comic play The
Playboy of the Western World at the Old
Vic Theatre, London, which finished in November,
(2011).
He has three IFTA nominations and one BAFTA nomination. He also shared a BAFTA award with the cast of Misfits.
Sheehan was born in County
Laois, Ireland, the son of Maria and Joe
Sheehan.
He was born Robert Michael Sheehan, and added Adam as his confirmation name, becoming known as Robert
Michael Adam Sheehan. He is the youngest of three children. His father
was a garda. He played the banjo, the bodhrán, and the spoons at school,
joking that he was like "Footloose with spoons", and participated in Fleadh
Cheoil while at school. He first became
interested in acting in primary school, in St. Paul's in Portlaoise, when he
played Oliver in "Oliver with a Twist". Robert first considered acting when his
mother took him to an audition for Song
for a Raggy Boy when he was fourteen. He
was chosen for the film, which was shot for three months in West Cork. He stated
that he still keeps in touch with some of the boys from the film, and described
filming as an adventure. When he was sixteen, he played the crippled boy in
Cripple of Innishmaan with Open Door productions, and said afterwards that there
is nothing like good theatre.
He studied for a year at Galway-Mayo
Institute of Technology at the age of 17,
but left his course of Film and TV studies after a year as he failed and did not
return for the repeats, deciding that life behind the camera was not for him. He
has been quoted as saying, "I'm not sure if I want to be an actor. I want to go
to college but not to study acting. But I'd like to do it to see where it takes
me, so I'll keep at it. I never really made any plans of any sort. As long as I
can keep getting a few jobs, I will be grateful. It is great fun and wonderfully
rewarding for a young fella. I will continue as long as I keep getting
work."
He said his parents were wonderfully supportive, and that his
mother was virtually his manager in the early days of career, as well as his
chauffeur, driving him to and from auditions and film
sets.
Since then he has appeared in a number of feature films
including A
Dublin Story, Ghostwood,
An
Créatúr, Summer
of the Flying Saucer and Season
of the Witch. On television, he appeared in 15 episodes of
Foreign
Exchange (Magma Film/9 Network Australia) as Cormac
MacNamara and in all 13 episodes of Young
Blades (Insight/PAX TV) as Louis
XIV of France. More recently, Robert has
appeared in The
Clinic Parallel Films/RTÉ Bel's
Boys ITV and in Season 2 of The
Tudors Showtime/BBC.
In March and April (2008), he appeared in the leading role of
Addison Teller in the short-lived series Rock
Rivals produced by Shed
Productions for ITV.
In July (2008), he appeared in the role of Liam in Bitter
Sweet, a two-part RTÉ comedy drama directed by Declan
Eames.
In March (2009,) he appeared in the role of BJ in the dark
Channel
4 trilogy, Red
Riding. The TV adaptation of David Peace's cult noir
novels was set in Yorkshire during the 1970s and 1980s; he appeared in all three
episodes alongside Sean
Bean, David
Morrissey, Andrew
Garfield, Peter
Mullan, Maxine
Peake and Paddy
Considie.
He starred as one of the lead characters in the UK drama film
Cherrybomb
released in (2009) set in Belfast along with Rupert
Grint. The film depicts the events of a
weekend during which two best friends, Malachy Grint and Luke Sheehan go to
extreme and dangerous lengths in the battle for a girl's
affections.
From (2009) to (2010), he starred as a young offender named
Nathan
Young in the first two series of the E4
drama Misfits
which follows the tales of five young adults on community service for petty
crimes who find that they have superpowers after a powerful lightning storm
strikes them.
Sheehan at the Minghella Film Festival, March
(2011)
In (2010), he was nominated for an IFTA award in the Rising Star category. He was chosen to redo the
voice of Ray in A
Turtle's Tale: Sammy's Adventures, originally voiced by
Anthony Anderson.
In October (2010,) he was offered the part of Darren, a member of
gangland Dublin in the four-part drama Love/Hate
on RTÉ
One (Irish national television). Sheehan
received a call from his agent, Rose Parkinson, who told him he'd been offered
the part in a TV drama directed by David Caffrey. The Portlaoise actor said he
would do it, and didn't care what it was about, delighted to be involved in a
drama which is directed by David Caffrey, someone he greatly admired. He stated
he was "chuffed he had heard of him and had seen him in the Red Riding
Trilogy.
Sheehan is set for the lead role in the British-Italian natural
thriller film Bleak Sea.
Sheehan played Kay in the 2011 US fantasy thriller, Season
of the Witch.
In April (2011) it was announced that Robert Sheehan would not be
returning to Misfits for
season three.
In May 2011 he was nominated for a BAFTA in the "Male Supporting Actor category for his role in Misfits as Nathan Young. In June
2011 it was announced Robert would star in John Crowley's production of
J.
M. Synge's comic The
Playboy of the Western World. The performance ran from 17
September to 26 November 2011 at the Old
Vic Theatre. It also starred Ruth
Negga and Niamh
Cusack.
In October (2011), Sheehan starred in Arjun
Rose's Demons
Never Die.
Sheehan appeared in the second season of the BBC crime drama
series Accused.
In (2011), he was involved in a trailer for Bleak
Sea, a film trailer made specifically for a trailer competition, which is
not set to be expanded into a feature length film. Robert is expected to star in
the film, but his involvement is not
confirmed.
He is rumoured to star in upcoming feature In
Between The Waves, alongside Tom
Felton, and is set to appear in Wayfaring Strangers, alongside
Cillian
Murphy.
He also has a part in Romeo and Brittney, written and
directed by comedian David
Baddiel. The film is a comical parody of
Romeo
and Juliet. Sheehan is set to play Romeo, alongside
Karen
Gillan, and the film was completed in
summer (2012).
He will play Simon Lewis in the film City
of Bones which is set to release on 23 August
(2013).