Colm Meaney

Photo of Colm Meaney

Biography

Determined to be an actor since age 13, Meaney spent some time in a fisherman training program after leaving high school, but soon began his career at the renowned Abbey Theatre, first as an student in its training program and later on the Dublin stage before moving to Great Britain where he joined 7:84, a leftist theater group. He traveled to the USA in 1982, settling in the Hell's Kitchen section of Manhattan, and jetted back-and-forth …
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Job Title

Actor, Producer

Born

Colm J. Meaney on May 30, 1953 in Dublin, IE

Career Milestones

2012

Co-starred with Robert Pattinson in the Parisian-set period drama "Bel Ami," based on the novel by Guy de Maupassant

2010

Cast in the comedy feature "Get Him to the Greek"

2009

Played a detective in "Law Abiding Citizen" opposite Gerard Butler and Jamie Foxx

2009

Portrayed the former Leeds manager Don Reviethe in the British film "The Damned United"

2007

Starred in the Irish film "Kings"

2004

Co-starred with Daniel Craig in the British gangster hit "Layer Cake," directed by Matthew Vaughn

2004

Played recurring role of Cowen, leader of the Genii, on the Sci Fi Channel series "Stargate Atlantis"

2004

Co-starred with Colin Farrell in the drama "Intermission"

2003

Starred in the musical comedy "The Boys and Girl from County Clare"

2002

Co-starred in the TNT movie "King of Texas," which reset Shakespeare's "King Lear" in the U.S.

2001

Played the title role in the film "How Harry Became a Tree"

1999

Starred as the leader of the leprechauns in the NBC fantasy miniseries "The Magical Legend of the Leprechauns"

1999

Played the mayor of a small-town in the David E. Kelley penned "Mystery Alaska"

1999

Co-starred in the off-Broadway staging of "The Cider House Rules - Part One: Here in St. Cloud's"

1999

Delivered supporting turn as the fey operator of a bed & breakfast in "This Is My Father"

1998

Cast as a gangster who forces the title character into a life of prostitution in "Claire Dolan"

1997

Played a short-tempered DEA agent in "Con Air"

1996

Cast in featured role as a slick politician in "Last of the High Kings"

1996

Re-teamed with Frears for the third film in Doyle's Barrytown trilogy "The Van"

1995

Delivered memorable role as strong-willed innkeeper Morgan the Goat in "The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill but Came Down a Mountain"

1994

Played the title character's cousin in "Scarlett," the CBS miniseries sequel to "Gone With the Wind"

1994

Co-starred as a zealot vegetarian in "The Road to Wellville," Alan Parker's 1907-set satire of health fanaticism

1994

Appeared opposite then-wife Bairbre Dowling as parents of a leader of a children's gang in "The War of the Buttons"

1993

Landed first lead role in "The Snapper," the second film in Doyle's Barrytown trilogy directed by Stephen Frears

1993

Joined the cast of the "Star Trek" spin-off series "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine"; reprised role of O'Brien

1992

Featured in Ron Howard's period drama "Far and Away"

1991

Re-teamed with Parker in "The Commitments," playing the colorful father of the band's manager; the first film in Doyle's Barrytown trilogy

1990

Landed bit parts in Warren Beatty's appropriately cartoonish "Dick Tracy" and the action sequel "Die Hard 2: Die Harder"

1990

First film with director Alan Parker, "Come See the Paradise"

1988

Featured on Broadway in "Breaking the Code"

1987

Cast as Engineer Miles O'Brien on the "Star Trek" spin-off "Star Trek: The Next Generation" (Syndicated)

1987

Played supporting role in John Huston's "The Dead"

1986

Moved to Los Angeles, CA

1981

Feature acting debut, "Nailed"

1981

Made his Broadway debut in "Nicholas Nickleby"

1978

First television appearance, "Z-Cars" on BBC1

Joined 7:84, a small British leftist theater company

Moved to London in his early 20s

Awards

1993

Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy Or Musical in The Snapper