Biography
Having made his mark as an angry man comedian in the early 1990s with a stand-up act that lambasted every aspect of popular culture, actor Denis Leary put his abrasive persona to good use when he made the transition to the screen. He first gained widespread notice with his fast-talking rants that were featured in between commercials on MTV. After achieving a minor hit in the music world with the sardonic 1993 single "Asshole," Leary starred in …
Denis Leary SlideShow
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Career Milestones
2012 | Returned to voice the sabre-toothed tiger Diego in "Ice Age: Continental Drift" | |
2012 | Co-starred with Andrew Garfield in "The Amazing Spider-Man" | |
2009 | Reprised role of Diego the saber-toothed tiger for "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs" | |
2008 | Portrayed Democratic political consultant Michael Whouley in the HBO film "Recount"; earned Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for Supporting Actor in a TV Movie | |
2008 | Produced the Fox series "Canterbury's Law"; also wrote and directed the pilot episode | |
2006 | Once again voiced Diego the saber-toothed tiger in the sequel "Ice Age: The Meltdown" | |
2004 | Released the album Merry F#%$in' Christmas, which included a mix of new music and previously unreleased recordings | |
2004 | Starred as Manhattan firefighter Tommy Gavin on the FX drama "Rescue Me"; also served as creator, writer, and executive producer; received Golden Globe (2004) and Emmy (2006, 2007) nominations for Best Lead Actor | |
2002 | Voiced a saber-toothed tiger in the animated feature "Ice Age" | |
2001 | Played a mental patient in the digitally-shot "Final," directed by Campbell Scott | |
2001 | Co-created the ABC sitcom "The Job"; also played the lead role of an Irish-American police officer | |
2000 | Played supporting role in "Company Man" | |
1999 | Played a supporting role in "Jesus' Son" starring Billy Crudup | |
1999 | Co-starred with Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo in the remake of "The Thomas Crown Affair" | |
1998 | First co-producing credit, "Monument Ave"; re-teamed with director Demme and writing partner Armstrong | |
1998 | Provided the voice of Francis in the animated feature "A Bug's Life" | |
1997 | Returned to the one-man rant in a live show "Denis Leary: Lock 'n Load"; filmed by Demme for HBO's "Comedy Hour" | |
1997 | Featured in "Wag the Dog" and "Suicide Kings" | |
1996 | First writing credit, "Two If By Sea"; co-wrote wife Ann and Mike Armstrong; also acted opposite Sandra Bullock | |
1995 | Directed "Lust" segment (written by wife Anne Lembeck) of "National Lampoon's Favorite Deadly Sins" | |
1995 | Formed Apostle Pictures | |
1994 | Landed breakthrough role as the smart-talking thief in Ted Demme's "The Ref" | |
1993 | First leading role in a feature, "Judgment Night" | |
1993 | Released first comedy album No Cure For Cancer; executive produced "Denis Leary: No Cure for Cancer" for the small screen | |
1992 | Published book No Cure For Cancer | |
1992 | Feature acting debut, "Strictly Business" | |
| Worked as a contributing editor for Details magazine | ||
1991 | Began appearing in promos for MTV | |
1991 | Off-Broadway debut, "No Cure For Cancer" | |
1990 | West End theater debut, "No Cure For Cancer" | |
1990 | Wrote the one-man show "No Cure For Cancer"; debuted at the Edinburgh International Arts Festival | |
1990 | Hosted the cable comedy showcase "London Underground" (Comedy Central) | |
1987 | Appeared in skits on the MTV game show "Remote Control"; popular characters were musician Keith Richards and artist Andy Warhol | |
| Co-founded the Comedy Workshop in Boston | ||
| Hosted his own show at the underground club "Play It Again Sam" | ||
| Began performing stand-up comedy in the late 1970s | ||
| Taught comedy writing classes at Emerson College | ||
| Raised in Boston, MA | ||
Awards
2008 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television in Recount |
2008 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie in Recount |
2007 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in Rescue Me |
2006 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in Rescue Me |
2005 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series in Rescue Me |
2004 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama in Rescue Me |