| Acted on the popular BBC serial "EastEnders" |
| Joined the Liverpool Playhouse |
| Raised in Liverpool, England |
| Starred in the 1920s Ireland-set black comedy "How Harry Became a Tree" (lensed 2000) |
1983 | Began acting at age 17 (date approximate) |
1986 | Made film debut with a small role in "No Surrender" |
1991 | First starring feature role, played John Lennon in the black-and-white short "The Hours and Times", directed by Christopher Munch |
1994 | Again played Lennon, this time as a young upstart musician, in "Backbeat" |
1995 | Appeared in the features "The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain", "Clockwork Mice" and "Loved Up" |
1995 | Co-starred as Ginger, a hothead Loyalist assassin, in the Troubles-themed drama "Nothing Personal"; won best supporting actor prize at the Venice Film Festival for his work |
1995 | Had starring role in Kenneth Loach's "Land and Freedom", playing a Brit who goes to fight in the Spanish Civil War |
1996 | Co-starred in "Michael Collins" as the title character's secretary, marking his debut in a US produced film; first collaboration with writer-director Neil Jordan |
1996 | Gave a memorable performance as the supportive lover of a man fighting for custody of his young son in the fact-based drama "The Hollow Reed" |
1997 | Played the club manager in "Mojo", adapted by Jez Butterworth from his stage play |
1997 | Reunited with Neil Jordan for a supporting role in "The Butcher Boy" |
1998 | Had a supporting turn in the conspiracy thriller "Enemy of the State" |
1998 | Starred in the small scale independents "Still Waters Burn" and "Frogs For Snakes" |
1999 | Appeared in the British independent features "B. Monkey" and "This Year's Love" |
1999 | Featured as a private detective tracking a woman (Julianne Moore) for her former lover (Ralph Fiennes) in the acclaimed drama "The End of the Affair"; third collaboration with Neil Jordan |
1999 | Played an angry alcoholic with marital problems in Michael Winterbottom's "Wonderland" (released in USA in 2000) |
2000 | Appeared in the fact-based historical miniseries "Longitude", aired on Britian's Channel 4 and A&E in the USA |
2000 | Co-starred in "Born Romantic"; screened at Toronto Film Festival; released in USA in 2001 |
2000 | Played the title character's father in Stephen Frears' "Liam"; shown at Venice Film Festival; released in the USA in 2001 |
2000 | Starred as a man trying to lure eligible American women to his small Irish town in the comedy "The Closer You Get" |
2001 | Co-starred with Ian Holm in a stage revival of "The Homecoming"; played role Holm originated in the premiere staging of the Pinter drama; acted in London, then recreated the part in NYC as part of a 70th birthday tribute to the author |
2001 | Featured as a truck driver who romances a feisty lawyer in the drama "Aberdeen" |
2001 | Played Professor Quirrell in "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" |
2001 | Portrayed a Scottish singer who gets involved with local gangsters hoping it will propel him into the big time in "Cocozza's Way/Strictly Sinatra" |
2002 | Appeared in the thriller "Killing Me Softly", starring Heather Graham and Joseph Fiennes and directed by Chen Kaige |
2004 | Cast in "Finding Neverland" which details the experiences of 'Peter Pan' author J.M. Barrie |
