The Creative Irish, Part I: The Actors.

[CBHagman]

Okay, you know you're just dying to talk about your favorite Irish-born or part Irish actors of both sexes, and there's no dearth of people, both past and present, to talk about. So talk about that guy you saw at the Abbey theater, Stephen Rea's turn on Broadway, Ciaran Hinds's performance in the stage production of Closer, the Irishmen and -women of yesteryear who made a name for themselves in Hollywood.

And remember that entertainment writers often get it wrong when identifying the nationality of leading actors. The Welsh, Scots, Australians, New Zealanders, and Irish all get unceremoniously dumped into that great sub-category called British.

As for my tastes, I used to enjoy watching Chris O'Neill in the Buffalo, NY, theater scene. I think he's since got a theater of his own, though I could be mistaken.

And as far as stage and TV actors go, I am quite impressed with Colm Meany, who always gives a knockout performance.

Who are your favorites?

[Maeve]

1. Liam Neeson

NI-born--I could listen to him read the phone book (which also holds true for our Scots cousin, Sir Sean Connery!)

Of yesteryear...Barry Fitzgerald and Maureen O'Hara, both born in Dublin, are a couple of my favorites. I love old movies.

[Wat_Tyler]

2. Richard Harris for me.

[mohinoaklawnillinois]

3. Peter O'Toole is my absolute favorite,

with Richard Harris a very close second.

However I do enjoy Kenneth Branagh born in Belfast I do believe, Stephen Rea also from Belfast, Colm Meaney, and Liam Neeson who was born in Ballymena, Co. Antrim.

As for the old-timers, Barry Fitzgerald, his brother; I can't remember his stage name offhand, but he played the Rev. Mr. Playfair in the Quiet Man, Victor McLaglen and of course, Maureen O'Hara.

Sorry people, Colin Farrell leaves me cold.

[Wat_Tyler]

4. Michael Gambon - I forgot him.

[CBHagman]

5. I like Branagh, too.

He's a creative force of nature and a quadruple threat to boot -- writer, actor, director, and producer.

[CBHagman]

6. Gabriel Byrne: He's not just for Broadway anymore.

Keyser Soze, call your office. Irish film and stage actor Gabriel Byrne, who has spent a number of years on the New York stage (with a notable triumph in O'Neill's Moon for the Misbegotten), has a new movie out. It's called Wah-Wah and is an autobiographical work from writer-director Richard E. Grant.

Check out Ann Hornaday's interview here:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/05/AR2006050500416.html

Well, even if Wah-Wah isn't the feel-good movie of the summer, it certainly sounds well worth checking out, especially with that cast.

In A Touch of the Poet:


With Liam Neeson:


Image from The Usual Suspects:


Filmography:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000321/

I guess we'll forgive him for Cool World, huh?

[Greenpeach]

14. In Treatment

All of his patients fall in love with him, (many of his
viewers too, like me)

[catchnrelease]

7. Who's left?

Seems that most of the greats ones have been mentioned! I do think Pierce Brosnan is very good, and has his own production company so that he can do films like Evelyn, that the big studios aren't interested in. I always loved Richard Harris.

James Nesbitt isn't seen in too many things here, but does a good job. (He was in Bloody Sunday, Waking Ned Devine and at least a couple of BBC series)

(Barry Fitzgerald's brother was Arthur Shields. In fact, Shields was the family name, and Barry took Fitzgerald as a stage name.) I know I'm forgetting some I really like........

[Rambis]

8. James Nesbitt

I haven't seen anything from him I didn't like.

[CBHagman]

9. Nesbitt was in Match Point, Wood Allen's latest.

I'll have to look to see if Allen signed him up for his next film.

At the newsstand the other day, I checked out a copy of Irish America, which had its usual top Irish and Irish-Americans list (100 people in all, from various professions). Among the actors they profiled was Fionnula Flanagan, whom you have surely seen in something. She's like Gerard McSorley or Ciaran Hinds showing up all over the map.

[catchnrelease]

10. Fionnula Flanagan

I have never forgotten the first role I saw her in, Clothilde, in Rich Man, Poor Man. She was the housekeeper who seduced the very young Nick Nolte.

And I loved her sinister (but really kind of campy) housekeeper in The Others.

[CBHagman]

11. Jim Norton wins Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play.

Here's his speech from the awards ceremony Sunday night:

http://www.broadway.com/Gen/Buzz_Story.aspx?ci=567142

"Oh thank you so much. This is wonderful, this has to be one of the happiest days of my life. Thank you, this is just great. I can't believe it! To be nominated in the company of such wonderful actors and to speak Conor McPherson's beautiful words night after night and to experience the warmth and generosity of spirit of the Broadway audiences and to win this, this is the icing on the cake. I share this happily with my fellow actors in The Seafarer, terrific team, you guys, Conleth Hill, Ciaran Hinds, David Morse and Sean Mahon. A big thanks to Bill Haber and his myriad of wonderful producers who brought this truly magnificent play to Broadway, thank you for that Bill, for looking out for us all so well. I can't leave without a big thank you to my wonderful Mary Larkin, we've been together, oh, 36 or 37 years, something like that. Without her love and support and her belief in me I would not be standing here tonight. I can truthfully say, I love New York!" —Jim Norton, Best Featured Actor in a Play, The Seafarer

[Captain Hilts]

12. Spencer Tracy all the waaaay.....nt

[CBHagman]

13. He was terrific...

...whether he was playing opposite Sylvia Sidney, Katharine Hepburn, or Mickey Rooney.

[redqueen]

15. So I'm the only Cillian Murphy fan, then.

[CBHagman]

16. I've only seen him in "The Way We Live Now"

He was very good. I'm afraid I don't know any of his other performances (yet).