Sinead Cusack was born in 1948 in Dalkey in Co. Dublin. She is the daughter of actors Maureen & Cyril Cusack. She has a steller career on the stage. Her film credits include “Hoffman” opposite Peter Sellers in 1980, “Waterland” opposite her husband Jeremy Irons in 1992 and in 2006 John Boorman’s “The Tiger’s Tail” opposite Brendan Gleeson and Kim Catrell
TCM Overview:
This petite blonde stage-trained Irish actress is best-known for her work on the London stage with the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) and the Royal Court Theatre. The daughter of noted actor Cyril Cusack, she began her professional career at the famed Abbey Theater of Dublin. In the late 1960s, Cusack moved to London and soon thereafter began her collaboration with the RSC. She also made her feature debut with a small part in Clive Donner’s “Alfred the Great” (1969). The next year, she starred opposite Peter Sellers in the small comedy “Hoffman” but for the better part of the next two decades, she concentrated on working in the theater.
Cusack has played leading Shakespearean roles in RSC and Royal Court productions of “Macbeth” (as Lady Macbeth), “The Taming of the Shrew” (as Kate) and “The Merchant of Venice” (as Portia). In 1984, she made her Broadway debut opposite Derek Jacobi in the repertory productions of “Much Ado About Nothing” (as Beatrice) and “Cyrano de Bergerac” (as Roxanne), earning a Tony nomination for her work in the former. Six years later, she returned to London’s West End for an acclaimed production of “The Three Sisters”, co-starring her father and her sisters Sorcha and Niamh.
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In the late 1980s, Cusack resumed her big screen career and has co-starred in a handful of mostly European-made features. Her American films have included “Rocket Gibraltar” and “Dublin Murders” (both 1988), while her other credits have included the fantasies “Venus Peter” (1989), “Waterland” (1992) with her husband Jeremy Irons, Les Blair’s comedy “Bad Behaviour” (1993), opposite Stephen Rea, and the dramas “The Cement Garden” (1993) and “The Nephew” (lensed 1996). In Italy, she co-starred with Vanessa Redgrave and Johnathon Schaech in Franco Zeffirelli’s “Sparrow” (1993) and again teamed with her Irons and Liv Tyler in Bernardo Bertolucci’s “Stealing Beauty” (1996).
Cusack made her TV debut in 1970 playing Emily to her father’s Barkis in a British production of “David Copperfield”. She went to appear in several British-made TV-movies, including the thriller “The Eyes Have It” (1974), two “Quiller” mysteries, “Night of the Father” and “Price of Violence” (both 1975), in which she was cast as a detective’s right-hand, “Twelfth Night” (1980), as Olivia, and “Cyrano de Bergerac” (1994), as Roxanne.
She and Irons both played supporting roles to Rosemary Harris’ George Sand in the multi-part biography “Notorious Woman” (PBS, 1975) and “Tales from Hollywood” (PBS, 1992). More recently, Cusack was seen opposite Alan Bates in the BBC mystery “Oliver’s Travels” (1996).
The above TCM overview can also be accessed online here.
Daniel Stern was born in 1957 in Maryland. He made his film debut in OPeter Yate’s “Breaking Away” in 1979. He was featured with Jill Clayburh in “It’s My Turn” and in “City Clockers” and “Home Alone”.
TCM Overview:
Prolific character actor Daniel Stern accumulated an impressive list of performances in a wide variety of roles over a career that spanned decades. Making a memorable debut in the surprise hit film “Breaking Away” (1979), he was immediately likable in the part of the hilarious and laid back Cyril. Soon, Stern was working with the likes of Woody Allen, just prior to co-starring in another small, but highly-regarded film, director Barry Levinson’s “Diner” (1982). There were missteps along the way, such as the schlock horror movie “C.H.U.D.” (1984), but those were outweighed by his efforts on projects like “The Wonder Years” (ABC, 1987-1993), for which Stern provided uncredited narration for the fondly remembered series. His biggest success came with the role of Marv, the comically rotten burglar in the smash hit “Home Alone” (1990), co-starring Macaulay Culkin and Joe Pesci. Stern immediately followed with yet another box-office bonanza, cast as the repressed pal of Billy Crystal in “City Slickers” (1991). Flush with success, he antagonized Culkin again in “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York” (1992), made his directorial debut with “Rookie of the Year” (1993), and hit the trail once again in “City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly’s Gold” (1994). And while some future endeavors fell flat, such as “Celtic Pride” (1996) and the failed sitcom “Regular Joe” (ABC, 2002-03), Stern would continue to lend his considerable talents to films like the girl power dramedy “Whip It” (2009) and the action thriller “The Next Three Days” (2010). While not packing the name recognition of some of his more high-wattage contemporaries, Stern nonetheless remained one of the more versatile supporting actors in film and on television.
Daniel Jacob Stern was born on Aug. 28, 1957 and raised in Bethesda, MD by his father, a social worker, and mother, who managed a day care center. After graduating from Bethesda Chevy Chase High School, 17-year-old Stern landed a small walk-on role in the Washington Shakespeare Festival’s mounting of “As You Like It.” Soon after, he relocated to New York City and briefly studied acting at the prestigious HB Studios before moving on to several theatrical roles, both on and off- Broadway. Spotted by a casting agent, Stern landed the memorable supporting role of the easy-going, wisecracking Cyril in director Peter Yates’ “Breaking Away” (1979). An endearing coming-of-age story about four high school friends making the awkward transition to adulthood in a small town with few opportunities, the film won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, and jumpstarted the young actor’s career. That same year, Stern appeared briefly with Jill Clayburgh in the romantic comedy “Starting Over” (1979), and popped up alongside the actress again the following year in “It’s My Turn” (1980). Stern’s quick accumulation of supporting roles continued to gain momentum when he joined the impressive ensemble cast of director Woody Allen’s Hollywood lampoon, “Stardust Memories” (1980). Stern lent support once again to the very in-demand Clayburgh in the addiction drama “I’m Dancing as Fast as I Can” (1982), in addition to the many other small parts which were coming his way at the time.
For the second time in his young career, Stern found himself cast in yet another breakout hit with director Barry Levinson’s heartfelt paean to his Baltimore of the 1950s, “Diner” (1982). As the obsessively organized Laurence “Shrevie” Schreiber, Stern’s performance amidst such future stars as Mickey Rourke, Kevin Bacon and Ellen Barkin was one of the highlights of a film equally beloved by both audiences and critics. Although Stern now seem poised for A-list status, his projects over the next several years where uneven at best. The year after the release of “Diner” saw him appearing in films like the rock-n-roll cult film “Get Crazy” (1983) and the clunky Roy Scheider police actioner “Blue Thunder” (1983). Stern followed with turns in the cult subterranean horror picture “C.H.U.D.” (1984), and an early effort by future A-list director Tim Burton, the short film “Frankenweenie” (1984), as the father of a young Victor Frankenstein. He also gave network television a try with the short-lived drama “Hometown” (CBS, 1985-86), a series based on the hugely successful film “The Big Chill” (1983). Stern was once again called upon by Woody Allen and lent his support to the director’s acclaimed romantic comedy “Hannah and Her Sisters” (1986). Around the same time, the character actor would land a role for which he would be long remembered, if not necessarily known for – the voice of the adult Kevin Arnold on “The Wonder Years” (ABC, 1987-1993). Providing the voiceover narration for the unabashedly nostalgic family series brought Stern’s voice into the homes of American viewers each week, although Stern – with a lack of ego rare in Hollywood – opted not to have his name listed in the credits.
Stern’s light workload on “The Wonder Years’ allowed him to keep busy on the big screen as well. The amiable character actor continued to rack up roles, with films like the Robert Redford-directed “The Milagro Beanfield War” (1988) and the noir remake “D.O.A.” (1988), which reteamed him with “Breaking Away” co-star Dennis Quaid. Less memorable film work included turns in the deep sea monster movie “Leviathan” (1989) and the family fantasy “Little Monsters” (1989), starring actor-comedian Howie Mandel and “Wonder Years” star Fred Savage. Stern next had a co-starring role as a buttoned-down older brother in the lightweight period dramedy “Coupe de Ville” (1990), but it was his next film that would provide him with exposure such as he had never known prior. Written by 1980s teen movie guru John Hughes, the family comedy “Home Alone” (1990) not only made a child megastar of its lead actor, Macaulay Culkin, but also raised Stern’s professional stock considerably. Alongside iconic tough guy Joe Pesci, Stern played inept burglar Marv, putting on a display of horrifically painful physical comedy that would make the Three Stooges cringe. Audiences loved it, making “Home Alone” one of the biggest hits of the decade. He parlayed that success into another co-starring role, alongside Billy Crystal in the mid-life crisis comedy “City Slickers” (1991). As the harried husband Phil, one of three buddies who go on a cattle drive in order to reinvigorate their staid lives, Stern brought his own special brand of self-deprecating humor that played perfectly off of Crystal’s rapid-fire delivery. The movie became another smash hit at the box office, and earned veteran actor Jack Palance an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Curly, the grizzled but wise old cowboy.
These were heady times for Stern, who reprised his role as the klutzy career criminal Marv by taking his act to the East Coast in the sequel “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York” (1992). With his newfound caché, Stern was next able to strike a deal to direct the sports comedy “Rookie of the Year” (1993). The family-friendly fantasy told the story of a young boy (Thomas Ian Nichols) who, after an accident, discovers that he has an incredibly fast throwing arm, eventually leading to his pitching for the Chicago Cubs. Stern did double duty on the film, playing the part of a slow-witted pitching coach. Another sequel followed with “City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly’s Gold” (1994), which found Phil going back on the trail with buddy Billy Crystal after a treasure map belonging to the late cowpoke Curly is discovered. Stern went on to executive produce and star in the ill-conceived comedy “Bushwhacked” (1995), before teaming with Dan Aykroyd and Damon Wayans in the Judd Apatow-scripted “Celtic Pride” (1996), about two Boston fans who kidnap a rival basketball star in an attempt to ensure victory for their home team. He then played the guilt-ridden friend of groom-to-be Jon Favreau in the caustic black comedy by actor-turned-writer-director Peter Berg, “Very Bad Things” (1998), a film described by film critic Roger Ebert as “reprehensible.” Stern also lent his familiar voice talents to the title role of the cubical-imprisoned office worker in the animated sitcom, “Dilbert” (UPN, 1998-2000), based on the long-running Sunday comic.
In quick succession, Stern made two more runs at starring in his own weekly series. The first effort was the quickly cancelled “Danny” (CBS, 2001-02), about a newly divorced dad trying to raise two teenagers while also running the local recreation center. Next came the empty nest sitcom “Regular Joe” (ABC, 2002-03), which came and went just a fast as his previous series. From there, Stern followed with supporting roles in a run of direct-to-DVD releases, such as the love triangle drama “The Last Time” (2007), starring Brendan Fraser and Michael Keaton, and the serial killer black comedy “Otis” (2008), alongside Illeana Douglas. More highly regarded was actress Drew Barrymore’s directorial debut “Whip It” (2009), in which Stern played the secretly supportive father of a teenager (Ellen Page) who decides to join a women’s roller derby team. He also appeared as the lawyer of a husband (Russell Crowe) desperately trying to get his wrongly accused wife (Elizabeth Banks) out of prison in the overlooked thriller “The Next Three Days” (2010). Rounding out the decade was the made-for-TV movie “Battle of the Bulbs” (Hallmark Channel, 2010), a Christmas comedy co-starring Matt Frewer.
The above TCM overview can also be accessed online here.
Arie Verveen was born in Ireland in 1966. He made his film debut in “Clouds of Magellan” in 1995. Other films include “The Thin Red Line”, “The Journeyman” and “Briar Patch”. He plays Liam O’Neill in the popular biker television series “Sons of Anarchy”.
IMDB entry:
Arie Verveen’s first lead role in a feature film, was Caught (1996), opposite Edward James Olmos and Maria Conchita Alonso and directed by acclaimed indie director Robert M. Young, for which he received an Independent Spirit Award Nomination, a Golden Satellite Award, and notable critical acclaim, for his performance. Arie first experimented with the idea of acting while living in London Town. He was intrigued by the illusions created in such Tennessee Williams plays, as ‘Orpheus Descending’, ‘Camino Real’ and ‘Talk To Me Like The Rain And Let Me Listen’… Verveen’s London stage debut was a production of ‘A Hatful Of Rain’ by Michael V. Gazzo which he co-produced and starred in. Shortly thereafter he visited New York City with film in mind. After contributing time at the famed Actors Studio on a volunteer basis he was asked to take over the day to day running of the Studio. He committed to this position for a six month period assistingArthur Penn. During this period he also contributed to several student and independent films. Fulfillment of his Actors Studio commitment coincided with him being cast inCaught (1996).
Arie Verveen is being directed by Lou Diamond Phillips in (Tao Of Surfing), which wraps in October. He recently worked (Sons Of Anarchy) and the action feature, (Fire With Fire). Verveen’s accomplished list of movies and directors he has collaborated with include Terrence Malick (The Thin Red Line), Robert Rodriguez – Frank Miller (Sin City), Guy Ritchie (Suspect), Eli Roth (Cabin Fever), Sergei Bodrov (Running Free) and Robert M. Young (Caught). He has received an Independent Spirit Award Nomination, a Golden Satellite Award and notable critical acclaim, for his work.
– IMDb Mini Biography By: Anonymous
The above IMDB entry can also be accessed online here.
Tess Harper was born in 1950 in Mammoth Spring, Arkansas. She mah a major role in “Tender Mercies” in 1983 opposite Robert Duvall. Her other films include “Silkwood” and “Crimes of the Heart”. Most recently she has been in the television series “Breaking Bad”.
TCM Overview:
A strawberry blonde player, held in high regard for her abilities by Hollywood, Tess Harper made a big impression in her very first feature film role as Robert Duvall’s much younger wife in “Tender Mercies” (1982). She earned an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her work as Chickie, the cousin and nosy neighbor, in “Crimes of the Heart” (1986). Harper performed in children’s theatre and dinner theatre, as well as in TV commercials, in Texas before being cast in “Tender Mercies”. She followed that with the unfortunate “Amityville 3-D”, a horror film about poltergeists, and a small role in Mike Nichols’ “Silkwood” (both 1983). After “Crimes of the Heart”, Harper was Warren Beatty’s ignored sweetheart in the now legendary “Ishtar” (1987) and reteamed with “Crimes” co-star Jessica Lange as the blustery, screaming Rita in Sam Shepard’s directorial debut, “Far North” (1988). More recently, Harper played the mother of a son trying to keep his parents together in “The Turning” (1992) and Jay Thomas’ straying wife in “Dirty Laundry” (1996). As with many actresses, TV has offered a more textured range of parts. Harper was the wife of Wayne Rogers, the first of several sheriffs, in the 1983 CBS miniseries “Chiefs” and the wife of homosexual movie star Joseph Bottoms in NBC miniseries “Celebrity” (1984). Harper has often appeared in TV-movies, beginning with “Starflight: The Plane That Couldn’t Land” (ABC, 1983) and had her first lead in “Reckless Disregard” (Showtime, 1985). Other memorable roles include as the mother of a young man (Dermot Mulroney) deeply affected by his father’s political demise during the Civil Rights era in “Unconquered” (CBS, 1989), a mother at risk because of her daughter’s cheerleader rival in “Willing to Kill: The Texas Cheerleader Story” (ABC, 1992), a widowed poet in the early stages of Alzheimer’s Disease in “The Road to Galveston” (USA, 1996) and the confused wife of amnesia victim Beau Bridges in “Journey Home” (CBS, 1996). While Harper made her TV episodic debut in the revived “The Twilight Zone” (CBS, 1985) and also appeared in a memorable episode of “Murder, She Wrote” as a maid suspected of murdering a famous artist, she has generally stayed clear of weekly work. The exception, of course, was her regular role mountain woman Fairlight Spencer in the CBS series “Christy” (1994-95).
The above TCM overview can also be accessed online here.
Tim Matheson was born in 1947 in Glendale, California. His first major film was “Yours, Mine and Ours” with Henry Fonda and Lucille Ball in 1969. His other films include “To Be or Not to Be” with Mel Brooks and Anne Bancroft in 1983. He was in the cast of the television series “The Virginian” in 1969 and also in “The Outcasts” with Kurt Russell.
TCM Overview:
Tall, clean-cut leading man Tim Matheson made a career out of playing well-to-do men on every point of the moral compass in countless features like “Animal House” (1978) and “1941” (1981), and on countless televisions shows like “The West Wing” (NBC, 1999-2006) and “Burn Notice” (USA Network, 2007- ). A former child actor who voiced several memorable cartoon characters in the late 1960s, he made the jump to adult roles in the early 1970s but struggled to find a worthwhile project until the blockbuster comedy “Animal House.” His role as fraternity ladies’ man Otter served as the template for his career after the film’s release. As he moved into middle age, he found more worthwhile projects in “The West Wing” and as a prolific director for television. However, “Animal House” remained his most popular effort, with new generations of irresponsible college students every year assuring Matheson of his screen immortality.
Born Timothy Lewis Matthieson in Glendale, CA on Dec. 31, 1947, he decided to become an actor at a very early age, achieving considerable success on television by the time he was just 13. His debut came in the lighthearted “Window on Main Street” (CBS, 1961-62), starring Robert Young, and for the next eight years, he essayed fresh-faced adolescents in a string of programs, including “Leave It to Beaver” (CBS/ABC, 1957-1963) and “My Three Sons” (ABC, 1960-1972). Saturday morning animation fans also knew him as the voice of several major characters from the period, including “Jonny Quest” (ABC, 1964-65) and boy hero Jace on “Space Ghost” (CBS, 1966-68). Matheson worked steadily through his teenage years and into his early twenties, making his feature debut at age 21 in the Bob Hope comedy “Yours, Mine and Ours” (1968). The following year, now billed as Tim Matheson, he joined the cast of the venerable TV Western “The Virginian” (NBC, 1962-1971) before jumping to the final season of “Bonanza” (NBC, 1959-1973) as Griff King, a young cowhand created by the network to lure younger viewers to the ailing series.
In 1973, Matheson was cast against type as a seemingly upstanding motorcycle patrolman who secretly worked as a police-sanctioned hit man in “Magnum Force” (1973), the sequel to “Dirty Harry” (1971). The role marked the beginning of a dichotomy in casting for him; his clean-cut looks and forthright bearing made him ideal as both kind-hearted and cold-blooded young men, and he would play one or the other, with few variations, for the next few years. Westerns continued to be a regular source of income for Matheson in the 1970s. He was a member of the low-down Dalton Gang in “The Last Day” (NBC, 1975), and teamed with Kurt Russell, another child actor making a successful transition to adult roles, in “The Quest” (NBC, 1976), about a pair of brothers traveling the West in search of their kidnapped sister.
After a string of steady television work from 1976-78, Matheson landed his first major screen project with “Animal House.” Initially, the producers wanted him to play one of the film’s villains from the straight-laced Omega fraternity, but Matheson, who had been studying improvisation with the famed Groundlings comedy troupe at the time, turned it down to play one of its “heroes,” the anarchic Deltas. After several auditions, director John Landis finally cast him as Eric “Otter” Stratton, the Delta’s glib, charming rush chairman and the closest thing to a voice of reason in Delta House. Matheson more than held his ground in the picture, despite the overwhelming presence of John Belushi as the berserk Bluto, and the film’s overwhelming success helped to shift his screen image from innocuous to comedic.
Unfortunately, Matheson’s next big screen hit was not immediately forthcoming. After “Animal House,” he logged innumerable screen hours in forgettable comedies like “Almost Summer” (1978), “The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again” (1979) and “A Little Sex” (1982). On paper, “1941” should have been a hit – a broad comedy about a Japanese invasion of a sleepy California town during World War II, directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Belushi and fellow “Saturday Night Live” (NBC, 1975- ) alum Dan Aykroyd, but the wildly expensive epic failed to deliver many laughs. Television appeared to be a safe refuge for the actor, but the supernaturally themed comedy “Tucker’s Witch” (CBS, 1982-83), his first return to regular series work since “Bonanza,” lasted only a season.
Matheson bounced between TV movies and features throughout the 1980s, largely in forgettable fare like “Impulse” (1984) and the sitcom “Just in Time” (ABC, 1988). However, the lowbrow comedy “Up the Creek” (1984), which reunited him with his “Animal House” co-star Stephen Furst, gained a cult following, as did the Chevy Chase vehicle “Fletch” (1985), which cast Matheson as a mystery man whose desire to be murdered by Chase’s glib reporter sets the whole absurd plot in motion. By the middle of the decade, Matheson began setting his sights on behind-the-camera work; in 1986, he made his debut as producer on the low-budget action film “Blind Justice,” an American adaptation of the popular Japanese film series about a blind swordsman.
In 1989, Matheson was part of a business partnership that acquired the ailing National Lampoon magazine, which had originally published the short stories that were adapted into the script for “Animal House.” Editorial changes instituted by Matheson, which included the banning of frontal nudity from the magazine’s pages, did not reverse its fortunes, and Matheson was forced to sell the magazine to another company in 1991 to avoid bankruptcy.
While logging time in episodic television, including the short-lived comedy “Charlie Hoover” (Fox, 1991), which was among the last starring roles for Sam Kinison, Matheson began transitioning into the director’s chair, and by the turn of the new millennium, had built up an impressive résumé that included multiple episodes of “Without a Trace” (CBS, 2002-09) and “Psych” (USA, 2007- ), as well as numerous TV movies. The quality of his acting projects began to take an upswing as well. In 1990, Matheson starred in the harrowing TV movie “Buried Alive” (USA), which was the cable network’s highest-rated program to date, and he directed its sequel in 1997. In 1999, he was cast as the duplicitous Senator John Hoynes, who served as Vice President under Martin Sheen’s Josiah Bartlett on “The West Wing.” The turn, one of his best, earned Matheson two Emmy nominations. Supporting roles in popular features like “The Story of Us” (1999) and “She’s All That” (1999) followed in its wake.
Tne above TCM overview can also be accessed online here.
In 2001, Matheson returned to regular series work with “Wolf Lake” (CBS, 2001- 02), an Emmy-nominated supernatural series about werewolves in a small Pacific town. After its premature demise, he continued his steady stream of TV movies – he was President John F. Kennedy in “Jackie Bouvier Kennedy Onassis” (CBS, 2000) and Martha Stewart’s husband Andy on “Martha, Inc.: The Story of Martha Stewart” (NBC, 2003) – as well as directing for television, which expanded to producing as well with the CBS series “Cold Case” (2003-2010) in 2005. There were also occasional returns to features, most notably in “Van Wilder” (2002). The college comedy cast him as the father of schemer Ryan Reynolds, whose own performance drew heavily from Matheson’s Otter in “Animal House.” In 2008 and 2010, Matheson received some of his best notices as “Dead” Larry Sizemore, an amoral and possibly psychotic former spy who assumes the identity of a murdered shoe salesman and makes life difficult for fellow ex-spook Michael Westen (Jeffrey Donovan) on “Burn Notice” (USA Network, 2007- ). Matheson also directed several episodes of the popular series
Tim Thomerson was born in 1946 in California. He studied acting with Stella Adler in New York. He began his career as a stand-up comic and then began an acting career. His films include His films include “Car Wash” in 1978, “Which Way Is Up”, “Carny” and “Fade to Black”.
TCM Overview:
Tall, weathered, silver-haired lead of “B” actioners and supporting player of “A” films and TV. A former comic, Thomerson has amassed credits in over 30 films and made over 50 TV appearances since the mid-1970s. Making his feature debut in the 1976 comedy “Car Wash”, Thomerson went on to appear in some worthier projects including Robert Altman’s “A Wedding”, Alan Rudolph’s “Remember My Name” (1978) and Clint Eastwood’s “Honkytonk Man” (1982). In 1985, Thomerson teamed with thrifty auteur Charles Band to star as Jack Deth in the futuristic thriller “Trancers”. They reteamed for the sequels “Trancers II: The Return of Jack Deth” (1991), “Trancers III: Deth Lives” (1992) and “Trancer 4: Jack of Swords” (1994). Thomerson has also starred in other straight-to-video Band classics including “Dollman” (1991) and “Dollman vs. Demonic Toys” (1993).Between films Thomerson worked as a series regular on several ill-fated shows including the Bill Cosby variety series “Cos” (1976); “Angie” (1979-80); “Glory Years” (1987); “Down and Out in Beverly Hills” (1987) and “Sirens” (1993). His numerous TV guest spots include “Hunter”, “St. Elsewhere”, “21 Jump Street” and “Major Dad”.
The above TCM overview who can also be accessed online here.
Victoria Smurfit was born in 1974 in Dublin. She made her television debut in “Ivanoe” as Rowena in 1997. Her other TV work includes “Ballykissangle” , “The Clinic” and “Trial and Retribution” where she played DCI Roisin Connor. Her films include “The Beach” and “About A Boy”.
Lisa Richard’s agency page:
Victoria recently appears as the role of Lady Jane in NBC’s new TV seriesDRACULA opposite Jonathan Rhys Meyers. Due to her fabulous performance she has been nominated for an IFTA for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in Television for DRACULA..
Her film credits include About a Boy, The Leading Man, Bulletproof Monk, The Beach, So This is Romance? and The Last Great Wilderness. Victoria’s television credits include The Shell Seekers, directed by Piers Haggard, for ITV; Berkeley Square, The Alan Clark Diaries and Ivanhoe, all for the BBC; as well as leading roles in several iconic series, including Jane in Cold Feet, Orla in Ballykissangel and, most notably, DCI Roisin Connor in Trial and Retribution, the next series of which will be seen onITV in the New Year.
Her theatre performances include Maire in Brian Friel’s Translations at the Bristol Old Vic, The Jungle Book for the RSC, and Ten Rounds by Carlo Gebler at the Tricycle Theatre in London. Victoria most recently appeared on stage in Ireland for the first time as Carole in the hugely successful new play October by Fiona Looney produced by Landmark Productions at the Gaiety Theatre, Dublin and Cork Opera House.
Victoria most recently appeared as series regular, Dr. Edel Swift in Season 7 of The Clinic for Parallel Films and RTE and as a guest lead in an episode of Marple (as Ella Blunt) for ITV. Victoria recently wrapped filming Honeymoon for One directed by Kevin Connor for Hallmark Channel.
Liam Cunningham was born in 1961 in Dublin. He originally trained as an electrican before taking to the boards. He made his feature film debut in 1992 in “Into the West” with Gabriel Byrne and Ellen Barkin. His other films include “War of the Buttons”, “A Little Princess”, “Jude”, “A Love Divided”, “Showbands” and “The Wind That Shakes the Barley”.
2014 “Independent.ie” article:
The Game of Thrones star has featured in a number of projects with daring or dangerous stunts throughout his career.
And Cunningham (52), who portrays former smuggler Davos Seaworth in the smash-hit HBO drama, told the Herald that he has not left every job unscathed — he has experienced one or two close calls while working in front of the cameras.
“There are always going to be injuries on set — if you are doing things properly,” he said.
“I nearly got killed on a horse when I was filming in France with Clemence Posey a few years ago, where I had two swords attached to me and the horse reared up and I came down on my back; two inches either way and I would have lost a kidney and my life,” he revealed.
“You can only make stunts so safe.
“They are stunts — and it should be bordering on dangerous, because if it’s very safe it looks crap, so there needs to be a sense of danger.”
Even though he has a lead part in a global TV phenomenon, Cunningham — who launched the Westbury Hotel’s new Cafe Novo light breakfast menu yesterday — told this newspaper that he can’t afford to take on small budget theatre work.
“I can’t afford to do theatre, I think people assume if you’re on the television you’re a multi-millionaire.
“It’s HBO and cable, with a very big cast. It’s doing a network show where you make the money, but I’m much too lazy to do that — you have to give up your entire year.”
His co-star Trinity College graduate Jack Gleeson, who plays King Joffrey recently announced that he is looking to pursue a career in theatre production instead.
Cunningham commended the 21-year-old, and said that there are “few actors” who experience the level of success as Gleeson has.
The above “Independent.ie” article can also be accessed online here.
Denis Leary was born in Worchester, Massachusetts in 1957 of Irish parents who came from Killarney. He became a top flight comedy artist before branching into movies. Among his credits are the wonderful “The Ref” with Kevin Spacey and Glynis Johns in 1994, “Demolition Man” and “Suicide Kings”. He is also starring in the television drama series “Rescue Me”. He holds both US and Irish nationality.
TCM Overview:
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 the funny, but under-performing comedy “The Ref” (1994) before appearing in the cringe-worthy comedy “Operation Dumbo Drop” (1995). He delivered sturdy performances in uncharacteristically dramatic fare like “Love Walked In” (1997), “Monument Ave” (1998), “The Thomas Crown Affair” (1999) and “Jesus’ Son” (1999). Despite a series of uneven roles, Leary finally found his groove as the star, co-creator and executive producer of “Rescue Me” (FX, 2004-2011), a gritty and acerbically funny look at a group of fireman coping with their dysfunctional lives post-9/11. Irreverent, shocking and sometimes controversial, “Rescue Me” proved to be the perfect vehicle for Leary’s sardonic wit, playing a recovering alcoholic who struggles to keep together what’s left of his family while constantly battling his inner demons. Hailed by critics and blasted by some of the more overzealous watchdog groups, the show allowed Leary to put the full force of his talents on display while opening doors to more mainstream projects.
Denis Leary was born on Aug. 18, 1957, the second of four children of Irish immigrants, Jack and Nora Leary. He was raised in Worcester, MA, where his father was a mechanic and, by his own description, pretty much everyone in the neighborhood grew up to be a cop, firefighter, teamster or criminal. Leary first had his sights set on becoming a professional hockey player until a viewing of Martin Scorsese’s “Mean Streets” (1973) altered his world view. He was so captivated by the realness of the characters onscreen, he decided he wanted to try acting. He became involved with community theater groups after graduating from St. Peter-Marion Catholic high school in 1975, then moved to Boston to study writing and theater at Emerson College. At Emerson, Leary fell in with other talented up-and-comers – including future stand-ups Steven Wright and Mario Cantone – and in 1976, he co-founded the Emerson Comedy Workshop, a writing and performing group that survives today. He appeared in sketch comedy shows and one-act plays, eventually wanting to try stand-up comedy. At the time, Boston had a thriving local comedy scene that launched the careers of Lenny Clarke, Colin Quinn, Paula Poundstone, Wright and Cantone. In addition to schoolwork and Emerson productions and hosting his own stand-up night at the club Play it Again Sam’s, Leary also formed a band with musicians from the Comedy Workshop. The group performed comical songs that would become a trademark of Leary’s eventual breakout.
Following his graduation in 1979, Leary was offered a job teaching comedy writing at his alma mater. He stayed in Boston another five years; long enough to work up solid stand-up material and marry one of his students, writer Ann Lembeck. The pair eventually moved to New York City, where Leary began to break into the city’s standup scene and land writing work. In one of his earlier gigs, Leary was a writer and performer on MTV’s Colin Quinn-hosted game show “Remote Control” (1987-1990), where Leary made walk-on appearances as Andy Warhol and a lion tamer with a kitten, among others. In London, he served as host of the “London Underground” TV variety show and while he was there he debuted his one-man show “No Cure for Cancer” at the Edinburgh International Arts Festival. His performance swept the Critic’s Award and established Leary’s onstage persona as an angry, chain smoking, cynical social observer preoccupied with red meat, death and rock ‘n’ roll. He expounded on such issues as smoking (“I’m going to get a tracheotomy so I can smoke two cigarettes at the same time”) to pop stars (“Sting – he wants to save the seals, he wants to save the rain forests…how about saving your hair, OK, pal?”). The show landed a sold-out run on London’s famed West End and the Learys returned to New York and a four-month run off-Broadway.
MTV tapped Leary’s rebellious attitude for a series of image spots and he became an instant icon of the era, pacing back and forth in a black leather jacket in a squalid urban setting, smoking furiously, and ranting about everything from Cindy Crawford to the hypocrisy of “political correctness.” “No Cure for Cancer” was aired on Showtime in 1992 and released as an album in 1993, spawning a single and music video for “Asshole,” Leary’s searing musical ode to the “average Joe” living the American consumerists’ self-centered dream. Leary’s instant fame had its detractors, however. Following the widespread popularity of “No Cure for Cancer,” comedy insiders stepped forward to accuse Leary of plagiarizing from similarly angry, nicotine-addicted Bill Hicks. There were claims that Leary not only used some of the comedian’s material verbatim but also co-opted his stage persona. Hicks remained relatively unknown when he died of cancer in 1994 which further enraged accusers who believed Leary had shot to fame based on someone else’s material.
Leary’s MTV work led to product endorsements for Nike, and naturally the acting offers began to come in. The year 1993 found him appearing in nearly half a dozen films, where the 6’3″ blond was generally limited to comic cameos (“National Lampoon’s Loaded Weapon 1”), evil heavies (“Judgment Night”), and regular guys (“The Sandlot”). In 1994 he began a long-term association with budding young director Ted Demme, who cast him as a burglar trapped in a house with dysfunctional hostages in “The Ref” (1994). The black comedy was a perfect vehicle for Leary, while his follow-up “Operation Dumbo Drop” (1995) was historically unsuccessful. Leary teamed with wife Lembeck to collaborate on the story for “Two If By Sea” (1996), but sadly the romantic comedy co-starring Sandra Bullock was also a bomb. Leary and Lembeck teamed up again for the “Lust” segment of “National Lampoon’s Favorite Deadly Sins” (Showtime, 1996), earning a CableACE Award for the short written by Lembeck and directed by Leary. The coffee and cigarettes kept Leary going full speed, and in 1997, he acted in five films – including the forgettable titles “The Matchmaker” and “Love Walked In” – as well as the mildly successful political satire “Wag the Dog” with Robert De Niro and Dustin Hoffman.
In 1997 Leary finally taped his second stand-up show, “Denis Leary: Lock ‘n’ Load” (HBO), where no one was safe from his acid wit, least of all, O.J. Simpson. (“I hope your kids pull a Menendez on you, O.J. And they’ll be forgiven, 10 times over.”) Big screen offers in the family comedy “Wide Awake” (1998) and “Small Soldiers” (1998) kept his profile high and his bank account full, but still failed to capitalize on Leary’s creative talents. He decided it was time to start his own production company. Apostle, he hoped, would help him gain more creative control over projects and expand his options as an actor and writer. He reunited with Demme to co-produce and star in “Monument Ave” (1998), a dark drama about the Irish mob set in Charlestown, MA, which opened to favorable reviews (under the original title “Snitch”) at the Sundance Film Festival. He went on to enjoy a scene-stealing supporting role in the remake of “The Thomas Crown Affair” (1999), with Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo, and earned a Blockbuster Award for Best Supporting Actor. He also gave a powerful, understated performance as a working class alcoholic down on his luck in the indie “Jesus’ Son” (1999), which was one of the top critic’s picks of the year.
In December of 1999, news came from home that Leary’s cousin Jerry Lucey and his childhood friend Tommy Spencer – both firefighters – had been killed in a savage warehouse blaze in Worcester. In response, he formed the Leary Firefighters Foundation to raise money for survivors of firefighters killed in the line of duty and help supply necessary training and equipment for local fire departments. Perhaps as a tribute, Leary played a firefighter in the David Mamet adaptation “Lakeboat” (2000), before putting features on hold and launching a new phase of his career.
In 2001, Leary debuted “The Job” (ABC, 2001-02), a half hour, single-camera police dramedy co-created with Peter Tolan. Leary starred as the wise-ass, straight shooting, and believably flawed detective Mike McNeil in the standout series, which he also wrote and produced. Despite critical raves, ABC executives seemed unsure what to do with the project and eventually cancelled it, but with all Leary had learned about TV production, he was hungry to take a second crack at it. Meanwhile, the staggering number of firefighting deaths resulting from September 11th prompted him to form The Fund for New York’s Bravest, an offshoot of the Leary Firefighters Foundation devoted to the needs of New York firefighters and their families. While co-developing his next television project with Tolan, Leary appeared in the 2002 crime drama “Bad Boy” and the well-received indie “The Secret Lives of Dentists” (2002), playing a patient of dentist Campbell Scott who becomes the voice of his paranoia. He also voiced saber-toothed tiger Diego in the hit CGI-animated film “Ice Age” (2002).
Leary was finally able to combine his long-time loyalty towards firefighters with his writing and acting talent in the co-creation of “Rescue Me.” The hour-long drama/comedy hybrid starred Leary as Tommy Gavin, a seemingly fearless and tough-as-nails New York firefighter battling alcoholism, the disintegration of his marriage and family, and hallucinations of his firefighting cousin who died on September 11th. An outstanding ensemble cast represented several generations of hard-living blue collar workers daily surviving intense drama with ball-busting wit. Fortunately the show was picked up by edgy cable network FX, which allowed the raunchy firehouse talk and often controversial situations so crucial to its gritty realism to remain intact.
With “Rescue Me,” Leary finally proved that when given the chance to follow his vision, his work was top notch. In 2005, he was nominated for a Best Performance Golden Globe Award. Leary was also nominated for an Outstanding Writing Emmy in 2005 and Outstanding Lead Actor Emmys in 2006 and 2007. Meanwhile, he was a significant player in a strong ensemble cast in “Recount” (HBO, 2008), a made-for-television movie the depicted the behind-the-scenes action during the month-long election fiasco between George W. Bush and Al Gore in 2000. Leary played Democratic consultant and strategist, Michael Whouley, which earned him a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a series, movie or miniseries. Meanwhile, Leary unsurprisingly generated some controversy after the release of his book, Why We Suck: A Feel Good Guide to Staying Fat, Loud, Lazy and Stupid (2008), in which he called autistic children “dumb-ass kids,” “morons,” “stupid” and “lazy.” Leary claimed he was taken out of context, saying that he was commenting on the over-diagnosis of autistic children, though he did later publicly apologize. After reprising Diego the saber-toothed tiger for “Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs” (2009), Leary embarked on his first stand-up tour in 12 years, headlining the “Rescue Me Comedy Tour” in Atlantic City, NJ, with co-stars Lenny Clarke and Adam Ferrera. Meanwhile, the show itself aired its seventh and final season in 2011, ending Leary’s most popular and accomplished project to date.
The above TCM overview can also be accessed online here.
