Pat O’Brien was born in 1899 in Wisconsin. He made films in the 1930’s at Warner Brothers Studios where he struck up a friendship with James Cagney with whom he made nine films including “Angels with Dirty Faces” in 1938 and “Ragtime” in 1981. He died in 1983.
TCM Overview:
A veteran Irish-American lead and character player, Pat O’Brien is best known as one of the cynical reporters in the sterling first screen version of the Broadway play, “The Front Page” (1931), the title role (opposite Ronald Reagan) in “Knute Rockne–All American” (1940) and as Jimmy Cagney’s clerical confidante in “Angels With Dirty Faces” (1938).A sharp, wisecracking type in the early 1930s, O’Brien found his star persona becoming increasingly sentimentalized after the Production Code crackdown of 1934, but occasionally returned memorably to his earlier type, as in “Torrid Zone” (1940), opposite Cagney and Ann Sheridan. He remained a popular star through the 40s, often in stalwart roles such as not only his Rockne but also “The Iron Major” (1943). A childhood friend of Spencer Tracy, O’Brien acted with Tracy in “The People Against O’Hara” (1951) and in John Ford’s sentimental roundup of veteran character players, “The Last Hurrah” (1958). Billy Wilder also put his iconic value to good use as an Irish cop on the tail of both the gangsters and the cross-dressing heroes on the run in the director’s hilarious “Some Like It Hot” (1959).
The above TCM overview can be accessed online here.
David Duchovny was born in 1960 in New York City. His film ebut came in 1988 in “Working Girl” with Melanie Griffith. His other early work included “Chaplin” and the television series “Twin Peaks”. He starred in the hughly popular TV series “The X Files” from 1993 until 2002. Since then he has been in such films as “Trust the Ma” and “The Joneses”.
IMDB entry:
David William Duchovny was born on August 7, 1960, in New York City, New York, USA. His mother was a school teacher, his father a writer and publicist who worked for the American Jewish Committee. David has a sister, Laurie and an older brother namedDaniel Ducovny, an award winning director of commercials, as well as a director of photography.
David attended Yale University where he undertook a Master’s Degree in English Literature. A keen poet and writer, David’s work was well recognized by his peers and teachers while he was in attendance at Yale. He was even nominated for a college prize by the Academy of American Poets for his outstanding work within the literary field.
Like any actor or celebrity, David began his career on the bottom, by acting in numerous commercials in the late-eighties. He crossed over into films with bit parts in low key films such as New Year’s Day (1989) and Bad Influence (1990). Although these parts were small and somewhat insignificant, it was a start and David was able to get his foot in the door.
In 1991, David got offered the role of DEA Dennis Bryson on the acclaimed TV series,Twin Peaks (1990). He only appeared in three episodes, but at that early stage, it was his biggest claim to fame yet, as Twin Peaks (1990) was watched by millions of people worldwide. Needless to say, David’s talents as an actor would finally be recognized and he would get the acknowledgment that he so richly deserved.
In the early 1990s, he got more bit parts in films, this time, however, the films weren’t “low key”, but hits, such as Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead (1991) and the family favorite comedy, Beethoven (1992). David’s role in Beethoven (1992) was small, but it was hard to forget the poor guy who was dragged across the lawn by the giant St. Bernard!
A year later, in 1993, David got the lead role in the independent film Kalifornia (1993). The film also starred another up-and-coming young actor, Brad Pitt. In Kalifornia (1993), David played a journalist who goes on a cross-country tour of famous murder sites with his girlfriend as research for a book he is writing about serial killers. He takes Pitt’s character along to help pay the bills, unaware that Pitt’s character is in fact a serial killer himself. Although it did not do much business at the box office, it is still a great film and has become somewhat of a cult favorite among fans.
That same year, David was offered the role of FBI Agent Fox “Spooky” Mulder on the long-running TV series The X-Files (1993). The show was a tremendous international success and propelled David (and his co-star Gillian Anderson) into super-stardom. His character of Mulder has become somewhat of a pop culture legend and is renowned the world over for his satirical wit and dry sense of humor. Fans loved the fact that he could keep a straight face and still crack and joke in the face of extreme danger. David improvised a lot of his own lines of dialogue while on the show and even penned and directed a few episodes. The series ended in 2002 and still has a strong, dedicated following. To date, David has reprised his role of Fox Mulder in two “X Files” feature films: The X Files (1998) and The X Files: I Want to Believe (2008).
In 2007, after a few years out of the limelight, David struck gold again after landing the plum role of Hank Moody in Californication (2007). The raunchy series follows the life of womanizing writer Hank Moody (Duchovny) as he tries to juggle his career and his relationship with his daughter and his ex-girlfriend. The show has become a hit for its off-the-wall humor and Duchovny’s ability to always turn in a brilliant performance.
It may have taken a while, but David has worked his way to the top and notched up an impressive resume along the way. We can expect to see a lot more of him in the future.
– IMDb Mini Biography By: cryofry
The above IMDB enty can also be accessed online here.
Ian McNeice was born in Basingtoke in 1950. He is one of Britains best and most profilic of character actors. His films include “84 Charing Crfoss Road”, “The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne” with Maggie Smith and “Day of the Dead”. In 1995 he went to Hollywood to make “Ace Ventura Pet Detective”. Recent films have included “Oliver Twist” and “The Black Dahlia”.
TCM Overview:
Ian McNeice was born in the town of Basingstoke (in Hamsphire, England) on October 2, 1950. He studied acting at the Taunton School in Somerset and the London Academy of Music & Dramatic Arts, followed by four years with the Royal Shakespeare Company. McNeice began appearing regularly on television in the early â¿¿80s, notably on the 1982 mini-series “The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby.” In ’85, he was cast in a recurring role on the series “Edge of Darkness.” In addition to his TV work, McNeice appeared in the films “84 Charing Cross Road” (’87),” “The Raggedy Rawney” (’88), “The Russia House” (’90), “Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls” (’95), and “From Hell” (’01). Some of McNeiceâ¿¿s most memorable roles include the villainous Baron Vladimir Harkonnen on the mini-series “Frank Herbertâ¿¿s Dune” (’00) and “The Children of Dune” (’03), the bibulous sous-chef Gustave on the British sitcom “Chef!,” and the newsreader on the HBO mini-series “Rome.” He also took the role of Winston Churchill on an episode of the British sci-fi series “Doctor Who”; the part was something of an encore for McNeice, having previously played Churchill in an ’08 stage play.
Glenne Headly was born in 1955 in Connecticut. She joined the reknowned Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago and acted in such plays as “Waiting for Lefty” and “Loose Ends”. On film she was featured in such films as “Mr Holland’s Opus” and “2 Days in the Valley”.
TCM Overview:
A versatile presence in features and television since the late 1980s, actress Glenne Headly moved from broad comedies like “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” (1989) to action epics like “Dick Tracy” (1990) and character-driven fare like “Mortal Thoughts” (1992) with effortless believability that netted her two Emmy nominations over the course of a multi-decade career on screen. An acclaimed stage actress in Chicago, she won praise and awards for her work on and off-Broadway before segueing into movies and television, with her big break coming in 1989 and 1990 with “Scoundrels,” “Dick Tracy” and an Emmy nod for “Lonesome Dove” (CBS, 1989). Headly was best used in sympathetic character parts, where her soft voice and expressive features drew audiencesâ¿¿ attention in projects like “Bastard Out of Carolina” (Showtime, 1996) and “On Golden Pond” (CBS, 2001). The birth of her son in 1997 slowed her output somewhat, but she remained a reliable presence in independent films and television for the next decade, which preserved her status as one of the most dependable character talents in the business.
Born Glenne Aimee Headly in New London, CT on March 13, 1955, she spent her first years shuttling between her motherâ¿¿s home in San Francisco and her maternal grandmother in Pennsylvania. Headly eventually settled with her mother in Greenwich Village during her elementary school years, which were filled with introductions to the arts and classes for gifted students. Acting took prominence among her many interests, and she soon graduated with honors from the High School of Performing Arts. Rather than immediately devote herself to a four-year drama program in college, Headly traveled to Switzerland to study at an American College to study literature and art history while gaining valuable life experience. After graduation, she relocated to New York City to study drama at the Herbert Berghof Studios, but a chance trip to Chicago introduced her to the cityâ¿¿s thriving theater scene. Headly joined the New Works Ensemble at the St. Nicholas Theatre before joining the famed Steppenwolf Theatre Company for a production of Sam Shepardâ¿¿s “Curse of the Starving Class.” Her co-star was actor John Malkovich, whom she would marry in 1982. While in Chicago, she would earn four Joseph Jefferson Awards for performances between 1980 and 1985 while earning her Actors Equity Card. In 1981, she landed her first screen role in Arthur Pennâ¿¿s low-key character drama “Four Friends.”
In 1985, she returned with Malkovich to New York, where she appeared in several well-regarded productions, including revivals of “The Philanthropist,” which earned her a Theatre World Award, and “Balm in Gilead” with Steppenwolf. Her film and television career soon expanded from bit roles in Woody Allenâ¿¿s “The Purple Rose of Cairo” (1985) to sympathetic character turns in “Seize the Day” (PBS, 1987) opposite Robin Williams and Susan Seidelmanâ¿¿s “Making Mr. Right” (1987) with Malkovich. A steady stream of supporting roles preceded her breakout part in “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” (1989), a wry remake of “Bedtime Story” (1964), with Steve Martin and Michael Caine as international con men who meet their match in Hedleyâ¿¿s seemingly naïve heiress. That same year, she earned an Emmy nomination as Elmira Johnson, the cold-hearted wife of Chris Cooperâ¿¿s ill-fated sheriff, in the miniseries “Lonesome Dove” (CBS, 1989).
Her knack for both sly comedy and convincing drama attracted the attention of director Warren Beatty, who cast her as Tess Trueheart, long-suffering girlfriend to comic strip hero Dick Tracy, in his big-budget 1990 film adaptation. The heights of the filmâ¿¿s success were somewhat dampened by her divorce from Malkovich that same year, though she quickly rebounded with a co-starring turn opposite Demi Moore in Alan Rudolphâ¿¿s thriller “Mortal Thoughts,” as an abused wife who allegedly conspired to dispatch her abusive husband (Bruce Willis) with the help of a friend (Willisâ¿¿ then-spouse, Demi Moore). After playing real-life physician and scientist Mary Guinan, who was an integral part of early research into AIDS, in the HBO drama “And the Band Played On” (1993), Headly met her second husband, electrical grip and editor Byron McCulloch, on the set of the Canadian drama “Ordinary Magic.”
Headly would enjoy a long spate of appearances in features like “Mr. Hollandâ¿¿s Opus” (1995), as Richard Dreyfussâ¿¿ faithful wife, and Anjelica Huston’s “Bastard Out of Carolina” (Showtime, 1996), which earned her a second Emmy nomination as the kindly aunt of an abused child. During this period, she also appeared in the third season of “ER” (NBC, 1994-2009) as pediatrician Dr. Abby Keaton. In 1997, she gave birth to a son, who became the focus of Headly’s life; projects were chosen based on whether they were filmed near the familyâ¿¿s home, or if they took place during summer vacations or school breaks. Though her appearances were fewer, they remained substantive. She was a thinly veiled version of actress and saloon owner Texas Guinan, who funneled Broadway gossip to columnist Walter Winchell (Stanley Tucci), in the HBO biopic “Winchell” (1998), then returned to the stage after a 10-year absence to co-star with Miranda Richardson in a London production of “Aunt Dan and Lemon” in 1999. Because she was a fan of the TV series, she also made an uncredited cameo as a bartender who cuts off Agent Mulder (David Duchovny) in the successful film adaptation of “The X-Files: Fight the Future” (1998).
On television, she played Christopher Plummer and Julie Andrewsâ¿¿ daughter in a live adaptation of “On Golden Pond.” There were also brief stints as a series regular on “Encore! Encore” (NBC, 1998) as the sister of vain opera star Nathan Lane, and a recurring turn as Tony Shalhoubâ¿¿s environmentally conscious ex-wife on “Monk” (USA, 2002-09). In 2003, she starred with David Hyde Pierce in a Los Angeles production of “The Guys,” then traveled that same year to Ireland to appear in the one-woman play, “My Brilliant Divorce.” Headly soon balanced regular work as maternal figures in Hollywood product like “Confessions of a Teenaged Drama Queen” (2004) and “Kit Kittredge: An American Girl” (2008) with edgier work in independent features like “The Amateurs” (2005), Mira Nairâ¿¿s “The Namesake” (2007) and “The Joneses” (2010), which reunited her with her “Mortal Thoughts” co-star, Demi Moore.
IMDB entry:
For the past fourteen years, she has said that family has been the most important thing to her and she has set most of her time aside to be a “present” mother to her son. Movies, plays and television are chosen, for the most part, when they occur in town or on a school break. She has taken the current year to homeschool her son for his seventh grade. But it wasn’t always this way. She was raised in New York City and wanted to be an actress from the time she was a child, graduating with acting honors from the High School of Performing Arts. She chose to opt out of studying acting in college and attended a small college in Europe, majoring in art history and literature, knowing that acting would take up a great deal of her life and that her college years would be her only real time to learn about something else. Upon graduation, she returned to New York City but a chance trip to Chicago inspired her to move there and become a part of its budding theatre community. It was in a production of “Curse of The Starving Class”, directed byRobert Falls and co-starring John Malkovich, that she was first seen by the Steppenwolf Theatre Company and, subsequently, asked to join their troupe. She did and learned what it really was to be an actress on her feet, performing in all kinds of roles in both comedy and drama. During this time, she won four Joseph Jefferson awards for best supporting actress.
With a return move to New York, she received a Theatre World Award for “best newcomer” for her role in “the Philanthropist” at the Manhattan Theatre Club and appeared in “Extremities” with Susan Sarandon. This was followed by her appearance in the very successful Steppenwolf production in New York of “Balm in Gilead”. She then starred on Broadway opposite Kevin Kline and Raul Julia in “Arms & the Man”, directed byJohn Malkovich, her husband at the time. She was cast in several smaller films includingNadine (1987), Making Mr. Right (1987) and Paperhouse (1988) as well as Lonesome Dove (1989) for television for which she received her first of two Emmy nominations for best supporting actress. But her breakout film performance was in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988), in which she played the cunning “victim”, who gets the best of con artists Michael Caine and Steve Martin. This led to her being cast in the blockbuster comic strip parody, Dick Tracy (1990), in which she portrayed the girlfriend, “Tess Trueheart”, to Warren Beatty‘s lead.
Michael Biehn was born in 1956 in Alabama. His credits include “Grease” in 1978, “The Terminator” in 1984, “The Abyss” in 1989 and K2″.
“Quinlan’s Movie Stars”:
Lean, clean-cut, resolute looking American actor with dark eyes and light tufty hair. Biehn’s chiselled features looked to have cut him out of heroes when he started acting straight from university. But in fact he’s played his share of wackos, his eveys conveying with some skill. An expert in martial arts he continued to mix villains with action heroes starring in lesser films and playing some striking co-star roles in
IMDB entry:
Michael Biehn was born on July 31, 1956 in Anniston, Alabama, grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska, and at age 14 moved with his family to Lake Havasu, Arizona, where he won a drama scholarship to the University of Arizona. He left prematurely two years later to pursue an acting career in Hollywood. His first big role was as a psychotic fan stalkingLauren Bacall in The Fan (1981) and later appeared in The Lords of Discipline (1983). He hit the big-time when he was cast as Kyle Reese, the man sent back through time to stop Arnold Schwarzenegger in James Cameron‘s The Terminator (1984).
This established a good working relationship with Cameron, a relationship that should have catapulted Biehn to international stardom. He starred in Cameron’s subsequent films, Aliens (1986) and The Abyss (1989), the latter a standout performance as unstable Navy SEAL officer Lt. Hiram Coffey. In the 1990s he starred in films like Navy Seals (1990), K2 (1991) and was particularly memorable as Johnny Ringo in Tombstone (1993). Biehn is married and the father of four sons.
– IMDb Mini Biography By: André Hansson <andreh@hawkan.pp.se>
The above IMDB entry can also be accessed online here.
Geraldine Hughes was born in 1970 in Belfast. She made her acting debut with “Children at the Crossroads” in 1984. Her films include “Murder She Wrote:Celtic Riddle” with Angela Lansbury, “Rocky Balboa” with Sylvester Stallone in 2006 and “Gran Torino” with Clint Eastwood.
IMDB entry:
Geraldine Hughes (born 1970) is a Northern Irish film, television and stage, actress. She was born in West Belfast and lived in the Divis flats for a time. She won a private scholarship and attended university in America. She is best known for her portrayal of “Little Marie” in 2006’s Rocky Balboa. Hughes also wrote and performed a one-woman show entitled Belfast Blues in New York City and appeared on television on ER and Profiler, among others. Recently, she played Clint Eastwood’s daughter-in-law in Gran Torino.
Hector Elizondo was born in 1936 inNew York City. He studied dance at the Ballet Arts Company in Carnegie Hall in 1962/1963 and began acting on the stage. In 1974 he won critical acclaim for his performance in “The Taking Pelham, One, Two, Three”, Other films include “Pretty Woman”, “Runaway Bride” and “The Princess Diaries”.
IMDB entry:
Hector Elizondo was born in New York and raised on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Elizondo, the name is Basque and means “at the foot of the church”. His lifestyle in his pre-acting days was as diverse as the roles he plays today. He was a conga player with a Latin band, a classical guitarist and singer, a weightlifting coach, a ballet dancer and a manager of a bodybuilding gym. In his teens, he played basketball and baseball and was scouted by the New York Giants and Pittsburgh Pirates farm teams. After a knee injury ended his dance career, he switched to drama. Since then, he has frequently appeared on Broadway, most notably with George C. Scott in Arthur Penn‘s production of “Sly Fox” for which he received a Drama Desk nomination and for his role as “God” in “Steambath”, which won him an Obie Award. Other theatre credits include; “The Prisoner of Second Avenue”; “The Great White Hope”; “Dance of Death” with Robert Shaw and “The Rose Tattoo” opposite Cicely Tyson. Countless starring roles in television include: Foley Square(1985); American Playhouse: Medal of Honor Rag (1982); Casablanca (1983) (in which he recreated the Claude Rains role of police chief “Capt. Renault”); Freebie and the Bean(1974); Popi (1975) and as Sophia Loren‘s husband in the CBS special Courage (1986). Guest appearances include: Kojak (1973); Kojak: Ariana (1989); Columbo: A Case of Immunity (1975); Baretta (1975); All in the Family (1971); The Rockford Files (1974) andBret Maverick (1981). In addition, he also directed a.k.a. Pablo (1984), the first show to utilise seven cameras instead of the usual four. On the big screen, he has been seen in, among others, American Gigolo (1980); The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974);Cuba (1979); Valdez Is Coming (1971) and in four films directed by Garry Marshall: Young Doctors in Love (1982); The Flamingo Kid (1984); Nothing in Common (1986) andOverboard (1987). Elizondo starred with Dan Aykroyd and Michelle Pfeiffer in PBS’ Great Performances: Tales from the Hollywood Hills: Natica Jackson (1987) (based on a collection of John O’Hara stories) and made his debut as a stage director with a production of “Villa!” starring Julio Medina. In addition, he performed in the 50th anniversary production of “War of the Worlds” co-starring Jason Robards and the TV-movie Addicted to His Love (1988) with Barry Bostwick.
Danel Craig was born in 1968 in Chester in Cheshire. He had been building up a solid reliable portfolio of work when he became the sixth actor tp olay James Bond in “Casino Royale” in 2006. His early performances include the wonderful television drame “Our Friends from the North” in 1998. He also gave a terrific performance in “The Mother” in 2003 with Anne Reid. The next Bond film was “Quantum of Solace”. Recent work includes “Defiance” and “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”.
TCM overview:
Though he enjoyed a deal of anonymity early in his career, actor Daniel Craig was launched to international stardom in 2005 when he was named as Pierce Brosnan’s successor to play the role of James Bond. Following years of over-the-top action and reality stretching plotlines, Craig helped to bring the Bond franchise back to its grittier espionage roots with the critically hailed “Casino Royale” (2006). Prior to his portrayal of Bond, Craig appeared in films like “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider” (2001) and “Road to Perdition” (2002), before garnering attention as an unorthodox drug dealer in the British crime thriller “Layer Cake” (2004). From there, he earned more kudos for “Enduring Love” (2004) and struck fear as a single-minded Mossad assassin in “Munich” (2005). But it was “Casino Royale” that turned the rising star into an overnight sensation, though his second go-round as Bond, “Quantum of Solace” (2008), was not as well received. Meanwhile, Craig delivered strong performances outside the Bond universe in the World War II drama “Defiance” (2008) and the much-anticipated American adaptation of “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” (2011), while making celebrity news for his marriage to English actress Rachel Weisz in 2011. Regardless of his succession of the Bond role, Craig possessed the talent and presences that would have made him a star regardless.
Born on March 2, 1968 in Chester, England – also known as the Walled City – Craig grew up in nearby Liverpool, where his mother studied art at university and his stepfather, the painter Max Blond, plied his craft. At 16, he moved to London to train at the National Youth Theatre and later graduated from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. In 1992, Craig made his film debut in the coming-of-age drama, “The Power of One,” wherein he played an Afrikaner soldier who beats and humiliates a white South African boxer (Stephen Dorff) trained by a black man (Morgan Freeman). Craig then appeared in “Genghis Cohn” (A&E, 1993), a satire about a Nazi SS officer (Robert Lindsay) confronted with the ghost of a Jewish comedian (Antony Sher) he killed in a concentration camp. After playing a commoner involved in a forbidden love with King Arthur’s daughter in the children’s fantasy, “A Kid in King Arthur’s Court” (1995), Craig gained fame in native England playing a hapless musician turned homeless person in the BBC’s “Our Friends in the North” (1996), an ambitious nine-part serial about the lives of four friends spanning thirty years.
In the PBS adaptation of Daniel Defoe’s “Moll Flanders” (1996), he played the enterprising bride’s one true love. He next appeared in the romantic thriller, “Obsession” (1997), wherein he was one of several characters whose divergent lives cross in Berlin. The period biopic, “Love is the Devil” (1998), offered him an opportunity to expand his range. Playing petty thief George Dyer, renowned painter Francis Bacon’s lover and artistic inspiration, Craig earned critical kudos in a film otherwise subjected to mixed reviews. A return to PBS in “The Ice House” (1998) found Craig playing an assistant investigator who doubts the Chief Inspector’s conclusion that a recently discovered corpse is the dead husband of a woman previously suspected in his disappearance. That same year, he appeared in “Elizabeth,” the widely acclaimed historical biopic starring an Oscar-snubbed Cate Blanchett as the Virgin Queen.
After landing major roles in smaller projects, including the World War I drama “The Trench” (1999) and the late 19th century drama “Love and Rage” (1999), Craig earned a British Independent Film Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of a schizophrenic man adjusting to the real world after his release from an institution in “Some Voices” (2000). He next appeared in a supporting role in the bland and uninspired romantic adventure, “I Dreamed of Africa” (2000), starring a well-meaning Kim Basinger. Craig then made the jump to larger Hollywood fare, appearing as old flame and fellow tomb raider Alex West in the live-action take on the popular video game, “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider” (2001), starring Angelina Jolie. In “Road to Perdition” (2002), he was the angry son of an Irish mobster (Paul Newman) who treats one of his hit men (Tom Hanks) like the son he never had. He next played poet Ted Hughes, husband to feminist icon Sylvia Plath (Gwyneth Paltrow), who committed suicide after he left their deteriorated marriage, in the uneven biopic, “Sylvia” (2003).
Craig caused a stir in the unsettling erotic drama, “The Mother” (2004), playing a man who beds a woman (Anne Reid) twice his age while sleeping with her daughter. The stark May-December romance earned rave reviews, but made little impression at the box office. After a stint as a university professor stalked by another man (Rhys Ifans) in the Hitchcockian “Enduring Love” (2004), he was an inmate at an institute for the criminally insane in the derivative thriller, “The Jacket” (2005). Meanwhile, the Bond rumors began to swirl amidst the release of “Layer Cake” (2005), a crime comedy from Matthew Vaughn, producer of “Snatch” (2001) and “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels” (1999). Craig played a cocaine dealer seeking early retirement who is forced by a crime boss to find the missing daughter of an old pal (Michael Gambon). Meanwhile, Craig was cast by Steven Spielberg to co-star in “Munich” (2005), the true story about the massacre of Israeli athletes by Palestinian terrorists at the 1972 Olympics and the secret Mossad mission to exact revenge. Craig delivered a razor-edged performance as the one member of the team who whole-heartedly embraces the righteousness of their mission.
Just prior to the release of “Munich” and after months of speculation, Craig was officially revealed as the next James Bond in October 2005, becoming only the second British actor to play the role, though he held the distinction of being the first blond. Initially, Craig was greeted with concern – and in some corners, outright scorn – from critics, who felt his blond hair and relatively short stature at under six-feet tall, went against author Ian Fleming’s original vision of the character. Adding injury to insult, Craig reportedly lost two teeth while filming a fight scene, but it turned out that he had simply lost a crown. Nonetheless, the media hounds enjoyed their continued snipping at the actor’s heels. When “Casino Royal” (2006) was released, however, critics suddenly changed their tune, stating that the film was one of the best in years and that Craig rivaled Sean Connery with his complex and in-depth take on the Bond character. Meanwhile, Craig starred opposite Nicole Kidman in “The Invasion” (2007), voiced Lord Asriel in “The Golden Compass” (2007), and played a hedonistic British actor nearing the end of his career in “Flashbacks of a Fool” (2008).
Of course Craig returned to the James Bond role for the highly-anticipated “Quantum of Solace” (2008), but fans were roundly disappointed with Craig’s second go-round because of a weak storyline and over-reliance on a flash-cut editing. Still, the actor was generally praised for his depiction of Britain’s most famous spy. Craig went on to star in director Ed Zwick’s World War II drama, “Defiance” (2008), in which he played a simple farmer who, along with his brother (Liev Schreiber), turns a group of Jewish refugees into a crack team of freedom fighters against the Nazi regime. He next starred in the high-profile “Cowboys & Aliens” (2011), a sci-fi/Western hybrid set in 1873 in which he played an unwelcome stranger in the fear-gripped town of Absolution who wears a mysterious wristband that helps in the fight against an alien invasion. While plans for the 23rd Bond movie were put on hold due to the financial struggles of MGM, Craig earned considerable attention for his starring performance opposite a completely transformed Rooney Mara in the U.S. remake of “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” (2011). Craig played crusading journalist, Mikael Blomkvist, who investigates the 40-year-old disappearance of a woman from a wealthy family with an emotionally disturbed computer hacker (Mara). Once MGM put its house in order, Craig returned to play Bond in “Skyfall” (2012), in which 007 is presumed dead, only to be used by M (Judi Dench) to track down a notorious criminal (Javier Bardem) who has a crucial personal connection to both.
The above TCM overview can also be accessed online here.
Colin ODonoghue was born in Drogheda, Co. Louth in 1980. Colin ODonoghue starred for several seasons in RTE’s popular drama series “The Clinic” and also featured in the mini-series “The Tudors”.
In 2010 he completed a major role in “The Rite” with Anthony Hopkins. Colin ODonoghue is now starring in the hit U.S. tv series “Once Upon A Time”.
IMDB entry:
O’Donoghue was born and raised in Drogheda, County Louth, in a Roman Catholic family. He initially attended Dundalk Grammar School, and then The Gaiety School of Acting in Dublin. At age 16, O’Donoghue went to Paris, France, for a month to learn the French language. Colin’s early career was mainly split between theatre and television work in Ireland and the UK. In 2003, Colin won the Irish Film and Television Award for “Best New Talent” for his role as Norman in “Home For Christmas.
– IMDb Mini Biography By: christina
Colin ODonoghue was born in Drogheda, Co. Louth in 1980. Colin ODonoghue starred for several seasons in RTE’s popular drama series “The Clinic” and also featured in the mini-series “The Tudors”.
In 2010 he completed a major role in “The Rite” with Anthony Hopkins. Colin ODonoghue is now starring in the hit U.S. tv series “Once Upon A Time”.
IMDB entry:
O’Donoghue was born and raised in Drogheda, County Louth, in a Roman Catholic family. He initially attended Dundalk Grammar School, and then The Gaiety School of Acting in Dublin.
At age 16, O’Donoghue went to Paris, France, for a month to learn the French language. Colin’s early career was mainly split between theatre and television work in Ireland and the UK.
In 2003, Colin won the Irish Film and Television Award for “Best New Talent” for his role as Norman in “Home For Christmas.
