Colm Meaney

Colm J. Meaney (; ; born 30 May 1953) is an Irish actor. Known for his performances across screen and stage, he has received seven nominations from the Irish Film & Television Academy, winning twice for 2001's How Harry Became a Tree, and 2016's The Journey. Other film credits include Roddy Doyle's Barrytown franchise, Con Air, Layer Cake, The Damned United, Get Him to the Greek, and The Snapper, for which he was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical, and won the Silver Hugo Award for Best Actor at the 1993 Chicago International Film Festival.

On television, Meaney is best known for his portrayal of Chief Petty Officer Miles O'Brien in both Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987–1994) and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993–1999), appearing in a total of 225 episodes. Other television credits include five seasons as Thomas C. Durant on the AMC western Hell on Wheels (2011–2016), James Burbage on the TNT historical fiction series Will (2017), and Finn Wallace on the Sky Atlantic crime series Gangs of London (2020). Meaney's numerous guest appearances include roles on Moonlighting, MacGyver, Murdoch Mysteries, Law & Order, The Simpsons, and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

Also a veteran of the theatre, Meaney has starred on Broadway and the West End in Eugene O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh and A Moon for the Misbegotten, Tennessee Williams' Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and Hugh Whitemore's Breaking the Code. Additionally, he has appeared in numerous productions with the National Theatre of Ireland, including Sean O'Casey's Juno and the Paycock, The Silver Tassie, and The Shadow of a Gunman.

In 2020, Meaney was ranked 24th on The Irish Times list of "The 50 Greatest Irish Film Actors of All Time". In 2025, he received the Irish Film & Television Academy's Lifetime Achievement Award.

Early life and education Meaney was born in Glasnevin, Dublin, the son of Kathleen and Patrick Meaney, who was a van driver for Johnston, Mooney, & O'Brien. His brothers are Liam, Padraig, and Sean Meaney. He developed a love of acting at the age of 14, and after completing his leaving cert matriculated to the Abbey Theatre School. Upon completing his studies, Meaney joined the company of the National Theatre of Ireland.

Career Stage Meaney started his career acting in numerous productions with the Abbey Theatre from 1971-1980.

In 1971, Meaney joined the company of the National Theatre of Ireland, appearing in 24 productions over the next nine years. Credits from this period include William Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale, W. B. Yeats' King Oedipus, George Bernard Shaw's Saint Joan, Dion Boucicault's Arrah-na-Pogue, and Sean O'Casey's Juno and the Paycock. Meaney made his Off-West End debut in 1975, appearing in McGrath's plays Fish in the Sea at the Half Moon Theatre The play is an 8½ hour-long stage adaptation of the Charles Dickens’ novel of the same name, performed in two parts. The production was a critical and commercial success, later transferring to Merle Reskin Theatre in Chicago, Illinois.

Meaney made his Off-Broadway debut in 1984, appearing as Kevin in Hugh Leonard's The Poker Sessions at Theater Off Park. In 1986 he relocated from New York City to Los Angeles. That same year he starred in Sławomir Mrożek's Alpha, Harold Pinter's The Birthday Party, and Peter Sheridan's Diary of a Hunger Strike, all at the Los Angeles Theatre Center. Meaney's performance in the latter earned him a Drama-Logue Award nomination for Best Actor in a Play. In 1987, Meaney appeared as Mick Ross in the American premiere of Hugh Whitemore's Breaking the Code at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Later that same year the production transferred to the Neil Simon Theatre on Broadway. From 1992 to 1993 Meaney appeared in a multi-city tour of Tom Stoppard's Every Good Boy Deserves Favour, directed by his Star Trek co-star Patrick Stewart. Tour venues included Orange County Symphony in Garden Grove, CA; The Chicago Theatre in Chicago, Illinois, and The Fox Theatre in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In 1999 Meaney starred in Peter Parnell's stage adaptation of John Irving's The Cider House Rules at the Atlantic Theater Company. Meaney won an Obie Award for his performance.

Meaney made his West End debut as Phil Hogan in the 2006 revival of Eugene O'Neill's A Moon for the Misbegotten at The Old Vic. Directed by Howard Davies, the cast also featured Kevin Spacey and Eve Best. For his performance, Meaney was nominated for the Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role. The following year the production transferred to the Brooks Atkinson Theatre on Broadway. Meaney would later return to Broadway in the 2018 revival of Eugene O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh at Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre. Directed by George C. Wolfe, the cast featured Denzel Washington, Bill Irwin, David Morse, Tammy Blanchard, and Austin Butler. In 2023, after more than a 40-year absence, Meaney returned to the Irish stage in Landmark Productions' revival of the Enda Walsh play Bedbound at the Galway International Arts Festival. Starring opposite his daughter Brenda Meaney, the production later transferred to an additional engagement at the Olympia Theatre, Dublin.

Television and film

Meaney's first television appearance was in Z-Cars on BBC One, in 1978. He guest-starred on shows such as Remington Steele and Moonlighting before embarking on a successful film career; he received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor for his role in The Snapper.

Meaney first appeared on Star Trek: The Next Generation in its 1987 pilot episode, "Encounter at Farpoint", as an unnamed helm officer. His character became a frequently recurring one, and was given the name of Miles O'Brien as he became more prominent in the crew as Transporter Chief. In 1993, Meaney left The Next Generation for a main role in its spin-off Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and remained on that show until its final episode, in 1999. With 225 total appearances on Star Trek, he is second to Michael Dorn with the most appearances on the franchise.

Meaney played Colum O'Hara in the 1994 miniseries Scarlett, the sequel to Gone With the Wind. He has played a minor recurring role as Cowen, leader of the Genii on the series Stargate Atlantis, guest-starred on Law & Order, Law & Order: Criminal Intent and appeared as Bob O'Donnell on the ABC show Men in Trees. Meaney appeared in the film Die Hard 2, playing the pilot of the plane Windsor 114 that was later crashed by Colonel Stuart.

He was the only actor to appear in all three film adaptations of Roddy Doyle's The Barrytown Trilogy, as the father of the Rabbitte family. His stage appearances include the Old Vic production of Eugene O'Neill's A Moon for the Misbegotten. Meaney starred in the British comedy film Three and Out (released in the UK on 25 April 2008). In July of the same year An Post (the Irish Post Office ) issued a postage stamp showing Meaney as Joe Mullen in the film Kings.

In 2009, Meaney co-starred with Gerard Butler and Jamie Foxx in Law Abiding Citizen, playing Detective Dunnigan. In March 2009, Meaney voiced an Irish bartender on the St. Patrick's Day episode of The Simpsons, "In the Name of the Grandfather". In the same month the film The Damned United was released, a mostly fictional retelling of the 44-day period in which Brian Clough was manager of Leeds United F.C. Meaney played former Leeds manager Don Revie. He co-starred in Soldiers of Fortune. In 2013, Meaney co-starred in Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa. In 2014, he appeared as The Horse in the BBC's three-part crime story The Driver. For five seasons he portrayed railroad magnate Thomas C. Durant on AMC's drama series Hell on Wheels.

Personal life From 1977 to 1994, Meaney was married to fellow actress Bairbre Dowling, frequently appearing opposite her on stage and screen. Together they had one daughter, actress Brenda Meaney, born in 1984.

Meaney married French costume designer Ines Glorian in March 2007. Their daughter Ada was born in 2005. The family lives in the Majorcan town of Sóller, with homes in Los Angeles, California, and Dublin, Ireland.

Meaney is a supporter of Sinn Féin. Lady Betty Paddy Short film There's Always Hope Jonathan Stack

Confession Father Peter Save the Cinema Martyn Marlowe Bernie Ohls Unwelcome "Daddy" Whelan Three Day Millionaire Mr. Barr

In the Land of Saints and Sinners Robert McQue The Problem with People Ciáran

No Way Up Brandon The Ballad of Davy Crockett Caleb Duchess Frank Monaghan Bring Them Down Ray 2025 The Panic J.P. Morgan 2026 Remarkably Bright Creatures Ethan Mack Television Year Title Role Notes 1973 Thursday Play Date Freddie Episode: "Hatchet" 1978 Z-Cars McGlin Episode: "Pressure" 1981 Les roses de Dublin Michael Kavanaugh Main role, 6 episodes1982 Play for Tomorrow Kevin Murphy Episode: "Easter 2016" Strangers Smollett Episode: "Charlie's Brother's Birthday" (Part 1) 1986 Moonlighting Katharina Suitor Episode: "Atomic Shakespeare"1987 Remington Steele Man in Tavern Episode: "Steele Hanging in There: Part 2" Tales from the Darkside Constable Episode: "Beetles" 1987–1989 One Life to Live Alf Unknown episodes 1987–1992, 1994 Star Trek: The Next Generation Chief Miles O'Brien Main role, 52 episodes1990 Equal Justice Nucchi Episode: "The Art of the Possible" Father Dowling Mysteries Ernie Episode: "The Undercover Nun Mystery"1991 The New Adam-12 Father Episode: "Panic in Alverez Park" MacGyver Dr. Irwin Malcolm Episode: "Good Knight MacGyver: Part 1" 1992 Jack's Place Mikey Ford Episode: "Forever"1993 Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman Jake Slicker Episode: "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman" Screen Two Dessie Curley Episode: "The Snapper" Brooklyn Bridge Mr. Kramer Episode: "Good as Gold" 1993–1999 Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Chief Miles O'Brien Main role, 173 episodes 1994 Scarlett Father Colum O'Hara 2 episodes 1996 Gargoyles Mr. Dugan (voice) Episode: "The Hound of Ulster" 1999 The Magical Legend of the Leprechauns Seamus Muldoon 2 episodes 2002 Random Passage Thomas Hutchings MiniseriesNominated - Gemini Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series 2004 The Murdoch Mysteries Inspector Brackenreid 2 episodes 2004–2006 Stargate Atlantis Chief Cowen 3 episodes 2005 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Judge Harold Garrett Episode: "In the Wee Small Hours"2006 The Unit Charge D'Affaires Episode: "Security" Covert One: The Hades Factor Peter Howell 2 episodes 2007 Men in Trees Bob O'Donnell 2 episodes 2008 Law & Order Wyatt Landon Episode: "Lost Boys"2009 ZOS: Zone of Separation George Titac Main role, 8 episodes The Simpsons Tom O'Flanagan (voice) Episode: "In the Name of the Grandfather" Life on Mars Lieutenant Gene Hunt Episode: "Unaired Pilot" Mercy Dr. Parks Episode: "I Believe You Conrad" Alice King of Hearts 2 episodes 2011–2016 Hell on Wheels Thomas "Doc" Durant Main role, 52 episodesNominated - Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor on Television (2013)Nominated - Irish Film & Television Award for Best Actor TV (2013) 2014 The Driver The Horse 3 episodes 2015 Childhood's End Wainwright Episode: "The Overlords" 2017 Will James Burbage Main role, 10 episodes2020 Gangs of London Finn Wallace Main role, 8 episodes The Singapore Grip Brendan Archer Main role, 6 episodes 2021 It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Shelley Kelly 2 episodes 2021 Fúria Michael 2 episodes 2022 The Serpent QueenKing Francis I4 episodes 2023 Scary Tales of New York Storyteller Main role, 6 episodes 2023 The Santa Stories Bill Episode: "The Note" 2025 Safe Harbor Kieran Walsh Main role, 8 episodes

Stage Year Title Role Playwright VenueRef.1971 Today the Bullfinch Gentleman Jack White Abbey Theatre 1975 Yobbo Nowt Val John McGrath 7:84 Theatre Company 1975 Lay-Off Fred W. Taylor John McGrath 7:84 Theatre Company 1976 History of the Tenth Struggle Lin Biao John McGrath 7:84 Theatre Company 1977 The Slave Camp Sid Harley Dave Marson 7:84 Theatre Company 1978 Hatchet Freddie Heno Magee Abbey Theatre 1979 Hatchet Freddie Heno Magee Abbey Theatre 1979 The Death of Humpty Dumpty Willy John Joseph Graham Reid Abbey Theatre 1979 Juno and the Paycock Jerry Devine Sean O'Casey Abbey Theatre 1980 The Field Tadhg Mc Cabe John B. Keane Abbey Theatre 1980 Juno and the Paycock Jerry Devine Sean O'Casey Abbey Theatre 1980 The Winter's Tale Cleomenes / Autolycus William Shakespeare Abbey Theatre 1980 The Closed Door John "Slabber" McCoy Joseph Graham Reid Abbey Theatre 1980 Nightshade Vance Stewart Parker Abbey Theatre 1980 Nightshade Vance Stewart Parker Abbey Theatre National Tour 1982 The Playboy of the Western World Shawn John Millington Synge Great Lakes Shakespeare Festival 1982 The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby John Browdie / Sir Mulberry Hawk Charles Dickens & David Edgar Great Lakes Shakespeare Festival 1983 The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby John Browdie / Sir Mulberry Hawk Charles Dickens & David Edgar Merle Reskin Theatre, Chicago 1983 Henry V Fluellen William Shakespeare Great Lakes Shakespeare Festival 1983 A Child's Christmas in Wales Tad Dylan Thomas Great Lakes Shakespeare Festival 1984 The Poker Sessions Kevin Hugh Leonard Theater Off Park Off-Broadway 1985 And a Nightingale Sang Eric C. P. Taylor Great Lakes Shakespeare Festival 1986 The Birthday Party McCann Harold Pinter Los Angeles Theatre Center 1986 Diary of a Hunger Strike Patrick O'Connor Peter Sheridan Los Angeles Theatre Center 1986 Alpha The Political Prisoner Sławomir Mrożek Los Angeles Theatre Center 1987 Breaking the Code Mick Ross Hugh Whitemore Kennedy Center 1987–1988 Breaking the Code Mick Ross Hugh Whitemore Neil Simon Theatre, Broadway 1993 Every Good Boy Deserves Favour Colonel Tom Stoppard Orange County Symphony 1993 Every Good Boy Deserves Favour Colonel Tom Stoppard The Chicago Theatre 1993 Every Good Boy Deserves Favour Colonel Tom Stoppard Fox Theatre, Atlanta 1994 Every Good Boy Deserves Favour Colonel Tom Stoppard Orpheum Theatre, Minneapolis 1999 The Cider House Rules Dr. Wilbur Larch John Irving & Peter Parnell Atlantic Theater Company, Off-Broadway 2007 A Moon for the Misbegotten Phil Hogan Eugene O'Neill Brooks Atkinson Theatre, Broadway 2007 A Moon for the Misbegotten Phil Hogan Eugene O'Neill The Old Vic, West End 2017 Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Big Daddy Tennessee Williams Apollo Theatre, West End 2018 The Iceman Cometh Harry Hope Eugene O'Neill Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, Broadway 2023 Bedbound Father Enda Walsh Galway International Arts Festival 2023 Bedbound Father Enda Walsh Olympia Theatre, Dublin

Awards and nominations