Kieran O'Brien

Kieran O'Brien (born 1973) is an English actor.

Early life and education Born in Oldham, Lancashire, O'Brien grew up in nearby Royton, and was educated at the Bishop Henshaw Roman Catholic Memorial High School in Rochdale.

Career O'Brien began acting at an early age and was the star of BBC TV series Gruey by the time he was 15. He also featured in several other series at the time in one-off or recurring roles including several episodes of Jossy's Giants.

He played two roles in Coronation Street, Joe Egerton in 1990 and Craig Lee in 1993. In 1993 he also played the role of Lee Jones in Children's Ward, and became a regular in the detective series Cracker, as the titular character's son.

In 1999, O'Brien appeared in his first feature film, Virtual Sexuality. In 2001, he played the role of Private Allen Vest in HBO's acclaimed series Band of Brothers where he played a prominent part in the episode "The Last Patrol". He also appeared in the 2002 film 24 Hour Party People. In 2003, he appeared in the Cooper Temple Clause music video "Promises, Promises" and can be seen saying he got 'laid' in the Millennium Dome in the making of the video.

In 2004, O'Brien appeared in the controversial film 9 Songs. According to The Guardian, 9 Songs was the most sexually explicit mainstream-film to date, largely because it includes several scenes of real, sexual acts between the two lead actors. His role is highly unusual in that he had unsimulated and very graphic sex with his co-star Margo Stilley, including genital fondling, female masturbation with and without a vibrator, penetrative vaginal sex, cunnilingus, footjob, and fellatio. During a scene in which Stilley stimulates his penis with her hand after performing fellatio on him, he became the only mainstream British actor who has been shown ejaculating in a mainstream UK-produced feature.

O'Brien strongly defended the film during the controversy that followed, saying that he saw no problem with having sex for a film.

To date, O'Brien continues both his television and film acting careers. Recent appearances have been made in The Road to Guantánamo (2006) and Totally Frank (2005–06), as well as a reprise of his role in Cracker.

O'Brien was also one of the stars of the BBC's police drama HolbyBlue, appearing from the first episode until the third episode of the second series.

In 2013, O'Brien toured the UK in a stage production of Simon Beaufoy's 1997 comedy-drama film The Full Monty, in which he plays the "absurdly over-endowed" guy.

Personal life O'Brien was in a relationship with Brookside actress Nicola Stephenson for eight years until 1999.

Filmography Year Title Role Notes1987 Bellman and True The Boy 1999 Virtual Sexuality Alex Thorne 2001 My Kingdom Photographer 2002 24 Hour Party People Nathan 2004 9 Songs Matt 2005 A Cock and Bull Story Gary Goal! Hughie McGowan 2006 The Road to Guantánamo Voice Over 2007 Goal II: Living the Dream Hughie McGowan 2008 Genova Reading Sonnet Voice2012 Spike Island Poster Vendor 2013 The Look of Love Jimmy Humphries 2018 Peterloo Farrier Holmes & Watson Lestrade's P.C. Smalls

Television