Gabriel Byrne is an Irish actor, producer, director, screenwriter, and author, best known for appearing in various theater plays in Ireland and England in the 1980s, but most notably for his on-screen debut in a well-known Irish drama TV series The Riordans in 1978 and 1979 as Pat Barry, as well as its sequel titled Bracken between 1980 and 1982 in the same role. In 1987, he starred in multiple well-received projects – the movie Lionheart as Black Prince, as well as Julia and Julia as Paolo, Hello Again as Kevin Scanlon, and Siesta as Augustine. His most notable appearances in the early 2000s were in movies such as Shipwrecked and Miller’s Crossing in 1990, Cool World (1992), Point of No Return (1993), and A Dangerous Woman (1993).
Gabriel also starred in The Usual Suspects (1995), Smilla’s Sense of Snow (1997), and The Man in the Iron Mask (1998) as D’Artagnan, alongside . Gabriel was seen playing a character of Dr. Paul Weston in In Treatment TV series between 2008 and 2010, as well as Earl Haraldson in the series Vikings (2013), but also movies such as Hereditary (2018) alongside , and In the Cloud (2018) co-starring . Gabriel Byrne was also known for being an author of Pictures in My Head, an autobiography first released on September 1, 1995, in which he detailed his early upbringing in a typical Irish family and the long road to becoming a successful actor.
Born Name
Gabriel James Byrne
Nick Name
Gabe, Gebriel Birn
Sun Sign
Taurus
Born Place
Dublin, Ireland
Residence
Manhattan, New York, United States
Nationality
Education
In his youth, he spent 5 years in a seminary training to become a Catholic priest.
For secondary education, Gabriel attended Ardscoil Éanna in Crumlin, a Southside suburb of Dublin, Ireland.
He then enrolled in University College Dublin, and studied linguistics and archeology, after which he became proficient in Irish.
Occupation
Actor, Producer, Director, Screenwriter, Author
Family
- Father – Dan Byrne (Cooper, Soldier)
- Mother – Eileen née Gannon Byrne (Hospital Nurse)
- Siblings – Donal Byrne (Younger Brother), Thomas Byrne (Younger Brother), Breda Byrne (Younger Sister), Margaret (Younger Sister), Marian (Younger Sister) (Deceased)
Manager
Gabriel Byrne is represented by –
- The Agency in Dublin, Ireland
- Paradigm Talent Agency in Beverly Hills, California, United States
- Arcieri & Associates in New York, New York, United States
Genre
Traditional Pop
Instruments
Vocals
Labels
Unsigned
Build
Slim
Height
5 ft 10 in or 178 cm
Weight
72 kg or 159 lbs
Girlfriend / Spouse
Gabriel Byrne has dated –
- Aine O’Connor (1974-1986) – Gabriel was in a long-term relationship with Aine, a well-known TV producer, and presenter, but the pair broke up in 1986 after 12 years of being together.
- Ellen Barkin (1987-1999) – A year after his previous relationship ended, he started dating American actress Ellen Barkin in 1987, and the pair got married on September 18, 1988. They have 2 children together, son John “Jack” Daniel, born in 1989, and daughter Romy Marion, who was born in 1992. The pair split up around 1993, but officially got divorced on May 26, 1999.
- (1996-1997) – Gabriel met and started dating British actress Julia Ormond in 1996. They also worked together in the film, Smilla’s Sense of Snow, in 1997. However, soon they decided to part ways in 1997 itself.
- (2009) – RUMOR
- Hannah Beth King (2013-Present) – He started dating Hannah in 2013, and after being engaged for about a month, the pair got married on August 4, 2014, at a ceremony in Ballymaloe House in County Cork, Ireland. They have a daughter together, born in February 2017.
Race / Ethnicity
White
He is of Irish descent.
Hair Color
Black
Due to advancing age, his hair has turned ‘Salt and Pepper’.
Eye Color
Blue
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
- Wavy, unruly haircut
- Bright, white teeth
- Often goes clean-shaven
- Thick Irish accent
Brand Endorsements
- Gabriel became the UNICEF Ireland ambassador in November 2004, and a patron for The West of Ireland Cardiology Foundation in 1997.
- He also appeared in a TV commercial for O2 telecommunication services in 2009.
Religion
Atheism
Best Known For
- Starring as Tom Reagan in the movie Miller’s Crossing (1990)
- Appearing as Father Andrew Kiernan in a horror Stigmata (1999)
- Having a role of The Man in End of Days (1999)
- Appearing in TV series such as Madigan Men in 2000 as Benjamin Madigan, In Treatment between 2008 and 2010 as Dr. Paul Weston, and Vikings in 2013 as Earl Haraldson
As a Singer
He performed a song titled My Way in a movie Mad Dog Time in 1996, where he had the role of Ben London.
First Film
Gabriel made his first feature film appearance in the drama movie On a Paving Stone Mounted in 1978.
First TV Show
He made his first TV show appearance as an unnamed cast member in the 4th episode of the 1st season of the horror drama series Last of Summer in 1978.
Gabriel Byrne Favorite Things
- Sport – Football
- Football Club – Stella Maris
- Movie – Amarcord (1973)
Source –
Gabriel Byrne Facts
- Before he started taking acting seriously, he worked as a schoolteacher for Spanish and History and was also a short-order cook, bullfighter, and an archaeologist.
- He started acting when he was 29 years old and went to America for the first time when he was 37.
- In November 1999, Gabriel claimed he was s*xually molested by his Latin teacher while he was attending the seminary to become a priest. He said that didn’t affect him at the time it happened, but that he recognized the influence of the trauma in the issues he faced later in life.
- Even though he had multiple acting projects and films by BFI (British Film Insitute) and other uncredited jobs, many consider his film debut to be Excalibur, a film he appeared in 1981 as Uther Pendragon, King Arthur’s father, alongside and . In Live from Lincoln Center: Camelot (2008) he appeared in the role of King Arthur.
- Gabriel co-starred with in a short drama film Wings of Ash: A Dramatization of the Life of Antonin Artaud in 1978.
- Gabriel had the role of a Satan in End of Days (1999) alongside , but also played a priest the same year, in Stigmata (1999).
- He wrote a drama titled Draíocht, which means magic in Gaeilge (Irish Gaelic) language that he learned to speak fluently in college. It was the first drama in Irish and was aired on the national Irish television station TG4 in 1996.
- Gabriel was supposed to star in At Swim-Two-Birds, a film adaptation of a metafictional novel by the same name. His co-stars were supposed to be and , while was set to direct it. However, in October 2009, they feared the Irish Film Board was going to be abolished, as planned by the Irish state, and the production of the movie ultimately fell through.
- He appeared in a music video for the single Ain’t So Easy by David & David in 1986.
- For his role of a therapist, Dr. Paul Weston, in the drama series, In Treatment (2008-2010) on HBO, he was first named “Latest Mc. Dreamy” by the New York Times magazine. Later in the year of 2008, Gabriel won the Golden Globe Award in the category “Best Actor in a Drama Series” for his role in the series, and was also nominated for an Emmy Award for the 1st time in his career.
- He starred in the well-known TV series Vikings in 2013 alongside , , and .
- Gabriel received a Volta Award for “Lifetime Achievement in Acting” during the 5th Jameson Dublin Film Festival that was organized in 2007.
- He received an Honorary Patronage of the University Philosophical Society at the Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland on February 20, 2007. A few months later, in November of the same year, Gabriel was awarded an honorary degree at the National University of Ireland in Galway, for his contribution to Irish and international film.
- Gabriel is a very private person and doesn’t like sharing a lot about his life. However, he starred in an intimate documentary about his life, titled Stories from Home, released in the summer of 2008 at the 20th Galway Film Fleadh, allowing fans of his work a unique insight into his life.
- His autobiography, Pictures in My Head, was released on September 1, 1995. Among other important trivia, he mentioned he hated being called “brooding”.
- People magazine once listed him as one of the “Sexiest Men Alive”, while Entertainment Weekly once listed him among the “33 Hottest Celebrities Over the Age of 50”.
- In 2018, Gabriel received the “Lifetime Achievement Award” from the Irish Film and Television Academy for his contribution to Irish cinema.
- Gabriel had the role of a character named James ‘Jim’ Tyrone, Jr. in a Broadway play A Moon for the Misbegotten in 2000. He was nominated for a Tony Award in the category of “Best Actor in a Play”, and received a 2nd nomination for the Drama Desk Award in the category “Outstanding Actor in a Play”.
- He was the winner of a Theatre World Award for Acting in 2000 for his role in Moon for the Misbegotten Broadway play. It was at the same event that actors , , and received theirs.
- He is not active on social media.
Featured Image by Timo Elliott / Flickr / CC BY 2.0
Facts of Gabriel Byrne
- full nameGabriel Byrne
- Date of Birth May 12, 1950
- Age 74 years 3 months
- Horoscope Taurus
- Lucky Number 5
- Lucky Stone Emerald
- Lucky Color Green
- Best Match for Marriage Virgo, Cancer, Capricorn
- weight72 kg
- height5 ft 10 in