Gabriel Byrne (born in Dublin on 12 May 1950) is an international star of about 50 films whose British career looks distinctly quirky. As against the Hollywood sheen of, say, Little Women (US, d. Gillian Armstrong, 1994) or The Man in the Iron Mask (US, d. Randall Wallace, 1998), one finds Defence of the Realm (d. David Drury, 1985) or Gothic (d. Ken Russell, 1986), as Lord Byron on a wild night in Switzerland with the Shelleys. He aspired to the priesthood, then teaching, before becoming an actor. A strong unpredictable presence in films from all over the place, he is also an occasional producer, director and writer, sometimes of little-seen Irish (co-)productions. He was married (1989-94) to US actress Ellen Barkin. Brian McFarlane, Encyclopedia of British Film
|