North American audiences have always been suckers for accents, and there’s nothing more charming than a gentle Irish brogue. Gabriel Byrne has those charms and then some, and his mature gravity just makes the occasional smile all the more enjoyable. There is something noble about his visage and, like fellow Irishman Liam Neeson, he seems to only get better with age.
Byrne’s life began in Dublin, on May 12th, 1950. His mother was a nurse and his father worked for the Guinness company as barrel maker. Unlike many children his age, young Gabriel was a more serious-minded child, and at age 12, he decided that his calling was to become a priest. Byrne would eventually attend seminary school, but things did not pan out and he was kicked out after getting caught smoking in a cemetery. At 16, he was back in Dublin taking odd jobs while trying to decide what to do with his life.
Whether it was because of a longing for education or just to keep himself preoccupied, he soon started attending Dublin’s University College. While there, he studied archaeology, phonetics and linguistics. After graduating, he worked for a time on some archaeological digs, and also taught Spanish for awhile. However, Byrne would change his mind once again and give it all up to pursue an acting career. He had appeared in a few plays in the past, but lacked any real experience. Nevertheless, he soon became a member of a theatre troupe, whose members included actor Liam Neeson and director Jim Sheridan (In The Name of the Father).
In 1981, Byrne landed a role on the long running Irish television show, The Riordans. Unfortunately, the show happened to be running down and soon came to an end. Fortunately for Byrne, his brooding character was impressive enough to merit his own spin-off, Bracken. The show was a hit in Ireland, and so was Byrne. Director John Boorman took note of him, and cast him in Excalibur. More film roles followed, and Gabriel would eventually make a move to North America at his agent’s urging.
Gabriel’s Hollywood career got off to a rocky start in the Shelley Long comedy, Hello Again. He met his future wife, Ellen Barkin, while making Siesta. The two would later divorce, but remain friends and share custody of their two children.
Byrne’s first big break came with Miller’s Crossing, as an aging 1930's gangster. He was immediately besieged with movie offers and was soon appearing in everything from Cool World to Little Women. Just when things were beginning to cool off for Byrne, he appeared in the sensational, The Usual Suspects as an ex-cop turned criminal.
Byrne continues to work steadily, increasingly his already impressive body of work. He possesses a dark brooding charm which is undeniable. It is only fitting that Byrne is set to play the most darkly charismatic character of them all - Satan - in the upcoming Arnold Schwarzenegger film, End of Days.