Colm Meaney facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Colm Meaney
Meaney at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival
Born	(1953-05-30) 30 May 1953 (age 72) Dublin, Ireland
Education	Abbey Theatre School
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1978-present
Spouse(s)	Bairbre Dowling ​ ​ (m. 1977; div. 1994)​ Ines Glorian ​ (m. 2007)​
Children	Brenda Meaney
Awards	Full list

Colm J. Meaney (born May 30, 1953) is a famous Irish actor from Dublin. He has acted on stage, in movies, and on television. Many people know him for playing Chief Miles O'Brien in the TV shows Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

Meaney has won two Irish Film & Television Academy Awards. He won for the movies How Harry Became a Tree (2001) and The Journey (2017). He also starred in popular movies like The Snapper, Con Air, and The Damned United. For his role in The Snapper, he was nominated for a Golden Globe Award.

On television, Meaney appeared in 225 episodes of Star Trek, making him one of the most seen actors in the franchise. He also starred in the western series Hell on Wheels and the crime show Gangs of London. He has made guest appearances on shows like The Simpsons and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

In 2020, The Irish Times newspaper named him one of the greatest Irish film actors. In 2025, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Irish Film & Television Academy for his amazing career.

Early Life and School

Colm Meaney was born in Glasnevin, a neighborhood in Dublin, Ireland. His father, Patrick, was a van driver. He discovered his love for acting when he was 14 years old.

After finishing high school, he went to the Abbey Theatre School to study acting. When he graduated, he joined the National Theatre of Ireland and began his acting career.

Acting Career

Starting on the Stage

Meaney began his acting career at the famous Abbey Theatre in Dublin.

Meaney started his career in the theater. He joined the company at the National Theatre of Ireland in 1971. For the next nine years, he acted in many plays. He performed in works by famous writers like William Shakespeare and Seán O'Casey.

He spent time working in both Dublin and London. He even made his American stage debut in 1982. In 1987, he performed on Broadway in New York City for the first time in a play called Breaking the Code.

Later in his career, he returned to the stage. He starred in famous plays like A Moon for the Misbegotten and The Iceman Cometh on Broadway and in London's West End. In 2023, he returned to the Irish stage to act in the play Bedbound alongside his daughter, Brenda.

Movies and Television

Meaney (right) with his Star Trek: Deep Space Nine co-stars Marc Alaimo (left) and Armin Shimerman (middle).

Meaney's first TV role was in the British show Z-Cars in 1978. He later appeared in American shows like Moonlighting.

Star Trek Fame

In 1987, Meaney appeared in the first episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. At first, his character didn't have a name. As he appeared more often, he was named Miles O'Brien, the Transporter Chief.

His character became so popular that he was given a main role in the spin-off series, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine in 1993. He stayed on the show until it ended in 1999. In total, he appeared in 225 Star Trek episodes.

Other Famous Roles

Meaney is the only actor to appear in all three movies based on Roddy Doyle's The Barrytown Trilogy books. These movies are The Commitments, The Snapper, and The Van.

He has played many different characters. He was the pilot of a plane in Die Hard 2 and a detective in Law Abiding Citizen. He also voiced an Irish bartender in an episode of The Simpsons. From 2011 to 2016, he played railroad boss Thomas Durant in the TV series Hell on Wheels.

Personal Life

Meaney was married to Irish actress Bairbre Dowling from 1977 to 1994. They have a daughter, Brenda Meaney, who is also an actress.

In 2007, he married French costume designer Ines Glorian. They have a daughter named Ada, born in 2005. The family lives in the town of Sóller on the island of Majorca, Spain.

Meaney is a supporter of Sinn Féin, an Irish political party.

Selected Film and TV Shows

Here are some of Colm Meaney's most well-known roles.

See also

In Spanish: Colm Meaney para niños