John Lynch (actor) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids John Lynch
Lynch in 2015
Born	Northern Ireland
Alma mater	Royal Central School of Speech and Drama
Occupation	Actor, novelist
Years active	1984–present
Spouse(s)	Mary McGuckian ​ ​ (m. 1997; separated 2008)​
Relatives	Susan Lynch (sister) Leah O'Rourke (niece)

John Lynch is an Irish actor and writer. He has starred in many movies and TV shows. He won a big award called the AFI (AACTA) Award for Best Actor for his role in the 1995 film Angel Baby. You might have seen him in The Secret Garden, In the Name of the Father, or the TV series The Fall. John has also written two novels.

John Lynch's Early Life

John Lynch was born in Northern Ireland. His dad was from Northern Ireland, and his mom, Rose, was from Italy. They met in London. John is the oldest of five children and grew up Catholic.

When he was seven, in 1968, his family moved to Corrinshego, a townland in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. He spent his childhood and teenage years there. John went to St. Colman's College in Newry. He started acting in Irish language plays at school during a difficult time in Northern Ireland called The Troubles. This was a period of conflict in the region. His sister, Susan Lynch, and his nephew, Thomas Finnegan, are also actors.

John Lynch's Acting Career

John Lynch has acted in many films about Northern Ireland's history. These include Cal (1984) with Helen Mirren, where he was nominated for a BAFTA award. He also appeared in The Railway Station Man (1992), In the Name of the Father (1993) with Daniel Day-Lewis, and Some Mother's Son (1996), also with Helen Mirren. In Some Mother's Son, he played Bobby Sands, an Irish Republican hunger strike leader.

He also had supporting roles in films like Edward II (1991) and The Secret Garden (1993). In The Secret Garden, he played Lord Craven. He was also in The Secret of Roan Inish (1994) and Sliding Doors (1998).

Awards and Recognition

John Lynch played the main character in the Australian film Angel Baby. For this role, he won the Australian Film Institute award for best leading actor in 1995. He was also nominated for a Satellite Film Award for the film Moll Flanders in 1996.

He worked with Belgian director Marion Hänsel on the film The Quarry (1998). This movie won Best Film at the Montreal World Film Festival. Lynch played the famous football player George Best in the 2000 film Best. He won Best Actor for this role at the Fort Lauderdale Film Festival in 2000. He also helped write and produce this film.

In 2005, Lynch was nominated for an IFTA award for his role in The Baby War. He starred in Five Day Shelter, which won a European Film Award. In 2011, he played the lead in the prison drama Ghosted. He also appeared in Black Death and the 2012 film Private Peaceful.

John Lynch's Novels

Besides acting, John Lynch is also a writer. His first novel, Torn Water, was published in November 2005. His second novel, Falling Out of Heaven, was published in May 2010. Both books were released by HarperCollins.

John Lynch's Personal Life

John Lynch married filmmaker Mary McGuckian in 1997. They met while working on the film Words Upon the Window Pane. They separated in 2008 and later divorced.

John Lynch's Film Roles

John Lynch's Television Roles

John Lynch's Awards and Nominations