The Best Irish Actors of All Time
Sure, Colin Farrell is a handsome bad boy, but what about all those other great Irish actors? This list of the best Irish actors of all time reaches back in film history to rank the greatest male actors to have ever hailed from Ireland. Hollywood just wouldn't be the same without Lawrence of Arabia and a whole bunch of James Bond films, and those movies wouldn't be what they were without a few of the top Irish actors ranked here.
Who are the best Irish actors ever? The land of Erin has given the world many good actors, who have played iconic roles, been part of blockbuster and classic films, and represented Ireland on the big screen for decades. Great classic Irish actors like Peter O'Toole and Richard Harris are listed here, along with more modern talents like Liam Neeson, Colin Farrell, and Pierce Brosnan. Think of your favorite movie, and there just might be a good Irish actor starring as the leading man.
This list features the top Irish actors of all time including Peter O’Toole, Liam Neeson, Noel Purcell, Tony Doyle, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Pierce Brosnan, Richard Harris, and Colin Kenny. Don't see your favorite actor from the Eire? Add him below so other film fans can vote. Then, be sure to vote and rerank the list according to who you think are the best Irish actors to have ever graced the screen.- The Dark Knight Rises, Batman Begins, Schindler's List
- Birthplace: Ballymena, United Kingdom
Liam John Neeson (born 7 June 1952) is an actor from Northern Ireland. He has been nominated for a number of awards, including an Academy Award for Best Actor, a BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a ...more - The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises, Batman Begins
- Birthplace: Douglas, County Cork, Republic of Ireland
Cillian Murphy (; born 25 May 1976) is an Irish actor. He began his career performing as a rock musician. After turning down a record deal, he began his acting career in theatre, and in short and ...more - Gangs of New York, The Last of the Mohicans, There Will Be Blood
- Birthplace: Greenwich, London, United Kingdom
Sir Daniel Michael Blake Day-Lewis (born 29 April 1957) is a retired English actor who holds both British and Irish citizenship. He has been hailed by many as one of the greatest and most widely ...more - Gladiator, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
- Birthplace: Limerick, Republic of Ireland
Richard St. John Harris (1 October 1930 – 25 October 2002) was an Irish actor and singer. He appeared on stage and in many films, appearing as Frank Machin in This Sporting Life, for which he was ...more - Inglourious Basterds, X-Men: First Class, X-Men: Days of Future Past
- Birthplace: Heidelberg, Germany
Michael Fassbender (born 2 April 1977) is an Irish-German actor. His feature film debut was in the fantasy war epic 300 (2007) as a Spartan warrior; his earlier roles included various stage ...more - Lawrence of Arabia, Ratatouille, Prometheus
- Birthplace: Connemara, Republic of Ireland
Peter Seamus O'Toole (; 2 August 1932 – 14 December 2013) was a British stage and film actor of Irish descent. He attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and began working in the theatre, gaining ...more - Braveheart, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Gangs of New York
- Birthplace: Republic of Ireland, Dublin
Brendan Gleeson (born 29 March 1955) is an Irish actor and film director. He is the recipient of three IFTA Awards, two BIFA Awards, and an Emmy Award and has been nominated twice for a BAFTA Award ...more - Mars Attacks!, Mrs. Doubtfire, GoldenEye
- Birthplace: Drogheda, Republic of Ireland
Pierce Brendan Brosnan (; born 16 May 1953) is an Irish–American actor, film producer, activist, architect and environmentalist. Born in Ireland, Brosnan became a naturalised American citizen. After ...more - Minority Report, Daredevil, Horrible Bosses
- Birthplace: Castleknock, Republic of Ireland
Colin Farrell (born 31 May 1976) is an Irish actor. Farrell appeared in the BBC drama Ballykissangel in 1998, made his film debut in the Tim Roth-directed drama The War Zone in 1999, and was ...more - The Usual Suspects, Excalibur, Enemy of the State
- Birthplace: Walkinstown, Republic of Ireland
Gabriel James Byrne (born 12 May 1950) is an Irish actor, film director, film producer, writer, cultural ambassador and audiobook narrator. His acting career began in the Focus Theatre before he ...more - Thor, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Thor: The Dark World
- Birthplace: Belfast, United Kingdom
Sir Kenneth Charles Branagh (born 10 December 1960) is a Northern Irish actor, director, producer, and screenwriter. Branagh trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, and in 2015 ...more - The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, X-Men
- Birthplace: Burnley, United Kingdom
Sir Ian Murray McKellen (born 25 May 1939) is an English actor. His career spans genres ranging from Shakespearean and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction. He is the recipient of ...more - Mission: Impossible III, Bend It like Beckham, The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones
- Birthplace: Drimnagh, Republic of Ireland
Jonathan Rhys Meyers (born Jonathan Michael Francis O'Keeffe; 27 July 1977) is an Irish actor. He is known for his roles in the films Velvet Goldmine (1998), Bend It Like Beckham (2002), Match Point ...more - The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
- Birthplace: Handsworth, South Yorkshire, United Kingdom
Shaun Mark Bean (born 17 April 1959), credited professionally as Sean Bean (), is an English actor. After graduating from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Bean made his professional debut in a ...more - Jurassic Park, The Hunt for Red October, Jurassic Park III
- Birthplace: Omagh, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, UK
Nigel John Dermot Neill (born 14 September 1947), known professionally as Sam Neill, is a New Zealand actor, writer, producer, director, and vineyard owner. Born in Omagh, Northern Ireland, he ...more - Marie Antoinette, Fifty Shades of Grey, X Returns
- Birthplace: Holywood, Bangor, United Kingdom
James Dornan (born 1 May 1982) is an actor, model, and musician from Northern Ireland. He played Sheriff Graham Humbert in the ABC series Once Upon a Time (2011–2013), and serial killer Paul Spector ...more - The Last of the Mohicans, Die Hard 2, Con Air
- Birthplace: Dublin, Republic of Ireland
Colm J. Meaney (; Irish: Colm Ó Maonaigh; born 30 May 1953) is an Irish actor known for playing Miles O'Brien in Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987–1994) and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993–1999). ...more - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part I, True Grit
- Birthplace: Dublin, Republic of Ireland
Domhnall Gleeson (Irish: [ˈd̪ˠoːnˠəl̪ˠ]; born 12 May 1983) is an Irish actor, voice actor, and writer. He is the son of actor Brendan Gleeson, alongside whom he has appeared in a number of films and ...more - Legends of the Fall, Practical Magic, The Mission
- Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
Aidan Quinn (born March 8, 1959) is an Irish-American actor, who made his film debut in Reckless (1984). He has starred in over 80 feature films, including Desperately Seeking Susan (1985), The ...more - The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
- Birthplace: Clondalkin, Dublin, Republic of Ireland
Aidan Turner (born 19 June 1983) is an Irish actor. He played the roles of Kíli in the three-part fantasy film The Hobbit and Ross Poldark in the 2015–2019 BBC adaptation of The Poldark Novels by ...more - Thor: The Dark World, Bridesmaids, The Boat That Rocked
- Birthplace: Boyle, County Roscommon, Republic of Ireland
Christopher O'Dowd (born 9 October 1979) is an Irish actor and comedian, best known for his television roles such as Miles Daly in the Epix comedy series Get Shorty and Roy Trenneman in the Channel 4 ...more - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
- Birthplace: Republic of Ireland, Cabra, Dublin
Sir Michael John Gambon (born 19 October 1940) is an Irish-born British character actor and private pilot who has worked in theatre, television, and film. He is also known as The Great Gambon as ...more - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2, Frozen, There Will Be Blood
- Birthplace: Belfast, United Kingdom
Ciarán Hinds (; born 9 February 1953) is an Irish actor. A versatile character actor, he has featured in films such as Road to Perdition, Munich, There Will Be Blood, Harry Potter and the Deathly ...more - V for Vendetta, Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles, The Crying Game
- Birthplace: Belfast, United Kingdom
Stephen Rea ( ray; born 31 October 1946) is an Irish film and stage actor. Rea has appeared in films such as V for Vendetta, Michael Collins, Interview with the Vampire and Breakfast on Pluto. Rea ...more - Clash of the Titans, War Horse, A Little Princess
- Birthplace: Dublin, East Wall, Republic of Ireland
Liam Cunningham (born 2 June 1961) is an Irish stage and screen actor. He is known for playing Davos Seaworth in the HBO epic-fantasy series Game of Thrones.Cunningham has been nominated for the ...more