Person Biography:
Brian Byrne was born in Dublin, Ireland, as the eldest of six children to a family of a cooper and a hospital worker. He was raised Catholic and educated by the Irish Christian Brothers. Initially, Byrne spent five years in a seminary training to become a Catholic priest, but he later realized he didn't have a vocation. He then attended University College Dublin, where he studied archaeology and linguistics, and became proficient in Irish. Byrne also played football with the Stella Maris Football Club.
After leaving UCD, Byrne worked in archaeology while maintaining his love for the Irish language. He eventually wrote Draíocht, the first drama in Irish, for Ireland's national Irish television station, TG4, in 1996.
Byrne discovered his acting ability as a young adult and worked at various occupations before becoming an actor. He began his acting career at the age of 29, initially on stage at the Focus Theatre and the Abbey Theatre in Dublin. He later joined the Royal Court Theatre and the Royal National Theatre in London.
Byrne came to prominence in the final season of the Irish television show The Riordans and later starred in the spin-off series Bracken. He made his film debut in 1981 as Lord Uther Pendragon in John Boorman's King Arthur epic, Excalibur.
Byrne was featured as therapist Dr. Paul Weston in the critically acclaimed HBO series In Treatment in 2008. He also appeared as King Arthur in Lerner and Loewe's Camelot with the New York Philharmonic, which was broadcast on PBS in the Live From Lincoln Center series.
Byrne married actress Ellen Barkin in 1988, with whom he has two children. They separated amicably in 1993 and divorced in 1999. Byrne resides in Brooklyn, New York.
In 2004, Byrne was appointed a UNICEF Ireland Ambassador. He received the first Volta award at the 5th Jameson Dublin International Film Festival in 2007 for lifetime achievement in acting. Byrne also received the Honorary Patronage of the University Philosophical Society, of Trinity College, Dublin, and an honorary degree from the National University of Ireland, Galway, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to Irish and international film.
