Gerard McSorley (Irish: Gearóid Mac Somhairle; born 1 January 1950) is an Irish theatre, television and film actor.

Early life

He was born in the

County Tyrone County Tyrone (; ) is one of the six Counties of Northern Ireland, counties of Northern Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of the thirty-two traditional Counties of Ireland, counties of Ireland. It is no longer used as an admini ...

town of

Omagh Omagh (; from ga, An Ómaigh , meaning 'the virgin plain') is the county town of County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is situated where the rivers River Drumragh, Drumragh and Camowen River, Camowen meet to form the River Strule, Strule. North ...

and, after attending a Christian Brothers school in his hometown, he attended St. Columb's College in Derry. He then attended

Queen's University, Belfast , mottoeng = For so much, what shall we give back? , top_free_label = , top_free = , top_free_label1 = , top_free1 = , top_free_label2 = , top_free2 = , established = , closed = , type = Public research university , parent = ...

, where he was taught by

Seamus Heaney Seamus Justin Heaney (; 13 April 1939 – 30 August 2013) was an Irish poet, playwright and translator. He received the 1995 Nobel Prize in Literature.

. He resides in

Gweedore Gweedore ( ; officially known by its Irish language name, ) is an Irish-speaking district and parish located on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast of County Donegal in the north-west of Ireland. Gweedore stretches some from Glasserchoo in the ...

, County Donegal. He is a descendant of John McSorley, who opened

McSorley's Old Ale House McSorley's Old Ale House, generally known as McSorley's, is the oldest Irish saloon in New York City. Opened in the mid-19th century at 15 East 7th Street, in today's East Village neighborhood of Manhattan, it was one of the last of the "Men ...

, the oldest operating pub in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

Career

He spent much of his early career working in theatre, notably at the

Abbey Theatre The Abbey Theatre ( ga, Amharclann na Mainistreach), also known as the National Theatre of Ireland ( ga, Amharclann Náisiúnta na hÉireann), in Dublin, Ireland, is one of the country's leading cultural institutions. First opening to the pu ...

in Dublin. After playing Michael Evans in the original West End and

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

productions of

Brian Friel Brian Patrick Friel (c. 9 January 1929 – 2 October 2015) was an Irish dramatist, short story writer and founder of the Field Day Theatre Company. He had been considered one of the greatest living English-language dramatists. (subscription req ...

's play ''

Dancing at Lughnasa ''Dancing at Lughnasa'' is a 1990 play by dramatist Brian Friel set in County Donegal in Ulster in the north of Ireland in August 1936 in the fictional town of Ballybeg. It is a memory play told from the point of view of the adult Michael Eva ...

'' in the early 1990s, McSorley started to attract more TV and movie roles. He has appeared in many Hollywood movies including ''

Braveheart ''Braveheart'' is a 1995 American historical drama film directed and produced by, and starring Mel Gibson. Gibson portrays Sir William Wallace, a late-13th century Scottish warrior who led the Scots in the First War of Scottish Independence ag ...

'' (in which his character "Cheltham" was decapitated by William Wallace at the battle of Stirling) and ''

In the Name of the Father IN, In or in may refer to: Places * India (country code IN) * Indiana, United States (postal code IN) * Ingolstadt, Germany (license plate code IN) * In, Russia, a town in the Jewish Autonomous Oblast Businesses and organizations * Indepen ...

''. One of his most celebrated performances was his lead role in ''Omagh'', a feature-length television drama depicting the effect of the

Omagh bombing The Omagh bombing was a car bombing on 15 August 1998 in the town of Omagh in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It was carried out by the Real Irish Republican Army (Real IRA), a Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) splinter group who oppose ...

on the residents of the town. He is also known for playing the mysterious "Father Todd Unctious" in the Christmas special episode ("

A Christmassy Ted "A Christmassy Ted" is both the 17th episode overall of and a Christmas special for the Channel 4 sitcom ''Father Ted''. This episode was broadcast between the second and third series. It is 55 minutes long, as opposed to the usual 21–22 min ...

") of the

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...

sitcom ''

Father Ted ''Father Ted'' is a sitcom created by Irish writers Graham Linehan and Arthur Mathews (writer), Arthur Mathews and produced by British production company Hat Trick Productions for Channel 4. It aired over three series from 21 April 1995 until ...

''. His film credits include ''

The Constant Gardener ''The Constant Gardener'' is a 2001 novel by British author John le Carré. The novel tells the story of Justin Quayle, a British diplomat whose activist wife is murdered. Believing there is something behind the murder, he seeks to uncover the t ...

'', and he was also cast as Queenan in ''

The Departed ''The Departed'' is a 2006 American epic crime thriller film directed by Martin Scorsese and written by William Monahan. It is both a remake of the 2002 Hong Kong film ''Infernal Affairs'' and also loosely based on the real-life Boston Winter ...

'' but had to pull out (

Martin Sheen Ramón Antonio Gerardo Estévez (born August 3, 1940), known professionally as Martin Sheen, is an American actor. He first became known for his roles in the films ''The Subject Was Roses'' (1968) and ''Badlands'' (1973), and later achieved wid ...

took over the role). McSorley most recently played the role of Robert Aske in the

Showtime Showtime or Show Time may refer to: Film * ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film * ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur Television Networks and channels * Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...

historical drama ''

The Tudors ''The Tudors'' is a historical fiction television series set primarily in 16th-century England, created and written by Michael Hirst and produced for the American premium cable television channel Showtime. The series was a collaboration among ...

''. He appeared in the 2010 movie ''

Robin Hood Robin Hood is a legendary heroic outlaw originally depicted in English folklore and subsequently featured in literature and film. According to legend, he was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. In some versions of the legend, he is depic ...

'', directed by

Ridley Scott Sir Ridley Scott (born 30 November 1937) is a British film director and producer. Directing, among others, science fiction films, his work is known for its atmospheric and highly concentrated visual style. Scott has received many accolades thr ...

and starring

Russell Crowe Russell Ira Crowe (born 7 April 1964) is an actor. He was born in New Zealand, spent ten years of his childhood in Australia, and moved there permanently at age twenty one. He came to international attention for his role as Roman General Maxi ...

Legal issues

In November 2019, McSorley was arrested for a breach of the peace. He was also charged with damaging property in a cell at

Letterkenny Letterkenny ( ga, Leitir Ceanainn , meaning 'hillside of the O'Cannons'), nicknamed 'the Cathedral Town', is the largest and most populous town in County Donegal, a county in Ulster, the northern province in Ireland. Letterkenny lies on the R ...

Garda Station. A warrant was issued for his arrest the following month after he failed to appear in court.

Filmography

Film

* ''

SOS Titanic ''S.O.S. Titanic'' is a British- American 1979 drama disaster television movie that depicts the doomed 1912 maiden voyage from the perspective of three distinct groups of passengers in First, Second, and Third Class. The script was written by J ...

'' (1979, TV Movie) – Martin Gallagher * ''

Angel In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God. Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles include ...

'' (1982) – Assistant * ''Withdrawal'' (1982, Short) – Gerry * ''

Taffin ''Taffin'' is a 1988 thriller film directed by Francis Megahy and starring Pierce Brosnan in the title role of Mark Taffin.''The Irish Filmography 1896-1996''; Red Mountain Press (Dublin); 1996. Page 196 It also featured Ray McAnally, Alison Do ...

'' (1988) – Ed * ''

'' (1993) – Detective Pavis * ''

Widows' Peak ''Widows' Peak'' is a 1994 British-Irish mystery film directed by John Irvin and starring Mia Farrow, Joan Plowright, Natasha Richardson, Adrian Dunbar and Jim Broadbent. The film is based on an original screenplay by Hugh Leonard and Tim Hayes ...

'' (1994) – Gaffney, Lawyer * ''

Moondance ''Moondance'' is the third studio album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison. It was released on 27 January 1970 by Warner Bros. Records. After the commercial failure of his first Warner Bros. album ''Astral Weeks'' (1968), Morris ...

'' (1994) – Fr. McGrath * ''

Words Upon the Window Pane ''Words Upon the Window Pane'' is a 1994 Irish drama film directed by Mary McGuckian and starring Geraldine Chaplin, Ian Richardson, and Jim Sheridan. McGuckian directorial debut, it is based on William Butler Yeats' one-act play of the same name ...

'' (1994) – Abraham Johnson * ''

An Awfully Big Adventure ''An Awfully Big Adventure'' is a 1995 British coming-of-age film directed by Mike Newell. The story concerns a teenage girl who joins a local repertory theatre troupe in Liverpool. During a winter production of ''Peter Pan'', the play quickly ...

'' (1995) – George * ''

'' (1995) – Cheltham * '' Nothing Personal'' (1995) – Cecil * ''

Michael Collins Michael Collins or Mike Collins most commonly refers to: * Michael Collins (Irish leader) (1890–1922), Irish revolutionary leader, soldier, and politician * Michael Collins (astronaut) (1930–2021), American astronaut, member of Apollo 11 and Ge ...

'' (1996) – Cathal Brugha * ''

Some Mother's Son ''Some Mother's Son'' is a 1996 film written and directed by Irish filmmaker Terry George, co-written by Jim Sheridan, and based on the true story of the 1981 hunger strike in the Maze Prison, in Northern Ireland. Provisional Irish Republican A ...

'' (1996) – Fr. Daly * ''

The Serpent's Kiss ''The Serpent's Kiss'' is a 1997 British romantic drama film directed by Philippe Rousselot. Set in late-17th-century England, it tells the story of a Dutch garden architect, Meneer Chrome (Ewan McGregor), who has been hired by a wealthy merchan ...

'' (1997) – Mr. Galmoy * '' The Butcher Boy'' (1997) – Psychiatrist #2 * ''

The Boxer "The Boxer" is a song written by Paul Simon and recorded by the American music duo Simon & Garfunkel from their fifth studio album, '' Bridge over Troubled Water'' (1970). Produced by the duo and Roy Halee, it was released as a standalone sing ...

'' (1997) – Harry * ''

'' (1998) – Narrator (voice) * '' Felicia's Journey'' (1999) – Felicia's Father * ''

Agnes Browne ''Agnes Browne'' is a 1999 Irish romantic comedy-drama film directed, produced by, and starring Anjelica Huston, based on the book ''The Mammy'' by Brendan O'Carroll. Plot In 1967 in Dublin, the unexpected death of Agnes Browne's husband sends ...

'' (1999) – Mr. Aherne * ''

Angela's Ashes ''Angela's Ashes: A Memoir'' is a 1996 memoir by the Irish-American author Frank McCourt, with various anecdotes and stories of his childhood. The book details his very early childhood in Brooklyn, New York, US but focuses primarily on his life ...

'' (1999) – Father Gregory * ''

Ordinary Decent Criminal ''Ordinary Decent Criminal'' is a 2000 crime comedy film, directed by Thaddeus O'Sullivan, written by Gerard Stembridge, and stars Kevin Spacey and Linda Fiorentino. The film is loosely based on the story of Martin Cahill, a famous Irish crime ...

'' (2000) – Harrison * '' On The Edge'' (2001) – Rachel's Father * ''Do Armed Robbers Have Love Affairs?'' (2001, Short) – Eddy * ''

Bloody Sunday Bloody Sunday may refer to: Historical events Canada * Bloody Sunday (1923), a day of police violence during a steelworkers' strike for union recognition in Sydney, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia * Bloody Sunday (1938), police violence aga ...

'' (2002) – Chief Supt. Lagan * ''The Wayfarer'' (2003, Short) – Nat * '' Dead Bodies'' (2003) – Gordon Ellis * ''

Veronica Guerin Veronica Guerin (5 July 1958 – 26 June 1996) was an Irish crime reporter who was murdered by drug lords. Born in Dublin, she was an athlete in school and later played on the Irish national teams for both football and basketball. After stud ...

'' (2003, Nominated for a 2003 Irish Film and Television Award for Best Supporting Actor) – John Gilligan * ''The Halo Effect'' (2004) – O'Grady * ''

'' (2004, TV Movie, Won a 2004 Irish Film and Television Award for Best Actor) – Michael Gallagher * '' Inside I'm Dancing'' (2004) – Fergus Connolly * ''

'' (2005) – Sir Kenneth Curtiss * ''Middletown'' (2006, Nominated for a 2007 Irish Film and Television Award for Best Supporting Actor) – Bill Hunter * '' The Front Line'' (2006) – Detective Insp. Harbison * ''Tell It to the Fishes'' (2006, Short) – Jack * ''

'' (2007) – Robert Aske * ''Hesitation'' (2007, Short) – Paul * ''

Anton Anton may refer to: People *Anton (given name), including a list of people with the given name *Anton (surname) Places *Anton Municipality, Bulgaria **Anton, Sofia Province, a village *Antón District, Panama **Antón, a town and capital of th ...

'' (2008, Nominated for a 2009 Irish Film and Television Award for Best Supporting Actor) – Detective Lynch * ''Mr Crocodile in the Cupboard'' (2008, Short) – Harry Dunn * ''Rip & the Preacher'' (2008) – Preacher * '' Wide Open Spaces'' (2009) – Hingerty * ''Swansong: Story of Occi Byrne'' (2009) – Michael Byrne * '' Town Creek'' (2009) – Mr. Marshall * ''

'' (2010) – Baron Fitzrobert * ''

War Horse The first evidence of horses in warfare dates from Eurasia between 4000 and 3000 BC. A Sumerian illustration of warfare from 2500 BC depicts some type of equine pulling wagons. By 1600 BC, improved harness and chariot designs ...

'' (2011) – Market Auctioneer * ''Bayonet'' (2012, Short) – Sean O'Brennan * ''In View'' (2016) * ''Lift'' (2016) – Granddad Eddy * ''

Penance Penance is any act or a set of actions done out of Repentance (theology), repentance for Christian views on sin, sins committed, as well as an alternate name for the Catholic Church, Catholic, Lutheran, Eastern Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox s ...

'' (2018) – Murray

TV roles

* ''

Play for Tomorrow ''Play for Tomorrow'' is a British television anthology science fiction series, produced by the BBC and transmitted on BBC1 in 1982. It spun off from the anthology drama series ''Play for Today'' after the success of ''The Flipside of Dominick ...

'' (1982) – John Bingham * ''

The Irish R.M. ''The Irish R.M.'' is a trilogy of books by the Anglo-Irish novelists Somerville and Ross and a 1983 television comedy-drama series based on them. They are set in the turn-of-the-twentieth-century west of Ireland. Books The television series ...

'' (1984) – Thomay Foley * '' Bergerac'' (1985) – Doctor * ''Lapsed Catholics'' (1987) – Mal Nevin * ''The Rockingham Shoot'' (1987) – Garda Casey * ''Act of Betrayal'' (1988) – Brendon * ''The Investigation: Inside a Terrorist Bombing'' (1990) – Paddy Mcllkenny * '' Shakespeare: The Animated Tales'' (1994) – Iago * ''

The Hanging Gale ''The Hanging Gale'' is a four-episode television serial which first aired on RTÉ One (Republic of Ireland) and BBC1 (United Kingdom) in 1995. The series was a British–Irish co-production, made by Little Bird Films for BBC Northern Ireland i ...

'' (1995) – Coulter * '' The Governor'' (1995) – Harry Reynolds * ''

Kidnapped Kidnapped may refer to: * subject to the crime of kidnapping Literature * ''Kidnapped'' (novel), an 1886 novel by Robert Louis Stevenson * ''Kidnapped'' (comics), a 2007 graphic novel adaptation of R. L. Stevenson's novel by Alan Grant and Ca ...

'' (1995) – Shuan * ''Runway One'' (1995) – Manning * ''

'' (1996) – Father Todd Unctious * ''Making the Cut'' (1998) * '' Vicious Circle'' (1999) – Crowley * ''Teenage Cics'' (2006) – Principal Scannel * ''Damage'' (2007) – Defence Counsel * ''Striapacha'' (2008) * ''

'' (2009) – Robert Aske * ''

The Savage Eye ''The Savage Eye'' is a 1959 "dramatized documentary" film that superposes a dramatic narration of the life of a divorced woman with documentary camera footage of Los Angeles. The film was written, produced, directed, and edited by Ben Maddow, Sid ...

'' (2009) – Various

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:McSorley, Gerard 1950 births Alumni of Queen's University Belfast Living people Irish male film actors Irish male television actors Male film actors from Northern Ireland Male television actors from Northern Ireland People from Omagh People educated at St Columb's College People educated at Christian Brothers Grammar School, Omagh