Aidan Quinn
Aidan Quinn | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | March 8, 1959 Rockford, Illinois, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1983–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
Aidan Quinn (born March 8, 1959) is an Irish-American actor, who made his film debut in Reckless (1984). He has starred in over 50 feature films, including Desperately Seeking Susan (1985), The Mission (1986), Stakeout (1987), Avalon (1990), Benny & Joon (1993), Legends of the Fall (1994), Frankenstein (1994), Blink (1994), Michael Collins (1996), Practical Magic (1998), and Unknown (2011).
Quinn has received two Primetime Emmy Award nominations for his work in An Early Frost (1985) and Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (2007). He currently plays Captain Thomas "Tommy" Gregson in the CBS television series Elementary.
Career
His first significant film role was in Reckless, followed by a breakthrough role in Desperately Seeking Susan as the character "Dez" (the love interest of the character played by Rosanna Arquette). Quinn next starred in the controversial television film An Early Frost, about a young gay lawyer dying of AIDS (it was broadcast on NBC on November 11, 1985 and co-starred Gena Rowlands, Ben Gazzara and Sylvia Sidney). He received his first Emmy Award nomination for the role which allowed him to gain recognition in Hollywood. He made a short impressive contribution as Robert De Niro's brother in The Mission. He played escaped convict Richard "Stick" Montgomery in the action comedy Stakeout opposite Richard Dreyfuss and Emilio Estevez.
In 1983 Quinn lost the role of Jesus Christ when Paramount Pictures dropped the distribution rights to the Martin Scorsese movie The Last Temptation of Christ. When Universal Pictures picked up the film, the role went to Willem Dafoe. In the meantime, Quinn starred as protagonist in the film Crusoe, finished in 1989.
During the 1990s, he appeared in Legends of the Fall, Benny & Joon, The Handmaid's Tale, Haunted and Practical Magic. He also starred in Michael Collins, Song for a Raggy Boy, This Is My Father, and Evelyn. He played a small cameo as the captain of a doomed Arctic vessel in the Francis Ford Coppola-produced adaptation of Frankenstein.
In 2000, Quinn portrayed Paul McCartney in the VH1 television drama, Two of Us.
Quinn appeared in the 2005 movie The Exonerated a true story about people on death row who had been freed in which Quinn played Kerry Max Cook.
Quinn played the main character on the NBC drama The Book of Daniel, in 2006. The show was canceled after the first three weeks of its run, and its last five episodes never aired. In 2007, Quinn received his second Emmy nomination for the television movie Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee.
In 2010, he played the important cameo role of William Rainsferd in the French-made film, Sarah's Key, a powerful story set during World War II, alongside Kristin Scott Thomas.
He starred as "Dermot" opposite Taylor Schilling (Abby) in the Canadian-Irish drama film Stay (2013).
Quinn currently co-stars in the CBS Television series Elementary.
Personal life
Quinn was raised in Chicago and Rockford, as well as in Dublin and Birr, County Offaly in Ireland. [1] In 1987, Quinn married his Stakeout co-star, Elizabeth Bracco (sister of actress Lorraine Bracco). They have two daughters: Mia (b. 1998) and Ava Eileen (b. 1989), who has autism.[2][3] Ava appeared as the baby "David" in Avalon,[4] and Mia played a ghost in The Eclipse.[5] Former residents of Englewood, New Jersey, Quinn and his family now live in Palisades, Rockland County, New York[6] and Marbletown in the Catskills / Woodstock region of Ulster County, New York.[7][8]
As an avid sports fan, Quinn supports the Chicago Cubs, the Green Bay Packers, Michael Jordan, Rory McIlroy, and Roger Federer.[9]
Philanthropy
Quinn has participated in charity golf events for the East Lake Foundation, a community redevelopment program,[10] and Samuel L. Jackson's "One for the Boys" campaign about testicular cancer awareness.[11] In 2010, Quinn attended a premiere benefit screening of A Shine of Rainbows for the International Children's Media Center (ICMC) and The American Ireland Fund (AIF).[12] In 1991, he read a segment from Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis as part of MTV's "Books: Feed Your Head" literacy promotion PSAs.[13]
Quinn spoke at the 2003 "Night of Too Many Stars" gala benefiting The Autism Coalition.[14] He was an honorary board member of the National Alliance for Autism Research (NAAR), which merged with Autism Speaks.[15][16]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Reckless | Johnny Rourke | |
| 1985 | Desperately Seeking Susan | Dez | |
| 1986 | The Mission | Felipe Mendoza | |
| 1987 | Stakeout | Richard 'Stick' Montgomery | |
| 1989 | Crusoe | Crusoe | |
| 1990 | The Handmaid's Tale | Nick | |
| The Lemon Sisters | Frankie McGuinness | ||
| Avalon | Jules Kaye | ||
| 1991 | At Play in the Fields of the Lord | Martin Quarrier | |
| 1992 | The Playboys | Tom Casey | |
| 1993 | Benny & Joon | Benjamin 'Benny' Pearl | |
| 1994 | Blink | Det. John Hallstrom | |
| Frankenstein | Cpt. Robert Walton | ||
| Legends of the Fall | Alfred Ludlow | ||
| 1995 | The Stars Fell on Henrietta | Don Day | |
| Haunted | Prof. David Ash | ||
| Lumière and Company | Short film: "John Boorman" | ||
| 1996 | Looking for Richard | Richmond | |
| Michael Collins | Harry Boland | ||
| 1997 | Commandments | Seth Warner | |
| The Assignment | Lt. Cmdr. Annibal Ramirez / Carlos | ||
| 1998 | This Is My Father | Kieran O'Day | Also Executive Producer; Nominated - Irish Film and Television Award |
| Practical Magic | Officer Gary Hallet | Nominated - Blockbuster Entertainment Award | |
| 1999 | In Dreams | Paul Cooper | |
| Music of the Heart | Brian Turner | ||
| 2000 | Songcatcher | Tom Bledsoe | Sundance Film Festival - Special Jury Prize (shared with cast) |
| 2002 | Stolen Summer | Joe O'Malley | Production chronicled in Project Greenlight |
| Evelyn | Nick Barron | ||
| 2003 | Song for a Raggy Boy | William Franklin | Nominated - IFTA Award |
| 2004 | Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius | Harry Vardon | |
| Shadow of Fear | Detective Scofield | ||
| Return to Sender | Frank Nitzche | Alternate title: Convicted; Nominated - IFTA Award | |
| Proud | Commodore Alfred Lind | ||
| 2005 | Nine Lives | Henry | Nominated - Gotham Award (shared with cast) |
| 2007 | Dark Matter | Prof. Jacob Reiser | |
| 32A | Frank Brennan | ||
| 2008 | Wild Child | Gerry Moore | |
| 2009 | A Shine of Rainbows | Alec | |
| The Eclipse | Nicholas Holden | IFTA Award | |
| Handsome Harry | Prof. Porter | ||
| 2010 | Flipped | Richard Baker | |
| Festival of Lights | Adem | ||
| Jonah Hex | President Ulysses S. Grant | ||
| Sarah's Key | William Rainsferd | ||
| Across the Line: The Exodus of Charlie Wright | Charlie Wright | ||
| The 5th Quarter | Steven Abbate | ||
| The Pilgrims: The Journey to a New World for Autism | Himself | ||
| 2011 | Unknown | Martin B. | |
| The Stand Up | Sandy Hardwick | ||
| The Greening of Whitney Brown | Henry Brown | ||
| Muide Éire | Himself | Alternate title: We Are Ireland | |
| 2012 | If I Were You | Derek | |
| Allegiance | Lieutenant Colonel Owens | Alternate title: Recalled | |
| 2013 | The Last Keepers | John Carver | |
| Rushlights | Cameron Brogden | ||
| Stay | Dermot Fay | ||
| 2014 | Journey to Sundance | Himself | |
| 2015 | The Gettysburg Address | Theodore Parker | Voice |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | An Early Frost | Michael Pierson | NBC TV film; Nominated - Primetime Emmy Award |
| 1987 | All My Sons | Chris Keller | PBS TV film, presented in American Playhouse |
| 1989 | Perfect Witness | Sam Paxton | HBO TV film |
| 1991 | Lies of the Twins | James / Jonathan McEwan | USA TV film |
| 1992 | A Private Matter | Bob Finkbine | HBO TV film; Nominated - CableACE Award |
| 1994 | Ken Burns' Baseball | Himself / Various | PBS miniseries; 2 episodes |
| 1995 | The Irish in America | Narrator | A&E Biography TV film |
| Out of Ireland: The Story of Irish Emigration to America | Narrator | TV film | |
| 1997 | Forbidden Territory: Stanley's Search for Livingstone | Henry Morton Stanley | ABC TV film |
| 2000 | The Prince and the Pauper | Miles Hendon | Hallmark TV film |
| Two of Us | Paul McCartney | VH1 TV film | |
| The Young Messiah | Narrator | RTÉ TV film; Alternate title: The Messiah XXI | |
| 2001 | Night Visions | Jeremy Bell | Ep. 1.1: "The Passenger List" |
| Project Greenlight | Himself | The making of Season 1 winner, Stolen Summer; 5 episodes | |
| 2003 | Benedict Arnold: A Question of Honor | Gen. Benedict Arnold V | A&E TV film |
| Freedom: A History of US | Mob Member / Philadelphia Press Editorial | PBS miniseries; 2 episodes | |
| 2004 | See You in My Dreams | Joe F. Brown | CBS TV film |
| Plainsong | Tom Guthrie | CBS TV film | |
| Cavedweller | Clint Windsor | Showtime TV film; Nominated - Independent Spirit Award | |
| Miracle Run | Douglas Thomas | LMN TV film | |
| 2004–05 | Third Watch | Lt. / Captain John Miller | 5 episodes (Season 6) |
| 2005 | The Exonerated | Kerry Max Cook | CourtTV film |
| Empire Falls | David Roby | HBO miniseries; 2 episodes | |
| Mayday | John Berry | CBS TV film | |
| 2006 | The Book of Daniel | Daniel Webster | Lead role; 8 episodes |
| All*Star Cup | Himself (Team USA) | Celebrity golf event in Wales (Series 2) | |
| 2007 | Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee | Henry L. Dawes | HBO TV film; Nominated - Primetime Emmy Award, OFTA Award, Satellite Award |
| Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Ben Nicholson | Ep. 9.4: "Savant" | |
| 2008 | Canterbury's Law | Matthew 'Matt' Furey | Main cast; 5 episodes |
| The Prince of Motor City | Charlie Hamilton | ABC drama pilot | |
| 2010 | White Collar | Prof. George Oswald | Ep. 2.3: "Copycat Caffrey" |
| 2011 | Weeds | Foster 'Chuck' Klein | 4 episodes (Season 7) |
| Prime Suspect | Lt. Kevin Sweeney | Main cast; 13 episodes | |
| 2012 | The Horses of McBride | Matt Davidson | CTV film |
| 2012–present | Elementary | Captain Thomas 'Tommy' Gregson | Main cast; 96 episodes |
| 2014 | From Tee to Green: The Story of Irish Golf | Narrator | Setanta Sports miniseries; 3 episodes |
Theatre
| Year | Production | Role | Venue / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | The Man in 605 | Jerry Green | Performance Community Theater, Chicago; Produced and directed by Byrne Piven at the Piven Theatre Workshop |
| Scheherazade | Chicago, IL | ||
| The Irish Hebrew Lesson | Chicago, IL; Written by Wolf Mankowitz | ||
| 1984 | Fool for Love | Eddie | Douglas Fairbanks Theater, NY |
| 1985 | Hamlet | Prince Hamlet | Wisdom Bridge Theatre, IL; Directed by Robert Falls |
| 1985-1986 | A Lie of the Mind | Frankie | Promenade Theatre, NY |
| 1988 | A Streetcar Named Desire | Stanley Kowalski | Broadway - Circle in the Square Theatre, NY; Theatre World Award recipient |
| 2003 | The Exonerated | Kerry Max Cook | 45 Bleecker Theater, Bleecker Street, NY; Curran Theatre, San Francisco, CA |
| 2004 | Trumbo: Red, White and Blacklisted | Dalton Trumbo | Westside Theatre (Downstairs), NY |
| 2005 | The Exonerated | Kerry Max Cook | Queen's Hall, Edinburgh Festival Fringe |
| 2006 | Riverside Studios, West End of London; Dublin Theatre Festival | ||
| 2008 | Conversations in Tusculum | Brutus | The Public Theater, NY |
Awards and nominations
References
- ^ Drew, April. "Aidan Quinn talks up his Irish heritage". Irish Central. Retrieved 27 August 2016.
- ^ McGoldrick, Debbie (18 Sep 2008). "The Mighty Quinn". IrishAbroad.
- ^ Garcia, Rikkie (Nov 2001). "Biography (Aidan Quinn)". Tripod.com.
- ^ "Ava Eileen Quinn". IMDb.
- ^ "Mia Quinn (I)". IMDb.
- ^ David, Mark (24 May 2013). "Al Pacino Sells Palisades Guest House". Variety.
- ^ Rohan, Virginia (31 Oct 2013). "Aidan Quinn talks about his role on "Elementary"". NorthJersey.com.
- ^ Van Buskirk, Leslie (12 Apr 2013). "Daniel Craig, Anne Hathaway, The Clintons: Is Hippie Town Woodstock the New High-End NYC Getaway?". The Hollywood Reporter.
- ^ Ouzounian, Richard (2 Nov 2012). "Aidan Quinn: Elementary star says you have to learn to live with life's jokes". Toronto Star.
- ^ Joe the Cigartainer (26 Aug 2014). "Tag Archives: East Lake Foundation - Cigar Host".
- ^ "One For The Boys Charity Golf Match". Getty Images. 12 Jun 2015.
- ^ "Premiere Benefit Screening with actor Aidan Quinn : April 15 2010". ammado.com. The Ireland Funds. 25 Feb 2011.
- ^ "Books Feed Your Head Commercial 1991 with Aidan Quinn". YouTube. Keith Richardson. 22 Nov 2014.
- ^ "Night Of Too Many Stars Benefit For Autism Coalition". Getty Images. Mark Mainz. 27 Feb 2003.
- ^ "Aidan Quinn Stars in Miracle Run". Autism Speaks. 23 Apr 2007.
- ^ "Autism Speaks and The National Alliance for Autism Research Complete Merger". Autism Speaks. 13 Feb 2006.
External links
- Aidan Quinn at IMDb
- Aidan Quinn at the Internet Broadway Database
- Please use a more specific IOBDB template. See the template documentation for available templates.
- 1959 births
- 20th-century American male actors
- 20th-century Irish male actors
- 21st-century American male actors
- 21st-century Irish male actors
- Actors from Rockford, Illinois
- American male film actors
- American male television actors
- American people of Irish descent
- Autism activists
- Irish male film actors
- Irish male television actors
- Living people
- Male actors from Chicago
- People from Birr, County Offaly
- People from Winnebago County, Illinois