25 Facts About Colm Meaney

On television, Meaney is best known for his portrayal of Miles O'Brien in both Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, appearing in a total of 225 episodes.

Also a veteran of the theatre, Colm Meaney has starred on Broadway and the West End in Eugene O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh and A Moon for the Misbegotten, Tennessee Williams' Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and Hugh Whitemore's Breaking the Code.

Colm Meaney developed a love of acting at the age 14, and after completing his leaving cert matriculated to the Abbey Theatre School.

In 1971 Colm Meaney joined the company of the National Theatre of Ireland, appearing in 24 productions over the next nine years.

Colm Meaney made his Off-West End debut in 1975, appearing in McGrath's plays Fish in the Sea at the Half Moon Theatre and Yobbo Nowt at the Shaw Theatre.

Colm Meaney made his American stage debut in 1982 at the Great Lakes Shakespeare Festival, where he would remain a summer company member until 1985.

Colm Meaney made his Off-Broadway debut in 1984, appearing as Kevin in Hugh Leonard's The Poker Sessions at Theater Off Park.

In 1987 Colm Meaney appeared as Mick Ross in the American premiere of Hugh Whitemore's Breaking the Code at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC Later that same year the production transferred to the Neil Simon Theatre on Broadway.

From 1992 to 1993 Colm Meaney appeared in a multi-city tour of Tom Stoppard's Every Good Boy Deserves Favour, directed by his Star Trek co-star Patrick Stewart.

In 1999 Colm Meaney starred in Peter Parnell's stage adaptation of John Irving's The Cider House Rules at the Atlantic Theater Company.

Colm Meaney made his West End debut as Phil Hogan in the 2006 revival of Eugene O'Neill's A Moon for the Misbegotten at The Old Vic.

In 2023, after more than a 40 year absence, Colm Meaney returned to the Irish stage in Landmark Productions revival of the Enda Walsh play Bedbound at the Galway International Arts Festival.

Colm Meaney guest-starred on shows such as Remington Steele and Moonlighting before embarking on a successful film career; he received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor for his role in The Snapper.

Colm Meaney first appeared on Star Trek: The Next Generation in its 1987 pilot episode, "Encounter at Farpoint", as an unnamed helm officer.

Colm Meaney's character became a frequently recurring one, and was given the name of Miles O'Brien as he became more prominent in the crew as Transporter Chief.

In 1993, Colm Meaney left The Next Generation for a main role in its spin-off Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and remained on that show until its final episode, in 1999.

Colm Meaney played Colum O'Hara in the 1994 miniseries Scarlett, the sequel to Gone With the Wind.

Colm Meaney appeared in the film Die Hard 2, playing the pilot of the plane Windsor 114 that was later crashed by Colonel Stuart.

Colm Meaney was the only actor to appear in all three film adaptations of Roddy Doyle's The Barrytown Trilogy, as the father of the Rabbitte family.

Colm Meaney starred in the British comedy film Three and Out.

In 2009, Colm Meaney co-starred with Gerard Butler and Jamie Foxx in Law Abiding Citizen, playing Detective Dunnigan.

In March 2009, Colm Meaney voiced an Irish bartender on the St Patrick's Day episode of The Simpsons, "In the Name of the Grandfather".

From 1977 to 1994, Colm Meaney was married to fellow actor Bairbre Dowling, with whom he frequently appeared opposite on stage and screen.

Together they had one daughter, actress Brenda Colm Meaney, born in 1984.

Colm Meaney married French costume designer Ines Glorian in March of 2007.