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Brian F. O'Byrne

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Brian F. O'Byrne Fast Facts:

First name is pronounced Bree'un.
Grew up in a rural area in Ireland and was not exposed to theater or film in his youth (saw only three movies by age 17) and did not plan to become an actor.
Began acting in college because his two best friends were in theater.
Won a green card in a lottery in 1989, which paved the way for his entrance to acting in the U.S., where he joined the Irish Repertory Theatre and soon won a role in Philadelphia, Here I Come!
Big break came when cast in Martin McDonagh's play The Beauty Queen of Leenane in Galway, Ireland, after the original actor became sick the third day of rehearsal; show debuted on Broadway in 1998.
Divides time equally between lead roles on Broadway (Doubt; Frozen; The Coast of Utopia) and supporting roles in TV (Oz; Brotherhood; FlashForward) and film (Million Dollar Baby; Bug; Before the Devil Knows You're Dead).
Enjoys playing a villain---portrayed one in Doubt, and won a Tony as one in Frozen---because, as he told the New York Sun, "I'm a coward. I'd run away if somebody said 'boo' to me."