Colm Meaney
Acting
- Born:
- 1953-05-30
- Place of birth:
- Dublin, Ireland
Biography
Colm J. Meaney (born May 30, 1953) is an acclaimed Irish actor. Born in Dublin, Meaney discovered his passion for acting in his youth and later honed his craft at the Abbey Theatre School before joining the National Theatre of Ireland. He achieved global recognition for his iconic portrayal of Chief Miles O'Brien within the Star Trek franchise, seamlessly transitioning the character from Star Trek: The Next Generation to a leading role on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine across a staggering 225 total episodes. Beyond science fiction, Meaney is deeply revered for starring as the quintessential working-class father in all three film adaptations of Roddy Doyle’s beloved Barrytown Trilogy: The Commitments, The Snapper (which earned him a Golden Globe nomination), and The Van. A highly versatile character actor, his prolific Hollywood filmography includes memorable roles in major blockbusters such as Die Hard 2, The Last of the Mohicans, Con Air, and Layer Cake. On the small screen, he delivered powerhouse performances as the ruthless railroad tycoon Thomas C. Durant in AMC's Western series Hell on Wheels and the crime boss Finn Wallace in Gangs of London. An accomplished stage veteran of Broadway and the West End, Meaney was honored with the prestigious Irish Film & Television Academy’s (IFTA) Lifetime Achievement Award in 2025. He continues to remain a vibrant force in the industry, starring in high-profile projects such as the Netflix feature adaptation Remarkably Bright Creatures and the crime drama series The Yank, which reunited him on screen with fellow Star Trek alumnus Kate Mulgrew.
Known For
Filmography
Remarkably Bright Creatures
Re-Creation
The Legend of the Happy Worker
Bring Them Down
Safe Harbor
The Problem with People
Duchess
The Ballad of Davy Crockett
No Way Up
The Santa Stories
Scary Tales of New York
In the Land of Saints and Sinners
There's Always Hope
Marlowe
Unwelcome
Three Day Millionaire
The Serpent Queen
Save the Cinema
Confession
Fúria
The Monkey
Back to Barrytown
Pixie
The Singapore Grip
Gangs of London
The Banker
Seberg
The Last Right
Tolkien
What We Left Behind: Looking Back at Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
National Theatre Live: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Will
Halal Daddy
The Journey
The Secrets of Emily Blair
Pelé: Birth of a Legend
The Cowboy
Norm of the North
Childhood's End
I Am Your Father
A Dangerous Arrangement
Star Trek: The Next Generation - All Good Things...
The Devil's Hand
The Driver
The Yank
Free Birds
A Belfast Story
One Chance
Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa
Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Best of Both Worlds
Soldiers of Fortune
The Cold Light of Day
Bel Ami
Muide Éire
Hell on Wheels
The Perfect Stranger
Whole Lotta Sole
The Conspirator
The Flight of the Swan
The Hot Potato
Alleged
Parked
Get Him to the Greek
Alice
The Race
Law Abiding Citizen
Mercy
The Damned United
ZOS: Zone of Separation
Three and Out
Unnatural Causes
Kings
Men in Trees
Five Fingers
Covert One: The Hades Factor
The Unit
Caved In: Prehistoric Terror
A Lobster Tale
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Turning Green
Jack Charlton: The Irish Years
Battle of the Brave
Layer Cake
The Murdoch Mysteries: Poor Tom Is Cold
Stargate Atlantis
The Murdoch Mysteries: Except the Dying
The Murdoch Mysteries
Bad Apple
Blueberry
Deep Space Nine: Ending an Era
The Boys & Girl from County Clare
Intermission
King of Texas
How Harry Became a Tree
Random Passage
Random Passage
Backflash
Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Chapter Zero
The Magical Legend of the Leprechauns
Mystery, Alaska
Four Days
This Is My Father
Money Kings
Claire Dolan
October 22
Monument Ave.
Owd Bob
Con Air
The Last of the High Kings
The Van
The Making of Star Trek Deep Space Nine Trials And Tribble-ations
Star Trek: 30 Years and Beyond
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Way of the Warrior
The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain
The New Explorers: The Science of Star Trek
Scarlett
The Road to Wellville
Gargoyles
War of the Buttons
Journey's End - The Saga of Star Trek: The Next Generation
The Snapper
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Behind the Scenes
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Emissary
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman
Into the West
Under Siege
The Last of the Mohicans
Far and Away
Brooklyn Bridge
The Commitments
Law & Order
Come See the Paradise
Die Hard 2
Dick Tracy
The Simpsons
Perfect Witness
The Gambler: The Legend Continues
Star Trek: The Next Generation
The Dead
Omega Syndrome
MacGyver
Moonlighting
Screen Two
Tales from the Darkside
Easter 2016
Nailed
Strangers
The Late Late Show
Shelter Me
The Panic
The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes
Hal