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Kieran O'Brien

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Kieran O'Brien
Born1973 (age 50–51)
Oldham, Lancashire, England
OccupationActor
Years active1986–present

Kieran O'Brien (born 1973)[1] is an English actor.

Early life and education

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Born in Oldham, Lancashire, O'Brien grew up in nearby Royton,[2] and was educated at the Bishop Henshaw Roman Catholic Memorial High School in Rochdale.

Career

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O'Brien began acting at an early age and was the star of BBC TV series Gruey by the time he was 15. He also featured in several other series at the time in one-off or recurring roles.

He played two roles in Coronation Street, Joe Egerton in 1990 and Craig Lee in 1993. In 1993 he also played the role of Lee Jones in Children's Ward, and became a regular in the detective series Cracker, as the titular character's son.

In 1999, O'Brien appeared in his first feature film, Virtual Sexuality. In 2001, he played the role of Private Allen Vest in HBO's acclaimed series Band of Brothers where he played a prominent part in the episode "The Last Patrol". He also appeared in the 2002 film 24 Hour Party People. In 2003, he appeared in the Cooper Temple Clause music video "Promises, Promises" and can be seen saying he got 'laid' in the Millennium Dome in the making of the video.

In 2004, O'Brien appeared in the controversial film 9 Songs. According to The Guardian, 9 Songs was the most sexually explicit mainstream-film to date, largely because it includes several scenes of real, sexual acts between the two lead actors. His role is highly unusual in that he had unsimulated and very graphic sex with his co-star Margo Stilley, including genital fondling, female masturbation with and without a vibrator, penetrative vaginal sex, cunnilingus, footjob, and fellatio. During a scene in which Stilley stimulates his penis with her hand after performing fellatio on him, he became the only mainstream British actor who has been shown ejaculating in a mainstream UK-produced feature.

O'Brien strongly defended the film during the controversy that followed, saying that he saw no problem with having sex for a film.[2] He said:

"People who say they find it offensive are liars. If they say they find it shocking, I don't believe them. It's only sex. To me they were just scenes we were shooting, to be honest, and I was surprised how ordinary and how natural it was. But it's a different thing for a girl than it is for a lad. I didn't fancy her—I felt protective towards her. On set she was the only woman with a crew of four lads. I know how difficult it was for her. You can't get away from the fact she's a young girl."[3]

To date, O'Brien continues both his television and film acting careers. Recent appearances have been made in The Road to Guantánamo (2006) and Totally Frank (2005–06), as well as a reprise of his role in Cracker.

O'Brien was also one of the stars of the BBC's police drama HolbyBlue, appearing from the first episode until the third episode of the second series.

In 2013, O'Brien toured the UK in a stage production of Simon Beaufoy's 1997 comedy-drama film The Full Monty, in which he plays the "absurdly over-endowed" guy.[4]

Personal life

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O'Brien was in a relationship with Brookside actress Nicola Stephenson for eight years until 1999.[5]

Filmography

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Year Title Role Notes
1987 Bellman and True The Boy
1999 Virtual Sexuality Alex Thorne
2001 My Kingdom Photographer
2002 24 Hour Party People Nathan
2004 9 Songs Matt
2005 A Cock and Bull Story Gary
Goal! Hughie McGowan
2006 The Road to Guantánamo Voice Over
2007 Goal II: Living the Dream Hughie McGowan
2008 Genova Reading Sonnet Voice
2012 Spike Island Poster Vendor
2013 The Look of Love Jimmy Humphries
2018 Peterloo Farrier
Holmes & Watson Lestrade's P.C. Smalls

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1986 Jossy's Giants Cheeky Boy 2 uncredited episodes
1987 One by One Neville 2 episodes
Bulman Peter Malin Episode: "W.C. Fields Was Right"
1988 The Return of the Antelope Newsboy Episode: "Emily"
1988–1989 Gruey Gruey Main role
1989 Dramarama Trotter Episode: "Ghost Story"
The Jim Henson Hour Matt Banting Episode: "Monster Maker"
1990–1991 Children's Ward Lee Jones Main role
1990–1993 Coronation Street Craig Lee / Joe Egerton 15 episodes
1991–1993 Casualty Billy/Chris Miller 2 episodes
1991, 1998 The Bill Gary Lee / Paul Mears 2 episodes
1992 Kappatoo Tau 4 7 episodes
1993 Medics David Episode #3.2
The Lodge Giblet 4 episodes
Heartbeat Neil Episode: "Speed Kills"
1993–1995 Cracker Mark Fitzgerald Main role
1997 Born to Run Ryan Flitch 6 episodes
1998 Harry Enfield & Chums Episode: "Harry Enfield's Yule Log Chums"
2000 Jason and the Argonauts Actor 2 episodes
Hearts and Bones Robbie Rose 6 episodes
2001 Messiah Eric Metcalfe 2 episodes
Band of Brothers Allen E. Vest 3 episodes
2002 Stig of the Dump Damian Episode: "Undercover"
Always and Everyone Michael 2 episodes
2002, 2008 Holby City Neil Stevenson / PC Robert Clifton 2 episodes
2003 Messiah 2: Vengeance Is Mine Eric Metcalfe 2 episodes
Burn It Andy Grimshaw Episode #1.6
2004 Dalziel and Pascoe Chris Mattis Episode: "Soft Touch"
2005 Bloodlines Mark Hopkin TV film
New Tricks Michael Jacobs Episode: "Eyes Down for a Full House"
2005–2006 Totally Frank Joe 15 episodes
2006 Elizabeth David: A Life in Recipes Charles Gibson Cowan TV film
The Afternoon Play Sean Tyler Episode: "Tea with Betty"
Cracker: Nine Eleven Mark Fitzgerald TV film
2007 Life on Mars Davie Mackay Episode #2.7
2007–2008 HolbyBlue PC Robert Clifton Main role
2008 The Last Enemy Wafa 2 episodes
Survivors John Episode #1.5
2009 Blue Murder Terry Camerton 2 episodes
2010 Secret Diary of a Call Girl Al Episode #3.5
Moving On Shane Episode: "Trust"
2011 Vera Bobby Salter Episode: "Little Lazarus"
Death in Paradise Danny Fernandez Episode: "An Unhelpful Aid"
2012 Love Life Dez 3 episodes
2014 The Assets Randy Episode: "Jewel in the Crown"
Bluestone 42 Nutsack 2 episodes
Silk Sean 3 episodes
Grantchester Arthur Evans Episode #1.3
Glue Thomas Bray 2 episodes
The Passing Bells Frank Episode #1.2
2015 The Syndicate Andy Stevenson Recurring role
Prey Phil Prentice 2 episodes
2016 Shield 5 Doyle Short film-exclusive to Instagram
The Watchman Lee TV film
2017 No Offence DI Stone Episode #2.3
In the Dark DS Gary Kenny 2 episodes
2018 Cuckoo Goran Episode: "Ivy Nanny"
2019 Chernobyl Valery Khodemchuk Episode: "Vichnaya Pamyat"
Years and Years Woody 2 episodes
2020 Isolation Stories Stranger's Husband Episode: "Mel"; Voice
Cursed Reith 2 episodes
The Cars That Made the World Narrator Voice
2020–2023 Ted Lasso James Tartt 5 episodes
2022 Andor Pegla 3 episodes
2023 The Family Pile Stuart 6 episodes

References

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  1. ^ Griffin, Cheryl (13 January 2010). "Kieran O'Brien". holby.tv.
  2. ^ a b Whitehouse, Jamie (26 May 2004). "Royton actor defends role in explicit movie". oldhamadvertiser.co.uk. Archived from the original on 8 December 2008. Retrieved 4 July 2008.
  3. ^ Davies, Hugh (18 May 2004). "People who say this sex film is offensive are liars". The Daily Telegraph. London.
  4. ^ Cavendish, Dominic (19 February 2013). "The Full Monty, Sheffield Lyceum / Bull, Sheffield Crucible, review". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 27 February 2013.
  5. ^ "Me, cool and calm?; Nicola Stephenson says she's so clumsy she nearly killed someone while filming Clocking Off. She talks to Janie Lawrence about that, her ideal men (yes men) and life after that Brookside lesbian snog". The Free Library. 13 January 2002. Retrieved 15 April 2014.
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