- Home
- Colm Meaney
Colm Meaney
Known for: ActingColm 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.
Filmography 87
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
+3
as Miles O'Brien 
Hell on Wheels
+4
as Thomas 'Doc' Durant 
Law Abiding Citizen
+2
as Detective Dunnigan 
Con Air
+4
as Agent Duncan Malloy 
The Banker
+2
as Patrick Barker 
Marlowe
+4
as Bernie Ohls 
Remarkably Bright Creatures
as Ethan Mack 
The Last of the Mohicans
as Major Ambrose 
Free Birds
as Myles Standish (voice) 
Far and Away
+2
as Kelly 
Under Siege
+2
as Daumer 
Pelé: Birth of a Legend
+2
as George Raynor 
The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain
as Morgan the Goat 
Layer Cake
+2
as Gene 
No Way Up
+5
as Brandon 
Will
as James Burbage 
Tolkien
+2
as Father Francis Morgan 
The Singapore Grip
as Major Brendan Archer 
One Chance
+1
as Roland Potts 
Childhood's End
as Wainwright 
The Driver
as The Horse 
Alice
as King of Hearts 
Norm of the North
+2
as Grandfather (voice) 
Seberg
+1
as Frank Ellroy 
In the Land of Saints and Sinners
as Robert McQue 
The Magical Legend of the Leprechauns
as Seamus Muldoon 
Get Him to the Greek
+1
as Jonathan Snow 
The Cold Light of Day
+5
as Bandler 
The Conspirator
as David Hunter 
Re-Creation
as Ian Bailey 
Blueberry
+1
as Jimmy McClure 
Safe Harbor
as Kieran Walsh 
The Commitments
as Jimmy Rabbitte, Sr. 
Bel Ami
+1
as Monsieur Rousset 
Bring Them Down
+1
as Ray 
The Road to Wellville
+1
as Dr. Lionel Badger 
The Dead
as Mr. Bergin 
Mystery, Alaska
+3
as Mayor Scott Pitcher 
Covert One: The Hades Factor
as Peter Howell 
ZOS: Zone of Separation
as George Titac 
Pixie
as Dermot O'Brien 
The Damned United
+3
as Don Revie 
The Devil's Hand
as Elder Beacon 
Come See the Paradise
+3
as Gerry McGurn 
Unwelcome
+6
as Colm “Daddy” Whelan 
War of the Buttons
as Geronimo's Dad 
The Cowboy
as Self 
Duchess
+3
as Frank Monaghan 
Five Fingers
as Gavin 
The Murdoch Mysteries
as Inspector Brackenreid 
Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa
+2
as Patt Farrell 
King of Texas
as Mr. Tumlinson 
Soldiers of Fortune
as Mason 
Intermission
as Jerry Lynch 
Monument Ave.
as Jackie O'Hara 
Into the West
as Barreller 
Claire Dolan
as Roland Cain 
Money Kings
+1
as Al Sheehan 
Owd Bob
as Keith Moore 
Caved In: Prehistoric Terror
as Vincent 
Three Day Millionaire
+2
as Mr. Barr 
The Problem with People
+5
as Ciáran 
The Snapper
as Dessie Curley 
Turning Green
as Tom 
The Ballad of Davy Crockett
+1
as Caleb 
Battle of the Brave
as Benjamin Franklin 
The Last of the High Kings
+1
as Jim Davern 
The Last Right
+4
as Detective Donall Crowley 
This Is My Father
as Seamus 
Whole Lotta Sole
as Detective Weller 
Three and Out
as Tommy Cassidy 
The Secrets of Emily Blair
as Father Avital 
Backflash
as Gin O'Malley 
There's Always Hope
as Jonathan 
October 22
as Steve 
Alleged
as H.L. Mencken 
The Van
as Larry 
The Journey
+5
as Martin McGuinness 
Confession
+1
as Father Peter 
Omega Syndrome
as Sean 
A Lobster Tale
as Cody 
A Belfast Story
as Detective 
The Hot Potato
as Harry 
A Dangerous Arrangement
as Leslie 
Parked
as Fred Daly 
Chapter Zero
as Frank Lazaras