Colm Meaney

Colm J. Meaney (/ˈkɒləm/; Irish: Colm Ó Maonaigh; born 30 May 1953) is an Irish actor known for playing Miles O'Brien in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. He is second only to Michael Dorn in most appearances in Star Trek episodes. He has guest-starred on many TV shows from Law & Order to The Simpsons, and currently stars as railroad magnate Thomas Durant on AMC's drama series Hell on Wheels.

He has also had a significant career in motion pictures, appearing in the film The Damned United; all three film adaptations of Roddy Doyle's The Barrytown Trilogy; Get Him to the Greek and Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa.

Early life

Meaney was born in Dublin. He began studying acting when he was 14 years old, and entered the Abbey Theatre School of Acting after secondary school. He became a member of the Irish National Theatre and worked for the next eight years in England, touring with several theatre companies.

Career

Meaney's first television appearance was in Z-Cars on BBC 1 in 1978. He 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.