Aidan Quinn

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Aidan Quinn
Aidan Quinn at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival.jpg
Quinn at the premiere of Handsome Harry at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival
Born (1959-03-08) March 8, 1959 (age 65)
OccupationActor
Years active1979–present
Spouse
(m. 1987)
Children2

Aidan Quinn (born March 8, 1959) is an American actor. He made his film debut in Reckless (1984), and has starred in over 80 feature films, including Desperately Seeking Susan (1985), The Mission (1986), Stakeout (1987), All My Sons (1987), Avalon (1990), Benny & Joon (1993), Legends of the Fall (1994), Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1994), Michael Collins (1996), Practical Magic (1998), Song for a Raggy Boy (2003), Wild Child (2008) and Unknown (2011). He also played Captain Thomas "Tommy" Gregson on the CBS television series Elementary (2012–19).

Contents

Quinn has received two Primetime Emmy Award nominations for his performances in the television films An Early Frost (1985) and Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (2007). Highly active in Irish cinema as well as in the United States, Quinn is a four-time Irish Film and Television (IFTA) Award nominee, winning Best Supporting Actor in a Film for the Conor McPherson film The Eclipse (2009).

Early life

Quinn was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Irish Catholic parents. [1] [2] He was raised in Chicago and Rockford, Illinois, as well as in Dublin and Birr, County Offaly, Ireland. His mother, Teresa, was a homemaker, but also worked as a bookkeeper and in the travel business, and his father, Michael Quinn, was a professor of English literature at Rock Valley College. [3] [4] [5] When he was nineteen and working as a roofer, Quinn realized he wanted to become an actor. He trained at the Piven Theatre Workshop. [6] [7]

He has three brothers and a sister. His older brother, Declan Quinn, is a cinematographer, and his younger sister, Marian, is an actress, director and writer. [8] His brother Paul, an actor and director, died in 2015 at the age of 55. [9]

Career

His first significant film role was in Reckless , followed by a breakthrough role in Desperately Seeking Susan as the character "Dez" (the love interest of the character played by Rosanna Arquette). Quinn next starred in the controversial television film An Early Frost , about a young gay lawyer dying of AIDS (it was broadcast on NBC on November 11, 1985, and co-starred Gena Rowlands, Ben Gazzara and Sylvia Sidney). He received his first Emmy Award nomination for the role. He made a short, well received [10] [11] [ opinion ] contribution as Robert De Niro's brother in The Mission . He played escaped convict Richard "Stick" Montgomery in the action comedy Stakeout opposite Richard Dreyfuss and Emilio Estevez.

In 1983, Quinn lost the role of Jesus Christ when Paramount Pictures dropped the distribution rights to the Martin Scorsese movie The Last Temptation of Christ . When Universal Pictures picked up the film, the role went to Willem Dafoe. In the meantime, Quinn starred as the protagonist in the film Crusoe , finished in 1989.

During the 1990s, he appeared in Legends of the Fall , Benny & Joon , The Handmaid's Tale , Haunted and Practical Magic . He also starred in Michael Collins , Song for a Raggy Boy , This Is My Father , and Evelyn . He had a cameo appearance as the captain of a doomed Arctic vessel in the Francis Ford Coppola-produced adaptation of Frankenstein .

In 2000, Quinn portrayed Paul McCartney in the VH1 television drama Two of Us .

Quinn played Kerry Max Cook in the 2005 movie The Exonerated , a true story about people on death row who had been freed.

Quinn played the main character on the NBC drama The Book of Daniel in 2006. After the first three weeks of its run, the show was canceled, and its last five episodes never aired. In 2007, Quinn received his second Emmy nomination for the television movie Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee .

In 2010, he played a cameo role as William Rainsferd in the French-made film Sarah's Key , set during World War II.

He starred as Dermot opposite Taylor Schilling (Abby) in the Canadian-Irish drama film Stay (2013).

Quinn co-starred in the CBS Television series Elementary .

Personal life

Elizabeth Bracco and Quinn, 2009 Elizabeth Bracco and Aidan Quinn 2009.jpg
Elizabeth Bracco and Quinn, 2009

In 1987, Quinn married his Stakeout co-star Elizabeth Bracco (sister of actress Lorraine Bracco). They have two daughters: Mia (b. 1998) and Ava Eileen (b. 1989), who has autism. [12] [13] Ava appeared as the baby "David" in Avalon , [14] and Mia played a ghost in The Eclipse . [15] He has controversially suggested that the MMR vaccine led to his daughter's autism diagnosis. [16] Former residents of Englewood, New Jersey, Quinn and his family now live in Palisades, Rockland County, New York, [17] and Marbletown in the Catskills / Woodstock region of Ulster County, New York. [18] [19]

As an avid sports fan, Quinn supports the Chicago Cubs, the Green Bay Packers, Michael Jordan, Rory McIlroy, and Roger Federer. [20]

Philanthropy

Quinn has participated in charity golf events for the East Lake Foundation, a community redevelopment program, [21] and Samuel L. Jackson's "One for the Boys" campaign about testicular cancer awareness. [22] In 2010, Quinn attended a premiere benefit screening of A Shine of Rainbows for the International Children's Media Center (ICMC) and The American Ireland Fund (AIF). [23] In 1991, he read a segment from Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis as part of MTV's "Books: Feed Your Head" literacy promotion PSAs. [24]

Quinn spoke at the 2003 "Night of Too Many Stars" gala benefiting The Autism Coalition. [25] He was an honorary board member of the National Alliance for Autism Research (NAAR), which merged with Autism Speaks. [26] [27]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1982My Favorite Year behind Bologna 1/2 hour in
1984 Reckless Johnny Rourke
1985 Desperately Seeking Susan Dez
An Early FrostMichael Pierson
1986 The Mission Felipe Mendoza
1987 Stakeout Richard 'Stick' Montgomery
1989 Crusoe Crusoe
1990 The Handmaid's Tale Nick
The Lemon Sisters Frankie McGuinness
Avalon Jules Kaye
1991 At Play in the Fields of the Lord Martin Quarrier
1992 The Playboys Tom Casey
1993 Benny & Joon Benjamin 'Benny' Pearl
1994 Blink Det. John Hallstrom
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein Cpt. Robert Walton
Legends of the Fall Alfred Ludlow
1995 The Stars Fell on Henrietta Don Day
Haunted Prof. David Ash
Lumière and Company HimselfShort film: "John Boorman"
1996 Looking for Richard Richmond
Michael Collins Harry Boland
1997 Commandments Seth Warner
The Assignment Lt. Cmdr. Annibal Ramirez / Carlos
1998 This Is My Father Kieran O'DayAlso executive producer
Practical Magic Officer Gary Hallet
1999 In Dreams Paul Cooper
Music of the Heart Brian Turner
2000 Songcatcher Tom Bledsoe
2002 Stolen Summer Joe O'Malley'
Evelyn Nick Barron
2003 Song for a Raggy Boy William Franklin
2004 Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius Harry Vardon
Shadow of FearDetective Scofield
Return to Sender Frank Nitzche
Proud Commodore Alfred Lind
2005 Nine Lives Henry
2007 Dark Matter Prof. Jacob Reiser
32A Frank Brennan
2008 Wild Child Gerry Moore
2009 A Shine of Rainbows Alec O'Donnell
The Eclipse Nicholas Holden
Handsome Harry Prof. Porter
2010 Flipped Richard Baker
Festival of Lights Adem
Jonah Hex President Ulysses S. Grant
Sarah's Key William Rainsferd
Across the Line: The Exodus of Charlie Wright Charlie Wright
The 5th Quarter Steven Abbate
The Pilgrims: The Journey to a New World for AutismHimselfDocumentary
2011 Unknown Martin B.
The Stand Up Sandy Hardwick
The Greening of Whitney Brown Henry Brown
Muide ÉireHimselfDocumentary
2012 If I Were You Derek
Allegiance Lieutenant Colonel Owens
2013 The Last Keepers John Carver
Rushlights Cameron Brogden
Stay Dermot Fay
2014Journey to SundanceHimselfDocumentary
2018 Change in the Air Moody
2021 Spiked John Wilson
2022 Blacklight Gabriel Robinson
2023 Daughter of the Bride Bruce
TBA Cry from the Sea TBA

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1981 American Dream ScooterEpisode: "Casey's Romance"
1985 An Early Frost Michael PiersonTelevision movie
1987 All My Sons Chris Keller
1989 Perfect Witness Sam Paxton
1991 Lies of the Twins James McEwen/Jonathan McEwan
1992 A Private Matter Bob Finkbine
1994 Baseball Himself/Various2 episodes
1995The Irish in AmericaNarratorTV movie
Out of Ireland: The Story of Irish Emigration to America
1997Forbidden Territory: Stanley's Search for Livingstone Henry Morton Stanley
2000 The Prince and the Pauper Miles Hendon
Two of Us Paul McCartney
The Young Messiah NarratorVoice; TV movie
2001 Night Visions Jeremy BellEpisode: "The Passenger List"
2003 Benedict Arnold: A Question of Honor Gen. Benedict Arnold TV movie
Freedom: A History of USMob Member/ Philadelphia Press Editorial2 episodes
2004See You in My DreamsJoe F. BrownTV movie
PlainsongTom Guthrie
Cavedweller Clint Windsor
Miracle Run Douglas Thomas
2004–2005 Third Watch Lieutenant/Captain John Miller5 episodes
2005 The Exonerated Kerry Max Cook TV movie
Empire Falls David Roby2 episodes
Mayday John BerryTV movie
2006The Book of DanielDaniel Webster8 episodes
2007 Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee Henry L. Dawes TV movie
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Ben NicholsonEpisode: "Savant"
2008 Canterbury's Law Matthew 'Matt' Furey5 episodes
The Prince of Motor CityCharlie HamiltonPilot
2010 White Collar Prof. George OswaldEpisode: "Copycat Caffrey"
2011 Weeds Foster 'Chuck' Klein4 episodes
Prime Suspect Lt. Kevin SweeneyRecurring role
2012 The Horses of McBride Matt DavidsonTV movie
2012–2019 Elementary Captain Thomas 'Tommy' Gregson Main role
2014From Tee to Green: The Story of Irish GolfNarratorVoice; 3 episodes
2019The American Guest Theodore Roosevelt Main role
2021-2022 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Burton LoweEpisodes: "The Five Hundredth Episode" & "Confess Your Sins to be Free"
2024 Blue Bloods Detective Gus VanderlipEpisode: "The Heart of a Saturday Night"

Theatre

YearProductionRoleVenue
1979The Man in 605Jerry Green Piven Theatre Workshop
Scheherazade Chicago
The Irish Hebrew Lesson
1984 Fool for Love EddieDouglas Fairbanks Theater
1985 Hamlet Prince Hamlet Wisdom Bridge Theatre
1985–1986 A Lie of the Mind FrankiePromenade Theatre
1988 A Streetcar Named Desire Stanley Kowalski Circle in the Square Theatre
2003 The Exonerated Kerry Max Cook 45 Bleecker Theater
Curran Theatre
2004Trumbo: Red, White and Blacklisted Dalton Trumbo Westside Theatre
2005 The Exonerated Kerry Max Cook Queen's Hall
2006 Riverside Studios
Dublin Theatre Festival
2008Conversations in Tusculum Brutus The Public Theater

Awards and nominations

YearAwardWorkResult
1986 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Special An Early Frost Nominated
1988 Theatre World Award A Streetcar Named Desire Won
1993 CableACE Award for Supporting Actor in a Movie or Miniseries A Private Matter Nominated
1999Irish Film and Television Award for Best Actor in a Male Role This Is My Father
Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Actor – Comedy / Romance Practical Magic
2000 Sundance Film Festival – Special Jury Prize For Ensemble Cast (shared with cast) Songcatcher Won
2003 Irish Film & Television Award (IFTA) for Best Actor in a Film – Public Vote Nominated
Irish Film & Television Award (IFTA) for Best Actor in a Film – Jury Award Song for a Raggy Boy
2005 Irish Film & Television Award (IFTA) for Best Actor in a Feature Film Return to Sender (aka Convicted)
Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male Cavedweller
Gotham Award for Best Ensemble Cast (shared with cast) Nine Lives
2007 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee
Online Film & Television Association (OFTA) Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture or Miniseries
Satellite Award for Best Actor in a Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for Television
2010 Irish Film & Television Award (IFTA) for Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Film The Eclipse Won

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