Patrick Bergin

Last updated

Patrick Bergin
Born
Patrick Connolly Bergin

(1951-02-04) 4 February 1951 (age 73)
Dublin, Ireland
Occupation(s)Actor, singer
Years active1970–present
SpousePaula Frazier (m. 1992; divorced)
Children1 [1]

Patrick Connolly Bergin (born 4 February 1951) [2] is an Irish actor and singer perhaps best known for his leading role opposite Julia Roberts in Sleeping with the Enemy (1991), the title character in Robin Hood , terrorist Kevin O'Donnell in Patriot Games and for playing the villainous Aidan Maguire in the BBC soap EastEnders in 2017–2018.

Contents

Early life

Bergin was born in Dublin, where he grew up in Drimnagh. His father, Paddy Bergin, was a Labour Party politician [3] [4] who once studied to be a priest with the Holy Ghost Fathers in Blackrock, Ireland. [4] Patrick was one of four sons and one daughter (Pearse, Emmet, Patrick, Allen and Siobhan Bergin). [4] [5] He left Dublin for London in 1973, [4] and by the time he was 17 he was in London running a theatre company. [3] He worked on building sites and at a library. [3] [4] He studied at night and completed an education degree from North London Polytechnic. [3] He was an English teacher for several years, then formed his own theatrical company because "no one else would have him". [4] [5] His brother Emmet Bergin also became an actor, best known for playing Dick Moran in the soap opera Glenroe for its full 1983–2001 run. [6]

Career

In 1980, Bergin decided to pursue acting full-time and found work in repertory theatre. [7] Despite appearing as the explorer Sir Richard Francis Burton in the critically acclaimed Mountains of the Moon (1990), for much of the 1990s it seemed that no one in Hollywood was interested in him. He accepted diverse acting roles, including a trilogy of Yeats plays; Morphine and Dolly Mixtures , for which he won a BAFTA Cymru Award for Best Actor; Durango , based on John B Keane's novel; hosting TnaG's Suilín Draíochta; and narrating Patrick Cassidy's Famine Remebrance. [4] After Sleeping with the Enemy (1991), he portrayed the title character in Robin Hood , opposite Uma Thurman as Maid Marian. He describes 1996 as the lowest point in his career, a time when he rarely received any calls for movie roles. [4]

Internationally, Bergin's best-known role may be that of the menacing husband of Julia Roberts' character in the thriller Sleeping with the Enemy. He is also known for his role as Irish terrorist Kevin O'Donnell in the film adaptation of Tom Clancy's Patriot Games . He also appeared as Robin Hood in a 1991 film. [8] In 2013 he appeared in the Scottish film The Wee Man playing notorious Glasgow gangster Arthur 'The Godfather' Thompson. He joined the BBC soap EastEnders towards the end of 2017, [9] departing in March 2018.

Music

Bergin leads the band Patrick Bergin and the Spirit Merchants. They had a top 10 hit in Ireland with their song "The Knacker", released in 2003, which tells the story of a person who recycles horse carcasses and turns them into glue. As a singer, Bergin collaborated with Vlad DeBriansky and appeared on his album Jacks Last Dollar. He also appeared in the video of DJ Steve Mac's song "Paddy's Revenge". [10]

Bergin was onstage singing the Leonard Cohen song "Anthem" as Pope Francis, on his visit to Ireland, arrived in Croke Park for the Festival of Families as part of the World Meeting of Families 2018. [11]

Charity work

In 1993, Bergin bought an old church in County Tipperary and converted it into a poetry centre. He explained: "I've recently come to feel I can encourage children and teenagers with their writing. [7] I'm continually giving groups money to make videos, but I insist that they have a good script. I do it because it makes the difference between them doing a video or not. It doesn't cost a lot, and it gives kids an incredible boost of confidence." [7] In 1998, in response to the murder of a 14-year-old Tallaght boy, Ben Smyth, Bergin helped to establish a special fund to sponsor young children from Tallaght. [4]

Personal life

At a wedding in the early 1980s, Bergin met his future wife, Paula Frazier, a British woman of African-Caribbean descent. They married in Trinidad and Tobago in 1992. They have a daughter, Tatiana (Tia). [4] After their divorce, Bergin began dating Helen Goldin. [12]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1988 Taffin Mo Taffin
1988 The Courier Christy
1990 Mountains of the Moon Richard Burton
1991 Sleeping with the Enemy Martin
1991 Robin Hood Sir Robert Hode / Robin Hood
1992 Highway to Hell Beezle
1992 Love Crimes David Hanover
1992 Map of the Human Heart Walter Russell
1992 Patriot Games Kevin O'Donnell
1992 The Hummingbird Tree Stephen Holmes
1993 All Tied Up Bartender (uncredited)Direct-to-Video
1994Double CrossJack ConealyDirect-to-Video
1994Soft DeceitAdam Trent
1996 Lawnmower Man 2: Beyond Cyberspace Dr. Benjamin Trace
1996 The Proposition Rhys Williams
1996 Angela Mooney Older Malone
1997 The Island on Bird Street Stefan
1997Suspicious MindsJack Ramsey
1998 The Lost World Challenger
1999 Treasure Island Billy Bones
1999Promise Her AnythingVernon Fry
1999 One Man's Hero General Winfield Scott
1999 Eye of the Beholder Alexander Leonard
1999 Escape Velocity Cal "Captain of the Harbinger"
1999 Africa John Young
2000Press RunAlex Dodge
2000 When the Sky Falls Mackey
2000 Merlin: The Return King Arthur
2001Cause of DeathTaylor Lewis
2001 The Invisible Circus Gene
2001High ExplosiveJack Randall
2001Devil's PreyMinister Seth
2001 Silent Grace Peter, IRA man
2002Beneath Loch NessBlay
2001 Amazons and Gladiators Crassius
2003BloomThe citizen
2003 The Boys from County Clare Padjo
2004 Ella Enchanted Sir Peter
2004 Berserker Thorsson
2004High Art, Low LifeCameron's Driver
2006 Johnny Was Flynn
2006False ProphetsKarl Hawthorne
2006PlayedRiley
2006Secret of the CavePatrick Wallace
2006The Far Side of JerichoJake
2007Casanova's Last StandCasanova
2007BabyfaceJohn Roth
2007The Black PimpernelUS Ambassador
2007Strength and HonourPapa Boss
2008Dick Dickman P.I.unknown role
2008 Ghostwood Fr Paul
2010EvaOswald
2011The McBrearty AffairNarratorShort Film
2011A Kiss and a PromiseDetective Anthony Dolan
2011BirthdayHugo
2011Perfect DayRick's Father
2012EldoradoRoyDirect-to-Video
2012Absolute FearCaptain Morrow
2012Songs for AmyPatrick
2012Shark WeekTiburon
2012GallowwalkersMarshall Gaza
2012AngelSuccessful ManShort Film
2013The Wee ManArthur Thompason
2013Dance of the Steel BarsFrank
2013The Minnitts of AnabegLord Goode
2014Margery Booth: The Spy in the Eagle's NestStandartenfuhrer Kummel
2015Age of KillSir Alistair Montcrief
2016Free FireHowie
2016We Still Steal the Old WayGeorge Briggs
2016CagePeter Karl Bradley
2017NativeIrish ManShort Film
2017RothJohn Roth
2018Train SetMajor Julian Muir
2019Odilo Fabian or (The Possibility of Impossible Dreams)The Mayor of DoubtShort Film
2020The Last Days of American CrimeRossi Dumois
2021 Finding You Seamus
2021The KindredFather Monroe
2022God's Petting YouThe American
2022 Blackbird The Head
2022The Ulysses ProjectBuck Mulligan / Leopold Bloom
2022Nutcracker MassacreDmitri / Toymaker
2023One RangerDoc

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1983 Those Glory Glory Days Spurs Team MemberTV Movie
1987 Boon DS Beecher"Credit Where It's Due"
1987Lapsed CatholicsPaul McNallyTV Movie
1988 Act of Betrayal Michael McGurkMiniseries (2 episodes)
1990 The Real Charlotte Roderick LambertMiniseries (3 episodes)
1991 Screen Two Terence O'Farrell"Morphine and the Dolly Mixtures"
1992 Frankenstein Dr. Victor Frankenstein TV Movie
1993 Children of the Mist Mark SamulesTV Movie
1994 Twilight Zone: Rod Serling's Lost Classics Dr. Benjamin RamseyTV Movie (segment "Where the Dead Are")
1995 Triple Cross Jimmy RayTV Movie
1996 The Witch's Daughter Mr. SmithTV Movie
1997 The Apocalypse Watch Drew LathamTV Movie
1997 Stolen Women, Captured Hearts Daniel MorganTV Movie
1997The RipperInspector Jim HansenTV Movie
1999 Durango Fergus MullaneyTV Movie
1999Expedition JournalN/AAssistant Producer (1 episode)
2000 St. Patrick: The Irish Legend PatrickTV Movie
2001JewelLeston HilburnTV Movie
2002 King of Texas Mr. HighsmithTV Movie
2002 Dracula Vladislav Tepes / Dracula 2 episodes
2003 Brush with Fate HeadmasterTV Movie
2003 Smallville Morgan Edge"Shattered"
2005 Icon Igor KomarovTV Movie
2005Casanova's Love LettersCasanovaMiniseries (1 episode)
2006 Driven Gerald Workman"#1.1"
2009 Hustle Toby Baxter"Diamond Seeker"
2011IceQuinnMiniseries (2 episodes)
2016Fir BolgSean Seoige2 episodes
2017 No Offense Earl Kennedy"#2.1"
2017 Red Rock Jim Tierneyrecurring role (7 episodes)
2017–2018 EastEnders Aidan Maguireseries regular (32 episodes)
2018 Quantico Liam Killoran"Who Are You?"
2019 Wild Bill Frank McGill"Nothing Behind the Curtain"
2020The South WesterliesBig Mikerecurring role (6 episodes)
2024 FBI: International Niall Walsh"Touts"

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryWorkResult
1989 AACTA Awards Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Mini Series Act of Betrayal Nominated
1992 BAFTA Cymru Best Actor (Yr Actor Gorau) Screen Two Won
Saturn Awards Best Supporting Actor Sleeping with the Enemy Nominated
2018International Filmmaker Festival of World CinemaBest Supporting ActorTrain SetNominated
Madrid International Film FestivalNominated

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