Rory Keenan

Last updated
Rory Keenan
Born (1980-06-09) 9 June 1980 (age 44)
Dublin, Ireland
Alma mater Trinity College Dublin
OccupationActor
Years active1999–present
Spouse
(m. 2019)
Children1

Rory Keenan (born 9 June 1980) is an Irish actor. On film and television he has starred in Somewhere Boy , The Duchess , Birdsong, Versailles , War & Peace , The Guard and Peaky Blinders .

Contents

Career

Keenan has performed in many National Theatre productions, [1] as well as at BAM, New York and Wyndhams Theatre in the West End as Jamie in Long Day's Journey into Night, directed by Sir Richard Eyre. [1] He starred at The Donmar Warehouse in Saint Joan and Welcome Home Captain Fox! [2]

Previous work at The Royal National Theatre includes The Kitchen, Damned By Despair and Liola, and Philadelphia, Here I Come! [3] and Dublin Carol at the Donmar Warehouse. [1]

He has performed many leading roles in Ireland, having worked from an early age at The Abbey Theatre, as well as the title roles in Hamlet and Macbeth, the latter of which landed him Best Actor at 11th The Irish Times Irish Theatre Awards. [4]

In 2010, Keenan appeared in the short film The Crush , which was nominated at the Academy Awards for Best Live Action Short Film. [5]

On television he was seen in Channel 4's Somewhere Boy , Netflix's The Duchess , BBC's Versailles , War & Peace and Peaky Blinders . [1]

In 2022, Keenan wrote and directed his debut film Bump, which starred his wife Gemma Arterton, and was screened at the Cinequest Film & Creativity Festival in San Jose, California, and Cleveland International Film Festival. [6] He was awarded Best Director at the British Short Film Awards 2022.

Personal life

In 2019, he married actress Gemma Arterton. [7]

The couple's first child, a son, was born in December 2022. [8] [9]

Filmography

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1999 Aristocrats GeorgeTV mini series
2001–02On Home GroundKevin King16 episodes
2003 The Clinic Michael6 episodes
2005ShowbandsKeithTV mini series
2011 Primeval Michael1 episode
2012 Birdsong BrennanTV mini series
2014 Peaky Blinders Donal Henry3 episodes
2016 Stan Lee's Lucky Man Simon2 episodes
War & Peace Bilibin4 episodes
2017 Versailles Leopold8 episodes
Come HomeTomlinson2 episodes
2017–18 Striking Out Eric10 episodes
2020 The Duchess Shep6 episodes
2021Rules Of The GameHugh3 episodes
2022 Somewhere Boy Steve8 episodes
2024 Blackshore Garda Cian Furlong6 episodes

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2002 Reign of Fire Devon
2003 Intermission Anthony Lowry
Benedict Arnold: A Question of HonorMalitiamanTV movie
2004 Ella Enchanted Otto
2005ShowbandsKeithTV movie
Still LifeManShort film
2006Pride and JoyRory Lawlor
2009 One Hundred Mornings Mark
Zonad Guy Hendrickson
2010WindowsTerryShort film
The Crush Boyfriendnominated Academy Award Best Live Action Short Film [5]
2011National Theatre Live: The KitchenKevin
The Guard McBride
2012EarthboundGordon
Keys to the CityPaul
2016 The Young Messiah Lucifer
Grimsby James Thurbeck

Theatre

YearTitleRoleTheatreNotes
2007 Don Carlos Don CarlosRough Magic
SavedFred Abbey Theatre
2009 Macbeth MacbethSiren Productions/The Empty SpaceBest Actor In Supporting Role, Irish Times Theatre Awards
The Last Days of the Celtic TigerRonan Olympia Theatre
2010The Big FellahRuairi Lyric Hammersmith
The Importance of Being Earnest JackRough Magic/ Gaiety Theatre
2011The KitchenKevin Royal National Theatre
Lakeboat/Prairie du ChienFred Arcola Theatre
2012Damned by DespairPedrisco Royal National Theatre
Philadelphia Here I Come Gar Private Donmar Warehouse
Dublin CarolMark Donmar Warehouse
2013 Liola Liola Royal National Theatre
2015 Someone Who'll Watch Over Me Edward Chichester Festival Theatre
2016 Saint Joan The Inquisitor Donmar Warehouse
The Seagull Trigorin Dublin Theatre Festival
Welcome Home Captain FoxGene Donmar Warehouse
2018 Long Day's Journey Into Night James Tyrone Jr. Wyndham's Theatre / BAM, New York
2019 Plenty Raymond Brock Chichester Festival Theatre [10]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Spotlight - Rory Keenan". spotlight.com. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  2. "Rory Keenan Interview". londoncalling.com. Retrieved 2017-02-08.
  3. "Review Round-Up: Critics crow for Philadelphia, Here I Come". WhatsOnStage.com. Retrieved 2017-02-07.
  4. "New talent saluted and new awards - for best supporting dad and feng shui". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2021-08-09.
  5. 1 2 "NI film 'The Crush' is shortlisted for an Oscar". BBC News. 2011-01-25. Retrieved 2017-02-07.
  6. "Bump". mubi.com. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  7. Bond Girl Gemma Arterton secretly marries Irish Peaky Blinders star Rory Keenan in exclusive Co Wicklow ceremony, 15 September 2019
  8. "Gemma Arterton pregnant with first child", Yahoo, 4 November 2022
  9. "Gemma Arterton reveals she welcomed her first child in December", Yahoo, 8 February 2023
  10. Supercool (25 September 2019). "Plenty". Chichester Festival Theatre. Retrieved 25 September 2019.