Aidan Quinn (born March 8, 1959) is an American
actor.
Biography
Early life
Quinn was
born in Rockford,
Illinois
to devoutly Catholic Irish parents.
He was
raised in Chicago
and
Rockford, as well as in Dublin
and Birr
, County
Offaly
in Ireland
. His
father was a professor in literature and his mother a homemaker. He
has three brothers and a sister. His older brother,
Declan Quinn, is a noted cinematographer.
Though a roofer by trade, Quinn got his start in the Chicago
theater at age 19. He trained at the
Piven Theatre Workshop.
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
TV movie
An Early Frost, about a
young lawyer dying of
AIDS (it was broadcast on
NBC on November 11, 1985) and co-starred such
luminaries as
Gena Rowlands,
Ben Gazzara and
Sylvia
Sidney. He received his first
Emmy
Award nomination for the role which allowed him to gain
recognition in Hollywood.
In 1988 Quinn lost the role of
Jesus
Christ when
Paramount
Pictures dropped the controversial
Martin Scorsese movie
The Last Temptation of
Christ. When
Universal
Pictures picked up the film, the role went to
Willem Dafoe. In meantime, Quinn recited in a
role as protagonist in the film
Crusoe, finished in 1989.
During the 1990s Quinn's career grew immensely.
He found work
alongside such Hollywood
stars as Brad Pitt in
Legends of the Fall,
Johnny Depp in Benny & Joon, Robert Duvall in The Handmaid's Tale and Sir
John Gielgud in Haunted. He continually starred
in films that allowed him to return to his Irish roots, such as
Michael Collins,
Song for a Raggy Boy
and
Evelyn
In 2000, Quinn portrayed
Paul
McCartney in the
VH1 television drama,
Two of Us. He
later met McCartney at a hotel, and they became good friends. Quinn
was able to gain his first regular television role as the lead in
the short lived, and controversial
NBC drama
The Book of
Daniel, in 2006 before being canceled after the first
three weeks of its run. In 2007, Quinn received his second
Emmy nomination for the television movie
Bury My Heart at Wounded
Knee.
Personal life
Quinn is married to the
actress Elizabeth Bracco, sister of actress
Lorraine Bracco. The two met in 1984
at a restaurant and later co-starred in
Stakeout. They married in 1987 and have
two daughters, one diagnosed with
autism. The
other has been confirmed to appear as a ghost in
The Eclipse.
Filmography
Film
Television
References
External links
Wikis
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