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{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2011}} | {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2011}} | ||
{{Infobox person | {{Infobox person | ||
|name=Allen Leech | |name= Allen Leech | ||
|image=National Television Awards 2012 - Allen Leech.jpg | |image= National Television Awards 2012 - Allen Leech.jpg | ||
|alt= | |||
|caption=Leech at the 2012 ] | |caption= Leech at the 2012 ] | ||
|birth_date={{Birth date and age |df=yes|1981|05|18}} | |birth_date= {{Birth date and age |df=yes|1981|05|18}} | ||
|birth_place= ] | |||
|birth_place= ], ], Ireland | |||
⚫ | |occupation=Actor | ||
|other_names= Alan Leech | |||
|yearsactive=1989–present | |||
⚫ | |occupation= Actor | ||
|years_active= 1998–present | |||
}} | }} | ||
'''Allen Leech''' (born 18 May 1981) is an Irish stage, television and film actor, |
'''Allen Leech''' (born 18 May 1981), known in his early career as '''Alan Leech''', is an Irish stage, television and film actor. A native of ], Leech made his professional acting debut with a small part in a 1998 production of '']''. He made his first major film appearance in as Vincent Cusack in '']'' and earned an ] nomination in 2004 with his performance as Mo Chara in '']''. Leech came to international attention as ] on the ] ] '']'' and is best known for his role as ] on the internationally successful ]'']''. | ||
==Early life and education== | ==Early life and education== |
Revision as of 15:06, 13 November 2012
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Allen Leech | |
---|---|
File:National Television Awards 2012 - Allen Leech.jpgLeech at the 2012 National Television Awards | |
Born | (1981-05-18) 18 May 1981 (age 43) Killiney, County Dublin, Ireland |
Other names | Alan Leech |
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1998–present |
Allen Leech (born 18 May 1981), known in his early career as Alan Leech, is an Irish stage, television and film actor. A native of Killiney, Leech made his professional acting debut with a small part in a 1998 production of A Streetcar Named Desire. He made his first major film appearance in as Vincent Cusack in Cowboys & Angels and earned an Irish Film & Television Awards nomination in 2004 with his performance as Mo Chara in Man About Dog. Leech came to international attention as Marcus Agrippa on the HBO historical drama Rome and is best known for his role as Tom Branson on the internationally successful costume dramaDownton Abbey.
Early life and education
Leech was born in Killiney, County Dublin, Ireland to David Leech, the CEO of a computer systems company, and Kay Leech, ahomemaker. He is the third of four children; he has an older brother Greg, an older sister Ali, and a younger brother Simon. He has stated that he had a "strong family life." He attended St Michael's College. As a child, he was overweight and was bullied. Because of this, he became introverted and has stated, "Until I was 15 I was cripplingly shy and refused to go out the front door." He became interested in acting at 11 when he was given the part of the Cowardly Lion in a school production of The Wizard of Oz and found that he loved being on stage. He recalled how he immediately decided to become an actor when Peter McDonald told him how acting is a profession on the last night of the production's run. Afterwards, drama became the "focal point" of his teenage years, apart from his family life, and drama and family support helped him through his school years. He became set on acting after winning a small role in a 1998 production of A Streetcar Named Desire at the Gate Theatre. Though his parents wanted him to become an architect, his parents supported his decision on the condition that he earn a degree to fall back on. He earned a Bachelor of Arts and a Master's Degree in Drama and Theatre Studies from Trinity College, Dublin, later noting that this was a "loophole" in his parents' condition. He landed his first major roles in Cowboys & Angels and Man About Dog while at Trinity, and he has admitted that did little schoolwork because he spent his time on auditions and acting.
Career
Leech's first professional stage role was at the Gate in their production of A Streetcar Named Desire. "I was the gentleman caller to Frances McDormand's Blanche Dubois. The Coen brothers were walking backstage, and me a naive 16-year-old."
He appeared as Willi in the Queen and Peacock, at the Garter Lane Arts Centre. The following years, Leech was in Tom Murphy's The Morning After Optimism and then Hugh Leonard's Da at the Abbey.
Leech's breakthrough film performance was in Cowboys and Angels, in which he played Vincent, a gay fashion student, followed by the 2004 cross country caper film Man About Dog, in which Leech plays Mo-Chara, one of three Belfast scallies who get in way above their heads.
Leech was voted sexiest Irish male in 2005 in U Magazine.
Leech played the role of Shane Kirwan in the Ireland's RTÉ series Love is the Drug, in which he received a Best Actor nomination from the Irish Film and Television Awards. He followed that up with the role of Willy in the television series Legend, which is the story of three different Irish families. He received a Best Supporting Actor nomination from Irish Film and Television Awards for his performance.
In 2007, Leech appeared in the HBO drama series Rome as Marcus Agrippa, Octavian's top soldier and friend.
The film, Rewind, opened in Ireland on 25 March 2011.
In 2010, he appeared on the small screen in The Tudors as the doomed Francis Dereham, former lover of Catherine Howard. Leech also appears in ITV 2010 and 2011 television series Downton Abbey as chauffeur Tom Branson, whose political ideologies clash with the upper class. He plays the role of officer Sam Leonard in television series Primeval in 2011 in series five. Leech also stars in the 2012 film adaptation The Sweeney.
Filmography
Year | Film | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2000 | Iníon an Fhiaclóra | Rory | Short |
2002 | The Escapist | Policeman 1 | |
2003 | Benedict Arnold: A Question of Honor | British Officer | TV movie |
Cowboys and Angels | Vincent Cusack | ||
2004 | Battlefield Britain | Jacobite | TV series documentary (1 episode: "Culloden: The Jacobite's Last Stand") |
Man About Dog | Mo Chara | ||
Love Is the Drug | Shane Kirwen | TV series (4 episodes) | |
2006 | Legend | Willy | TV series (6 episodes) Nominated – IFTA Award – Best Actor in a Supporting Role in Television |
2007 | Rome | Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa | TV series (8 episodes) |
Deep Breaths | Danny | Short | |
2008 | Heroes and Villains | Edeco | TV series documentary (1 episode: "Attila the Hun") |
2009 | From Time to Time | Fred Boggis | |
2010 | Rewind | Karl | |
The Tudors | Francis Dereham | TV series (2 episodes) | |
Downton Abbey | Tom Branson | TV series (Recurring from series 1) | |
2011 | Primeval | Officer Sam Leonard | TV series (Series 5, 1 episode) |
Downton Abbey | Tom Branson | TV series (Series 2, 8 episodes) | |
Black Mirror | Pike | TV series (1 episode: The National Anthem) | |
2012 | The Sweeney | Simon Ellis | Film adaptation |
Downton Abbey | Tom Branson | TV series (Series 3) |
Theatre
Year | Title | Role | Theatre |
---|---|---|---|
1998 | A Streetcar Named Desire | The Gate | |
1999 | This Lime Tree Bower | New Theatre | |
2000 | Queen and Peacock | Willi | Garter Lane Arts Centre |
2001 | The Morning After Optimism | The Abbey Theatre | |
2002 | Da | The Abbey Theatre | |
2008 | Everybody Loves Sylvia | Project Arts Centre | |
2011 | Ecstasy | Mick | Hampstead Theatre |
Appearances
Year | Appearance | Notes |
---|---|---|
2004 | The Panel | TV series (1 episode: "Episode #2.5") |
2005 | 3rd Irish Film and Television Awards | TV documentary |
2007 | 4th Irish Film and Television Awards | Presenter |
Awards
Year | Group | Award | Result | Film |
---|---|---|---|---|
2004 | IFTA Awards | Best New Talent | Nominated | Cowboys & Angels |
2005 | IFTA Awards | Best Actor in Television | Nominated | Love Is the Drug |
2007 | IFTA Awards | Best Actor in a Supporting Role in Television | Nominated | Legend |
References
- ^ MacDonald, Marianne (22 July 2007). "Rome Sweet Rome". The Evening Standard – via Infotrac (subscription required) . Retrieved 12 November 2012.
{{cite web}}
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(help) - ^ Randall, Lee (15 September 2012). "Interview: Allen Leech on the return of Downton Abbey". The Scotsman. Retrieved 10 November 2012.
- Butler, Laura (3 November 2012). "'Downton' star Allen loves his role as rebellious Irishman". Irish Independent. Retrieved 10 November 2012.
- ^ Feinstein, Sharon (10 September 2000). "I was a fat boy who got bullied at school.. then I found I could act; How Screen Teenage Star Alan Leech Made Drama Out of His Crisis". The Sunday Mirror – via Highbeam (subscription required) . Retrieved 12 November 2012.
{{cite web}}
: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=
(help) - ^ Nolan, Emma (3 September 2006). "A cowboy and an angel wrapped up to make a legend". Irish Independent. Retrieved 10 November 2012.
- "Allen Leech". Troika Talent. Retrieved 10 November 2012.
- Presenter: George Hook (1 November 2012). "Allen Leech on the Thursday Interview". The Right Hook. Newstalk.
{{cite episode}}
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suggested) (help) - Matt Wolf: "A Streetcar Named Desire", , 18 May 1998
- Robert Koehler: "Cowboys & Angels", , 13 July 2004
- Rich Cline: "Man About Dog". ShadowsOnTheWall.co.UK,
- Jamie Russell: "Man About Dog" (2004), , 14 November 2004
- Cite error: The named reference
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was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - http://twitter.com/#!/rewindthefilm
- http://www.troikatalent.com/#/kat-gosling/allen-leech/ Allen Leech's Troika agency profile