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Barry McGovern

Barry McGovern
Born1948 (age 75–76)
NationalityIrish
Alma materCastleknock College
OccupationActor
Years active1978–present

Barry McGovern (born 1948) is an Irish stage, film and television actor.

Background

He was educated at Castleknock College, Dublin. McGovern is a former member of the RTÉ Players and the Abbey Theatre Company. He has worked in theatre, film, radio and television, as well as written music for many shows, and co-written two musicals and directed plays and operas. He is known internationally for his award-winning one-man Beckett shows I'll Go On and Watt which the Gate Theatre presented at the 1985 and 2010 Dublin Theatre Festival respectively. [citation needed] McGovern revived "I'll Go On" for a run at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City for L.A.'s Center Theatre Group in 2014.

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes
1987 Riders to the Sea Bartley
1990 Joe Versus the Volcano Luggage Salesman
1991 Billy Bathgate Father McInerny
1992 Far and Away McGuire
1995 Braveheart King's Advisor
1996 The Disappearance of Finbar Action Committee Chairman
1997 Driftwood McTavish
1997 The Informant Courtroom Judge TV movie
1998 The General IRA Man 1
1999 Felicia's Journey Gatherer
2001 Waiting for Godot Vladimir
2015 My Name Is Emily Dr. Golding
2018 Penance The Commandant (Old Antaine) Irish language
2024 Blue Fiddle Irish language
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1979 Play for Today Sean 1 episode
1984 Caught in a Free State Eamon de Valera 4 episodes
1987 Foreign Bodies Dermot #1 TV movie
1990 Dear Sarah Giuseppe Conlon TV movie
1991 The Treaty Eamon de Valera TV movie
1995 The Governor Solicitor 1 episode
1995-1996 Finbarr's Class Mannix Beatty 24 episodes
1998 Ballykissangel Con Casey 1 episode
1998 Miracle at Midnight Rabbi Ben Abrams 1 episode
2007 The Tudors Bishop Bonnivet 2 episodes
2008 School Run Padraig Ó Cinnéide 2 episodes
2010 Na Cloigne Ceannfort Ó Sé 3 episodes
2010 An Crisis Piaras De Barra 1 episode
2014 Game of Thrones Dying Man Episode: "Mockingbird"
2016 Vikings French Archbishop 1 episode
2021 Foundation Orlio 1 episode
2024 Crá Art

Reviews

  • (on his one man show "I'll Go On")[1]
    • "McGovern illuminates the accessibility of the novels, their Irishness and their brilliant, bitter humour...brilliant" - The New York Times
    • "Barry McGovern's dazzling one-man performance…makes for wicked, compulsive fun" - The Irish Times
    • "An outright triumph…arrestingly funny" - Time
    • "90 minutes of laughter, bitterness, compassion and verbal music to leave you rapt" - New York
    • "Superb one-man show…. Without doubt one of the best interpreters of Samuel Beckett's work, McGovern's performance is masterful" - Sunday Business
    • “Barry McGovern’s astounding performance was not only the best of the festival, but also among the best I’ve ever seen… genius, no other word for it." - Sun Herald

Awards and nominations

Ovation Awards

  • 2012: Nominated for Lead Actor in a Play for the role of Vladimir in the Center Theatre Group production of "Waiting For Godot"[2]

References

  1. ^ Dublin: The Gate
  2. ^ "2012 Ovation Award Nominees Announced". 11 September 2012. Archived from the original on 17 January 2013. Retrieved 29 January 2013.