(11) Where Are They Now

Colin Farrell dropped out of the Gaiety Drama School in Dublin and a few months later auditioned for a part in ‘Ballykissangel’. There, the fuse to his firework was well and truly lit.

A nostalgic note on which to say goodbye for another month…

Edward Burns

Who is he?

Good looking sort, is Ed Burns. As Irish-American actors/directors go, he cuts a fine figure. Sort of chiselled. Charismatic. Tall, dark and…anyway, he’s a man we’ve seen little of in, say, the last decade, so it was worth tracking him down.

‘The Brother’s McMullen’ (1995) is most likely where you’ll find him in the dark, dusty and cobwebbed archives of your mind. A punchy, darkly-comic look at the lives, loves and relationships of, well, ‘The Brother’s McMullen’ it put him on Hollywood’s star map and lead to roles in ‘Saving Private Ryan’, ‘Confidence’ and many more.   

Memorable quotes’:

Barry McMullen: [after someone mentions their father] Speaking of our favourite wife beating, child abusing alcoholic, I went to the cemetery today.
Patrick: And?
Barry McMullen: And I'm happy to report that he's still dead.

And now?

Interesting one, this. Ed still flexes his acting muscles every now and again, cherry-picking projects that hold some appeal; examples being ‘27 Dresses’, ‘One Missed Call’ and ‘The Lynchpin’, all of which were released over the past two years. But, for the most part, he’s turned his attentions to writing and directing. ‘Purple Violets’, ‘The Groomsmen’, ‘The Lynchpin’ – all smaller, independent films with the Burns signature attached, he’s fast becoming one of the more respected puppeteers in the business. Throw in the fact he’s married to model, Christy Turlington, and you would have to say that our Ed is living the good life.

Take a look-see for yourself:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJwLBdjEerE