Chris O'Dowd
Chris O'Dowd, born on October 9, 1979, is an Irish actor and comedian. He was born and raised in Boyle, County Roscommon, to Seán, a sign designer, and Denise, a counsellor and psychotherapist. His early life included playing Gaelic football, even representing Roscommon in the 1997 Connacht Minor Football Championship final. Having finished his education focusing on politics alongside sociology at University College Dublin (UCD), eighteen months were dedicated to training at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. This Irish performer embodies numerous positions, functioning as an actor, comedian, writer, director, plus executive producer. O’Dowd gained recognition for his role as Roy Trenneman in 'The IT Crowd' from 2006 to 2010. His comedic talents were further showcased through appearances in films like 'Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel' (2009), 'Gulliver's Travels' (2010), 'Bridesmaids' (2011), and 'Friends with Kids' (2011). He received an Irish Film & TV Award for 'Best Supporting Actor – Film' for his work in 'Bridesmaids'. He also won a Scottish BAFTA award for his role as Tommy O’Dwyer in the film 'Festival' (2005) and a Primetime Emmy Award for his performance in 'State of the Union'. He has appeared in other films including 'Dinner For Schmucks,' 'This is 40,' 'Thor: The Dark World,' 'St. Vincent,' and 'Cuban Fury', and had a recurring role on the series 'Girls' and appeared in Christopher Guest’s 'Family Tree'. A significant achievement in O’Dowd’s career is the creation and starring role in the TV series 'Moone Boy' (2012-2015), co-created with Nick Vincent Murphy. This series, which ran for three series on Sky One, earned him Irish Film and Television Award nominations and an Emmy Award. He executive produced all 18 episodes of 'Moone Boy', directed six episodes, and portrayed Seán Murphy. 'Moone Boy' also spawned a series of books written by O’Dowd and Murphy. He has his own production outfit called Hot Cod Productions and served as executive producer on the Sky series 'Small Town Big Story,' which he created, wrote three episodes of, directed, and starred in; Playground Entertainment and FilmNation co-produced this project. Currently, he is filming 'Slumberland' for Netflix and reuniting with Ted Melfi and Melissa McCarthy for 'The Starling', set for release on Netflix. He has also appeared in two shows on London’s West End including 'Constellations' (2021) and received a Drama Desk Award nomination, a Distinguished Performance Award, and a Theatre World Award for his performance in 'Of Mice and Men' (2014) on Broadway.