We have been covering I, Anna, Secret State, and Quirke here on the main website and there are several articles you can read about these three projects.

Something slipped by about Secret State, though:

The Sun (UK)

[This article is no longer available on the Internet]

Our politicians are too boring–I was inspired to play PM by Prince Charles, says Gabriel Byrne

The Hollywood star said there was no point emulating current politicians because they are too BORING. Instead, he watched footage of Prince Charles to get inspiration.

He said: “You couldn’t imitate David Cameron or Nick Clegg because there’s nothing there to imitate.

“With Meryl Streep playing Thatcher, she had a caricature of a character to latch on to. She had the handbags, the voice, the wig. There’s nothing to latch on to with Tony Blair, Cameron or Clegg in terms of their public persona.

“But I enjoy studying their body language. When they get out of cars, they button their coats because it gives them a subliminal sense of purpose and urgency…

The picture of Gabriel Byrne has this caption: Heartthrob … Gabriel Byrne has enjoyed a new wave of female attention since starring in Secret State. . .

Where have these people been? Mr. Byrne has been a heartthrob forever!

There is also a lovely picture of Rupert Graves in this Sun article, so be sure to give it a read. The DVD was released on December 3 at AmazonUK. Mine is wending its slow and deliberate way across the pond now.

le capital

Le Capital was released in France on November 14, 2012.

I know one Byrneholic who has seen this on the big screen in France. It is difficult for us to watch Mr. Byrne play a bad guy, I think. And in this film he plays a real jerk, apparently. And apparently he does it very well! I am personally glad that he had a chance to work with Costa-Gavras again. And, sad to say, I have no French, so all those French reviews, which I would love to share with you, are Greek to me–although, from what I can gather, response is mixed. Let’s see if this film gets a release in the US. And presumably, there will be a DVD release at some future time. Then we can all watch it and make up our own minds.

vikings

The first promotional image for Vikings that includes an image of Gabriel Byrne in the role of Earl Haraldson was published. Wahoo! The series is set to premiere on The History Channel in March, 2013.

Long hair. Mustache. Boots. *faints*

lecture/interview at the IADT in Dublin

IFTN (Irish Film and Television Network

Gabriel Byrne will give the National Film School lecture at IADT this year, it has been announced.

The ‘Usual Suspects’ actor will give a public interview in front of IADT students and film fans alike on Monday, December 3. Roger Greene, the programme co-ordinator of the MA in Broadcast Production at IADT, will facilitate the interview.

Byrne is currently filming BBC series ‘Quirke’ in Dublin. The Dublin-born actor is playing pathologist Garrett Quirke in the three-part series which is based on John Banville’s (Benjamin Black) series of novels.

My Quirke haircut is fun, no?

IFTN (Irish Film and Television Network)

Gabriel Byrne Talks Film: “Hollywood Never Existed To Make Art, It Always Existed To Make Money”

“It is essential for a director to take an acting class” was the advice veteran actor Gabriel Byrne gave to aspiring filmmakers at the National Film School in Dun Laoghaire last night.

Addressing the 100-strong crowd, Byrne, who is in Dublin filming upcoming BBC drama ‘Quirke’, spoke at length of the good and the bad that has come with his 30-year career, and told how at times he chose projects for the money rather than the role.

“There have been projects that I’ve done for money and they went on to be commercial successes,” he said, adding: “If you’re not very careful as an actor or director you can be very quickly typecast. Play against who you are. Most people think I’m a very serious guy [which is why I get serious roles] . . . ”

photographer Paul Stuart

This amazing set of portraits was brought to light by Det. Logan and we thank her for her detective work! For more on Paul Stuart, visit his Instagram.

the gathering

People continued to respond to Mr. Byrne’s comments regarding The Gathering. I am working on a transcript of Mr. Byrne’s original remarks regarding The Gathering so we can see exactly what he said…

Irish Central: The West’s Awake: A different Ireland of the Welcomes-The Gathering Ireland 2013, by Cormac MacConnell

Especially in the West from which so many of our  lost generations have had to flee, right up to this very day, because of the failures of successive governments down all  the years. There is a cruel irony here.
Government Minister Michael Ring sharply criticized Byrne’s remarks calling The Gathering a scam. Ring called Byrne “unpatriotic.” I strongly disagree.

Ring, from Mayo, who will never serve as a cultural ambassador himself for sure, is a member of the body politic which has never treated the citizens of the diaspora with any kind of respect or affection. Ireland is almost unique in the developed world in not allowing overseas citizens the right to vote in their beloved homeland, for example. That is a scandal.

The naked message now, as Byrne properly pointed out, is “come home to Ireland, come back for a Gathering and spend, spend, spend.”

the impresshionishtsh

@BigTamConnery, who tweets with a decidedly Scottish accent, wrote this, and I thank him:

Shtella, @Byrneholics kindly shent me to shome webpagesh of whichsh she ish cushtodian, filled with all thingsh Byrne, including her esshay on Miller’sh Crosshing, and with a lot of photograpsh. Then she shent me a wonderful clip of Byrne being interviewed for Inshide The Actorsh’ Shtudio (it ish on YouChshoob and hash Italian shubtitlesh, but you don’t have to read them) – here ish Gabriel Byrne doing a very creditable impresshion of me.

It’sh amongsht the besht I’ve heard (well, he hash the equipment for it, a good ear, a good voishe, the ability to rumble, Celtic rootsh).

Two lovely men–with hats

last but not least, a note about love

Independent.ie [No longer linked because the URL usually does not work]

Gather around. I’ve something to tell you. Gabriel Byrne, former Cultural Ambassador, current truth-sayer on all matters Gathering and perennial heart-throb, is in love. Actually head-over-heels in love.

I knew he had an extra special twinkle in his famous blue eyes when I met him for lunch on Monday in the Shelbourne. And so it proved.

“I’m in a committed relationship. She is lovely, intelligent, beautiful, absolutely beautiful,” he told me.

I’ve seen pictures of her and she is indeed absolutely beautiful. And hey, you read it here first – her name is Hannah Beth King, and she is a film-maker.

We do not speculate about Mr. Byrne’s private life on this website. We have the Forum for that, and even there we have rules! Despite the many broken hearts and dreams of fans everywhere, I am sure everyone wishes these two all the best! heart

Gabriel Byrne and Hannah King attend the BFI London Film Festival Awards Ceremony during the 54th BFI London Film Festival at LSO St Luke's on October 27, 2010 in London, England. BFI 54th London Film Festival Awards Ceremony - Inside Arrivals. Jon Furniss.
Gabriel Byrne and Hannah King attend the BFI London Film Festival Awards Ceremony during the 54th BFI London Film Festival at LSO St Luke’s on October 27, 2010 in London, England.
BFI 54th London Film Festival Awards Ceremony – Inside Arrivals. Jon Furniss.

9 Comments

  1. Kim Serrahn aka Connell

    They gave him a viking weave. Gotta love it.

  2. Thanks for sharing all this information about Gabriel’s work. I am really very impressed by all the different roles he is working on now. I have ordered Secret State on DVD and I a really looking forward to see it.
    And by the way, Gabriel’s impression of Sean Connery is really PERFECT!

    • Hi, Nora! Good to see you! Secret State is going to knock you out–in a good way, of course! And I agree–I think Mr. Byrne is quite a good mimic. Even Big Tam Connery thought “sho.” ;-)

  3. Susan Knudson

    thank you for all the information that you provide about Mr. Byrne. I do wish him well in his new love relationship. Just a commentary, I guess being the distinguished good looking man that he is, he seems to always have relationships with women 25 to 30 years younger than he is. I guess he is just young at heart.

    • Hi, Susan. Thanks for visiting and for your kind words. And I agree–Mr. Byrne is young at heart and he follows where his heart leads him. We wish them both happiness!

  4. See the new video from World Irish that Moondreamer has posted in forum.
    Gabriel Byrne speaks about Ireland and Irish people outside Ireland.

    Here is the video from You Tube.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ej–zxw9hTc

    Thanks for sharing Moondreamer.
    Gabriel really cares about Ireland!

  5. AotearoaTPPinot

    Gabriel’s been “glowing” with her since 2011…. :)…. so he’s “glowing” brighter with her for him to use the terms “commited relationship” but ;) I’m not speculating….there’s pics…. :) Xx

    https://www.google.ie/search?q=gabriel+byrne+hannah+king&hl=en&client=safari&tbo=d&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=hQzcUKCHI8aQiQK9gYG4BA&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAQ&biw=320&bih=356#i=4

    I’d say they go….hmm….maybe even before 2011….she’s been with Gabriel since maybe even 2010….. :)

    http://www3.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Gabriel+Byrne+BFI+London+Film+Festival+Awards

  6. I think it’s great that GB is in a serious relationship. Actually, it would delight me to no end if I heard he was getting married again, too!

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