
Gabriel James Byrne (born 12 May 1950) is an Irish actor. He has received a Golden Globe Award and nominations for a Grammy Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards and two Tony Awards. Byrne was awarded the Irish Film and Television Academy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018 and was listed at number 17 on The Irish Times list of Ireland's greatest film actors in 2020. In 2009, The Guardian named him one of the best actors who never received an Academy Award nomination. Byrne's acting career began at the Focus Theatre in Dublin before he joined London's Royal Court Theatre in 1974. His screen debut came in the Irish drama serial The Riordans and the spin-off show Bracken. He went on to star in such films as Defence of the Realm (1986), Lionheart (1987), Miller's Crossing (1990), Little Women (1994), Dead Man (1995), The Usual Suspects (1995), The Man in the Iron Mask (1998), Enemy of the State (1998), Vanity Fair (2004), The 33 (2015), and Hereditary (2018). He co-wrote The Last of the High Kings (1996) and produced In the Name of the Father (1993). For his Broadway work, Byrne has received two nominations for the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his roles in the Eugene O'Neill plays A Moon for the Misbegotten (2000) and Long Day's Journey into Night (2016). For his television work, Byrne has received two nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his role as Paul Weston in the HBO drama series In Treatment (2008–2010). He also received a Golden Globe Award. His other notable television roles include Vikings (2013), Maniac (2018), and War of the Worlds (2019–2022). Description above from the Wikipedia article Gabriel Byrne, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
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Biography from TMDB.
- May 12, 1950 (76)
- Dublin, Ireland
- Actor, also producer and writer
- 84 on MovieCove · 125 credits in all
What are Gabriel Byrne's films like?
Across their 78 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Self.
Genres
Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 3 · Wry 4 · Earnest 66
A split, not a type: Light 15 · Serious 21 · Dark 38
A split, not a type: Grounded 37 · Stylized 24 · Heightened 13
Gentle 11 · Charged 33 · Intense 30
A split, not a type: Steady 35 · Shifting 32 · Whiplash 7
Straight-faced 53 · Some laughs 19 · Funny 2
A split, not a type: Slow burn 37 · Even-paced 31 · Relentless 6
Casual 20 · Engaged 41 · Full focus 13
Easy watch 16 · Affecting 32 · Heavy 26
A split, not a type: Resolved 34 · Open-ended 24 · Ambiguous 16
Roles they play
Usually the Hero: 19 of 62 analyzed roles.
Show the 62 rolesHide the roles
- Heroas Nicholas 'Nick' Mullen in Defense of the Realm (1985)
- Shadowas Byron in Gothic (1986)
- Shapeshifteras Kevin Scanlon in Hello Again (1987)
- Shadowas Black Prince in Lionheart (1987)
- Heraldas Augustine in Siesta (1987)
- Heroas Saul in A Soldier's Tale (1989)
- Heroas Lord Hugo Bruckton in Dark Obsession (1989)
- Shadowas Lt. John Merrick in Shipwrecked (1990)
- Shapeshifteras Lt. John Merrick in Shipwrecked (1990)
- Heroas Tom Reagan in Miller's Crossing (1990)
- Shapeshifteras Tom Reagan in Miller's Crossing (1990)
- Heroas Jack Deebs in Cool World (1992)
- Shadowas Mackey in A Dangerous Woman (1993)
- Mentoras Bob in Point of No Return (1993)
- Shadowas Fenge in Royal Deceit (1994)
- Allyas Daniel Graham in Trial by Jury (1994)
- Mentoras Jack Kelly in Frankie Starlight (1995)
- Allyas Dean Keaton in The Usual Suspects (1995)
- Shadowas Roger Ellis in Somebody Is Waiting (1996)
- Tricksteras Ben London in Mad Dog Time (1996)
- Allyas The Mechanic in Smilla's Sense of Snow (1997)
- Shadowas Ray Bering in The End of Violence (1997)
- Shadowas Rohan in This Is the Sea (1997)
- Heroas Lionel Powers in Weapons of Mass Distraction (1997)
- Allyas Bolek in Polish Wedding (1998)
- Mentoras D'Artagnan in The Man in the Iron Mask (1998)
- Heroas Father Andrew Kiernan in Stigmata (1999)
- Shadowas The Man in End of Days (1999)
- Allyas Murphy in Ghost Ship (2002)
- Shadowas Bill Cleg in Spider (2002)
- Mentoras Jack Marlow in Emmett's Mark (2002)
- Mentoras Ford Lofton in Virginia's Run (2002)
- Threshold guardianas Ford Lofton in Virginia's Run (2002)
- Mentoras Miller in Shade (2003)
- Shapeshifteras Miller in Shade (2003)
- Heroas Brother Juniper in The Bridge of San Luis Rey (2004)
- Shadowas Peter Harrington in P.S. (2004)
- Shadowas George in Vanity Fair (2004)
- Shadowas Harry Compton in Wah-Wah (2005)
- Shadowas Capt. Marcus Duvall in Assault on Precinct 13 (2005)
- Shapeshifteras Stewart Kane in Jindabyne (2006)
- Shapeshifteras Christopher Lewis in Emotional Arithmetic (2007)
- Heroas Dr. Paul Weston in In Treatment (2008)
- Threshold guardianas Perrier in Perrier's Bounty (2009)
- Heroas D.C.I. Bernie Reid in I, Anna (2012)
- Heroas Tom Dawkins in Secret State (2012)
- Shadowas Dittmar Rigule in Capital (2012)
- Heroas Quirke in Quirke (2013)
- Heroas Joseph Corso in All Things to All Men (2013)
- Allyas Doug in Just a Sigh (2013)
- Shadowas Victor Dashkov in Vampire Academy (2014)
- Heroas Gene in Louder Than Bombs (2015)
- Heroas Donald in Lies We Tell (2017)
- Heroas Ted Gold in An L.A. Minute (2018)
- Heroas Bill Ward in War of the Worlds (2019)
- Threshold guardianas Richard Dormer in Lost Girls (2020)
- Heroas Samuel O'Shea in Death of a Ladies' Man (2020)
- Mentoras Sheriff Jim Ambrose in Murder at Yellowstone City (2022)
- Allyas The Horse in The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse (2022)
- Shadowas Enzo Ferrari in Lamborghini: The Legend (2022)
- Heroas Samuel Beckett (old) in Dance First (2023)
- Shadowas The Chancellor in Ballerina (2025)
Moods and endings
- Happy9
- Bittersweet33
- Tragic7
- Ambiguous29
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Gabriel Byrne's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 55 of their 84 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (31).
- Dead Man (1995) · actor · free
- Hereditary (2018) · actor, producer · free
- Dreaming the Quiet Man (2010) · actor · free
- Secret State (2012) · actor · free
- Louder Than Bombs (2015) · actor · free
- Defense of the Realm (1985) · actor · free
- Wah-Wah (2005) · actor · free
- Virginia's Run (2002) · actor · free
- Capital (2012) · actor · free
- Perrier's Bounty (2009) · actor · free
- This Is the Sea (1997) · actor · free
- Mad to Be Normal (2017) · actor · free
- All their movies on Tubi
- Flight from Death: The Quest for Immortality (2003) · actor
- Hereditary (2018) · actor, producer
- Enemy of the State (1998) · actor
- Secret State (2012) · actor
- Carrie Pilby (2016) · actor
- Virginia's Run (2002) · actor
- Shade (2003) · actor
- Mad to Be Normal (2017) · actor
- Four Letters of Love (2024) · actor
- P.S. (2004) · actor
- Royal Deceit (1994) · actor
- Lies We Tell (2017) · actor
- Dead Man (1995) · actor · free
- Hereditary (2018) · actor, producer · free
- Perrier's Bounty (2009) · actor · free
- Shade (2003) · actor · free
- Mad to Be Normal (2017) · actor · free
- Four Letters of Love (2024) · actor · free
- Gothic (1986) · actor · free
- Vampire Academy (2014) · actor · free
- The Keep (1983) · actor · free
- The Bridge of San Luis Rey (2004) · actor · free
- Cool World (1992) · actor · free
- Hereditary (2018) · actor, producer · free
- Secret State (2012) · actor · free
- Louder Than Bombs (2015) · actor · free
- Perrier's Bounty (2009) · actor · free
- Shade (2003) · actor · free
- Mad to Be Normal (2017) · actor · free
- P.S. (2004) · actor · free
- Emotional Arithmetic (2007) · actor · free
- Royal Deceit (1994) · actor · free
- Trial by Jury (1994) · actor · free
- The Bridge of San Luis Rey (2004) · actor · free
- BritBox
- Lionsgate+, show their 2 titles on Lionsgate+
- Shout! TV, show their 2 titles on Shout! TV
- Acorn TV, show their title on Acorn TV
- BFI Player, show their title on BFI Player
- Cinemax, show their title on Cinemax
- Cohen Media Channel, show their title on Cohen Media Channel
- France Channel, show their title on France Channel
- Great American Pure Flix, show their title on Great American Pure Flix
- Howdy, show their title on Howdy
- Midnight Pulp, show their title on Midnight Pulp
- MovieSphere+, show their title on MovieSphere+
- ViX, show their title on ViX
Subscription and free streaming for Gabriel Byrne's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
125 credits, 84 with a MovieCove page; 23 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

Ballerina(2025)
Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films
Four Letters of Love(2024)
Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films
Dance First(2023)
Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
Lamborghini: The Legend(2022)
Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films
Death of a Ladies' Man(2020)
Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films
ZeroZeroZero (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

Lost Girls(2020)
Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films
War of the Worlds(2019)
Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all shows
Land Without God (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

Maniac(2018)
Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all shows
An L.A. Minute(2018)
Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films
Hereditary(2018)
Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films
My Astonishing Self: Gabriel Byrne on George Bernard Shaw (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

In the Cloud (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

Lies We Tell(2017)
Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all films
Atlantic Salmon: Lost at Sea (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

Mad to Be Normal(2017)
Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films
Carrie Pilby(2016)
Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films
No Pay, Nudity(2016)
Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films
Endless Night(2015)
Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films
Louder Than Bombs(2015)
Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
The 33(2015)
Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films
Vikings: Athelstan's Journal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

Quirke(2013)
Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all shows
Vampire Academy(2014)
Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films
Just a Sigh(2013)
Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films
All Things to All Men(2013)
Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all films
Vikings(2013)
Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows
Capital(2012)
Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films
Secret State(2012)
Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all shows
Dreaming the Quiet Man(2010)
Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films
Tent City, U.S.A (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

I, Anna(2012)
Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films
The Women of SNL (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

Perrier's Bounty(2009)
Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films
Leningrad(2009)
Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films
2:22(2008)
Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all filmsGabriel Byrne: Stories from Home (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

Camelot: Live from Lincoln Center (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

Emotional Arithmetic(2007)
Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films
In Treatment(2008)
Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all showsAttack on Leningrad (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

Leningrad (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

Jindabyne(2006)
Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films
Played(2006)
Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all films
Wah-Wah(2005)
Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films
Assault on Precinct 13(2005)
Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films
P.S.(2004)
Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films
Vanity Fair(2004)
Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films
Patrick (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

Shade(2003)
Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films
Spider(2002)
Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films
Ghost Ship(2002)
Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films
Horses: The Story of Equus (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

Emmett's Mark(2002)
Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films
Virginia's Run(2002)
Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films
When Brendan Met Trudy(2000)
Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films
Madigan Men (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

Mad About Mambo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

Making Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

End of Days(1999)
Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films
Saturday Night Live: 25th Anniversary Special (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

Stigmata(1999)
Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films
Enemy of the State(1998)
Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films
Quest for Camelot(1998)
Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films
Pirates (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

The Man in the Iron Mask(1998)
Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films
Polish Wedding(1998)
Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films
This Is the Sea(1997)
Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films
The End of Violence(1997)
Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films
Smilla's Sense of Snow(1997)
Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films
Somebody Is Waiting(1996)
Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films
The Brylcreem Boys (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

Mad Dog Time(1996)
Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all filmsDraíocht (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

Dead Man(1995)
Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films
Irish Cinema: Ourselves Alone? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

Frankie Starlight(1995)
Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films
The Usual Suspects(1995)
Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
Out of Ireland (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

Buffalo Girls (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

Little Women(1994)
Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films
Trial by Jury(1994)
Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films
A Simple Twist of Fate(1994)
Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films
All Things Bright and Beautiful (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

Royal Deceit(1994)
Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
A Dangerous Woman(1993)
Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films
Point of No Return(1993)
Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films
Into the West(1992)
Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films
Cool World(1992)
Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films
Shipwrecked(1990)
Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films
Miller's Crossing(1990)
Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films
Dark Obsession(1989)
Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all films
A Soldier's Tale(1989)
Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films
The Courier (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

Julia and Julia (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

Siesta(1987)
Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films
Hello Again(1987)
Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films
Lionheart(1987)
Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films
Gothic(1986)
Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films
Defense of the Realm(1985)
Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films
Mussolini: The Untold Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

Christopher Columbus (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)
Reflections (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)
The Treatment (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

The Keep(1983)
Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films
Hanna K. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)
Joyce in June (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

The Rocking Horse Winner (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

The Search for Alexander the Great (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

Excalibur(1981)
Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all filmsBracken (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

The Outsider(1979)
Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films
On a Paving Stone Mounted (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

The Last of Summer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

Strangers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

Live from Lincoln Center (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)
Sauver Mozart (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Career shape
Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 125 titles, 124 of them dated from 1976 to 2025; peak year 1994.

Biggest box office
Enemy of the State (1998)

Highest rated
The Usual Suspects (1995)

Most popular right now
In Treatment (2008)
Film career
Peak 1994 · back in prominent film roles after a quiet stretch. Top draw in 42 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.
- 1981Screen debut· Excalibur
- 1986First top-billed film· Defence of the Realm
- 1990Breakout· Miller's Crossing
- 1990Career best· Miller's Crossing
- 2008Golden Globe win· In Treatment
- 2019Career best· War of the Worlds
Billing
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.
Awards
a Golden Globe from 4 major nominations, 1998–2009.
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
- Golden Globe, won · Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
- Grammy Award, nominated · Best Spoken Word Album for Children
Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.
How do Gabriel Byrne's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 46th percentile, the median of all 78; across their 74 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 45th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up17
- 50th to 74th20
- 25th to 49th36
- Below 25th11
Shape of the crowd
37 of their 84 titles are Mixed.
- Universally Loved10
- Universally Panned1
- Divisive1
- Crowd Pleaser26
- Broadly Agreed9
- Mixed37
Reviewers score the acting 69/100 in their films, across 68 reviewed titles; fans 79, detractors 45. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Is Gabriel Byrne's work okay for kids?
Across up to 30 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, sex & nudity, profanity and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.
Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.
Who does Gabriel Byrne work with?
People who share at least 2 of Gabriel Byrne's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Amy Ryan shares the most, 3.
Directors
- Mary McGuckianShared titles: The Bridge of San Luis Rey (2004), This Is the Sea (1997)See all 2 shared titles with Mary McGuckian
Writers
- David KeatingShared titles: The Last of the High Kings (1996), Into the West (1992)See all 2 shared titles with David Keating

Actors
- Amy RyanShared titles: Lost Girls (2020), Louder Than Bombs (2015), In Treatment (2008)See all 3 shared titles with Amy Ryan

- Harvey KeitelShared titles: Lies We Tell (2017), The Bridge of San Luis Rey (2004), Point of No Return (1993)See all 3 shared titles with Harvey Keitel

- Julian SandsShared titles: All Things to All Men (2013), Siesta (1987), Gothic (1986)See all 3 shared titles with Julian Sands

- Jim BroadbentShared titles: Perrier's Bounty (2009), Vanity Fair (2004), Smilla's Sense of Snow (1997)See all 3 shared titles with Jim Broadbent

Composers and editors
- Chris GillShared titles: Four Letters of Love (2024), Lies We Tell (2017), Vampire Academy (2014)See all 3 shared titles with Chris Gill
- Patrick DoyleShared titles: Wah-Wah (2005), Into the West (1992), Shipwrecked (1990)See all 3 shared titles with Patrick Doyle

- Hans ZimmerShared titles: Smilla's Sense of Snow (1997), Point of No Return (1993), Dark Obsession (1989)See all 3 shared titles with Hans Zimmer

- Anne NikitinShared titles: Four Letters of Love (2024), Lost Girls (2020)See all 2 shared titles with Anne Nikitin
Producers
- Bob WeinsteinShared titles: Vampire Academy (2014), The Last of the High Kings (1996), Into the West (1992)See all 3 shared titles with Bob Weinstein

- Harvey WeinsteinShared titles: Vampire Academy (2014), The Last of the High Kings (1996), Into the West (1992)See all 3 shared titles with Harvey Weinstein

- Fabien WesterhoffShared titles: Four Letters of Love (2024), Dance First (2023)See all 2 shared titles with Fabien Westerhoff

- Martina NilandShared titles: Four Letters of Love (2024), Death of a Ladies' Man (2020)See all 2 shared titles with Martina Niland

Mixed roles
- F. Paul WilsonShared titles: A World War II Fairytale: The Making of Michael Mann's 'The Keep' (2025), The Keep (1983)See all 2 shared titles with F. Paul Wilson

- Jim SheridanShared titles: Dreaming the Quiet Man (2010), Into the West (1992)See all 2 shared titles with Jim Sheridan





