Aidan Quinn Biography

(Actor)

Birthday: March 8, 1959 (Pisces)

Born In: Chicago, Illinois, United States

Hailing from a middle class family, Aidan Quinn went on to become a Hollywood actor. With his natural flair for acting, the charismatic actor has established himself in the industry by catering to a variety of roles. Apart from portraying the good guy in movies like ‘Avalon’ or ‘Desperately Seeking Susan’, he also impersonated a most wanted fugitive in his movie the ‘Assignment’. Having co-starred with some of the big names of the movie industry like Brad Pitt, Liam Neeson, Johny Depp and Pierce Brosnan in movies like ‘Legend of the Fall’, ‘Michael Collins’ and ‘Evelyn’, the actor likes to remain inconspicuous. The intelligent and sensitive characters he portrays have become his forte. The actor initially worked as a roofer, before discovering his passion for acting. Trying out his luck in theatres at Dublin, he moved out to Chicago when he realised work was hard to come by in the city. He started taking lessons in acting at the ‘Piven Theatre Workshop’. His portrayals of a gay lawyer in the NBC Drama ‘An Early Frost’ and a man on a death row in ‘The Exoneration’ are a few examples of the actor’s versatility. Though mostly seen in supporting roles, this actor has a slew of works to his credit. With an acting career spanning almost 30 years, his net worth is apparently estimated at $9 million. Aidan is also associated with a charity ‘Age UK’, which is involved with helping the elderly throughout the United Kingdom
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Quick Facts

Age: 65 Years, 65 Year Old Males

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Elizabeth Bracco

father: Michael Quinn

mother: Teresa Quinn

siblings: Declan Quinn, Marian Quinn, Paul Quinn, Robert Quinn

children: Ava Eileen Quinn, Mia Quinn

Actors American Men

Height: 6'0" (183 cm), 6'0" Males

City: Chicago, Illinois

Ancestry: Irish American

U.S. State: Illinois

  • 1

    Is Aidan Quinn Irish?

    Yes, Aidan Quinn is of Irish descent. He was born in Chicago, Illinois, but his parents are Irish immigrants.
  • 2

    What are some popular movies starring Aidan Quinn?

    Some popular movies starring Aidan Quinn include "Legends of the Fall," "Benny & Joon," "Michael Collins," "Practical Magic," and "Unknown."
  • 3

    Did Aidan Quinn ever win an Academy Award?

    No, Aidan Quinn has not won an Academy Award. He has received critical acclaim for his performances but has not won an Oscar.
  • 4

    Has Aidan Quinn ever appeared on television shows?

    Yes, Aidan Quinn has appeared in various television shows, including "Elementary," "Homeland," and "The Book of Daniel."
  • 5

    Does Aidan Quinn have any upcoming projects?

    As of the latest information available, Aidan Quinn does not have any upcoming projects announced.
Childhood & Early Life
Aidan was one of the five children born to the Irish couple Teresa and Michael Quinn on March 8, 1959, in the US state of Illinois, a place where the couple had migrated. While Teresa worked as a bookkeeper with a travel agency, father Michael taught English literature.
As children Aidan and his four siblings quite frequently shuttled between Illinois, Chicago and their parent’s native homes in Dublin and County Offaly.
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Career
Though the family moved to Birr when Aidan was only 13 years old, he moved back to Dublin. He was working as a roofer in the city during his late teens when he realised his passion for acting.
He shifted base from Dublin to Chicago in 1978, and started training at the ‘Piven Theatre Workshop’. Enacting in the play ‘The Man in 605’ marked his stage debut.
'Scheherazade' and 'The Irish Hebrew Lesson' are some of his other stage performances, before Quinn made his New York debut with the off-Broadway production ‘Fool for Love’, directed by American playwright Sam Shepard in 1983.
The movie ‘Reckless’, which released in the year 1984, saw the launch of Aidan Quinn as an actor. He played the role of an angry young man in this love story.
Though his role in ‘Reckless’ went unnoticed, his next movie ‘Desperately Seeking Susan’ which came out in the year 1985, brought him recognition. He shared the screen space with renowned actresses Rosanna Arquette and Madonna in this comedy drama. He also was seen in the acclaimed television film ‘An Early Frost’ the same year.
Following his role in Sam Shepard’s play ‘A Lie of the Mind’, Aidan was cast in the lead role by playwright Robert Falls for ‘Modern-day Hamlet’ in 1985. The play was performed at the Wisdom Bridge Theatre, Chicago.
In 1986, Aidan was seen in the movie ‘The Mission’, where he enacted the role of Robert Di Niro’s brother. Di Noro’s character kills Aidan in the movie after he finds him cheating.
The 1987 crime comedy ‘Stakeout’ saw Aidan playing the role of an escaped prison convict. He starred opposite actors Richard Dreyfuss and Emilio Estevez in the movie.
After portraying supporting roles in various movies, he was cast in the lead role in the 1988 flick ‘Crusoe’. Aiden’s character finds himself stranded in an island after surviving a ship-wreck, and the story is a narration of how he manages to survive till help arrives.
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In the Barry Levinson directed 1990’s movie ‘Avalon’, this actor portrayed the role of a son divided between his orthodox mother and a modern wife. The Jewish family immigrates to the US around the beginning of the 20th century, and the story revolves around how the family evolves stronger in the face of many adversities.
This renowned actor played the role of a flirtatious musician in the 1992 movie ‘The Playboys’, which garnered acclaim from the critics as well as the audiences.
In the 1993 Johnny Depp starrer ‘Benny and Joon’, Aidan played the character of Benny who takes care of his mentally unstable sister after the death of their parents.
The 1994 movie ‘Legends of the Fall’ saw Aidan portraying the character of a Native American. The eldest of the three brothers, Aidan’s character is the responsible one who tries to prevent a feud from rising among the brothers.
He plays the character of an Irish Republican leader Harry Boland in the biopic ‘Michael Collins’ directed by Neil Jordan in 1996.
In the 1997 spy-thriller ‘The Assignment’, Aidan plays a double role. One of the characters portrayed by him is a terrorist, and the other is a CIA Agent. The plot revolves around CIA’s plan to capture the terrorist with the help of the CIA Agent.
’This Is My Father’ is a harrowing tale of two lovers, who got separated owing to a fateful turn of events, written and directed by Paul Quinn and photographed by Declan Quinn. The movie also features Aidan in the role of an Irish farmer, who is in love with a pretty seventeen year old girl hailing from a middle class family. He is also the executive producer of this film which was released in 1998.
In the 1999 thriller ‘In Dreams’, Aidan plays the character of the husband of the female protagonist. In the same year, he was also seen in the Wes Craven's movie ‘Music of the Heart’as Meryl Streep's friend.
In 2000 he featured in the rural drama ‘Song catcher’ wherein he enacted the role of a mountaineer teaching folk music. He was also cast in the role of legendary English singer-composer Paul McCartney in the television drama ‘Two of Us’ in the same year.
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Quinn portrayed the character of Kerry Max Cook in the 2005 film ‘The exonerated’. The movie narrates the true story of people who are freed after being sentenced to the death row.
‘The Book of Daniel’, the NBC drama revolving around Christians and the Christian faith, aired in the year 2006, featured Aidan as the main lead. The show was dropped after being aired for three weeks, amidst much controversy among the Christian community.
Aidan appeared in a cameo role in the William Rainsferd movie ‘Sarah’s Key’ in 2010. The movie was set against the backdrop of World War II.
The actor also played a negative role in the movie ‘Unknown’ in the year 2011. He enacted the role of an assassin who plots to kill a scientist in this flick.This acclaimed artist was seen in the 2013 movie ‘Stay’, alongside Taylor Schilling. The movie was adapted from an Aislinn Hunter novel of the same name.
The actor appeared as Captain Thomas Gregson in the Television Drama Series ‘Elementary’. Broadcasted under the CBS television network in 2014, the series is a modern take on Conan Doyle’s ‘Sherlock Holmes’.
’The Gettysburg Address’ is a documentary being written and produced by Sean Conant, expected to come out in 2015. Aidan voices the character of ‘Theodore Parker’ in this documentary.
Major Works
Aidan portrayed the character of a homo-sexual lawyer afflicted with HIV in the 1985 NBC Drama ‘An Early Frost’, the first major Television film which directly addressed the sensitive subject of AIDS. His role was highly appreciated earned him a nomination for the ‘Emmy’ Awards.
Awards & Achievements:
His performance as a gay lawyer who has been diagnosed with HIV in the Television drama earned him a nomination with the Emmy Awards.
His second nomination came for his performance in the television movie ‘Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee’ which was an adaptation of Dee Brown’s book of the same name. He portrayed the character of US Senator Henry L. Dawes in the feature film.
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Personal Life & Legacy:
The actor has been in a steady relation with actress Elizabeth Bracco and the couple have been married since 1st September, 1987.
They have two daughters Ava and Mia. Ava, their elder daughter is an autistic child. Mia made an appearance in the 2009 movie ‘The Eclipse’ in which she was a ghost.
Quinn’s elder brother Declan (cinematographer) and his younger siblings Marian (actress) and Paul (writer/director) too are a part of the film fraternity. His other sibling James works as a landscaper in L.A.
Trivia:
The actor was to feature in Martin Scorsese’s ‘The Last Temptation of Christ’ but was replaced by William Defoe before shooting for the movie commenced
Facts About Aidan Quinn
Aidan Quinn is a talented musician who plays the guitar and harmonica.
He is an avid cyclist and enjoys exploring new places on two wheels.
Aidan Quinn is a dedicated environmentalist and actively supports various conservation efforts.
He is a skilled carpenter and enjoys working on DIY projects in his spare time.
Aidan Quinn is a passionate advocate for mental health awareness and has spoken openly about his own struggles with anxiety.

Aidan Quinn Movies

1. Legends of the Fall (1994)

  (Drama, Romance, Western, War)

2. Flipped (2010)

  (Comedy, Romance, Drama)

3. Song for a Raggy Boy (2003)

  (History, Drama)

4. Songcatcher (2000)

  (Drama, Music)

5. The Mission (1986)

  (Drama, History, Adventure)

6. Sarah's Key (2010)

  (War, Drama)

7. A Shine of Rainbows (2009)

  (Family, Drama)

8. Looking for Richard (1996)

  (Drama, Documentary)

9. Avalon (1990)

  (Drama)

10. Benny & Joon (1993)

  (Romance, Drama, Comedy)

See the events in life of Aidan Quinn in Chronological Order

How To Cite

Article Title
- Aidan Quinn Biography
Author
- Editors, TheFamousPeople.com
Website
- TheFamousPeople.com
URL
https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/aidan-quinn-4467.php

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