Tall, dark-haired, dashing Irish lead who, after a career as a teacher of juvenile delinquents and children with learning disabilities, turned to full-time acting in 1980. Bergin came to prominence as 19th-century explorer Sir Richard Burton in Bob Rafelson's "Mountains of the Moon" (1990) and as Julia Roberts' compulsively tidy, psychopathic husband in "Sleeping With the Enemy" (1991). He portrayed a similarly seductive psycho--a con artist who seduces women by pretending to be a famous photographer--in Lizzie Borden's 1992 thriller "Love Crimes". Bergin's classic good looks made him a natural to play the title character in the TV movie "Robin Hood" (1991).
- Also Credited As:
Patrick Connolly James Bergin
- Born:
February 4, 1951 in Dublin, Ireland
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Job Titles:
Actor, Director, Playwright, Producer, Theater group director, Laborer, Library assistant, Postman, Special education teacher
Family
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Brother: Emmet Bergin. older
Milestones
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1980 Decided to act full time; small roles in repertory theater and on English TV ( The Real Charlotte for Masterpiece Theater and TV series Boon and Hard Cases )
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1988 Made his feature-film debut in The Courier
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1988 Won acclaim for his role as an IRA informer in the TV movie Act of Betrayal
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1990 Cast as Sir Richard Burton in the epic Mountains of the Moon directed by Bob Rafelson
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1991 Played the abusive husband opposite Julia Roberts in Sleeping with the Enemy
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1992 Cast as an IRA assassin opposite Harrison Ford in Patriot Games based on the Tom Clancy novel
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1992 Cast opposite Sean Young in the thriller Love Crimes
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1993 Starred in the adaptation of Mary Shelley s iconographic monster tale Frankenstein
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1997 Cast as Inspector Hansen in the TV movie The Ripper about the search for Jack the Ripper in London of 1888
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2000 Cast as a police investigator in When the Sky Falls based on the true-life story of Irish investigative reporter Veronica Guerin
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2004 Cast as the widowed father opposite Anne Hathaway in Ella Enchanted
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2005 Co-starred in the musical comedy The Boys and Girl From County Clare
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2006 Played the role of psychotic IRA gunman in Johnny Was
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At age five changed name to Ben McGuire for five years
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Began Mum s Underground theater group
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Dabbled in theater during high school
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Moved to London to become a teacher at age 17
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Pioneered new teaching program involving puppets and video
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Taught juvenile delinquents and children with learning disabilities for five years
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Worked as postman, laborer, library assistant during college