Colm
Meaney reprises his role from Star Trek: The Next Generation as Miles O'Brien,
now Chief Operations
Officer
on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. "This position serves as a promotion for
Miles, and despite the
precarious
condition of the space station, he is excited and challenged. Although
his work may be
overwhelming
at times, Miles is happy to be there," says Meaney.
Born
and raised in Dublin, Ireland, Meaney began studying acting at the age
of 14. After high school, Meaney
entered
the Abby Theater School of Acting, part of the Irish National Theater,
and later joined the company as
a
professional actor. He spent eight years in England, touring with several
theater companies. It was then that
Meaney
made his first television appearances in the BBC production of "Z Cars"
and the independent British
production
of "Strangers," before moving to New York.
Meaney
recently appeared in the summer blockbuster "Con Air" with Nicholas Cage
and John Cusack.
Additionally,
he starred in the feature film "The Van" which premiered at the Cannes
Film Festival '96 and was
released
this summer. During the breaks from the fifth season of Deep Space Nine,
Meaney starred in a
number
of independent feature films including "OWD BOB" with James Cromwell, Ted
Demme's "Noose"
with
Denis Leary, "This is My Father" with Aidan Quinn and James Caan and an
untitled Lodge Kerrigan film
which
co-stars Katrin Cartridge and Vincent D'Onofrio.
As
his feature film career continues to flourish, Meaney manages to maintain
a successful balance with his
hectic
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine production schedule. He appeared with Anthony
Hopkins as Badger in the
Columbia
Pictures release, "The Road To Wellville" and as Morgan the Goat in the
Miramax feature film "The
Englishman
That Went Up A Hill And Came Down A Mountain" starring Hugh Grant. He had
also starred in
such
feature films as "The Dead," "The Commitments," "Dick Tracy," "Die Hard
II," "Under Siege" with
Steven
Segal, and "Far and Away" with Tom Cruise. Meaney's critically acclaimed
performance in the 1994
Miramax
Film "The Snapper," earned him Golden Globe nomination for "Best Actor."
He has appeared in the
box
office hit feature films "The Last of the Mohicans," and "Con air."
He
also appeared in shows as Remington Steele, Moonlighting, and Tales From
The Darkside.