Donal McCann

Donal McCann was born on 7 May 1943 in Dublin, Ireland. His father was John J. McCann, a playwright and politician who served twice as Dublin's Lord Mayor. He initially studied architecture and got his first job as a copy boy for The Irish Press. He joined the Abbey Players in the late 1960s and became one of the most acclaimed Irish actors of his generation. He was known for his roles in the works of Brian Friel, such as Faith Healer, Translations, and Wonderful Tennessee, as well as his lead role in John Huston's last film, The Dead. He also appeared in many other plays and films, such as Waiting for Godot, Miss Julie, Out of Africa, High Spirits, and Stealing Beauty. He won the London Critics Circle Theatre Award as best actor for his role as Thomas Dunne in Sebastian Barry's The Steward of Christendom in 1995. He was married to Eileen Folan, a teacher, and they had four children. He died of pancreatic cancer on 17 July 1999 in Dublin, Ireland, at the age of 56. He was buried at Deansgrange Cemetery in Dublin. He was regarded as one of Ireland's greatest film actors by The Irish Times in 2020.