Colm Feore

Biography

Colm Feore (born August 22, 1958, in Boston) is a Canadian actor, born in the United States, whose career spans classical theatre, Hollywood studio films and television. He is best known in Canada for his stage work and for a handful of landmark roles, and he has also built a steady presence in large international productions.

Feore spent his early years in Ireland, where his parents were from. When he was about three, the family settled in Ottawa and later moved to Windsor, Ontario. He studied at Ridley College in St. Catharines and at the National Theatre School in Montreal. He trained on stage and spent seventeen seasons with the Stratford Festival, moving from small parts to leading roles such as Romeo, Hamlet, Richard III and Cyrano.

His international profile grew through films such as Face/Off (1997) and Paycheck (2003), both directed by John Woo. He also appeared in Chicago (2002), Pearl Harbor (2001) and The Sum of All Fears (2002), and played Laufey, king of the Frost Giants, in Thor (2011). On television he took the role of First Gentleman Henry Taylor in the seventh season of 24 and played Cardinal Giuliano della Rovere in The Borgias. In Canada he is especially remembered for playing Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau in the miniseries Trudeau, a role that earned him a Gemini Award, and for his portrayal of pianist Glenn Gould in Thirty-Two Short Films About Glenn Gould.

His career remains active. Recent work includes The Umbrella Academy and For All Mankind, where he played Wernher von Braun. He was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2013, recognised for his bilingual work in English and French on stage and screen.

Key films

• Face/Off (1997): plays Dr. Malcolm Walsh in John Woo's action thriller.
• Pearl Harbor (2001): plays Admiral Husband E. Kimmel in Michael Bay's war drama.
• Chicago (2002): plays Martin Harrison in Rob Marshall's musical.
• The Sum of All Fears (2002): appears as Olson in the espionage thriller starring Ben Affleck.
• Thor (2011): plays Laufey, king of the Frost Giants, in the Marvel superhero film.