Allen Leech

Infobox actor
name=Allen Leech
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caption= Leech in Man About Dog
birthname=Allen Leech
birthdate=birth date and age |1981|05|18
birthplace=Ireland
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occupation=Actor
yearsactive=1989 – present
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partner =Actress, Ruth Bradley
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awards=’’’Nominated for Best New Talent’’’
2004 ’’Cowboys and Angels’’
awards=Nominated for Best Actor in Television
2005 "Love Is the Drug"
awards=Nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in Television
2007 "Legend"

Allen Leech (born May 18, 1981 in Ireland) is an Irish stage, television and film actor, best known for his role as Marcus Agrippa in the HBO television series "Rome" (2007) (TV series). [ [http://www.hbo.com/rome/cast/character/season2/marcus_agrippa.html] HBO Rome Official Site]

Biography

Allen Leech, from a small town in Ireland, attended St. Michaels College, Ballsbridge and graduated in 1999. He then studied Drama and Theatre Studies at Trinity College, Dublin. While a first-year Trinity student he secured a plum role in Foresight's powerful production of Conor McPherson's "This Lime Tree Bower". This student production propelled him out into professional theatre and helped get him his first agent. He appeared as Willi in the "Queen and Peacock", at the Garter Lane Arts Centre. The following years, Leech was in Tom Murphy's "The Morning After Optimism" and then Hugh Leonard's "Da" at the Abbey. Since then, Leech has moved with ease from plays to films.

Allen’s breakthrough film performance was in " Cowboys and Angels" [Robert Koehler: “Cowboys & Angels,” [Variety.com] , [Jul. 13, 2004] ] in which he played Vincent, a gay fashion student followed by the 2004 cross country caper film "Man About Dog" [Rich Cline: “Man About Dog.” ShadowsOnTheWall.co.UK, [Oct. 19, 2004] ] [Jamie Russell: “Man About Dog (2004),” [BBC.co.UK] , [Nov. 14, 2004] ] in which Leech plays Mo-Chara, one of three Belfast scallies who get in way above their heads.

Allen Leech was voted sexiest Irish male in 2005 in "U" Magazine, beating Colin Farrell and Jonathan Rhys Meyers. It was voted for by the female readers of Ireland's leading women's magazine.

Leech didn't rest on his laurels and followed film success with the role of Shane Kirwan in the Ireland's RTÉ series "Love is the Drug", in which he received a Best Actor nomination from the Irish Film and Television Awards. He followed that up with the role of Willy in the television series "Legend" which is the story of three very different Irish families, each one struggling to find their place amid the harsh realities of modern Ireland. He received a Best Supporting Actor nomination from Irish Film and Television Awards for his performance.

In 2007 Allen appeared in the HBO drama series "Rome" as Marcus Agrippa, Octavian's top soldier and friend. [ [http://www.hbo.com/rome/cast/character/season2/marcus_agrippa.html] HBO Rome Official Site] And he is working on an award winning Irish short movie "Deep Breaths", a dark, psychological thriller directed by P. J. Dillon. [IrishFilmBoard: ‘New Irish shorts showcase a host of emerging Irish directors, writers and stars at the Galway Film Fleadh,” IrishFilmBoard.ie, [Jul. 3, 2007] ]

Early life and education

Leech graduated from St. Michaels College, Ballsbridge and received a Bachelor of Arts and Masters Degrees in Drama and Theatre Studies at the University of Dublin, Trinity College.

Early career

The first time Leech set foot on a professional stage was at the Gate, in their production of "A Streetcar Named Desire" [Matt Wolf: “A Streetcar Named Desire,” [Variety.com] , [May 18, 1998] ] . "I was the gentleman caller to Frances McDormand's Blanche Dubois. The Coen brothers were walking backstage, and me a naive 16-year-old."

Critical success

Allen has been nominated for three IFTA Awards. In 2004, he was nominated for the IFTA Award for Best New Talent for "Cowboys and Angels" (2003). In 2005, he was nominated for the IFTA Award for Best Actor in Television for "Love Is the Drug" (2004). And, in 2007, he was nominated for the IFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in Television for "Legend" (2006). [The Samuel Beckett Centre, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland, The University of Dublin, TCE.ie, 2006]

Film

[ [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1395602/] ImDb]

Awards

[ [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1395602/] ImDb]

References

External links

* [http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/allen_leech/| Allen Leech Yahoo Group]
* [http://groups.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=groups.groupProfile&groupID=105877353&Mytoken=A0B16446-DB4D-45C1-8E7463D076DBC29A12077826| Allen Leech My Space Fan Club]
* [http://www.finchandpartners.com/| Finch and Partners – Agent]
* [http://www.rte.ie/tv/legend/index.html| RTÉ Legend Official Site]
* [http://www.hbo.com/rome/cast/character/season2/marcus_agrippa.html| HBO Rome Official Site]
* [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1395602/] ImDb

Persondata
NAME= Leech, Allen
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION= Irish actor
DATE OF BIRTH=18 May 1981
PLACE OF BIRTH=Ireland
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=