Denis Leary

Born: August 18 1957

Where: Worcester, Massachusetts, USA

Leary has made a name for himself as a writer, director, producer and actor after a successful career as a stand-up.

Film credits include The Thomas Crown Affair, True Crime, Monument Ave, Company Man and Wag The Dog.

He had been known primarily for the comedy act No Cure for Cancer, which she wrote during an extended stay thanks to the birth of his first child in London.

At Edinburgh, where Leary shared a flat with the comedian Frank Skinner, the show won the Critic's Award and the BBC Festival Recommendation.

The next year, the show was moved to America, where it was broadcast and spawned a book and CD... and also started Leary's movie career.

MTV promos, a bit of writing and some bit parts in feature films (Demolition Man), eventually led to his first lead. Judgement Night in 1993 was followed closely by The Ref.

Now an established Hollywood figure, Leary formed Apostle Pictures in 1995, and starting writing screenplays and directing in earnest.

Wag The Dog, The Thomas Crown Affair and Small Soldiers were also successes, and his voice part in A Bug's Life led to his casting in the award winning animation Ice Age.

Leary has also served as a producer on Blow, with Johnny Depp and co-starred in the Vietnam War drama We Were Soldiers.

Recent work includes Double Whammy with Elizabeth Hurley and Steve Buscemi.