American actor, comedian, writer, director and film producer, born August 18, 1957 in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA.
Originally had a role in Beautiful Girls , directed by good friend Ted Demme , but had to pull out due to schedule conflicts.
Graduated from Emerson College
A distant cousin of Conan OBrien and his sister Jane OBrien.
Is the second of four children.
Loves sports and originally wanted to be an NHL star. That all changed when he got kicked off his high school hockey team because of poor grades.
Founded the Leary Firefighters Foundation (LFF) charity in response to the Dec. 3, 1999, warehouse fire that killed six firefighters in his hometown of Worcester, Massachusetts. His cousin Jeremiah Lucey was among the six heroic firefighters killed. Leary also established LFF projects for New Yorks Bravest in response to the FDNYs losses in the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and in New Orleans to help restore firefighting capabilities destroyed in Hurricane Katrina, 2005.
He starred in three films directed by Ted Demme : Whos the Man? , The Ref , and Snitch . Demme also directed both his concert specials. Leary and Demme co-produced Blow , and both men were involved in SUBWAYStories: Tales from the Underground .
His song "Asshole" portrays a stereotype of American humor and lifestyles.
He is one of the six godparents (all males) of Damian Charles Bing, son of Elizabeth Hurley , and attended the childs baptism at Immaculate Conception church in Mayfair, London.
His role on "Rescue Me" marks his first Golden Globe nomination.
Irish-American.
Father of Jack Leary.
His interest in the perils of firemen and his co-creation of the series "Rescue Me" stemmed from a tragic 1999 warehouse fire in his hometown of Worcester, Massachusetts, that took the lives of six firemen, including his cousin and a childhood friend.
Established the Leary Firefighters Foundation. When 9/11 happened, his foundation went into action and was hailed as "the second-quickest charity" to get money into the hands of grieving families. One auction alone raised $600,000.
Denis got behind the wheel of a fire engine during September 11, 2001, when the New York Fire Department was short-handed responding to the collapse of the World Trade center.
Is a big Boston Red Sox fan.
Joe Rogan has claimed that Learys "angry comedian" act, first used in his stage show "No Cure for Cancer" (later a Showtime special, Denis Leary: No Cure for Cancer ) was based on the comedy act of Bill Hicks. Leary skewered the charge .
Was offered Mark Wahlberg s role in The Departed , but turned it down to scheduling conflicts with his television series, "Rescue Me" . Leary has since commended Wahlbergs performance in the film with admiration.
Good friend of Mario Cantone and Gina Gershon at Emerson College.
Learys "Rescue Me" character, Tommy Gavin, was probably named for his childhood friend Tommy Spencer, a firefighter who was killed in the December 1999 warehouse fire that inspired Leary to establish the Leary Firefighters Foundation in 2000.
Has dual U.S and Irish Citizenship.
Lives in New York City.
One of seven godparents of Elizabeth Hurley s son Damien.
Good friend of Joe Mantegna.
When Leary guested on "The Tonight Show with Conan OBrien" , he confessed that he was terrified of bats. Coincidentally, the show concluded with an animal expert who presented Conan with a variety of bats that were conveniently suspended behind Leary on studio "tree branches".
Received an honorary Doctorate from Emerson College and wrote his book "Why We Suck" as Dr. Denis Leary. He was quoted as saying "Sure its just a celebrity type of thing--they only gave it to me because Im famous." Leary explained. "But its legal and it means I get to say Im a doctor--just like Dr. Phil.".
He claims that people often mistake him for Willem Dafoe , and vice versa. The remark he got most was "you were awesome in Spider-Man !" Years later, Leary played the part of George Stacey in The Amazing Spider-Man .
His parents are from Killarney, County Kerry, Ireland.
(May 2005) Has a farm house which he shares with his wife in Roxbury, Connecticut. They have several horses there as well.
Release of his book, "No Cure for Cancer".
(August 2003) Had a roast held in his honor at the New York Friars Club
Release of his book, "Why We Suck: A Feel Good Guide to Staying Fat, Loud, Lazy and Stupid".
Counts The Rolling Stones , The Who and David Bowie among his favorite rock acts.
Attended Emerson College (Boston) with comedian Steven Wright.
Not eating meat is a decision, eating meat is an instinct.
My only worry about tweeting and modern technology is how it has crept into even the darkest corners of the absolute global village we live in.
