Whereas many stars are bitten by the acting bug early in life, versatile Gabriel Byrne did not become interested in the craft until he was in his late '20s. Since then he has worked steadily as a leading and supporting actor in a wide variety Hollywood and international films. In youth, the Dublin born and raised actor, the eldest son of a Guiness cooper, aspired to become a Catholic priest and so was sent to a seminary in England. After he was there four years, the sixteen-year-old Byrne was caught smoking and expelled. Upon returning to Ireland, he worked at assorted jobs, including a stint at a teddy bear manufacturer until he received a scholarship at University College in Dublin. There he studied languages and archaeology. After college, Byrne worked as an archaeologist for three years and then taught Spanish and Gaelic at a Catholic girls school for four years. While at the school Byrne appeared in an amateur theatrical production and was good enough to attract the interest of an actor from the highly regarded Abbey Theater who encouraged him to become a professional actor. After appearing in a few more community theater productions, Byrne was became a member of the Abbey theater. In 1979, he was working with the Royal Court Theater in London. The previous year, Byrne made his feature film debut in On a Paving Stone. He made a couple more films and also began a television career. Though he appeared in everything from television movies to mini-series, he was most famous for starring in the popular Irish series Bracken. Another notable television role was that of Christopher Columbus in an American mini-series of the same name. His film career during the '80s was decidedly uneven. In 1987, he appeared in the Spanish film Siesta and starred opposite Ellen Barkin. They married the following year and their union lasted until 1993. Since then, the two share custody of their children. As a movie star, Byrne's career did not take flight until he starred in the Coen Brothers memorable Miller's Crossing (1990). Since 1993, Byrne has become a hot property and has been in three to four films per year, notably, Little Women (1949), The Usual Suspects (1995) and Smilla's Sense of Snow (1997).