Raised in Howth, Dublin, Ireland

Non-professional stage debut in a school production of "Tear Up The Black Sail"

Professional stage acting debut, "True Lines" directed by John Crowley

Co-founded the theater company Ether for Lunch

Feature debut in Gilles MacKinnon's "Trojan Eddie"

Joined Dan Futterman and Kate Beckinsale for the British film "Shooting Fish"

Garnered praise for his leading role in "Resurrection Man"

Acted in Michael Winterbottom's acclaimed "Wonderland"

Featured in Robert Dornhelm's "The Venice Project" with Lauren Bacall and Dennis Hopper

Originally cast as Aragorn in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings film trilogy; left the production due to "creative differences" and was replaced with Viggo Mortensen

Played the titular character in "About Adam" opposite Kate Hudson

Returned to the London stage to appear opposite Helen Mirren in "Orpheus Descending"

Cast as Lestat in the film adaptation of Anne Rice's "Queen of the Damned"

Played husband and wife, opposite Charlize Theron in the thriller "Trapped"

Cast in "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" with Sean Connery

Cast in the action thriller "Shade," set in the world of L.A. poker hustlers

Starred with real life love Charlize Theron in the WWII drama "Head in the Clouds"

Cast as investigative reporter Carl Kolchak on the ABC thriller "Night Stalker"

Co-starred with Ryan Reynolds and Emily Mortimer in "Chaos Theory"

Made writing and directorial debut with "Battle in Seattle," which is loosely based on the protests of the WTO Ministerial Conference of 1999; featured real life love, Charlize Theron