Birthplace: Worcester, Massachusetts
Best Known As: Star of cable TV's Rescue Me
Denis Leary was an acerbic Boston comedian until 2004, when he refashioned himself as a serious dramatic actor in the cable TV series Rescue Me. A graduate of Boston's Emerson College, he worked the comedy clubs in the northeastern U.S. in the 1980s and got his big break through MTV: Leary did promotional spots in which he smoked cigarettes and ranted with comic urgency on pop culture. That led to national success as a stand-up comedian, a couple of comedy records (1993's No Cure for Cancer and 1997's Lock 'n' Load) and the beginnings of an acting career. While still doing stand-up, he got good notices for his roles in the movies The Ref (1994, starring Kevin Spacey), Underworld (1996), and Suicide Kings (1997,
starring Christopher Walken). By the end of the 1990s Leary was working steadily in the movies. He co-created and took the lead in Rescue Me, a melodrama set in post-9/11 New York, a series apparently inspired by the attacks in 2001 as well as a 1999 tragedy in his hometown of Worcester, Massachusetts that killed six firefighters. Rescue Me earned him critical acclaim and Emmy nominations, but his comedy -- on stage and in his 2008 book Why We Suck: A Feel Good Guide to Staying Fat, Loud, Lazy and Stupid -- remains provocative enough to maintain his reputation as an edgy outsider. His other film credits include Wag the Dog (1997, with Dustin Hoffman), A Bug's Life (1998) and Ice Age (2002).Leary has created two non-profit organizations to benefit families of firefighters: The Leary Firefighters Foundation (inspired by the Worcester fire) and the Fund For New York's Bravest (inspired by the attacks of 9/11).Denis Leary made an angry mark in the early 1990s with cynical stand-up comedy that lambasted every aspect of popular culture - from rehab to flavored coffee. When he transitioned into film acting, the industry did not quite know how best to use the abrasive Bostonian, and bombs like "Operation Dumbo Drop" (1995) outnumbered his sturdy performances in "Monument Ave" (1998), "The Thomas Crown Affair" (1999) and "Jesus' Son" (1999). But the former college writing teacher eventually found his groove as the co-creator and star of refreshingly original TV shows, including the gritty, award-winning firehouse drama, "Rescue Me" (FX, 2004- ).
Denis Leary was born on Aug. 18, 1957, the second of four children of Irish immigrants, Jack and Nora Leary. He was raised in Worcester, MA, where his father was a mechanic and, by his own description, pretty much everyone in the neighborhood grew up to be a cop, firefighter, teamster or criminal. Leary first had his sights set on becoming a professional hockey player until a viewing of Martin Scorsese's "Mean Streets" (1973) altered his world view. He was so captivated by the realness of the characters onscreen, he decided he wanted to try acting. He became involved with community theater groups after graduating from St. Peter-Marion Catholic high school in 1975, then moved to Boston to study writing and theater at Emerson College.
At Emerson, Leary fell in with other talented up-and-comers - including future stand-ups Steven Wright and Mario Cantone - and in 1976, he co-founded the Emerson Comedy Workshop, a writing and performing group that survives today. He appeared in sketch comedy shows and one-act plays, eventually wanting to try stand-up comedy. At the time, Boston had a thriving local comedy scene that launched the careers of Lenny Clarke, Colin Quinn, Paula Poundstone, Wright and Cantone. In addition to schoolwork and Emerson productions and hosting his own stand-up night at the club Play it Again Sam's, Leary also formed a band with musicians from the Comedy Workshop. The group performed comical songs that would become a trademark of Leary's eventual breakout.
Following his graduation in 1979, Leary was offered a job teaching comedy writing at his alma mater. He stayed in Boston another five years; long enough to work up solid stand-up material and marry one of his students, writer Ann Lembeck. The pair eventually moved to New York City, where Leary began to break into the city's standup scene and land writing work. In one of his earlier gigs, Leary was a writer and performer on MTV's Colin Quinn-hosted game show "Remote Control" (1987-1990), where Leary made walk-on appearances as Andy Warhol and a lion tamer with a kitten, among others.
In London, he served as host of the "London Underground" TV variety show and while he was there he debuted his one-man show "No Cure for Cancer" at the Edinburgh International Arts Festival. His performance swept the Critic's Award and established Leary's onstage persona as an angry, chain smoking, cynical social observer preoccupied with red meat, death and rock 'n' roll. He expounded on such issues as smoking ("I'm going to get a tracheotomy so I can smoke two cigarettes at the same time") to pop stars ("Sting - he wants to save the seals, he wants to save the rain forests . . . how about saving your hair, OK, pal?"). The show landed a sold-out run on London's famed West End and the Learys returned to New York and a four-month run off-Broadway.
MTV tapped Leary's rebellious attitude for a series of image spots and he became an instant icon of the era, pacing back and forth in a black leather jacket in a squalid urban setting, smoking furiously, and ranting about everything from Cindy Crawford to the hypocrisy of "political correctness." "No Cure for Cancer" was aired on Showtime in 1992 and released as an album in 1993, spawning a single and music video for "Asshole," Leary's searing musical ode to the "average J " living the American consumerists' self-centered dream. Leary's instant fame had its detractors, however. Following the widespread popularity of "No Cure for Cancer," comedy insiders stepped forward to accuse Leary of plagiarizing from similarly angry, nicotine-addicted Bill Hicks. There were claims that Leary not only used some of the comedian's material verbatim but also co-opted his stage persona. Hicks remained relatively unknown when he died of cancer in 1994 which further enraged accusers who believed Leary had shot to fame based on someone else's material.Leary's MTV work led to product endorsements for Nike, and naturally the acting offers began to come in. The year 1993 found him appearing in nearly half a dozen films, where the 6'3" blond was generally limited to comic cameos ("National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1"), evil heavies ("Judgment Night"), and regular guys ("The Sandlot"). In 1994 he began a long-term association with budding young director Ted Demme, who cast him as a burglar trapped in a house with dysfunctional hostages in "The Ref" (1994). The black comedy was a perfect vehicle for Leary, while his follow-up "Operation Dumbo Drop" (1995) was historically unsuccessful. Leary teamed with wife Lembeck to collaborate on the story for "Two If By Sea" (1996), but sadly the romantic comedy co-starring Sandra Bullock was also a bomb. Leary and Lembeck teamed up again for the "Lust" segment of "National Lampoon's Favorite Deadly Sins" (Showtime, 1996), earning a CableACE Award for the short written by Lembeck and directed by Leary. The coffee and cigarettes kept Leary going full speed, and in 1997, he acted in five films - including the forgettable titles "The Matchmaker" and "Love Walked In" - as well as the mildly successful political satire "Wag the Dog" with Robert De Niro and Dustin Hoffman.
In 1997 Leary finally taped his second stand-up show, "Denis Leary: Lock 'n' Load" (HBO), where no one was safe from his acid wit, least of all, O.J. Simpson. ("I hope your kids pull a Menendez on you, O.J. And they'll be forgiven, 10 times over.") Big screen offers in the family comedy "Wide Awake" (1998) and "Small Soldiers" (1998) kept his profile high and his bank account full, but still failed to capitalize on Leary's creative talents. He decided it was time to start his own production company. Apostle, he hoped, would help him gain more creative control over projects and expand his options as an actor and writer.
He reunited with Demme to co-produce and star in "Monument Ave" (1998), a dark drama about the Irish mob set in Charlestown, MA, which opened to favorable reviews (under the original title "Snitch") at the Sundance Film Festival. He went on to enjoy a scene-stealing supporting role in the remake of "The Thomas Crown Affair" (1999), with Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo, and earned a Blockbuster Award for Best Supporting Actor. He also gave a powerful, understated performance as a working class alcoholic down on his luck in the indie "Jesus' Son" (1999), which was one of the top critic's picks of the year.
In December of 1999, news came from home that Leary's cousin Jerry Lucey and his childhood friend Tommy Spencer - both firefighters - had been killed in a savage warehouse blaze in Worcester. In response, he formed the Leary Firefighters Foundation to raise money for survivors of firefighters killed in the line of duty and help supply necessary training and equipment for local fire departments. Perhaps as a tribute, Leary played a firefighter in the David Mamet adaptation "Lakeboat" (2000), before putting features on hold and launching a new phase of his career.
In 2001, Leary debuted "The Job" (ABC, 2001-02), a half hour, single-camera police dramedy co-created with Peter Tolan. Leary starred as the wise-ass, straight shooting, and believably flawed detective Mike McNeil in the standout series - which he also wrote and produced. Despite critical raves, ABC executives seemed unsure what to do with the project and eventually cancelled it, but with all Leary had learned about TV production, he was hungry to take a second crack at it. Meanwhile, the staggering number of firefighting deaths resulting from September 11th prompted him to form The Fund for New York's Bravest, an offshoot of the Leary Firefighters Foundation devoted to the needs of New York firefighters and their families. While co-developing his next television project with Tolan, Leary appeared in the 2002 crime drama "Bad Boy" and the well-received indie "The Secret Lives of Dentists" (2002), playing a patient of dentist Campbell Scott who becomes the voice of his paranoia. He also voiced saber-toothed tiger Diego in the hit CGI-animated film "Ice Age" (2002).
Leary was finally able to combine his long-time loyalty towards firefighters with his writing and acting talent in the co-creation of "Rescue Me." The hour-long drama/comedy hybrid starred Leary as Tommy Gavin, a seemingly fearless and tough-as-nails New York firefighter battling alcoholism, the disintegration of his marriage and family, and hallucinations of his firefighting cousin who died on September 11th. An outstanding ensemble cast represented several generations of hard-living blue collar workers daily surviving intense drama with ball-busting wit. Fortunately the show was picked up by edgy cable network FX, which allowed the raunchy firehouse talk and often controversial situations so crucial to its gritty realism to remain intact.
With "Rescue Me," Leary finally proved that when given the chance to follow his vision, his work was top notch. In 2005, he was nominated for a Best Performance Golden Globe Award. Leary was also nominated for an Outstanding Writing Emmy in 2005 and Outstanding Lead Actor Emmys in 2006 and 2007. Meanwhile, he was a significant player in a strong ensemble cast in "Recount" (HBO, 2008), a made-for-television movie the depicted the behind-the-scenes action during the month-long election fiasco between George W. Bush and Al Gore in 2000. Leary played Democratic consultant and strategist, Michael Whouley, which earned him a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a series, movie or miniseries. Meanwhile, Leary unsurprisingly generated some controversy after the release of his book, Why We Suck: A Feel Good Guide to Staying Fat, Loud, Lazy and Stupid (2008), in which he called autistic children "dumb-ass kids," "morons," "stupid" and "lazy." Leary claimed he was taken out of context, saying that he was commenting on the over-diagnosis of autistic children, though he did later publicly apologize.
Family* Cousin: Conan O Brien.
* Daughter: Devin Leary. Born in 1992; mother, Ann Lembeck
* Father: John Leary. Irish-American; died in 1985 one day after his 60th birthday
* Mother: Nora Leary. Irish-American
* Son: Jack Leary. Born in 1990, three months prematurely; mother, Ann Lembeck
Significant Others
* Wife: Ann Lembeck.
Education
* Emerson College, Boston , Massachusetts, Performing Arts, 1979
* Saint Peter-Marian High School, Worcester , Massachusetts
Milestones
* 1990 Hosted the cable comedy showcase London Underground
* 1990 West End theater debut, No Cure For Cancer
* 1990 Wrote the one-man show, No Cure For Cancer ; debuted at the Edinburgh International Arts Festival
* 1991 Began doing promos for MTV
* 1991 Off-Broadway debut, No Cure For Cancer
* 1992 Feature acting debut, Strictly Business
* 1992 Published book, No Cure For Cancer
* 1993 First leading role in a feature, Judgment Night
* 1993 Released first comedy album, No Cure For Cancer ; executive produced Denis Leary: No Cure for Cancer for the small screen
* 1994 Breakthrough role as the smart-talking thief in Ted Demme s The Ref
* 1995 Directed Lust segment (written by wife Anne Lembeck) of National Lampoon s Favorite Deadly Sins
* 1995 Formed Apostle Pictures
* 1996 First writing credit, Two If By Sea ; co-wrote wife Ann and Mike Armstrong; also acted opposite Sandra Bullock
* 1997 Featured in Wag the Dog and Suicide Kings
* 1997 Returned to the one-man rant in a live show Denis Leary: Lock n Load ; filmed by Demme for HBO s Comedy Hour
* 1998 First co-producing credit, Monument Ave ; re-teamed with director Demme and writing partner Armstrong
* 1998 Provided the voice of Francis in the animated feature A Bug s Life
* 1999 Co-starred with Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo in the remake of The Thomas Crown Affair
* 1999 Played a supporting role in Jesus Son starring Billy Crudup
* 2000 Had supporting role in Company Man
* 2001 Co-created the ABC sitcom, The Job ; also played the lead role of a Irish-American police officer
* 2001 Played a mental patient in the digitally-shot Final ; directed by Campbell Scott
* 2002 Voiced a saber-toothed tiger in the animated feature Ice Age
* 2004 Cast as Tommy Gavin, a Manhattan firefighter in the FX drama Rescue Me ; also served as creator, writer and executive producer; received Golden Globe (2004) and Emmy (2006, 2007) nominations for Best Lead Actor
* 2004 Released the album, Merry F#%$in Christmas , which included a mix of new music and previously unreleased recordings
* 2006 Once again voiced Diego the saber-toothed tiger, in the sequel Ice Age: The Meltdown
* 2008 Portrayed Democratic political consultant, Michael Whouley in the HBO film, Recount ; earned Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for Supporting Actor in a TV-Movie
* 2008 Produced the FOX show Canterbury s Law ; also wrote and directed the pilot episode
* 2009 Reprised role of Diego the saber-toothed tiger for Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
* Appeared in skits on the MTV game show Remote Control ; popular characters were musician Keith Richards and artist Andy Warhol
* Began performing stand-up comedy in the late 1970s
* Co-founded the Comedy Workshop in Boston
* Hosted his own show at the underground club Play It Again Sam
* Raised in Boston, Massachusetts
* Taught comedy writing classes at Emerson College
* Worked as a contributing editor for Details magazine
Comedian, actor, writer, producer. Born on August 18, 1957, in Worcester, Massachusetts. After becoming popular as a fast-talking, sarcastic comedian in the 1990s, Denis Leary has demonstrated his ability to be a dramatic performer and creative force behind the camera. Born into a blue-collar Irish family, he did not consider an acting career until a teacher persuaded him to perform in a school production. Leary later attended Emerson College and was one of the founders of the Emerson Comedy Workshop. After graduation, he briefly taught acting and screenwriting at the school. All the while, Leary continued to develop his comic talents, doing stand-up at the local comedy clubs.
After a few years in New York City, Leary traveled to London to appear on a television show in 1990. Traveling with him was his pregnant wife Ann. Unfortunately, during their stay, her water broke and their son Jack was born prematurely. Because of their son's health crisis, they had to remain in the country for several months. Despite of his difficult family situation, Leary was able to write his first one-man show, No Cure for Cancer.
It seemed that nothing was off-limits for Leary in No Cure for Cancer. Along with the title subject, he ranted about everything from war to the muppets. His sharp, funny observations — delivered in an angry, rapid-fire style and accompanying cigarettes and obscenities — made him a huge hit with audiences. They also enjoyed the show's humorous songs. After the show debuted at the Edinburgh International Arts Festival in 1990, Leary performed it in London and in New York City, earning strong reviews. The show later aired on the Showtime cable network as a comedy special.
But it was Leary's short comedy spots on the MTV cable network that him nationally known. These clips featured him launching into a quick verbal assault on popular figures, such as the rock group R.E.M., and other topics, including racism. And usually, Leary delivered these clever quips while holding his trademark cigarette. Concerned about typecasting, he took a leading role in The Ref (1994). In the film, he played a burglar who takes a bickering married couple hostage, gets ensnared in their family squabbles, and ends up acting as a peacemaker for the dysfunctional family.
While some of his film choices seem questionable, such as the box office bomb Operation Dumbo Drop (1995), he has given strong performances in several movies. Wag the Dog (1997) gave him the chance to work two legendary performers, including Robert De Niro and Dustin Hoffman. That same year, Leary gave fans another taste of his dark, gritty humor with his cable comedy special Lock 'N Load.
Returning to films, True Crime (1999) put him on screen with famed actor-director Clint Eastwood. But perhaps his greatest box office success has been as the voice of a sabertooth tiger named Diego in Ice Age (2002) and its sequel Ice Age 2: The Meltdown (2006).