Colin O'Donoghue
Age: 43
Birthplace: Drogheda, County Louth, Ireland
Colin O'Donoghue (born 26 January 1981) is an Irish actor and musician, best known for portraying Captain Killian "Hook" Jones on the TV show Once Upon a Time. He appeared in the 2011 horror thriller film The Rite (2011) as skeptical novice priest Michael Kovak.
Early life and education
O'Donoghue, the son of Con and Mary O'Donoghue, was born and raised in Drogheda, County Louth, in a Roman Catholic family. He attended local schools, and later The Gaiety School of Acting in Dublin. At age 17 O'Donoghue went to Paris for a month to learn French.
Career
O'Donoghue's early career was mainly split between theatre and television work in Ireland and the UK. In 2003, he won the Irish Film and Television Award for "Best New Talent" for his role as Norman in "Home For Christmas".
In 2009, he appeared as Duke Philip of Bavaria in an episode of season 3 of the Showtime historical-fiction series The Tudors. He made his Hollywood film debut alongside Anthony Hopkins in the horror thriller film The Rite (2011). He made an audition video for The Rite in a friend's home studio in Drogheda and sent it to the United States. He plays guitar and sings in a band called The Enemies, formed in 2003 in Ireland.
In 2012, O'Donoghue was cast as Captain Hook/Killian Jones in the second season of the hit ABC series Once Upon a Time. In 2014, O'Donoghue was cast as the main character in "The Dust Storm", an independent film set in Nashville, Tennessee as a musician called "Brennan".
Christina Perri wrote a song "The Words" which she dedicated to Colin's character (Captain Hook) in Once Upon a Time
The Enemies
O'Donoghue was part of the five-piece Irish band, "The Enemies", which was formed in 2003 by O'Donoghue and a close friend, Ronan McQuillan. The Enemies released their self-titled debut EP on 7 March 2011 prior to their self-funded first album on track. He played guitar and sang backing vocals on the band's first EP and debut album.
Although the band was unsigned, it was commissioned by General Motors to record tracks for their "Chevy route 66" online campaign. The band worked on the music for Coca-Cola's "5BY20" project. Their debut album Sounds Big on the Radio was to be released in March 2013, which was later scheduled for 2014. In May 2013, he announced he was leaving the band due to the filming schedule of Once Upon a Time.
Awards
For his role in Home for Christmas, he was awarded Best New Talent at the 1st Irish Film & Television Awards, held on 1 November 2003.
Personal life
O'Donoghue and his wife Helen, a schoolteacher, have a son.
O'Donoghue has not made plans to relocate to Los Angeles or Vancouver, Canada where he is shooting Once Upon A Time. He explained, "You don't know what circumstances are going to come up, so it's tough to make a decision like that and move somewhere for two or three years ... Whatever happens, Drogheda will always be my home because it is where my friends and family are." O'Donoghue often wears a silver crucifix his wife gave him because his faith is important to him.
Filmography
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2003 | Call Girl | Brendan | Short film |
2006 | 24/7 | Nick | Short film |
2009 | Euthanizer, TheThe Euthanizer | Ben | Short film |
2011 | Rite, TheThe Rite | Michael Kovak | |
2012 | Storage 24 | Mark | |
2015 | The Dust Storm | Brennan | Post-production |
2016 | Carrie Pilby | Professor Harrison | Post-production |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2001 | Rebel Heart | Rowe | Miniseries; episode 1 |
2002 | Home for Christmas | Norman Quested | Television film Irish Film & Television Award for Best New Talent |
2004 | Love Is the Drug | Peter | 2 episodes |
2005 | Proof | Jamie | 2 episodes |
2005 | Fair City | Emmet Fitzgerald | 3 episodes |
2006-08 | Clinic, TheThe Clinic | Conor Elliott | 11 episodes |
2009 | Tudors, TheThe Tudors | Duke Philip of Bavaria | Episode: "The Undoing of Cromwell" |
2009 | Wild Decembers | Young guard | Television film |
2011 | Identity | John Bloom | Television pilot |
2012-present | Once Upon a Time | Captain Hook/Killian Jones | Series regular (season 2-present) |
Year | Title | Artist(s) | Role | Source |
---|---|---|---|---|
2015 | "The Words" | Christina Perri | Love interest |
Theatre
Year | Title | Role | Theatre | Location |
---|---|---|---|---|
Aoife and Isobel | Project Theatre | Dublin, Ireland | ||
Dream of a Summer Day, TheThe Dream of a Summer Day | Storytellers Theatre Company | Dublin, Ireland | ||
Eclipse | Olivier Theatre | London, England | ||
Eugene Onegin - The Roadshow | Something Different Theatre Company | Oxford, England | ||
Leaving | Quarehawks Theatre Company | Monaghan, Ireland | ||
Moonlight Mickey's | Calipo Theatre Company | Drogheda, Ireland | ||
Othello | Second Age Theatre Company | Dublin, Ireland | ||
Outlying Islands | Island Theatre Company | Chicago, US | ||
Sky Road | Theatre Royal | Waterford, Ireland | ||
Taming of the Shrew, TheThe Taming of the Shrew | Rough Magic Theatre Company | Dublin, Ireland | ||
Walking the Road | Axis Theatre | Vancouver, Canada | ||
What the Dead Want | Project Theatre | Dublin, Ireland |
Awards and nominations
Year | Group | Award | Result | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
2003 | Irish Film and Television Awards | Best New Talent | Won | Home for Christmas |
2014 | People's Choice Awards | Favorite On-Screen Chemistry shared with: Jennifer Morrison | Nominated | Once Upon a Time |
2015 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice TV Liplock shared with: Jennifer Morrison | Nominated | Once Upon a Time |