David O'Hara
About
Biography
Biography
Siezing on the idea of an acting career while in high school, David O'Hara left Scotland to pursue the craft at the age of 17, studying at London's Central School of Speech and Drama. The dark-haired actor made his feature debut in a small part in Bill Forsyth's "Comfort and Joy" (1984) and played a Scottish boy in "The Monicled Mutineer" (BBC, 1986), his first effort for the small screen. Among his stage performances, O'Hara portrayed Tybalt in a 1986 open air production of "Romeo and Juliet" and three years later took his turn in the play's more challenging role of Mercutio. His big break came as Stephen, the rampaging Irishman who joins forces with William Wallace (Mel Gibson), in "Braveheart" (1995). The following year saw him co-starring opposite Helen Mirren as a slightly independent policeman in Granada Television's "Prime Suspect V: Errors in Judgment," which aired on PBS' "Masterpiece Theatre" in 1997. That same year, O'Hara also appeared in Alan J Pakula's "The Devil's Own," was the romantic foil to Janeane Garofalo in "The Matchmaker," portrayed a biker in the Scottish film "The Slab Boys" and portrayed Bill Sykes in "The Wonderful World of Disney" adaptation of "Oliver Twist" (ABC).
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Cast (Special)
Cast (TV Mini-Series)
Life Events
1982
Moved from Glasgow to London at age 17 (date approximate)
1984
Feature debut, "Comfort and Joy"
1986
Made stage debut as Tybalt in London's Open Air theater production of "Romeo and Juliet"; also played Cobweb in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and understudied Ralph Fiennes in the same production
1986
TV debut, BBC production of "The Monicled Mutineer"
1989
Portrayed Mercutio in "Romeo and Juliet"
1995
Had featured role in Mel Gibson's Oscar-winning epic "Braveheart"
1996
Co-starred opposite Helen Mirren in "Prime Suspect V: Errors in Judgment"
1996
Reunited with Mirren in Terry George's "Some Mother's Son"
1997
Played romantic lead opposite Janeane Garofalo in "The Matchmaker"
1997
Co-starred as Bill Sykes in the Disney TV-movie remake of "Oliver Twist", starring Richard Dreyfuss
2000
Had regular role on the CBS fall drama series "The District"
2004
Starred in Terry George's "Hotel Rwanda" starring Don Cheadle as hotel manager, Paul Rusesabagina
2006
Cast in the Martin Scorsese mob drama, "The Departed"
2006
Starred in the period drama "Tristan & Isolde"
Family
