Conclave star Brían F O'Byrne on his decision to trade Hollywood for a home in rural Sligo

The opening movie at the Cork International Film Festival is the lauded ‘Conclave’. Paul Whitington meets its Irish star, Brían F O’Byrne, and discusses his decision to trade Hollywood for a home in rural Sligo

Brían O'Byrne: ‘You put in hours and gradually you get a break’. Picture: Getty Images

Brían F O’Byne works a lot. Look him up on IMDB and the list of his credits is extraordinary: he’s what they used to call a character actor, and over the years has worked with everyone from Clint Eastwood and Terrence Malick to Sidney Lumet, Ken Loach, Martin McDonagh, Ethan Hawke, Sigourney Weaver, Kate Winslet, and Cate Blanchett.

Since moving to New York in 1990 he has established himself as a commanding and versatile performer on stage and screen. He’s in good company in his latest film, Conclave, a masterful thriller from Edward Berger that feels a bit like All the President’s Men with priests.