''The Actors'' is a 2003 Irish film written and directed by

Conor McPherson Conor McPherson (born 6 August 1971) is an Irish playwright, screenwriter and director of stage and film. In recognition of his contribution to world theatre, McPherson was awarded an honorary doctorate of literature in June 2013 by University C ...

and starring Dylan Moran and

Michael Caine Sir Michael Caine (born Maurice Joseph Micklewhite, 14 March 1933) is a retired English actor. Known for his distinct Cockney accent, he has appeared in more than 160 films over Michael Caine filmography, a career that spanned eight decades an ...

. In supporting roles are

Michael Gambon Sir Michael John Gambon (; 19 October 1940 – 27 September 2023) was an Irish-English actor. Gambon started his acting career with Laurence Olivier as one of the original members of the Royal National Theatre. Over his six-decade-long career ...

Miranda Richardson Miranda Jane Richardson (born 3 March 1958) is an English actress who has worked in film, television and theatre. After graduating from the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, Richardson began her career in 1979 and made her West End theatre, West ...

and

Lena Headey Lena Kathren Headey ( ; born 3 October 1973) is an English actress. She gained international recognition and acclaim for her portrayal of Cersei Lannister on the HBO fantasy drama series ''Game of Thrones'' (2011–2019), for which she received ...

. ''The Actors'' is a contemporary comedy set in

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

. It follows the exploits of two mediocre stage actors as they devise a plan to con a retired gangster out of £50,000. The gangster owes the money to a third party, whom he has never met. The actors take advantage of this fact by impersonating this 'unidentified' third party, and claiming the debt as their own. To pull it off they enlist Moran's eerily intelligent nine-year-old niece, who restructures the plan each time something goes wrong. The two protagonists are acting in a version of Shakespeare's ''

Richard III Richard III (2 October 1452 – 22 August 1485) was King of England from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the Plantagenet dynasty and its cadet branch the House of York. His defeat and death at the Battle of Boswor ...

'' in which everyone dresses in Nazi uniform, a sly nod to Ian McKellen's production. The film is centred on the Olympia Theatre, and it is noteworthy for featuring the famous glass awning over the entrance which has since been destroyed in a traffic accident. The glass awning has since been rebuilt to its full former glory.

Cast

as Anthony O'Malley * Dylan Moran as Tom Quirk *

as Dolores *Abigail Iversen as Mary *

Aisling O'Sullivan Aisling O'Sullivan (born in Tralee, County Kerry) is an Irish people, Irish actress. Career O'Sullivan attended the Gaiety School of Acting in Dublin and joined the Abbey Theatre in 1991. Theatre In 2011 and 2012, she toured Ireland with Druid, ...

as Rita *

Ben Miller Bennet Evan Miller (born 24 February 1966) is an English comedian, actor and author. He rose to fame as a member of the comedy duo Armstrong and Miller, with Alexander Armstrong. He is known for roles as Angus Jeremy Bough in the '' Johnny Eng ...

as Clive *

as Barreller * Simon Delaney as Ronnie *Alvaro Lucchesi as Lesley *

Michael McElhatton Michael McElhatton (born 12 September 1963) is an Irish actor and writer. He is best known for playing the role of Roose Bolton in the HBO series ''Game of Thrones'' from the second to the sixth season (2012–2016). Other credits include '' I ...

as Jock *

as Mrs. Magnani * Alison Doody as herself * Marty Whelan as himself * Deirdre O'Kane as Stage Manager

Reception

Empire An empire is a political unit made up of several territories, military outpost (military), outposts, and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a hegemony, dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the ...

'' gives the film 2/5, describing it as "Based on an idea by Neil Jordan, The Actors had the potential to be gut-achingly funny. But instead it ends up raising a few paltry smiles."

Soundtrack

# Act One - The

Michael Nyman Band The Michael Nyman Band, formerly known as the Campiello Band, is a group formed as a street band for a 1976 production of Carlo Goldoni's 1756 play, ''Il Campiello'' directed by Bill Bryden at the Old Vic. The band did not wish to break up aft ...

and Moss Hall Junior Choir # Star Of The Sea - Laura Cullinan, Bebhinn Ni Chiosain, Cliona Ni Chiosain & Niamh H Reynolds # Zinc Bar Walk - The Michael Nyman Band # A Certain Party - The Michael Nyman Band # House On Fire - The Michael Nyman Band # Act Two - The Michael Nyman Band # Could This Be Love? -

& Dylan Moran # Mary Directs Tom - The Michael Nyman Band # Una's Waltz - Una Ni Chiosain/Conor McPherson # Rope Trick - The Michael Nyman Band # Dolores On The Beach - The Michael Nyman Band # Return To The Scene Of The Crime - The Michael Nyman Band # Seems So Long - Cathy Davey # Wheelchair Chase - The Michael Nyman Band # Tubbetstown Elegy - The Michael Nyman Band # Lovely Morning - Cathy Davey # Mrs O'Growny Appears - The Michael Nyman Band # Zinc Piano - The Michael Nyman Band # Final Act - The Michael Nyman Band

References

External links

*
The Actors
at

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Actors, The 2003 comedy films 2003 films Irish comedy films Films set in Dublin (city) Films scored by Michael Nyman 2000s English-language films 2000s Irish films Films directed by Conor McPherson English-language comedy films