Biography
Byrne was born in London, England. He has sometimes been cast inΒ Nazimilitary roles such asΒ Colonel VogelΒ inΒ Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Major Schroeder inΒ Force 10 from Navarone, Reinhard Beck inΒ The Scarlet and the Black, General Olbricht inΒ The Plot to Kill HitlerΒ andΒ ObergruppenfΓΌhrerΒ Odilo GlobocnikΒ in the BBC radio dramatisation of the novelΒ FatherlandΒ byΒ Robert Harris. Also seen as the aged but fanatical SS General Neurath in "Outpost 2 - Black Sun", former concentration camp commandant and involved in the Nazis's sinister reality-shifting experiments. Byrne appeared as a Jewish concentration camp survivor who is instrumental in the capture of a Nazi war criminal (played byΒ Ian McKellen) in the filmΒ Apt Pupil. He is also familiar to audiences as Smythe, a soldier who attempts to rape William Wallace's wife and first inspires Wallace to seek independence from England in the filmΒ Braveheart. His other film credits includeΒ The Eagle Has Landed,Β A Bridge Too Far,Β The Medusa Touch,Β The Saint,Β Tomorrow Never Dies,Β The Good Father,Β The Sum of All Fears,Β Gangs of New YorkΒ andΒ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1. On television, he has appeared inΒ Z-Cars,Β Secret Army,Β Tales of the Unexpected,Β The Professionals,Β The Devil's Crown,Smiley's People,Β Yes, Prime Minister,Β Lord Mountbatten - the Last Viceroy,Β Between The Lines,Β Sharpe,Β The Mists of Avalon,Β Waking the Dead,Β The Body Farm,Β Honest,Β Hamish Macbeth, andΒ Casualty. From April 2008 to January 2010, Michael starred inΒ Coronation Street, asΒ Ted Page,Β Gail Platt's long lost father and the ex-lover of Audrey Roberts. It is not known whether he will return to the show. Byrne appeared inΒ State of PlayΒ at theΒ Edinburgh FestivalΒ written by Zia Trench. He played Romeo toΒ SiΓ’n Phillips' Juliet at theΒ Bristol Old Vic. Father of actressΒ Allie Byrne.
Filmography (138)
Bodies
2023
The Gold Machine
2022
Intrigo: Samaria
2019
Intrigo: Death of an Author
2018
The Last Witness
2018
Alien Overlords
2018
Strike
2017
The Living and the Dead
2016
Agatha Raisin
2016
Harry Price: Ghost Hunter
2015
Mortdecai
2015
Rom - Schlacht der Gladiatoren
2015
Cuffs
2015
The First Line
2014
Diana
2013
Crossing Lines
2013
Outpost: Black Sun
2012
Quartet
2012
The Body Farm
2011
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
2010
Blood: The Last Vampire
2009
The Mark of Cain
2007
Empire
2005
Beyond the Sea
2004
The Return of the Dancing Master
2004
Double the Fist
2004
The Crooked Man
2003
Gangs of New York
2002
The Sum of All Fears
2002
Sunday
2002
Ultimate Force
2002
The Musketeer
2001
Waking the Dead
2001
The Mists of Avalon
2001
Battlefield Earth
2000
Proof of Life
2000
MauΓ‘ - O Imperador e o Rei
1999
The Vice
1999
Hornblower: The Even Chance
1998
30 Years to Life
1998
Imogen's Face
1998
Apt Pupil
1998
Gunshy
1998
Hornblower
1998
Heat of the Sun
1998
The Saint
1997
The Island on Bird Street
1997
Tomorrow Never Dies
1997
Agatha Christie's The Pale Horse
1997
Sharpe: The Legend
1997
The Fix
1997
The Practice
1997
Midsomer Murders
1997
Silent Witness
1996
No Bananas
1996
The Infiltrator
1995
Braveheart
1995
Oliver's Travels
1995
Hamish Macbeth
1995
Sharpe's Company
1994
A Few Short Journeys of the Heart
1994
Hildegard
1994
Nostradamus
1994
Sharpe's Enemy
1994
Sharpe's Honour
1994
Sharpe
1993
Running Late
1992
A Touch of Frost
1992
Between the Lines
1992
Murderous Decisions
1991
The Plot to Kill Hitler
1990
The Chief
1990
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
1989
Saracen
1989
Screen One
1989
Buster
1988
The Happy Valley
1987
The Ruth Rendell Mysteries
1987
Theban Plays: Oedipus the King
1986
Yes, Prime Minister
1986
A Sort of Innocence
1986
Lord Mountbatten: The Last Viceroy
1986
In the Secret State
1985
The Good Father
1985
Screen Two
1985
Champions
1984
The Bill
1984
Ellis Island
1984
Henry VI Part 1
1983
Henry VI Part 2
1983
Henry VI Part 3
1983
The Tragedy of Richard III
1983
The Scarlet and the Black
1983
The Two Gentlemen of Verona
1983
Man and Superman
1982
Smiley's People
1982
The Search for Alexander the Great
1981
The Silence of the Sea
1980
The Enigma Files
1980
Lady Killers
1980
Coming Out
1979
Tales of the Unexpected: Lamb to the Slaughter
1979
Tales of the Unexpected
1979
The Medusa Touch
1978
Force 10 from Navarone
1978
Accident
1978
The Devil's Crown
1978
Strangers
1978
The BBC Television Shakespeare
1978
A Bridge Too Far
1977
Secret Army
1977
The Professionals
1977
The Eagle Has Landed
1976
Rogue Male
1976
The Omen
1976
Break In
1975
If It's a Man β Hang Up!
1975
Wednesday Love
1975
Conduct Unbecoming
1975
Shades of Greene
1975
Edward the Seventh
1975
Vampyres
1974
Butley
1974
Ms or Jill and Jack
1974
Headmaster
1974
Thriller
1973
Henry VIII and His Six Wives
1972
Crown Court
1972
New Scotland Yard
1972
Play for Today
1970
The Image
1969
ITV Saturday Night Theatre
1969
Much Ado About Nothing
1967
BBC Play of the Month
1965
The Scarlet Blade
1963
The Silent Playground
1963
Coronation Street
1960
Bjorn of the Dead
English
EspaΓ±ol
Russian
