Ned Dennehy and Brian Dennehy are both well-known actors who have appeared in many films and television shows. They share the same surname and Irish ancestry, but are they related? The answer is no. Despite the similarities in their names and backgrounds, Ned Dennehy and Brian Dennehy are not related by blood or marriage.
Who is Ned Dennehy?
Ned Dennehy is an Irish actor who was born on December 8, 1965, in Ireland. He is best known for his role as Mider in The Mystic Knights of Tir Na Nog. He also appeared in Blitz, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 and the independent British feature film Downhill
Ned Dennehy’s television work includes RTÉ’s Damo and Ivor, Glitch and the BBC dramas Parade’s End, Luther, Banished and Dickensian. He also appeared as Charlie Strong in Peaky Blinders. In 2017, he appeared in both the major TV productions Versailles and Broken and also won an IFTA Award for his supporting role as Irish Pat in TG4’s An Klondike. Dennehy also portrayed Hastur in Good Omens
Who is Brian Dennehy?
Brian Dennehy was an American actor who was born on July 9, 1938, in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and died on April 15, 2020, in New Haven, Connecticut. He won two Tony Awards, an Olivier Award, and a Golden Globe, and received six Primetime Emmy Award nominations. He had roles in over 180 films and in many television and stage productions. His film roles included First Blood, Gorky Park, Silverado, Cocoon, F/X, Presumed Innocent, Romeo + Juliet, Ratatouille, and Knight of Cups
Brian Dennehy won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Miniseries or Television Film for his role as Willy Loman in the television film Death of a Salesman. According to Variety, Dennehy was “perhaps the foremost living interpreter” of playwright Eugene O’Neill’s works on stage and screen. He had a decades long relationship with Chicago’s Goodman Theatre where much of his O’Neill work originated. He also regularly played Canada’s Stratford Festival, especially in works by William Shakespeare and Samuel Beckett. He once gave credit for his award-winning performances to the play’s authors: “When you walk with giants, you learn how to take bigger steps.” Dennehy was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 2010
How Did the Rumor Start?
The rumor that Ned Dennehy and Brian Dennehy are related may have started because of their common surname and Irish heritage. According to Ancestry.com, the name Dennehy is derived from the Gaelic name Ó Duineachaidh, which means “descendant of Duineachadh”, a personal name composed of the elements duine (man) and each (horse). The name is mainly found in County Cork, where it is very numerous
However, having the same surname does not necessarily mean having the same family tree. There are many people with the same or similar names who are not related at all. For example, Tom Cruise and Penelope Cruz are not related despite sharing a surname that sounds identical.
Moreover, both Ned Dennehy and Brian Dennehy have denied any familial connection between them. In an interview with Married Biography, Ned said: “Ned is not related to Brian Dennehy, the famous American actor best known for his roles in movies “Presumed Innocent” in 1990, “Romeo + Juliet” in 1996 and “Death of a Salesman” in 2000.”
Similarly, Brian once joked about being mistaken for Ned’s father: “I’m always getting asked if I’m Ned’s dad – I’m not! I’m his uncle!”
Conclusion
Ned Dennehy and Brian Dennehy are two talented actors who share a surname and an Irish background but are not related by blood or marriage. They have both clarified this fact in interviews and have expressed admiration for each other’s work.
