- 2008: Reprised role as the voice of Aslan in "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian"
- 2008: Played a retired CIA operative whose daughter is kidnapped in "Taken"
- 2007: Co-starred with Pierce Brosnan in the western "Seraphim Falls"
- 2005: Starred as Batman's mentor Henri Ducard in the fifth installment "Batman Begins"; directed by Christopher Nolan
- 2005: Voiced Aslan in "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe"; based on the children's novel by C.S. Lewis
- 2005: Cast opposite Orlando Bloom in Ridley Scott's "Kingdom of Heaven"
- 2005: Starred alongside Cillian Murphy, as the priest who fathers him in Neil Jordan's "Breakfast on Pluto"
- 2004: Played the title role in Bill Condon's "Kinsey"; received Golden Globe and Independent Spirit Award nominations
- 2003: Cast in Richard Curtis' ensemble comedy, "Love Actually"
- 2002: Appeared in the highly anticipated Martin Scorsese film "Gangs of New York"
- 2002: Returned to Broadway in "The Crucible" opposite Laura Linney
- 1999: Had featured role as Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn in "Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace"
- 1999: Portrayed a professor who conducts psychological experiments in Jan De Bont's remake of "The Haunting"
- 1998: Returned to Broadway playing Oscar Wilde in David Hare's drama "The Judas Kiss"
- 1998: Starred as Jean Valjean in Bille August's adaptation of Victor Hugo's classic tale of injustice "Les Miserables"
- 1996: Starred as the title revolutionary in Neil Jordan's controversial film "Michael Collins"
- 1996: Played a father whose teenaged son is charged with murder in "Before and After"; co-starred Meryl Streep
- 1995: Played title role in the Scotland set historical adventure "Rob Roy"
- 1994: Co-starred with Natasha Richardson and Jodie Foster in "Nell"
- 1993: Breakthrough screen role as Oskar Schindler in Steven Spielberg's "Schindler's List"; received Best Actor Oscar, BAFTA and Golden Globe nominations
- 1992: Featured in Woody Allen's "Husbands and Wives"
- 1992: Broadway debut in a critically-acclaimed perfomance in "Anna Christie" opposite Natasha Richardson
- 1990: Made feature starring debut as the titular tortured antihero of "Darkman"
- 1988: Had featured roles in "The Good Mother" opposite Diane Keaton
- 1987: Featured as a deaf-mute man falsely accused of murder and defended by Cher in "Suspect"
- 1987: Moved to Los Angeles
- 1986: Reprised role of Blackie O'Neill in the syndicated miniseries sequel "Hold That Dream"
- 1984: Co-starred as Blackie O'Neill in the syndicated miniseries "A Woman of Substance"
- 1984: US TV debut, the CBS miniseries "Ellis Island"
- 1981: Feature film debut, as Sir Gawain in Boorman's "Excalibur"
- 1980: Played Lenny in the Abbey Theatre production of "Of Mice and Men"; spotted by director John Boorman who later cast the actor in "Excalibur"
- 1979: Made educational film debut as Jesus of Nazareth in a film based on John Bunyan's "The Pilgrim's Progress" (filmed for evangelical Bible students in Ireland)
- 1978: Joined the Abbey Theatre after moving to Dublin
- 1976: Made professional stage debut in "The Risen People" at Lyric Player's Theatre in Belfast
- 1976: Stayed with the Lyric Players' Theatre repertory company for two years
- 1970: Quit boxing as a middleweight, following a blackout after a bout
- 1961: At age nine, joined a boxing team run by a priest
- Grew up in Ballymena, Northern Ireland
- Planned to become a teacher, before answering an ad placed by the Lyric Players' Theatre in Belfast
- British TV debut, "Merlin and the Sword"




