List of American actors of Irish descent

This is a list of notable Irish American actors.

To be included in this list, the person must have a Wikipedia article and/or references showing the person is Irish American and a notable actor.

The list is organized in reverse chronological order of birth decades.

1990s – 1980s – 1970s – 1960s – 1950s – 1940s – 1930s – 1920s – 1910s – 1900s – 1890s – 1880s – 1870s

1990s

 * Jake T. Austin (1994– ) father part Irish
 * Joseph Boyce (1996– ) father part Irish
 * Jenna Boyd (1993– ) father of partial Irish ancestry
 * Cayden Boyd (1994– ) father of partial Irish ancestry
 * Spencer Breslin (1992– )
 * Abigail Breslin (1996– )
 * Chris Colfer (1990– ) part Irish
 * Miranda Cosgrove (1993– ) part Irish
 * Dakota Fanning (1994– ) father part Irish
 * Elle Fanning (1998– ) father part Irish
 * Alexander Gould (1994– ) father of partial Irish descent
 * Emma Gould (1998– ) father of partial Irish descent
 * Kelly Gould (1999– ) father of partial Irish descent
 * Josh Hutcherson (1992– ) small amount of Irish ancestry
 * Sarah Hyland (1990– ) part Irish
 * Kendall Jenner (1995– ) part Irish
 * Kylie Jenner (1997– ) part Irish
 * Nick Jonas (1992– ) part Irish — member of Jonas Brothers and actor on Disney Channel Original Series JONAS and Camp Rock
 * Victoria Justice (1993– ) father part Irish
 * Taylor Lautner (1992– ) small amount of Irish ancestry
 * Jennifer Lawrence (1990– ) small amount of Irish ancestry
 * Demi Lovato (1992– ) mother has some Irish ancestry — television actress (Disney Channel Original Movie Camp Rock and Sonny with a Chance) and musician
 * Jennette McCurdy (1992– ) part Irish
 * Dylan O'Brien (1991– ) part Irish
 * Jack Reynor (1992– ) Irish parents
 * AnnaSophia Robb (1993– ) part Irish
 * Emma Roberts (1991– ) part Irish
 * Saoirse Ronan (1994– ) the daughter of Irish parents – who were living in New York at the time.
 * Jamie Lynn Spears (1991– ) part Irish

1980s

 * Mischa Barton (1986– ) Irish mother — film/television actress (The O.C.)
 * Ashley Benson (1989– ) mother is of Irish descent – film/television actress (13 Going on 30, Pretty Little Liars)
 * Sean Brosnan (1983– ) actor, son of Pierce Brosnan
 * Amanda Bynes (1986– ) father of Irish and Polish descent, mother Ashkenazi Jewish
 * Michael Cassidy (1983– ) actor
 * Lauren Cohan (1982– ) actress
 * Darren Criss (1987– ) father is of part Irish descent – film/television actor (Glee)
 * Kieran Culkin (1982– ) father is of part Irish descent
 * Macaulay Culkin (1980– ) father is of part Irish descent
 * Rory Culkin (1989– ) father is of part Irish descent
 * Zooey Deschanel (1980– ) mother is of part Irish descent
 * Hilary Duff (1987– ) part Irish
 * Zac Efron (1987– ) paternal grandfather of Polish Jewish descent, Zac is also of about 1/16th Irish ancestry
 * Chris Evans (1981– ) maternal grandmother of Irish descent — film actor (Cellular, Fantastic Four)
 * Megan Fox (1986– ) distant Irish ancestry — film/television actress and model (Transformers, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Hope & Faith)
 * David Gallagher (1985– ) part Irish — actor (7th Heaven)
 * Sasha Grey (1988– ) part Irish
 * Anne Hathaway (1982– ) mostly Irish — film actress (The Princess Diaries, The Devil Wears Prada, The Dark Knight Rises)
 * Vanessa Hudgens (1988– ) father part Irish — film/television actress (High School Musical trilogy)
 * Joe Jonas (1989– ) part Irish — member of Jonas Brothers and actor on Disney Channel Original Series JONAS and Camp Rock
 * Kevin Jonas (1987– ) part Irish — member of Jonas Brothers and actor on Disney Channel Original Series JONAS and Camp Rock
 * Scarlett Keegan (1984– ) model and actress Playboy Playmate
 * Anna Kendrick (1985– ) father is Irish, actress/singer (Pitch Perfect, The Twilight Saga)
 * Beyoncé Knowles (1981– ) mother part Irish
 * Lindsay Lohan (1986– ) both parents part Irish — teen idol/pop singer/actress and her father Michael Lohan was born in County Galway
 * Michelle Lombardo (1983– ) actress and model
 * Jena Malone (1984– ) mother is of Irish descent
 * Kate Mara (1983– ) both parents part Irish — film and television actress, sister of Rooney Mara
 * Rooney Mara (1985– ) daughter of Timothy Christopher Mara, the vice president of player evaluation for the New York Giants, both parents part Irish — actor (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo)
 * Christopher Masterson (1980– )
 * Mandy Moore (1984– ) father of part Irish extraction — singer and actress
 * Frankie Muniz (1985– ) mother is half Irish  – film/television actor (My Dog Skip, Malcolm in the Middle)
 * Chord Overstreet (1989– ) part Irish
 * Penny Pax (1988– ) adult film actress
 * Sara Paxton (1988– ) father part Irish
 * Christina Ricci (1980– ) Italian (paternal grandfather) and Scotch-Irish descent
 * Julia Stiles (1981– ) part Irish
 * Emma Stone (1988– ) father part Irish
 * Jessica Sutta (1982– ) father Ashkenazi Jewish, mother of Irish descent — dancer/singer/actress (Pussycat Dolls)
 * Channing Tatum (1980– ) small amount of Irish
 * Jonathan Tucker (1982– ) father is of part Irish descent, mother Ashkenazi Jewish — actor
 * Olivia Wilde (1984– ) part Irish — actress/writer (House M.D.)

1970s

 * Amy Adams (1974– ) small amount of Irish ancestry
 * Ben Affleck (1972– ) part Irish — film actor/screenwriter/director
 * Casey Affleck (1975– ) part Irish
 * Mackenzie Astin (1973– ) son of Patty Duke, part Irish and brother of Sean Astin
 * Sean Astin (1971– ) mother is mostly of Irish descent
 * Jamie Bamber (1973– )
 * Elizabeth Banks (1974– ) part Irish
 * Drew Barrymore (1975– ) daughter of actor John Drew Barrymore, who was part Irish
 * Julie Bowen (1970– ) part Irish
 * Lara Flynn Boyle (1970– ) of Irish descent
 * Eddie Cahill (1978– ) father is of Irish descent – film/television actor (Miracle, CSI: NY)
 * Mariah Carey (1970– ) mother is of Irish descent, father is of African-American/Venezuelan descent – Pop/R&B singer/songwriter/actress
 * Holly Marie Combs (1973– ) parents are of Irish origin
 * Jennifer Connelly (1970– ) father is of Irish and Norwegian heritage, mother is Ashkenazi Jewish (from Poland and Russia)
 * Kevin M. Connolly (1974– )
 * Dane Cook (1972– ) part Irish — actor/comedian
 * Bradley Cooper (1975– ) father was of Irish descent
 * Emily Deschanel (1976– ) mother is of part Irish descent
 * Shannen Doherty (1971– ) father is of Irish descent — film/television actress
 * Daniel Hart Donoghue (1975– ) parents of Irish origin — film actor/screenwriter/director
 * Josh Duhamel (1972– ) small amount of Irish ancestry
 * Carmen Electra (1972– ) small amount of Irish ancestry
 * Jimmy Fallon (1974– ) mostly Irish
 * Heather Graham (1970– ) of 3/4 Irish descent
 * Carla Gugino (1971– ) mother is of part Irish descent
 * Alyson Hannigan (1974– ) father is of Irish descent, mother Ashkenazi Jewish — film/television actress (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, American Pie)
 * Angie Harmon (1972– ) father is of part Irish descent – film/television actress (Law & Order)
 * Josh Hartnett (1978– ) film actor, paternal grandfather was of Irish heritage (Black Hawk Down, 40 Days and 40 Nights, Sin City)
 * Katherine Heigl (1978– ) paternal grandmother was of Irish descent
 * Katie Holmes (1978– ) part Irish
 * Robert Kelly (1970– )
 * Jamie Kennedy (1970– ) comedian and actor (Ghost Whisperer, Son of the Mask, Scream)
 * Ashton Kutcher (1978– ) mother is of half Irish descent – film/television actor/prankster (That '70s Show)
 * Justin Long (1978– ) part Irish — actor
 * Eric Mabius (1971– ) father is part Irish
 * Rachael MacFarlane (1976– ) part Irish
 * Seth MacFarlane (1973– ) part Irish
 * Danny Masterson (1976– ) actor of Irish descent
 * Jenny McCarthy (1972– ) father is of Irish descent
 * Rose McGowan (1973– ) father is of Irish descent
 * Danica McKellar (1975– ) part Irish through her father
 * Jason Momoa (1979– ) mother was of Irish, German and Native American descent
 * Bridget Moynahan (1971– )
 * Brittany Murphy (1977–2009) mother was of Irish and Russian descent
 * Charlie O'Connell (1975– ) of half Irish descent
 * Jerry O'Connell (1974– ) of half Irish descent
 * Renee O'Connor (1971– ) television, film and stage actor/director/producer (Xena: Warrior Princess)
 * Chris O'Donnell (1970– ) father is of almost entirely Irish descent – film/television actor (NCIS: Los Angeles)
 * Jason O'Mara (1972– ) Irish born, now US citizen – actor (Life on Mars, Terra Nova)
 * Heather O'Rourke (1975–1988) father is of Irish ancestry – child actress (Poltergeist)
 * Ana Ortiz (1971– ) actress, mother is of Irish ancestry
 * Monica Potter (1971– )
 * Dominic Purcell (1970– ) actor of Irish and Norwegian descent (John Doe, Prison Break)
 * Maggie Q (1979– ) aka Margaret Denise Quigley, of Vietnamese and Polish/Irish descent, grew up in Hawaii
 * Zachary Quinto (1977– ) father of Italian descent, mother of Irish descent
 * Jeremy Renner (1971– ) mother is of part Irish descent – film actor (The Hurt Locker)
 * Robin Tunney (1972– )
 * Vince Vaughn (1970– ) distant Irish ancestry
 * Mark Wahlberg (1971– ) both parents were of partial Irish ancestry
 * Paul Walker (1973–2013 ) distant Irish ancestry
 * Luke Wilson (1971– ) (brother of Owen Wilson)

1960s

 * Jennifer Aniston (1969– ) mother has some Irish ancestry
 * Daniel Baldwin (1960– ) part Irish — actor, producer and director, one of the Baldwin brothers
 * Stephen Baldwin (1966– ) part Irish — actor, one of the Baldwin brothers
 * William Baldwin (1963– ) part Irish — film actor, one of the Baldwin brothers
 * Jennifer Beals (1963– ) mother is Irish American and father was African American— film/television actress (Flashdance, The L Word)
 * Halle Berry (1966– ) mother has distant Irish ancestry
 * Matthew Broderick (1962– ) father was mostly of Irish descent
 * Sandra Bullock (1964– ) father was part Irish
 * Edward Burns (1968– )
 * Dean Cain (1966– ) part Irish — actor
 * Jim Carrey (1962– ) mother was part Irish
 * James Caviezel (1968– ) mother of Irish descent — star of The Passion of the Christ
 * George Clooney (1961– ) father is part Irish — Academy Award-winning actor, director, producer and screenwriter
 * Stephen Colbert (1964– ) mostly Irish descent — actor, comedian, and journalist
 * Courteney Cox (1964– ) distant Irish ancestry
 * Tom Cruise (1962– ) father and mother were of partial Irish ancestry
 * John Cusack (1966– )
 * Kim Delaney (1961– ) Irish-American actress (NYPD Blue)
 * Patrick Dempsey (1966– ) part Irish — film and television actor (Grey's Anatomy)
 * Johnny Depp (1963– ) distant Irish ancestry — Academy Award-nominated American actor, former teen idol
 * Matt Dillon (1964– ) mostly Irish descent — Academy Award-nominated American actor, former teen idol
 * Robert Downey, Jr. (1965– ) his father is of one quarter Irish descent
 * Karen Duffy (1962– )
 * Emilio Estevez (1962– ) film/television actor and director, his father, Martin Sheen, is half-Irish Catholic on his mother's side
 * Ramon Estevez (1963– ) actor, son Martin Sheen
 * Renée Estevez (1967– ) actress, daughter of Martin Sheen
 * Chris Farley (1964–1997)
 * Will Ferrell (1967– ) distant Irish ancestry
 * Neil Flynn (1960– ) film and television actor. Noted for his role as "Janitor" in Scrubs.
 * Jorja Fox (1968– ) father is of Irish Canadian ancestry
 * Brendan Fraser (1968– ) part Irish
 * Janeane Garofalo (1964– ) is half-Irish, half-Italian
 * Paul Giamatti (1967– ) small amount of Irish ancestry
 * Lauren Graham (1967– ) father of Irish descent
 * Kathy Griffin (1960– )
 * Anthony Michael Hall (1968– ) part Irish — film/television actor, former teen star
 * Bonnie Hunt (1961– ) paternal grandfather of Irish descent — actress
 * Moira Kelly (1968– ) actress, Irish-Catholic
 * William Mapother (1965– ) part Irish (Tom Cruise's cousin) — actor (Lost)
 * Matthew McConaughey (1969– ) mother of part Irish descent — actor
 * Dylan McDermott (1961– ) father of Irish descent
 * Neal McDonough (1966– )
 * Dermot Mulroney (1963– ) of 7/8ths Irish ancestry — actor
 * Rosie O'Donnell (1962– )
 * Mike O'Malley (1966– )
 * Conan O'Brien (1963– ) Coco was raised in an Irish Catholic family
 * Tatum O'Neal (1963– ) part Irish, youngest actor to win an Oscar
 * Chris Penn (1965–2006) his mother was a Catholic of Irish and Italian descent
 * Sean Penn (1960– ) his mother was a Catholic of Irish and Italian descent
 * Matthew Perry (1969– ) part Irish
 * Ellen Pompeo (1969– ) of mostly Irish descent
 * John C. Reilly (1965– ) father was part Irish
 * Julia Roberts (1967– ) small amount of Irish ancestry
 * Molly Shannon (1964– )
 * Charlie Sheen (1965– ) his father, Martin Sheen, is half-Irish Catholic on his mother's side — film/television actor
 * Ben Stiller (1965– ) mother is of Irish descent
 * Courtney Thorne-Smith (1967– )
 * Maura Tierney (1965– )
 * Donnie Wahlberg (1969– ) both parents were of part Irish descent
 * Kate Walsh (1967– ) of Irish and Italian descent — actress/television
 * Andrew Wilson (1964– ) older brother Owen and Luke Wilson
 * Owen Wilson (1968– )

1950s

 * Alec Baldwin (1958– ) of part Irish descent — film/television actor, one of the Baldwin brothers
 * Pierce Brosnan (1953– ) actor (he is an American citizen since 2004)
 * Steve Buscemi (1957– ) mother part Irish
 * Lynda Carter (1951– ) father is of Irish descent — actress and singer
 * David Caruso (1956– ) mother is Irish-American, father is Italian-American — actor
 * Lenny Clarke (1953– )
 * Kevin Costner (1955– ) part Irish — actor
 * Tim Daly (1956– ) part Irish — stage, television and film actor, producer and director
 * Dana Delany (1956– ) stage, television and film actor, star of China Beach, Desperate Housewives and Body of Proof
 * Bo Derek (1956– )
 * Jeff Fahey (1952– ) (Lost)
 * Peter Gallagher (1955– )
 * Mel Gibson (1956– ) mostly Irish, his mother is an immigrant from Ireland — actor, director and producer
 * Mark Hamill (1951– ) part Irish
 * Patricia Heaton (1958– )
 * Marg Helgenberger (1958– ) of German and Irish ancestry
 * Nathan Lane (1956– )
 * Denis Leary (1957– )
 * Bill Maher (1956– ) father of Irish descent, mother Ashkenazi Jewish
 * James McCaffrey (1959– )
 * John C. McGinley (1959– )
 * Kate Mulgrew (1955– ) best known for her role as Captain Kathryn Janeway on Star Trek: Voyager, and Mary Ryan on the soap opera Ryan's Hope, about an Irish-American family
 * Bill Murray (1950– ) Academy Award-nominated, Emmy-winning and Golden Globe-winning comedian and actor
 * Michael O'Keefe (1955– )
 * Terry O'Quinn (1952– ) American actor best known for his role in Lost
 * Aidan Quinn (1959– )
 * Colin Quinn (1959– )
 * Tanya Roberts (1955– ) father of Irish descent – (Charlie's Angels, That '70s Show)
 * Mickey Rourke (1952– ) father of Irish descent
 * John Sayles (1950– ) part Irish — independent film director and writer, frequently takes a small part in his own and other indie films
 * Julia Sweeney (1959– )
 * John Travolta (1954– ) of Irish-Italian ancestry

1940s

 * Armand Assante (1949– ) film actor, mother was of Irish ancestry
 * Geraldine Chaplin (1944– ) part Irish
 * Bud Cort (1946– ) part Irish
 * Patrick Cronin (1941– )
 * Robert De Niro (1943– ) paternal grandmother was Helen O'Reilly, of Irish descent
 * Patrick Duffy (1949– ) known for playing Bobby Ewing in Dallas
 * Patty Duke (1946– ) mostly Irish — actress and mother of Sean and Mackenzie Astin
 * Leslie Easterbrook (1949– ) small amount of Irish ancestry
 * Joe Estevez (1946– ) actor and brother of Martin Sheen, mother was an immigrant from Ireland
 * Mia Farrow (1945– ) mother Irish-born
 * Harrison Ford (1942– ) paternal grandfather was Irish-American
 * Teri Garr (1944– ) paternal grandparents were Irish
 * Dennis Holahan (1942– ) actor
 * Diane Keaton (1946– ) paternal grandmother of Irish descent
 * Kevin Kline (1947– ) mother of Irish descent
 * Liza Minnelli (1946– ) mother, Judy Garland, had some Irish ancestry
 * Michael Moriarty (1941– )
 * Ryan O'Neal (1941– ) both parents of part Irish descent
 * Ed O'Neill (1946– ) most famous for his role as Al Bundy in the television series Married... with Children
 * Susan Sarandon (1946– ) father was of English, Irish, German, and Welsh ancestry
 * Martin Sheen (1940– ) mother was an immigrant from Ireland
 * Suzanne Somers (1946– )

1930s

 * Stephen Boyd (1931–1977)
 * Peter Boyle (1935–2006) father was of Irish descent
 * Eileen Brennan (1932–2013)
 * George Carlin (1937–2008)
 * Tim Conway (1933– ) father of Irish descent
 * James Dean (1931–1955) small amount of Irish ancestry
 * Brian Dennehy (1938– ) film/television/stage character actor
 * Donnie Dunagan (1934– ) child actor
 * Clint Eastwood (1930– ) small amount of Irish ancestry
 * Mike Farrell (1939– )
 * James Earl Jones (1931– ) part Irish
 * Malachy McCourt (1931– )
 * Bernie McInerney (1936– ) film/television/stage character actor
 * Jack Nicholson (1937– ) mother was of part Irish descent
 * Bryan O'Byrne (1931–2009) actor and acting coach
 * Robert Redford (1936– ) is of English, Irish, and Scots-Irish ancestry
 * Roy Scheider (1932–2008) mother was of Irish descent

1920s

 * Steve Allen (1921–2000)
 * Marlon Brando (1924–2004) both parents were of partial Irish ancestry
 * Jack Cassidy (1927–1976) father was of Irish descent
 * Rosemary Clooney (1928–2002) both grandfathers were Irish-American
 * Charles Durning (1923–2012) parents were ethnic Irish
 * Judy Garland (1922–1969) maternal grandmother was an immigrant from Ireland
 * Grace Kelly (1929–1982) father was of Irish ancestry
 * Jack Kelly (1927–1992) Irish descent — film/television actor (Maverick)
 * Jack Lord (1920–1998) film/stage/television actor
 * Theo Marcuse (1920–1967) mother of Irish descent
 * Patrick McGoohan (1928–2009)
 * Anne Meara (1929– ) comedian and actress, partner and wife of Jerry Stiller
 * Marilyn Monroe (1926–1962) part Irish
 * Cleo Moore (1924–1973)
 * Carroll O'Connor (1924–2001)
 * Donald O'Connor (1925–2003)
 * Maureen O'Hara (1920–2015) immigrant from Ireland
 * Eileen Ryan (1927– ) father was Italian-American, mother was Irish-American
 * Maureen Stapleton (1925–2006) Oscar-winning film/stage/television actress
 * Gene Tierney (1920–1991) stage/film actress

1910s

 * Lucille Ball (1911–1989) mother was of partial Irish ancestry
 * Art Carney (1918–2003)
 * Geraldine Fitzgerald (1913–2005)
 * Jackie Gleason (1916–1987) of mostly Irish descent
 * Susan Hayward (1917–1975) part Irish
 * Rita Hayworth (1918–1987) mother, showgirl Volga Hayworth, was of part Irish descent
 * Gene Kelly (1912–1996) part Irish
 * Arthur Kennedy (1914–1990)
 * Dorothy Lamour (1914–1996) part Irish
 * Burt Lancaster (1913–1994) parents of Northern Irish Protestant descent
 * Edmond O'Brien (1915–1985)
 * Virginia O'Brien (1919–2001)
 * Maureen O'Sullivan (1911–1998) born in Ireland, naturalized citizen
 * Gregory Peck (1916–2003) paternal grandmother was Irish
 * Tyrone Power (1914–1958) actor, father was of partial Irish ancestry
 * Anthony Quinn (1915–2001) paternal grandfather was of Irish ancestry
 * Ronald Reagan (1911–2004) father was of Irish descent. Before entering politics, Reagan was a popular motion picture actor, as well as head of the Screen Actors Guild, a television actor, an announcer for the Chicago Cubs, and a motivational speaker

1900s

 * Lon Chaney Jr. (1906–1973) part Irish
 * Joan Crawford (1903–1977) maternal grandmother was of Irish descent
 * Bing Crosby (1903–1977) mother was of Irish descent
 * James Dunn (1905–1967)
 * Errol Flynn (1909–1959) part Irish
 * Eddie Foy Jr. (1905–1983)
 * Clark Gable (1901–1960) part Irish on mother's side
 * Greer Garson (1904–1996) mother was from Ireland, naturalized citizen
 * Helen Hayes (1900–1993) mother was of Irish descent
 * John Huston (1906–1987) part Irish
 * Helen Kane (1904–1966) mother, Ellen, was a direct Irish immigrant (Census records, 1910, 1920, 1930)
 * Irene Ryan (1902–1973) mother came from Ireland — (The Beverly Hillbillies)
 * Barbara Stanwyck (1907–1990) part Irish
 * Spencer Tracy (1900–1967) father was of Irish descent

1890s

 * Gracie Allen (1895–1964) actress, comedian who became internationally famous as the zany partner of husband George Burns
 * James Cagney (1899–1986) mostly of Irish descent
 * Buster Keaton (1895–1966) small amount of Irish ancestry
 * Pat O'Brien (1899–1983)

1880s

 * Walter Brennan (1884–1974)
 * Lon Chaney Sr. (1883–1930) part Irish

1870s

 * Sara Allgood (1879–1950) Oscar-nominated Irish-born actress
 * George M. Cohan (1878–1942)

1850s

 * Eddie Foy (1856–1928)

1830s

 * William E. Sheridan (1839–1887) stage actor, played the first American Beamish McCloud in Dion Boucicault’s Arrah Na Pouge (1865).

1820s

 * Barney Williams (1824–1876) actor-comedian