Stephen Clinch
| Stephen Clinch | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1969/1970 Dublin, Ireland |
| (aged 52) (aged 52) | |
| 💼 Occupation | Actor |
| 📆 Years active | 2011-2022 |
| Known for | |
| Criminal penalty | 4 1/2 years in prison |
Stephen Clinch was an Irish actor and former heroin addict from Darndale, Dublin. He appeared in several high profile Irish Film & Television productions, including Love/Hate, King of the Travellers, Between the Canals, Cardboard Gangsters and Darklands. He was a frequent collaborator with Director Mark O'Connor and often starred alongside actors John Connors and Peter Coonan.
Early life
Clinch was born in Dublin, Ireland. From a young age, he was involved in small crime and became addicted to heroin. He admitted he thought prison to be a 'dosshouse' when he was younger, but quickly discovered what it was really like when he was sentenced to jail.[1] While in prison, Clinch vowed to get clean and started taking acting lessons and sang in the prison choir.[2]
Acting career
Stephen got his first acting role in the 2011 feature Between the Canals, directed by Mark O'Connor and starring opposite Peter Coonan. Clinch and Coonan would star against one another again in the television series Love/Hate. Stephen quickly became a household name for his performance as 'Noely', most infamously being known as the character to rape Fran (Coonan's character) with a pool cue. Coonan revealed the idea for the scene had actually come from Stephen himself, who was taking inspiration from what he'd witness during his own time in prison.[3]
Stephen would go on to work with Coonan a further two times, starring against him in Stalker and King of the Travellers, both released in 2012 and directed by Mark O'Connor. It was on these films that Stephen would start working with an upcoming John Connors, who he would work with again in the critically acclaimed Cardboard Gangsters.[4] In 2019, Clinch appeared in the television series 'Darklands', with this marking his fourth time working with Mark O'Connor. Clinch also starred in the movie 'Jack and Ralph Plan a Murder' in 2014[5] and in the TV3 series 'Darndale-Edge of the Town'.
Return to crime
In 2015, the Irish Independent reported that Stephen Clinch had been arrested alongside another man, for an attempted armed robbery of €50,000 from a bar in Dublin.[6] This was the first crime Clinch had committed in over 14 years and he would later express his regret, admitting he was on methadone at the time and claiming he simply 'drifted back into the madness', due to an €8,000 debt he had built up. [7] Clinch claimed he didn't know the gun was loaded and hadn't wanted to commit the crime in the first place. He also expressed he deepest apologies to the security guard he held at gunpoint.[8] Clinch was sentenced to 4 1/2 years in prison but was released on bail.[9] In total, Clinch has had 17 convictions.[citation needed]
Death
On 24 May 2022, Stephen Clinch died suddenly of a heart attack at the age of 52.[10] The funeral took place on 30 May in Dublin.[11] long time acting friend John Connors attended the funeral, giving a speech. He claimed Clinch 'Never acted a day in his life' and said he was one of the realist people to work with. Director Mark O'Connor referred to Clinch as 'an incredible actor' and 'one of the funniest people you could ever meet', revealing that Clinch never asked to be paid for any of his roles in O'Connors films.[12]
Darklands co-star Robbie Breen said Stephen was a character 'on and off the set'. His family adknowledged that Clinch had made mistakes in his life, but stressed they wanted him to be remembered for his work with youth groups, as Stephen had spent much time warning young people about the dangers of addiction. [13] Peter Coonan tweeted about Clinch's tragic passing, remembering fond moments with his former co-star. [10]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Between the Canals | Limbo (as Stephen Cinch) | Feature |
| 2012 | Stalker | Sausage | Feature |
| 2012 | King of the Travellers | Scully | Feature |
| 2013-2014 | Love/Hate | Noely | TV Series |
| 2014 | Jack and Ralph Plan a Murder | Pato | Feature |
| 2014 | Rebirth: The Story of Stephen Clinch | Protagonist | Short |
| 2014 | Darndale-Edge of the Town | Self | TV Series |
| 2015 | These Dog Days | Man with Dog | Short |
| 2016 | Solid | Darren | Short |
| 2017 | Cardboard Gangsters | Ross Kelly | Feature |
| 2017 | The Legend of Harry and Ambrose | Paddy McPaddyman | Feature |
| 2019 | Darklands | Bernard | TV Series |
| 2022 | Creep Hunters | Steen | Short |
External Links
References
- ↑ MacNamee, Garreth (5 October 2014). "Love/Hate actor Stephen Clinch's life hooked on heroin: 'Years ago people would've come at me with baseball bats, now they have cameras'". Irish Mirror. Retrieved 13 February 2026.
- ↑ "Love/Hate actor Stephen Clinch finds new hobby singing in the Mountjoy Jail choir". The Irish Sun. 4 April 2019. Retrieved 13 February 2026.
- ↑ Ryan, Nicky (11 November 2014). "Peter Coonan found Love/Hate rape 'hard to watch, but the scene made sense'". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 13 February 2026.
- ↑ Murphy, Niall (12 February 2016). "Irish Film Preview: Mark O'Connor's Cardboard Gangsters". Retrieved 13 February 2026.
- ↑ Murphy, Niall (19 December 2013). "Great trailer for Jeff Doyle's new Irish film Jack and Ralph Plan a Murder". Scannain. Retrieved 13 February 2026.
- ↑ Phelan, Andrew (13 May 2015). "Love/Hate actor charged with carrying out €50k robbery in Dublin bar". Irish Independent. Retrieved 13 February 2026.
- ↑ Ferguson, Fiona (5 April 2016). "Man who stole €50k with Love/Hate star jailed for four years". Irish Independent. Retrieved 13 February 2026.
- ↑ "Love/Hate star Stephen Clinch reveals deep regret over holding loaded gun to security worker's head in €50,000 hotel raid". The Irish Sun. 16 June 2019. Retrieved 13 February 2026.
- ↑ Tuite, Tom (26 August 2015). "Love/Hate's Stephen Clinch freed on bail over alleged robbery". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 7 January 2016. Retrieved 13 February 2026. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Tributes paid to Love/Hate actor Stephen Clinch". RTÉ. 25 May 2022. Archived from the original on 7 June 2023. Retrieved 13 February 2026. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "'He actually never acted a day in his life, he was real', friends pay funeral tributes to Love/Hate actor Stephen Clinch". Irish Independent. 30 May 2022. Retrieved 13 February 2026.
- ↑ "Love/Hate star Stephen Clinch dies suddenly as tributes pour in from devastated fans and funeral details revealed". The Irish Sun. 24 May 2022. Retrieved 13 February 2026.
- ↑ Cullen, Roisin; Kane, Robbie (30 May 2022). "Funeral mass remembers 'natural born entertainer' Stephen Clinch". Dublin Live. Archived from the original on 18 July 2024. Retrieved 13 February 2026. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help)
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