Imported From Ireland

Irish actors Colin Farrell (left) and Brendan Gleeson attend the opening of the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival at the Savoy in Dublin Feb. 15, 2008. Farrell was among the stars attending the festival, where more than 100 movies were screened ove 10 days. The Dubliner's latest project is "In Bruges" - a dark comedy brought to the screen by first-time director Martin McDonagh.

Saoirse Ronan

Saoirse Ronan, nominated for an Oscar for best actress in a supporting role for her work in "Atonement," arrives for the 80th Academy Awards Sunday, Feb. 24, 2008, in Los Angeles. The young actress, born in New York to Irish parents, was raised in Ireland. Her latest big screen role is in "Death Defying Acts."

Pierce Brosnan

Actor Pierce Brosnan listens to Democratic presidential hopefuls Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., and Barack Obama, D-Ill., during the Democratic presidential debate at the Kodak Theater in Los Angeles Thursday, Jan. 31, 2008. The Irish-American actor, film producer and environmentalist is best known for his portrayal of fictional secret agent James Bond in four films.

Liam Neeson

British atress Natasha Richardson and her husband, Irish actor Liam Neeson, arrive at the Conde Nast Traveler Readers Choice awards at the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2007, in New York.

Jonathan Rhys Meyers

Irish actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers collects his award for Best Leading Actor at the Gaiety Theatre for the 5th Annual Irish Film and Television Awards Dublin, Ireland, Sunday, Feb. 17, 2008

Gabriel Byrne

Actor Gabriel Byrne is shown at New York's Studio 54 Nov. 22, 2005, where he was rehearsing for the play "A Touch of the Poet." The star of stage, screen and TV -- he currently stars as a therapist in the HBO series "In Treatment" -- has also produced three pictures and wrote two.

Stuart Townsend

South African-born actress Charlize Theron and Irish actor Stuart Townsend arrive at the premiere of "Sleepwalking" during the Sundance Film Festival, Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2008, in Park City, Utah. The couple met on the set of their film, "Trapped," in 2002.

Cillian Murphy

Irish actors Liam Cunningham, left, and Cillian Murphy arrive for the screening of "The Wind That Shakes the Barley," at the 59th International film festival in Cannes, southern France, on Thursday, May 18, 2006.

Bono

Rock musician and activist Bono speaks during a working session at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Thursday Jan. 24, 2008. The frontman of the Irish band U2, Bono appeared in the 2007 musical film "Across the Universe." He played "Dr. Robert," an anti-war shaman and performed several Beatles songs.

Oscar-winning actor Daniel Day-Lewis was born and reared in London but assumed Irish citizenship in 1993. He lives in that country's County Wicklow. He won Oscars in 2008 for "There Will Be Blood" and in

Kenneth Branagh

Actor Kenneth Branagh, arrives for the world premiere of "Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets," in London, Nov. 3, 2002. Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, the Oscar nominated actor and director is probably best known for his film adaptations of the works of William Shakespeare, beginning with "Henry V," "Much Ado About Nothing," "Love's Labour's Lost," "Hamlet, and "As You Like It."

David Kelly

Character actor David Kelly, pictured at the Screen Actors Guild Awards on March 7, 1999, cycled nude in "Waking Ned Devine" and played Grandpa Joe in the 2005 adaptation of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." He was 82 when he died on Feb. 12 2012. His acting career spanned more than a a half-century. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Michael Fassbinder

Actor Michael Fassbinder, seen promoting "Shame" at the 68th Venice Film Festival on Sept. 4, 2011, was born in Germany and reared in County Kerry, in southwest Ireland. His mother is from Northern Ireland. He was been nomiated for a numbe r of awards for his starring roles in "Shame"' and opposite Viggo Mortensen in "A Dangerous Method."

Dublin- born actor Michael Gambon is seen at the U.K. premiere of his movie, "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" in London, May 30, 2004. He is best known for playing Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter movies.