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Steve Wall
Steve Wall
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Steve Wall is a musician, singer, songwriter and actor. He is a founder member of the multi-platinum selling Irish band The Stunning and also The Walls.

Key Information

As an actor, Wall is known for his roles in Moone Boy (2012–2015), Vikings (2014–2016), Rebellion (2016), Raised by Wolves (2020), The Witcher (2020), and The English (2022). He played the jazz musician Chet Baker in My Foolish Heart (2018), a Dutch feature film about the trumpeter's last days in Amsterdam.

Early life and education

[edit]

Steve Wall was born in Kingsbury Hospital, Honeypot Lane,[4] the first of five children of Patricia (née Keogh) of the Liberties, Dublin, and Vincent Wall of Ennistymon, County Clare.[5] Four of the children were born in London and while still young, the family moved back to Ireland, living first with the Keogh family in Harolds Cross.[6][7] He has two brothers, Joseph and Vincent (born in County Clare), and two sisters, Anna and Helen. His mother's family home was full of records and sing-songs were regular, with uncles and aunts singing everything from Cole Porter to The Beatles and Ella Fitzgerald. This is where Wall says he discovered his love of music.[7][8][9]

Wall attended several schools in Dublin - St. Louis Junior School, Rathmines; St. Joseph's National School, Terenure; and Templeogue College, where he left after the first year as the family moved to Ennistymon, County Clare, when he was thirteen.[7][8] He spent his teenage years in Ennistymon and attended the Christian Brothers school there.[10] Following that he went to the Galway Regional Technical College,[7] where he joined a new wave band called New Testament as guitarist.[7]

Career

[edit]
Taking a break between takes on the set of 'My Foolish Heart'. Filmed on location around Amsterdam in 2016, the film was released in early 2018. A lot of prosthetic make-up was involved to age Steve, as Chet looked much older than his 58 years when he died in 1988.
Steve Wall as Chet Baker on the set of My Foolish Heart.

Acting

[edit]

While still at school in the west of Ireland, Wall developed an interest in acting and applied unsuccessfully to the main London drama schools.[9][11] When college band New Testament went their separate ways in 1984,[12] Wall approached the Druid Theatre Company, Galway for work.[13] He had a small walk-on part in the 1984 production of Tom Murphy's On the Outside directed by Paul Brennan.[14] He spent two years at Druid working as a trainee actor, stage assistant and sound operator, working on shows Conversations on a Homecoming and 'Tis Pity She's a Whore.[15][7][16] He then moved to Dublin to pursue an acting career but after an unsuccessful year of finding work he decided to turn back to music and formed The Stunning in 1987.[13][16][11] He still performs today with The Stunning and The Walls.[9][7]

He returned to acting in 2010 by attending acting workshops in The Factory, Dublin, now known as Bow Street Acting Academy.[13] He scored his first role as Uncle Danny in the series Moone Boy for Sky TV and then went on to land parts in other TV series such as Vikings, Warrior, The Witcher, Raised by Wolves, Tin Star, and The South Westerlies.[7][13] He landed the role of Chet Baker in the Dutch arthouse feature film My Foolish Heart about the jazz legend's final days in Amsterdam where he died in 1988.[17] He featured in the 2022 western miniseries The English (BBC/Amazon) featuring Emily Blunt and Chaske Spencer, in which he plays the cowboy Thin Kelly.[18]

Denis Villeneuve cast him as Bashar, a Colonel-General of the Sardaukar in Dune: Part Two which premiered on 1 March 2024.[19]

Wall was offered the role of Pats Bocock in the Gaiety Theatre's production of the John B. Keane play Sive. It was his first stage performance. It opened on 27 January 2024 and ran until 16 March 2024.[20]

He has also done voiceover work.[21]

Music

[edit]

Wall formed The Stunning in Galway in 1987.[22] The band was hugely successful in Ireland with number one albums and top ten singles.[22][23][24] Frustrated at not getting their music released internationally despite success at home, the band broke up in 1994.[7][24][23] The following year, Wall and his brother Joe formed The Walls. They signed to Columbia Records in 1996 and relocated to London,[25] spending two years there before moving to Dublin in 1998 and starting their own label Earshot Records, later changing it to Dirtbird Records.[26][27] They released three albums on their own label -  Hi-Lo (2000),[27] New Dawn Breaking (2005), Stop the Lights (2012) as well as EPs and singles including the top ten hit "To the Bright and Shining Sun" and "Drowning Pool",[28][23] which featured in the film Begin Again.[29] The band toured extensively and opened for acts such as U2, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Bob Dylan, and Crowded House.[26][23]

In 2003 The Stunning reformed in order to promote the re-issue of the band's debut album Paradise in the Picturehouse on their own Dirtbird Records label. The resulting tour was a success, sending the album to the top of the charts again almost ten years later.[22][23] In 2017 they released "Brighten up my Life", their first new single in 24 years.[25][30] This was followed by the album Twice Around the World, which peaked at number ten in the Irish mainstream album charts [31][25] and number one in the independent charts on 23 March 2018.[32] The Stunning continue to play live today, while Wall and Joe sometimes perform as a two-piece as The Walls.[23]

In April 2021, Wall collaborated with Clare-based musician Simon O'Reilly on the song "Rise with the Sun". It was during the pandemic, so the two collaborated by sharing files online, with O'Reilly recording the music and mixing the song in his studio near Lahinch, County Clare and Wall recording vocals and some extra instrumentation in Dublin.[33][2]

The Stunning have been performing regularly in Ireland since their reformation in 2003, headlining festivals and shows around the country. Notable events include the Big Top at the Galway International Arts Festival (2018, 2022, 2025);[34][35][36] King John's Castle, Limerick;[35][36] annual shows at the Three Olympia Theatre, Dublin;[35][36] Forest Fest, Co Laois;[35][36] Night and Day Festival, Co. Roscommon 2025.[35][36]

Filmography

[edit]

Film

[edit]
Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2000 Country Showband Singer
2013 Dark Touch Matthew Collins Credited as Stephen Wall [37]
2015 You're Ugly Too Lawyer
2016 Minutes Past Midnight Peter Segment: "Ghost Train"
2017 Nails Steve Milgrom [38]
2018 My Foolish Heart Chet Baker [39]
2019 The Hole in the Ground Rob [40]
2020 Fried Barry Little Beast [41]
Here Are the Young Men Police Sergeant
2023 Barber Eddie Quinn [42]
Dead Shot Quinn [43]
2024 Dune: Part Two Bashar [19]
Oddity Ivan [44]

Television

[edit]
Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2012–2015 Moone Boy Uncle Danny / Daniel /
Danny Moone
4 episodes [7]
2014–2016 Vikings Uncle Einar 7 episodes [45]
2015 Silent Witness D.C.S Robert Drake 2 episodes [46]
Crossing Lines Dominic Fitzroy 2 episodes [47]
2015–2017 An Klondike Same Steele a.k.a. Dominion Creek; 8 episodes [48]
2016 Rebellion Detective Coleman 5 episodes [49]
2019 Warrior Gresham 2 episodes [50]
The Witcher Boholt Episode: "Rare Species" [51]
2020 Raised by Wolves Ambrose 2 episodes [7]
The South Westerlies Baz 6 episodes [52]
Tin Star Sean McGrath Episode: "Commitment" [53]
Rig 45 James 6 episodes
2022 The English Thin Kelly 5 episodes [52]
2024 Harry Wild Vincent 'Dutch' Holland Episode: "Too Many Harrys Spoil the Murder"
Signora Volpe Nick Wallis / Graham Conway Episode: "Death of a Ghost"
Black Doves Frank Young 2 episodes [54]

Stage

[edit]

Sive by John B.Keane. Gaiety Theatre, Dublin. 27 January – 16 March 2024[55]

Narration

[edit]
  • The Irish Mob (2000) TV miniseries

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia
from Grokipedia
Steve Wall (born 26 August 1968) is an Irish , , and , best known as the co-founder and of the rock bands and The Walls. Born in and raised in and Ennistymon, , Wall has built a multifaceted career spanning music and screen acting, marked by commercial success and critical acclaim in Ireland and internationally. Wall co-founded in 1987 with his brother Joe Wall and other members in Galway, , blending rock, soul, and Irish folk influences into melodic, guitar-driven songs. The band's debut album, Paradise in the Picturehouse (1990), topped the Irish charts for five weeks and achieved multi-platinum status, propelled by hits like "Brewing Up a ." Their follow-up, the World (1992), also reached number one and went multi-platinum, solidifying as one of 's hardest-working bands with over 100,000 albums sold. After disbanding in 1994, Wall and his brother formed The Walls in 1998, releasing successful albums like Hi-Lo (2000) and New Dawn Breaking (2005), which peaked at number five on the Irish charts. Transitioning to acting in the early , Wall gained recognition for roles including Einar in the historical drama across three seasons and Thin Kelly in the /Amazon series The English. His film credits feature the role of Bashar, a Sardaukar commander, in Denis Villeneuve's Dune: Part Two (2024), as well as appearances in Raised by Wolves (2020), (2020), and the horror film Oddity (2024), for which he earned a Best nomination at the 2025 Awards. More recently, Wall portrayed Frank in the Netflix thriller series (2024) and joined the cast of the action-comedy film Kung Fu Deadly (2025). Wall continues to perform with , which reunited in 2003, and maintains an active presence in both music festivals and screen projects.

Early life and education

Family and childhood

Steve Wall was born in , , in the early 1960s to Irish parents Vincent Wall, originally from , and Patricia Wall, from Dublin's Liberties area, who had relocated to for work opportunities. As the eldest of five children, Wall grew up alongside siblings including brothers Joe and Vincent, and sisters Anna and Helen, in a close-knit family that emphasized Irish heritage despite their initial residence. In 1967, when Wall was around five years old, the family returned to , settling in Dublin's neighborhood where his father took a job at Arnott's . This move immersed the children in Dublin's urban Irish culture from an early age, with his mother introducing him to local landmarks like St. Patrick's Park during family outings. The family later relocated again in 1974 to , —his father's hometown—to manage a grandfather's shoe shop, marking a significant shift to rural life when Wall was about 12 or 13. These relocations shaped Wall's formative years, exposing him to contrasting environments that deepened his connection to Irish roots, from Dublin's vibrant city life to the tight-knit Clare community. The move to , in particular, introduced him to the west of Ireland's cultural traditions, including local and social gatherings, fostering an early appreciation for Irish artistic influences. This background laid the groundwork for his later creative pursuits, sparking an initial interest in during his teenage years in Clare.

Education

Wall began his education in , attending St. Joseph's National School in for primary school after his family relocated from when he was five years old. He later progressed to College for , where he was settling in around age 13 before his family's move to , . Following the relocation to his father's hometown in , Wall attended Ennistymon, a Christian Brothers , during his teenage years. In the early 1980s, he enrolled at Galway Regional Technical College (now part of ) to study , though he ultimately dropped out to pursue artistic interests. During his college years, Wall formed his initial foray into music by joining the punk-New Wave band in 1982 as a , alongside art student Eamonn Dowd, while the group performed in Galway. Wall received limited formal acting training, instead gaining early experience through practical involvement in theater after leaving college. In the early 1980s, following the dissolution of , he joined the Theatre Company in Galway, initially handling backstage work but securing small acting roles in productions.

Personal life

Immediate family

Steve Wall lives with his long-term partner in , , in a house he purchased in 1999 and moved into the following year. He and his partner have one daughter, Tuccia, born in 2006 at Holles Street Hospital in . Wall maintains strong ties to the west coast of , particularly , where his family relocated when he was 13, influencing his personal life and creative work. Wall's provides essential grounding amid his dual careers in music and acting, with the birth of his daughter marking a pivotal shift in priorities that reduced work-related stress and emphasized focus. This familial support enables him to balance commitments, such as touring with —co-founded with his brother Joe—and taking on acting roles in international productions.

Significant events and tragedies

In March 2017, Steve Wall's family endured a devastating car crash on the N85 road near Ballyea South, Inagh, , , when his younger brother Vincent, then aged 39, swerved to avoid an oncoming truck while driving his daughter Estlin to crèche. Estlin, Wall's niece who was nearly four years old, suffered fatal injuries and died days later in Temple Street Children's University Hospital, , while in her mother Amy's arms after life support was withdrawn. Vincent sustained severe brain injuries, leaving him unconscious initially and facing long-term challenges with mobility, balance, vision, , and memory, though he survived and underwent extensive recovery supported by family. The tragedy compounded when Wall's mother, , who had been in remission from cancer, saw her condition return aggressively amid the grief of losing Estlin, a she had often cared for and doted on. died in 2018 at University Hospital Limerick, an event Wall has attributed to a "" from the overwhelming sorrow. Wall has publicly reflected on the period spanning 2017 to 2018 as a "year ," describing persistent flashbacks, emotional trauma, and the difficulty of processing the losses while supporting his family. In interviews, he has expressed that the events left a profound impact, noting, "I don’t know if I’ve come to terms with it all yet. I just keep busy all the time," highlighting the ongoing resilience required amid the . No significant health issues have been reported for Wall himself during this time.

Career

Music career

Steve Wall formed the rock band in Galway in 1987, initially as a vehicle to channel his songwriting and performance talents amid limited opportunities in Ireland. The band quickly gained traction with their energetic live shows, debuting at the Hilltop Hotel in and releasing early singles that captured a mix of rock, country, and influences. Wall served as and primary songwriter, contributing to the band's distinctive sound alongside his brother Joe Wall on bass and other members including Derek Murray on guitar and Jimmy Higgins on trumpet and keyboards. The Stunning achieved multi-platinum success in Ireland with their debut album Paradise in the Picturehouse, released in 1990, which spent five weeks at number one on the Irish charts and featured hit singles such as "Brewing Up a Storm," "Romeo's on Fire," and "Half Past Two." These tracks, all top 10 entries, propelled the band to national stardom, with the album selling over 100,000 copies and earning widespread acclaim for its raw energy and Wall's emotive lyrics. Follow-up efforts like the 1992 album Once Around the World sustained their popularity, leading to sold-out tours across Ireland, though international breakthroughs proved elusive. The band disbanded in 1994 after three albums, amid frustrations with the music industry. In 2003, reformed to promote a reissued edition of Paradise in the Picturehouse on their own Dirtbird Records label, sparking an 18-date tour that became one of Ireland's highest-grossing at the time and reigniting fan loyalty. This revival culminated in the 2018 release of Twice Around the World, a re-recorded version of their second album, which peaked at number 10 on the Irish Albums Chart and number one on the Independent Chart, driven by Wall's enduring songwriting and the band's polished live performances. The reformation highlighted Wall's role as the creative force, with hits like "Everything That Rises" remaining staples in their of top 10 singles and multi-platinum sales exceeding 300,000 units in Ireland overall. In 2024, released their album We Come Alive. After The Stunning's initial breakup, Wall and his brother Joe began working on new music, signing to in 1996 and relocating briefly to to develop their sound, before officially forming The Walls in 1998. As lead singer and chief songwriter, Wall infused the band with introspective rock elements, leading to their debut album Hi-Lo in 2000, which included singles like "Bone Deep" and "Something's Wrong." Subsequent releases, including New Dawn Breaking (2005, peaking at number 5 on the Irish charts) and Stop the Lights (2012), showcased their evolution toward atmospheric , with sold-out Irish tours and critical praise for Wall's vocal delivery and lyrical depth. The Walls released Stray Sparks in 2023. The Walls' discography emphasizes Wall's songwriting credits across themes of resilience and introspection, contributing to over 100,000 album sales in Ireland. Wall shifted focus toward acting in the 2010s while maintaining sporadic musical output and festival appearances with . He has credited as the foundation of his career, with occasional post-2020 singles and collaborations underscoring his ongoing commitment to songwriting and performance.

Acting career

Wall's involvement in the began in the early 1980s after he moved to Galway, where he joined the Druid Theatre Company and took on backstage roles, including assistant stage manager and sound operator, while harboring ambitions to act. Although he initially pursued a music career, his vocal experience from singing informed his later narration work, such as voicing the documentary series The Irish Mob starting in 2008, which examined the history of Irish-American . Wall made his professional acting debut in 2012 as Uncle Danny in the comedy-drama series , a role that represented a breakthrough and introduced him to a wider through its blend of humor and heartfelt family dynamics. This performance led to steady opportunities in Irish television, including early appearances in productions that highlighted his versatility in dramatic roles. Building on this momentum, he transitioned to international projects, notably portraying the warrior across three seasons of the History Channel's from 2014 to 2016, where he contributed to the series' depiction of Norse sagas and political intrigue. In 2016, Wall starred as Detective Coleman, a cunning G-man, in RTÉ's historical miniseries Rebellion, earning praise for his intense portrayal amid the Easter Rising events. His career continued to gain global traction with supporting roles such as Ambrose, a high-ranking Mithraic officer, in HBO Max's sci-fi series Raised by Wolves (2020), and Boholt, the brutal leader of the Crinfrid Reavers, in Netflix's The Witcher (2020). These performances showcased his ability to embody complex antagonists in high-stakes narratives. Wall's recent work reflects a shift toward major Hollywood productions, including the rugged outlaw Thin Kelly in the /Amazon Western The English (2022), the Sardaukar commander Bashar in Denis Villeneuve's Dune: Part Two (2024), the supernatural skeptic in the Oddity (2024), for which he received a Best Supporting Actor nomination at the 2025 Awards, and the protective father Frank Young in Netflix's espionage thriller (2024). In 2025, he joined the cast of the film Kung Fu Deadly. This progression from indie Irish television to blockbuster films underscores his adaptability and rising prominence in the industry, with consistent critical recognition for his commanding screen presence.

Stage work

Steve Wall's involvement in theatre began in 1984 when, following the disbandment of his college band , he joined the Druid Theatre Company in Galway as a trainee . There, he spent a couple of years performing tiny roles, serving as a sound operator, assistant stage manager, and understudy, immersing himself in the Irish dramatic tradition championed by Druid's focus on works by playwrights like Tom Murphy. This early experience, which included contributions to productions such as Conversations on a , marked his initial foray into live performance, though his on-stage remained minimal amid backstage duties. Wall's theatre career paused as he prioritized music with and later screen acting, resulting in limited but purposeful stage work that connected back to Ireland's rich theatrical heritage. He returned to after decades in 2024, portraying the traveller Pats Bocock in John B. Keane's Sive, a revival directed by Andrew Flynn at Dublin's Gaiety Theatre. The production, which ran from January 27 to March 16, 2024, for 56 performances, drew acclaim for its ensemble, with Wall's role as the opportunistic matchmaker highlighting his commanding presence in live theatre. This return to underscored the enduring appeal of Keane's exploration of rural , where Wall's performance added depth to the character's manipulative charm.

Filmography

Film

YearTitleDirectorRole
2013Dark TouchMarina de VanMatthew Collins
2013Lee CroninPeter
2015You're Ugly TooMark MahonLawyer
2016GridlockIan ClarkLiam
2016Minutes Past MidnightVarious (anthology)Peter (segment "")
2017Dennis HauckSteve Milgrom
2018My Foolish HeartDavid Gleeson
2019The Hole in the GroundLee CroninRob
2020Ryan KrugerLittle Beast
2020Eoin MackenPolice Sergeant
2023Dead ShotTom BransonQuinn
2023BarberBenjamin ButtenbenderEddie Quinn
2024OddityDamian Mc CarthyIvan (IFTA-nominated for Best Supporting Actor, 2025)
2024Dune: Part TwoBashar

Television

Wall's television career began with his debut in the Irish-British comedy series , where he portrayed the eccentric Uncle Danny across three seasons from 2012 to 2015. This role marked his entry into after a background in music, appearing in multiple episodes as the brother of the protagonist's father. In 2013, he guest-starred as Dominic Fitzroy in the international co-production , a crime drama series airing on and , in one episode focused on cross-border investigations. The following year, Wall appeared in the History Channel's as , a , across five episodes in seasons 2–4. His performance highlighted his ability to embody rugged, period-specific characters in this Canadian-Irish co-production. Wall took on a more prominent recurring role in 2016 as Detective Coleman, a "G" man (British intelligence operative), in the five-part RTÉ miniseries Rebellion, which dramatized the 1916 Easter Rising from multiple perspectives. This Irish-Finnish co-production featured him in all episodes, showcasing his portrayal of a morally complex during Ireland's fight for independence. Transitioning to international fantasy, Wall played Boholt, the leader of the mercenary Crinfrid Reavers, in Netflix's season 1 (2019), appearing in the episode "Bottled Appetites" as part of a dragon-hunting band. This role in the Polish-American adaptation of Andrzej Sapkowski's novels expanded his visibility in high-profile streaming series. In , Wall had a busy year with several guest and supporting roles. He portrayed , a high-ranking Mithraic officer, in two episodes of HBO Max's sci-fi series Raised by Wolves, created by and executive produced by , amid the show's exploration of religious conflict on a distant planet. That same year, he appeared as Baz in six episodes of RTÉ's comedy-drama The South Westerlies, playing a local figure in a coastal town facing economic and social tensions. Additionally, in the Irish miniseries Rig 45 (season 2), he played James across all six episodes, contributing to the thriller's narrative of deep-sea drilling perils. Wall also guest-starred as Sean McGrath in one episode ("Commitment") of season 3 of /Amazon's , a British-Canadian crime drama starring . In 2022, Wall featured as Thin Kelly in the six-part BBC/Prime Video miniseries The English, a Western co-produced by the and , portraying a key antagonist opposite in the story of revenge and justice on the . More recently, in 2024, Wall returned to with , a spy thriller where he played Frank Young, the father of Ben Whishaw's character, across two episodes. That year, he also guest-starred as Graham Conway/Nick Wallis in one episode of /AMC's Signora Volpe, an Italian-British crime series set in . Additionally, he appeared as Vincent 'Dutch' Holland in Harry Wild on . Wall appeared as Gresham in season 1, episode 6 of the Cinemax historical action series Warrior (2019), a US-Irish co-production inspired by Bruce Lee. He also had the role of Sam Steele in the Irish historical drama An Klondike (Dominion Creek, 2015–2017), playing the Mountie across 8 episodes in the RTÉ/History Channel series about the Klondike Gold Rush. In 2021, he played Chief Bureau Officer Martin Dunlop in three episodes of Acorn TV's Hidden Assets. Upcoming: In 2025, Wall will portray Lord Leo 'Longthorn' Tyrell in HBO's A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.
YearSeriesRoleEpisodesPlatform/Notes
2012–2015Moone BoyUncle DannyMultiple (3 seasons)Sky1; Irish-British comedy
2013Crossing LinesDominic Fitzroy1TF1/CBS; International crime drama
2014–2016VikingsEinar5 (Seasons 2–4)History; Canadian-Irish historical drama
2015–2017An Klondike (Dominion Creek)Sam Steele8RTÉ/History; Irish historical drama
2016RebellionDetective Coleman5 (all)RTÉ; Irish-Finnish miniseries on 1916 Rising
2019The WitcherBoholt1 (Season 1)Netflix; Polish-American fantasy
2019WarriorGresham1 (Season 1)Cinemax; US-Irish action
2020Raised by WolvesAmbrose2HBO Max; Sci-fi series
2020The South WesterliesBaz6RTÉ; Irish comedy-drama
2020Rig 45James6 (Season 2)RTÉ; Irish thriller miniseries
2020Tin StarSean McGrath1 (Season 3)Sky Atlantic/Amazon; British-Canadian crime
2021Hidden AssetsMartin Dunlop3Acorn TV; Irish crime drama
2022The EnglishThin Kelly6 (all)BBC/Prime Video; UK-US Western miniseries
2024Harry WildVincent 'Dutch' HollandUnspecifiedAcorn TV; Irish crime comedy-drama
2024Signora VolpeGraham Conway / Nick Wallis1Acorn TV/AMC; Italian-British crime
2024Black DovesFrank Young2Netflix; British spy thriller
2025A Knight of the Seven KingdomsLord Leo TyrellUnspecifiedHBO; Fantasy prequel (post-production)

References

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