Simon Delaney (born 2 September 1970) is an Irish actor, director and presenter. He is known for appearances in a range of films and television series such as RTÉ‘s comedy-drama Bachelors Walk and CBS‘ legal drama The Good Wife, and in the films Zonad (2009), Delivery Man (2013) and The Conjuring 2 (2016).
Personal life
Delaney was born on 2 September 1970 in his family home in Raheny, Dublin. His father was a printer, who worked for Smurfit’s and was also part of the showband scene of the 1960s, where he played the clarinet and the saxophone.[1] Delaney married Lisa Muddiman in 2005. The couple have four children, Cameron, Elliot, Isaac and Lewis.[2]
Career
Delaney’s early work includes being a “Ballydung Player” (one of the actors on A Scare at Bedtime). His first high-profile role was for the RTÉ television series Bachelors Walk as one of three bachelors living together in a flat on the quays in Dublin, which ran from 2001 until 2003 to positive reviews as well as a Christmas special in 2006.
He appeared as Grogan in On the Nose in 2001 along with Dan Aykroyd and Robbie Coltrane. Delaney then starred as the title character in the film Zonad by director John Carney. He gained increased prominence due to a high-profile part in the Tesco Mobile Ireland TV advertising campaign. From 2009 to 2013, Delaney played Bill O’Brien in the cartoon mockumentary Roy, the BAFTA-winning, Irish television series about a cartoon boy.
Delaney appeared in the Irish version of genealogy TV series Who Do You Think You Are?, which was broadcast on RTÉ One on 19 October 2009. In October 2011, Delaney played an Anglo-Hiberno lawyer in CBS’s The Good Wife. In January 2012, he appeared in the series Touch. In September 2012, he appeared in the comedy series Moone Boy on Sky 1.
He played, Victor, the brother of the lead Vince Vaughn, in the 2013 film Delivery Man. In 2014, he played the role of Tom Crews in Mrs. Brown’s Boys D’Movie. He has also made appearances in the fourth and fifth series of Sky 1 sitcom Trollied, playing the role of Brendan O’Connor. He also toured with Mrs. Brown’s Boys in July 2015, with their live show How Now Mrs Brown Cow. He played the role of Dermot whilst Paddy Houlihan was on paternity leave.
Delaney was a judge on the RTÉ reality show Fame: The Musical. In February 2011, Delaney hosted the 8th Irish Film and Television Awards.[3] He also hosted the 9th Irish Film and Television Awards in February 2012.[4]
Simon Dleaney co- hosted Ireland AM on Fridays and Weekend AM on Saturdays and Sundays which eventually became Ireland AM too on Virgin Media One alongside Anna Daly, Laura Woods and Laura Woods and Aidan Power from October 2019- September 2022.
Since leaving Virgin Media Television is September 2022 Delaney has presented various shows for RTÉ. He has also continued his work as a writer , director, actor. He is now also a radio presenter. Since March 2024 Simon has hosted his own Sunday afternoon show on RTÉ Lyric FM . His show on the station is called Sunday Afternoon with Simon Delaney airing weekly from 1:00PM-4:00PM on the station.[5]
Filmography
Note: Feature film, unless otherwise noted
| Year(s) | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Mystic Knights of Tir Na Nog | Soldier 1 | Episode: “Tyrune Returns”, uncredited |
| 2000 | The Black Suit | Molloy’s Barman | Short film |
| 2000 | When the Sky Falls | Sparks Bouncer | |
| 2000 | Saltwater | Bouncer Two Darren | |
| 2000 | Rat | Bookies Manager | |
| 2000 | David Copperfield | Tommy Traddles | TV movie |
| 2000 | Paths to Freedom | Prison Officer | 2 episodes |
| 2000 | An Everlasting Piece | Orderly | |
| 2000 | Coolockland | Sgt. Barney Measures | Short film |
| 2001 | Custer’s Last Stand-up | Security Guard | Episode: “Play It Again, Gem” |
| 2001 | Ballykissangel | Jonno Jackson | Episode: “Smoke Signals” |
| 2001 | On the Edge | Man in Pub | |
| 2001 | On the Nose | Grogan | |
| 2001 | Disco Pigs | Ticket Cashier | |
| 2001 | The Seventh Stream | Reverend | TV movie |
| 2001–2006 | Bachelors Walk | Michael Quinn | Main cast |
| 2003 | Hornblower | French Midshipman | Episode: “Loyalty” |
| 2003 | The Actors | Ronnie | |
| 2003 | Mystics | Feargal | |
| 2003 | Intermission | Bill | |
| 2004 | The Halo Effect | Rock Steady Eddie | |
| 2004 | Pulling Moves | Wardrobe | Main cast |
| 2004 | Spin the Bottle | Keith | |
| 2005 | The Last Furlong | Diogo Bernardo Furlong | Main cast; also creator and co-writer |
| 2006 | The Commander | Tony Leighton | Episode: “Blacklight” |
| 2006 | What If | Kevin Green | TV movie |
| 2006 | Amazing Grace | Young Parliamentary Officer | |
| 2006 | Vicious Circle | Gunner Conway | Short film |
| 2007 | The Basket Case | Dell Sweeney | Short film |
| 2009 | Zonad | Liam Murphy / Zonad | |
| 2009–2015 | Roy | Bill O’Brien | Main cast |
| 2009 | Father & Son | George | Limited-run series, main cast |
| 2009 | Happy Ever Afters | Dessie | |
| 2010 | Rewind | Tony | |
| 2011 | This Must Be the Place | Jeffery | |
| 2011 | The Good Wife | Timothy Ash Brannon | Episode: “The Death Zone” |
| 2012 | Touch | Niles Borne | Episode: “Pilot” |
| 2012–2015 | Moone Boy | Gerry Bonner | 6 episodes |
| 2013 | The Fall | Jerry McElroy | Recurring role (series 1) |
| 2013 | Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa | Don | |
| 2013 | Begin Again | Lawyer | |
| 2013 | Father Figure | Roni Broad | Episode: “House Husband of the Year” |
| 2013 | Delivery Man | Victor Wozniak | |
| 2014 | Mrs. Brown’s Boys D’Movie | Tom Crews | |
| 2014–2018 | Trollied | Brendan O’Connor | 4 episodes |
| 2014 | Tales of Irish Castles | Self, Narrator | Documentary series |
| 2015 | Spiders Trap | Security Guard | |
| 2016 | The Conjuring 2 | Vic Nottingham | |
| 2017 | Coronation Street | Phil Weeler | 2 episodes |
| 2018 | Damo & Ivor The Movie | Tricky Dicky | |
| 2018 | Don’t Go | Father Sean | |
| 2020 | Emmerdale | DS Ward | 8 episodes |
| 2020 | Young Wallander | Nicholas | 1 episode |
| 2021 | Modern Love | John Flynn | Episode: “On a Serpentine Road, With the Top Down” |
| 2022 | FBI: International | Chief Burke | Episode: “Close to the Sun” |
| 2022 | That Dirty Black Bag | Frank | 4 episodes |
| 2022 | Inside Man | Claude Kleiner | 1 episode |
| 2023 | The Woman in the Wall | Sergeant Aidan Massey | Main cast |
| 2024 | Role Play | Toby Berman | |
| 2025 | Lockerbie: A Search for Truth | Bert Ammerman | Limited-run series, recurring role |
| 2025 | Blue Moon | Oscar Hammerstein II | |
| 2025 | Small Town, Big Story | Driver Dan | Episode: “The White Ridge” |
| 2025 | Mrs. Brown’s Boys | Rodger | Episode: “The Mammy Effect” |
| 2026 | Young Sherlock | Detective Fitget | 2 episodes |
| 2026 | Shedites | Gavin | TV special |
References
- ^ “Time and Place: Simon Delaney”. The Sunday Times. 30 January 2011. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
- ^ “Baby joy for Saturday AM’s Simon Delaney”. Tv3.Ie | Xposé Entertainment. 4 June 2016.. He is a fan of Manchester United.
- ^ “Simon Delaney to Host 2011 IFTAs”. IFTN.ie. 23 January 2010. Retrieved 9 February 2011.
- ^ “Delaney returns as IFTAS host”. RTÉ Ten. Raidió Teilifís Éireann. 6 January 2012. Retrieved 6 January 2012.
- ^ “Sunday Afternoon with Simon Delaney”. RTE Radio. Retrieved 17 April 2026.