colm j. meaney (; born 30 may 1953) is an irish actor. he is known for playing miles o'brien in ' (1987–1994) and ' (1993–1999). he has appeared in other tv shows including "law &amp; order", "the simpsons" and "hell on wheels". his movie credits include "the barrytown trilogy" (1991–1996), "con air" (1997), "intermission" (2003), "the damned united" (2009), "get him to the greek" (2010), "" (2013) and "the journey" (2016).