Rory was born in Galway, on the West coast of Ireland. His mother is a traditional Irish fiddle-player.

Rory studied veterinary science at Galway University before dropping out to become an animal wrangler on a film called Horse Power. Because most of the actors were such inept riders, Rory was roped in to play one of the principals. That’s when he got bitten by the acting bug.

The Shakespearean roles that Rory has played include Lysander in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Macduff in Macbeth and Laertes in the production of Hamlet that rocked the Dublin theatre world.

Rory has a tattoo between his shoulder blades. It is of a yellow rose with a snake coiled around its stem.

Rory's first ever award was for Best Actor in the Dublin Theatre Festival. His interpretation of Valmont in an Abbey Theatre production of Les Liaisons Dangereuses won him the Irish Times Best Actor award.

In the early days of his film career, Rory had a reputation for fooling around with his leading ladies. Caít Murray – the Sienna Miller lookalike who co-starred with him in The O’Malley – claimed in a television interview that he’d spoiled her for any other man.

Rumour has it that Rory was the inspiration for a particularly charismatic character dreamed up by the famous Irish novelist, Colleen, in her novel The Pillow Book of Eilis Ní Shúilleabháin.

Rory’s bedtime book of choice is The Erotica Universalis. His favourite author is Jack Kerouac. He is not really much of a reader, but his wanderlust compels him to blow shed-loads of cash on travel books. His most memorable holiday was in Australia, where he dived the Great Barrier Reef with his inamorata.

One of Rory’s best friends is a stunning Irish actress - Maeve Kirwan - who played lady Macduff in David Lawless’s production of Macbeth. He has never made a move on her – for obvious reasons.

Rory usually wears his dark blond hair collar length or longer, but once had it crew cut to pretty special effect for a film in which he played a naval officer.

As well as being an accomplished horseman, Rory is an extremely proficient swordsman. However, he never performs his own stunts and has scant regard for actors who claim to do so.

Rory is accomplished in the sport of falconry. He also plays wicked poker and a mean game of chess.

Rory has been known to use his fists if another man shows disrespect for a woman. He was once threatened with legal action by a journalist who ‘papped’ him.

Rory was once obliged to take dancing lessons whilst appearing in a Restoration comedy. He and his dancing partner creased each other up every night as they performed their on-stage gavotte.

Because he has an aversion to glitzy events, Rory appears infrequently on the Cinematters page of Hello! magazine. His social life revolves around more casual do’s, such as poker games or barbeques with his ex-pat irish cohorts in LA.

Rory is 6’ 1" tall. His shoe size is 11.

Rory’s first car was a battered orange ’74 reg Saab.

Rory does not especially like to cook, but according to someone who should know, he does the best scrambled eggs on the face of the planet. His favourite food is lobster.

After Guinness, Rory’s tipple of choice is Irish whiskey.  He is partial to the occasional Bloody Mary, and loves to drink good red wine with meals. However, with lobster his preference is for white - Clos de la Coulée-de-Serrant.

He is also partial to Hafner’s sausages.

One of Rory’s most exhilarating moments ever was when his inamorata strolled down Dublin’s main shopping thoroughfare stark naked under the full-length black leather coat he had given her as a birthday present.

He also gave said inamorata a birthday present of a bikini and a course in scuba-diving lessons. Rory has Dive Master certification in scuba.

Rory once put big bucks on the nose of a rank outsider race horse because it belonged to a dive buddy of his. 

Rory and RSC actor Sebastian Hardy were once rivals in love.

Rory is a non-smoker – although he does toke the occasional joint.

Rory's favourite place to eat in Dublin is The Tea Room in the Clarence, the hotel owned by Bono and The Edge of U2 fame.

Rory’s ex-girlfriends include a cordon bleu chef and a high-flying journalist.

Rory is extremely courteous to his fans, and never refuses to sign an autograph.

Prince’s If I were your Girlfriend is on Rory's playlist.

A poem by a writer called Kate Clanchy has a very special resonance for Rory. It is called Slattern.

Rory is learning to speak Italian. He needs to be proficient in it for an up-coming movie role.

The most humiliating moment of Rory’s life was when he once wept openly in front of an extremely macho film crew while filming a pirate epic in French Polynesia.

Rory's favourite place

One of the most affecting moments of Rory’s life was when he recited Prospero’s speech from ‘The Tempest’ in a village hall in the West of Ireland.

When asked about his job, Rory has been quoted as saying that he can’t believe he gets paid so much for ‘vicariously riding other men’s women.’

Rory has a pronounced aversion to DIY. He feels that life is too short to wield a Black & Decker.

Rory’s name in Greek is Рόρι Μακυτόυαχ. The letter ‘P’ in Greek is pronounced ‘R’.

Rory recently bought a working ranch in Nevada. He keeps mostly mustangs, but has one Arab grey, which he keeps for stud purposes.

Rory also has a house in the village of Saint-Géyroux, near Montpellier in the South of France. He has a share in a vineyard there, because - as mentioned earlier - good red wine is one of his chief indulgences.

Rory once walked off the set of a major film in New Zealand because he had a run-in with the actress playing the female lead.

Despite her claims to the contrary, Rory has never had an affair with film star Sophie Burke.

Rory once kept a mongrel called Bastard. Rory was playing the part of the Bastard in King Lear at the time. Bastard the dog had a habit of chewing Rory’s girlfriend’s designer shoes.

Rory’s new production company was to be called Bastard Productions until it was discovered that Bastard Productions already existed. The name Jolly Roger Enterprises was substituted.

As a child, Rory used