The following was taken from the program from the Spoleto Festival 2002 program. The festival is held in Charleston, South Carolina.

Brendan Coyle (Gregory Stepanovich Smirnov, "The Bear") trained at The Focus in Dublin and Mountview Theatre School in London. Seasons at the lyric, Belfast, include: Christy in The playboy of the western world, Sam Thompson's Over the bridge, Joe Tomelty's All souls night, and Ron Hutchinson's Pygmies in the ruins. Work in London includes: The Ragged trousered philanthropist and Judgement day, both directed by Stephen Daldry; The changing rooom, Pygmies in the ruins and The Weir, for which he won a Laurence Olivier Award and a Theatre World's Award for Outstanding Broadway Debut (Royal Court); Elegies, September tide, and Gar Private in Philadelphia, here I come! in the west end; Love song for Ulster (Tricycle); The silver tassie (Almeida), Rat in the Skull (Gate, London) and Force and hypocrisy (Young Vic). Most recently he has appeared in Dead Eye Boy (Hampstead) and Battle Royal (Royal National Theatre). His film and televeison work includes: The Glass Virgin, The Bill, London Calling, and Thief Takers (ITV); The full wax, Silent Witness, Dangerfield, The Lull (ed note: perhaps meant to be "The Cull"?), Rockface, Inspector Lynley, McReady and Dawson (This is supposed to be McCready and Daughter), and Rebel Heart (BBC), Paths to Freedom (RTE), Soft sand, blue sea (Channel 4), Tomorrow never dies, The last bus home, Ailsa, The general, Conspiracy and The Mapmaker.