Aidan Quinn (born March 8, 1959 Chicago, Illinois) is an American actor.
Quinn lived for part of his childhood in Dublin and other places in Ireland. His father was a professor in literature; his family includes siblings who are involved in the film industry or the theatre. Quinn got his start in the Chicago theatre at age 19.
His first significant film role was in Reckless (1984), followed by a breakthrough role in Desperately Seeking Susan as the character Dez (the love interest of the character played by Madonna). Quinn next starred in the controversial TV movie An Early Frost, about a young lawyer dying of AIDS (it was broadcast on NBC on November 11, 1985). Quinn lost a major role when Paramount Pictures dropped the controversial Martin Scorsese movie The Last Temptation of Christ. When Universal Pictures picked up the film, the role went to Willem Dafoe.
Since then, Quinn's roles have been mainly supporting roles in major studio films and leading roles in independent films, including appearances in The Handmaid's Tale (1990), Benny & Joon (1993), Michael Collins (1996), Practical Magic (1998) and Song For a Raggy Boy (2003). Quinn is married to the actress Elizabeth Bracco.
Quinn was nominated in 1986 for an Emmy Award for lead actor in a miniseries or special for his performance in An Early Frost, but he lost to Dustin Hoffman, who won the award for his performance in Death of a Salesman. Quinn later recalled in an interview that he felt relief when he lost, because he had stage fright that night and thought there would be many more nominations in his future, an assumption that did not prove accurate.
