Star Trek: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Miles O'Brien

Miles O'Brien is instrumental in encouraging Rom to form a union in Bar Association. There, he tells Rom of an ancestor of his - a union man - who helped fight for worker's rights. This is something that isn't far from Colm Meaney's own experiences in the real world. 

As a schoolchild, he helped to found a Student's Union, which drew ire from the local Christian Brothers. His journey from there would take him to England, where he joined the politically charged theatre group 7:84. After being cast in Star Trek, he initially wanted to play the unnamed character as American until Rick Berman reminded him of the multi-cultural nature of the show.

Politics is never far from Meaney's heart - he describes himself as left, with particular interest in the climate and housing crises - but first and foremost as a working actor. Though we're still hoping for the long-awaited return of O'Brien to the franchise, Meaney continues to work in film, television, and theatre - often now alongside his daughter, actor Brenda Meaney.