Jim Norton (born 4 January 1938) is an Irish stage, film and television character actor, known for his work in the theatre, most notably in Conor McPherson's The Seafarer, and on television as Bishop Brennan in the sitcom Father Ted. Early life Jim Norton was born on 4 January 1938 in Dublin, Ireland, and educated at Synge Street CBS. From an early age he wanted to be an actor, and regularly attended performances at the Abbey Theatre. His mother, Frances, played the violin and his father, Eugene, was a baritone singer. Eugene worked as a bakery manager. Jim had one sibling, the late acting teacher Betty Ann Norton. Career Norton has been acting for over forty years in theatre, television, and film, and frequently plays clergymen, most notably Bishop Brennan in the sitcom Father Ted, as well as roles in The Sweeney (1975), Peak Practice (1993), Sunset Heights (1997), A Love Divided (1999), Rebus: Black and Blue (2000), Mad About Mambo (2000), Boxed (2003) and Jimmy's Hall (2014). He starred as Finian McLonergan in the critically acclaimed New York City Center's 2009 production of Finian's Rainbow, and in October 2009 reprised the role in the Broadway revival at the St. James Theatre. His co-stars were Cheyenne Jackson (Woody) and Kate Baldwin (Sharon). Television As well as Bishop Brennan in Father Ted, Norton also played: Albert Einstein in two episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation (namely "The Nth Degree" and "Descent"); the librarian Lieutenant James Porteous in the highly acclaimed 1970s British television drama series Colditz; Phil Harrister, a criminal involved in an intricate bank robbery, in The Sweeney episode "Contact Breaker"; O'Brady in the Minder episode "National Pelmet"; and Rory, a roguish but genteel Irishman who is diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver, in The Royal episode "Beggars and Choosers". Norton has appeared in two episodes of Van der Valk. On Babylon 5 he appeared in a number of roles, including that of Ombuds Wellington in the 1994 episodes "Grail" and "The Quality of Mercy"; a Narn in "Dust to Dust" (1996); and Dr. Lazarenn, a Markab doctor, in "Confessions and Lamentations" (1995). In Fall of Eagles he played Alexander Kerensky. Other television work includes: 1990, Agatha Christie's Poirot; Waking the Dead; Cheers; Frasier; Midsomer Murders; Maigret and Rumpole of the Bailey as Fig Newton, Stan Laurel in the BBC drama Stan (2006) and Larry Joyce in the 2013