The Commitments has been considered an Irish cult classic since its release back in 1991.
The iconic adaptation of Roddy Doyle’s novel of the same name took the world by storm, and has remained in the hearts of Irish film fans ever since.
Over three decades later, the talented cast have all made names for themselves in their own right, with Extra.ie listing all their accomplishments from the past thirty years.
Natalie Murray played by Maria Doyle Kennedy
The Commitments was Maria’s first acting gig, with the star having become a household name in television since.
Maria went on to play Patsy in Father Ted, Catherine of Aragon in The Tudors, Vera Bates in Downton Abbey, and Siobhan Sadler in Orphan Black.
She also starred as Jocasta Cameron in the hit time-hopping series Outlander alongside fellow Irish woman, Caitriona Balfe, and most recently crime drama TV series Kin for RTE.
Outspan Foster played by Glen Hansard
Glen is arguably one of the stand-out stars from the cast, having had a highly successful career since the release.
The lead singer of The Frames is gigging to this day, having been nominated for a Grammy for his second solo album Didn’t He Ramble.
Glen revisited acting in 2005 when he took the lead role in John Carney’s film Once alongside Markéta Irglová, with the star still very prevalent in the Irish entertainment scene.
Imelda Quirke played by Angeline Ball
Angeline has had a highly successful career both here and abroad since her time in The Commitments.
She starred in ITV drama Doc Martin, Channel 4’s Shameless, Keeping Faith and starred in My Girl 2. She also had a mini The Commitments reunion with co-star Maria Doyle Kennedy in EastEnders’ Irish spin-off Redwater.
Most recently Angeline starred in Deadly Cuts, a popular movie set in a Dublin hair salon.
Bernie McLaughlin played by Bronagh Gallagher
Like many of her co-stars, Bronagh continued acting, landing small roles in both Star Wars and Pulp Fiction among others.
The Irish actor also appeared in TV series like Sherlock Holmes, Shameless and Belgravia, alongside her flourishing music career.
The star released her second album Bronagh Gallagher in 2012 and a third album Gather Your Greatness in 2016, proving she is a double threat.
Billy Mooney played by Dick Massey
Following on from the film, Dick co-founded the touring band Stars Of The Commitments with co-star Ken McCluskey.
Since moving away from the project, Dick has taken a more behind-the-scenes role and is now managing bands.
Dick has worked as a tour manager with bands such as Coldplay and Linkin Park, keeping the rock and roll lifestyle alive.
Jimmy Rabbitte played by Robert Arkins
Life after the commitments has been filled with music for Rob, who works as a composer of TV and film soundtracks.
Originally a founder member of the band Housebroken, who was signed to MCA, Robert sadly didn’t get his big break with the band running out of money before completing their debut album.
Keeping up with acting, Robert starred in short films The Space Inbetween and The Silent City.
Deco Cuffe played by Andrew Strong
Following the flick, Andrew went solo and signed a label deal, having worked with big artists such as The Rolling Stones, Elton John, Prince and Lenny Kravitz.
Andrew lived in LA for many years before moving to Copenhagen with his Danish girlfriend.
The star is still on the road with his own band and lives in Kildare, like many of his co-stars, embracing the music.
Dean Fay played by Felim Gormley
A highly established session musician, Felim has played with the likes of Jerry Fish & The Mudbug Club.
Felim hasn’t done much acting since The Commitments, having briefly appeared in the 2014 film Poison Pen.
If you need a saxophone player for any occasion, Felim is the most sought-after musician in Ireland.
Joey the Lips played by Johnny Murphy
Johnny sadly is no longer with us, having passed away in Dublin in 2016 after a long illness.
An acclaimed actor, Johnny toured US, Australia and China in a series of productions with The Gate Theatre, prior to his untimely death.
He also starred in movies such as; Into The West, War Of The Buttons and Angela’s Ashes.
