Love Object

Background:

"I could have taken a bigger role in a smaller movie, but for me it's never about the size of the role. I figured I could really learn something." Desmond Harrington.

A former laborer, landscaper and a bartender, Desmond Harrington made his film debut as Joan's (played by played by Ukrainian-born actress Milla Jovovich) attendant Aulon in Luc Besson's historical drama The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (1999). He has since played significant roles in films like My First Mister (2001), The Hole (2001), Riding in Cars with Boys (2001), We Were Soldiers (2002), Ghost Ship (2002) and Wrong Turn (2003). He was also critically praised for portraying Kenneth, a socially insecure technical writer who forms an obsessive relationship with his silicone sex doll, in the romantic-thriller Love Object (2003). His most recent film appearance was in Bottom's Up, the straight-to-DVD romantic comedy starring Jason Mewes and Paris Hilton.

On television, the 5' 10" tall actor who was named one of E! Online's Sizzlin' 16 in 2002, could be seen in the acclaimed miniseries "Taken," and several TV series, including "Dragnet," "Sons & Daughters" and "Law & Order: Criminal Intent."


Bronx Boy

Childhood and Family:

Born in Savannah, Georgia, on October 19, 1976, Desmond Harrington, 3 years old at the time, moved with his parents The Bronx, New York. He attended Catholic schools for 12 years, at St. Margarets of Cortona for elementary school and Fordham Prep for high school. Desmond, who had a troubled upbringing, attended Manhattan College, only to be expelled after six weeks.

Desmond currently resides in Los Angeles.


In The Hole

Career:

A college drop-out, Desmond Harrington found job as a laborer, landscaper and a cold caller at a brokerage firm. When he worked as a bartender in Manhattan, a co-worker invited him to attend an acting class. He then took acting classes at HB Studios and was introduced to entertainment manager Stephanie Simon. The manager later sent Harrington to audition for Luc Besson's historical drama about the famous French war heroine of the 15th century, The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc, and won the role as Joan's (played by played by Ukrainian-born actress Milla Jovovich) attendant Aulon.

Following his film debut, Harrington landed roles in Stacy Cochran's Sundance-screened drama comedy Drop Back Ten (with James LeGros and Amber Valletta), as a hot teen actor named Spanks Voley and in Ben Younger's crime-thriller Boiler Room, starring Giovanni Ribisi, Vin Diesel and Nia Long. He was also cast in John Chase's high school comedy Massholes (all three in 2000).

2001 saw Harrington co-starred with Albert Brooks and Leelee Sobieski in actress Christine Lahti's feature directorial debut, My First Mister, which was opening film at Sundance, and played a British rugby-playing teen trapped with his three friends (played by Thora Birch, Laurence Fox and Keira Knightley) in The Hole, Nick Hamm's thriller film based on the novel "After the Hole" by Guy Burt. He was also featured as Brittany Murphy's soldier boyfriend in Penny Marshall's true story-based drama comedy starring Drew Barrymore, Riding in Cars with Boys.

The next year, the rising talent was cast in Randall Wallace's ensemble war drama based on the book by Lieutenant Colonel Hal Moore and reporter Joseph L. Galloway, We Were Soldiers (starring Mel Gibson) and in Steve Beck's horror thriller movie based on a real life Italian cruise ship which sank in 1956, Ghost Ship (also with Gabriel Byrne, Julianna Margulies, Ron Eldard and Isaiah Washington), playing Canadian Air Force pilot Jack Ferriman. He also co-starred with Scott Caan and Paul Walker in Erik MacArthur's 7-minute movie Life Makes Sense If You're Famous and played adult Jesse Keys, the son of Steve Burton and Julie Benz's character, on Sci-Fi Channel's Emmy-winning miniseries executive produced by Steven Spielberg, "Taken."

Harrington then co-starred with Jeremy Sisto, Eliza Dushku and Emmanuelle Chriqui, in Rob Schmidt independently-made horror-thriller film about a group of five youths on a hiking trip in the Appalachains of West Virginia, Wrong Turn (2003). That same year, he received critical praise for portraying Kenneth, a socially insecure technical writer who forms an obsessive relationship with his silicone sex doll, in writer-director Robert Parigi's romantic-thriller Love Object (co-starring Melissa Sagemiller). Afterward, he co-starred with Joy Bryant, Gina Gershon and Ali Larter in Scott Ziehl's sexy noir-thriller based on Gil Brewer's 1963 pulp novel "Wild to Possess," 3-Way (2004). Meanwhile, TV viewers could catch him playing a recurring role, as Det. Jimmy McCarron, in the cop drama series "Dragnet."

Recently, Harrington starred as Wylie Blake on ABC's short-lived sitcom "Sons & Daughters" and guest starred in an April 2006 episode of NBC’s crime drama series "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" and in a September 2006 episode of NBC new drama series "Kidnapped." Back on the wide screen, he played the lead in Aaron Pope's thriller Taphephobia (alongside Estella Warren) and appeared in the straight-to-DVD romantic comedy starring Jason Mewes and Paris Hilton, Bottom's Up.


Awards:

- Málaga International Week of Fantastic Cinema: Best Actor, Love Object, 2004