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Denis Leary is an all-round entertainer who dabbles in acting, comedy and even music. Born on 18 August, 1957, in Worcester, Massachusetts to Irish Catholics, Nora and John Leary, he studied at Saint Peter-Marian High School. After leaving high school, Denis enrolled in Emerson College in Boston. During his college days, he experimented with acting and writing. He founded Emerson Strip and Sweat Shop, a comedy workshop. Even today, the comedy workshop is active on the campus. After his graduation in 1979, Denis Leary started teaching comedy writing classes at Emerson College and he continued teaching for the next five years.

Leary started his career as a stand-up comedian by performing at an underground club called Play It Again Sam. He hosted his own show but it brought him little fame. He also appeared on Lenny Clarke’s Late Show, a comedy series. However, his claim to fame was his commercials for MTV. In these commercials, Leary would comment sarcastically on various subjects. In the early 1990s, along with his friends, Leary co-wrote songs that were performed under the title No Cure For Cancer at the Edinburgh International Arts Festival in Scotland. The act revolved around subjects such as cigarette smoking, vegetarians and drug use. The show won critical acclaim and was immensely popular with audiences. No Cure For Cancer CDs, cassettes, videos and books were soon released. Leary later released another album called Lock ’n’ Load in 1997.

Apart from stand-up comedy and music, Denis Leary has also acted in various movies. He made his movie debut in a short film, Long Walk to Forever, in 1987. He continued acting and appeared in movies like Demolition Man (1993), Judgment Night (1993), Small Soldiers (1998), The Thomas Crown Affair (1999), and Double Whammy (2001). He has provided the voices for characters in animated movies A Bug’s Life (1998), Ice Age (2002), Ice Age 2 (2006) and The Agents series. Leary’s production company, Apostle, has produced television shows and movies. He created the hit series, Rescue Me, along with Peter Tolan and also stars in the series. The show made its debut in 2004 and Leary has been nominated for numerous Emmy Awards and Golden Globes for his contribution.

Leary married Ann Lembeck in 1982 and they have two children. He was given an Honorary Doctorate by Emerson College in 2005. Denis is also involved with charity. He founded the Leary Firefighters Foundation to help firefighters. Leary started the foundation in 2000 as he lost his cousin and a childhood friend who were both firefighters in a terrible fire in Worcester, Massachusetts. The foundation raises funds to provide the latest equipment, vehicles and training. Leary, a multi-faceted artist, has managed not only entertain audience for many years, but also improve the lives of others.