P. J. Byrne
| Name | P. J. Byrne |
| Image | ![]() |
| Caption | Byrne in 2025 |
| Birth Name | Paul Jeffrey Byrne |
| Birth Date | 1974-12-15 |
| Birth Place | Maplewood, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Spouse | Jaime Padula (2007 – now) |
| Children | 3 |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Education | Boston College (BA) DePaul University (MFA) |
| Yearsactive | 2001–present |
Paul Jeffrey Byrne (born December 15, 1974) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Nicky "Rugrat" Koskoff in the Martin Scorsese film The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), Irv Smiff on the UPN/CW series The Game, and Bolin on Nickelodeon's animated series The Legend of Korra (2012–2014).
Early life and education
Byrne was born in Maplewood, New Jersey, to Emma N. (née Ferraro) and Paul I. Byrne Jr., and is of Irish and Italian descent. He was raised in Old Tappan, New Jersey, where he graduated from Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan.
Byrne graduated Boston College with a double major in finance and theater and an MFA from The Theatre School at DePaul University. He intended to become an investment banker before a drama teacher at BC convinced him to follow his passion for acting.
Career
Byrne started his career in small roles in such films as Bruce Almighty, Fun with Dick and Jane, Bewitched and Because I Said So. He also had guest roles on television series such as ER, The West Wing, Reno 911! and NCIS before getting a recurring role on The Game.
Byrne went on to have more prominent roles in films such as Dinner for Schmucks, Extraordinary Measures, The Campaign and Horrible Bosses. He was cast in one of the main roles in Final Destination 5, which received generally positive reviews and was a commercial success.
In addition to his on-screen roles, Byrne provided the voice of Bolin, one of the lead roles in the Nickelodeon series The Legend of Korra, from the show's beginning in 2012 to its end in 2014. He voiced recurring character Firestorm in Justice League Action.
In 2013, Byrne appeared in Martin Scorsese's film The Wolf of Wall Street, which received critical acclaim and was nominated for numerous awards. The next year, he starred in the television series Intelligence.
He joined Dwayne Johnson in the 2018 action film Rampage.
Personal life
Byrne resides in Los Angeles with his wife, Jaime, who was the executive director of health services in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills, and is currently president of Jaime Byrne Events, LLC. They have two daughters and one son.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes / Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Bruce Almighty | Panicked Newsroom Staffer | |
| 2005 | Fun with Dick and Jane | Laughing Executive | |
| Bewitched | Writer | ||
| 2007 | Charlie Wilson's War | Jim Van Wagenen | |
| Evan Almighty | Evan's Staffer | ||
| Loveless in Los Angeles | Perry | ||
| Because I Said So | Photographer | ||
| 2008 | Be Kind Rewind | Mr. Baker | |
| First Sunday | Dr. Preston | ||
| Kissing Cousins | Tucker | ||
| Surfer, Dude | Zarno's Lawyer | ||
| Soul Men | Floyd's Doctor | ||
| 2009 | Finding Bliss | Gary | |
| 2010 | Dinner for Schmucks | Davenport | |
| Extraordinary Measures | Dr. Preston | ||
| The Candidate | Paul | Short film | |
| 2011 | Son of Morning | Mitchel Zangwell | |
| Horrible Bosses | Kenny Sommerfield | ||
| New Romance | PJ | Short film | |
| Final Destination 5 | Isaac Palmer | ||
| Snitch | Perry | ||
| 2012 | Coffees | Barry | Short film |
| The Campaign | Rick | ||
| K-11 | C.R. | ||
| Last Supper | Short film; writer and director | ||
| 2013 | The Wolf of Wall Street | Nicky "Rugrat" Koskoff | |
| 2014 | Walk of Shame | Moshe | |
| 2015 | The Gift | Danny McDonald | |
| 2016 | True Memoirs of an International Assassin | Trent | |
| 2017 | Eloise | Scott Carter | |
| The Clapper | Mr. Caldwell | ||
| Home Again | Paul | ||
| Miyubi | Peter | ||
| 2018 | The 15:17 to Paris | Mr. Henry | |
| Rampage | Nelson | ||
| Green Book | Record Exec | ||
| 2019 | The World Without You | Amram | |
| Countdown | Father John | ||
| Bombshell | Neil Cavuto | ||
| Mob Town | Vincent Vasisko | ||
| 2022 | The Moon & Back | Mr. Martin | |
| Somewhere in Queens | Ben Pearson | ||
| Spirited | Mr. Alteli | ||
| Babylon | Max (Ruth's Assistant Director) | Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture | |
| 2023 | Shazam! Fury of the Gods | Dr. Dario Bava | |
| Scooby-Doo! and Krypto, Too! | J.B. | Voice | |
| 2024 | Dear Santa | Mr. Charles | |
| A Complete Unknown | Harold Leventhal | ||
| 2026 | Flowervale Street | Post-production | |
| Coyote vs. Acme | Bill Pellicano | Completed | |
| I Play Rocky | Irwin Winkler | Filming |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes / Ref. | Quantum Leap | Enock Abrams | Episode: "This Took Too Long | " |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Presidio Med | Dr. Whitby | Episode: "Milagros" |
| ER | Ken the Kiosk Man | Episode: "Dead Again" | |
| 2003 | The Lyon's Den | Larry Michaels | Episode: "Blood" |
| Strong Medicine | Levin | Episode: "Rash Decisions" | |
| Yes, Dear | AD | Episode: "Let's Get Jaggy with It" | |
| Crossing Jordan | Forensic Goofball | Episode: "Ockham's Razor" | |
| 2005 | The West Wing | David Orbitz | Episode: "Ninety Miles Away" |
| 2006 | My Boys | Keith Luger | Episode: "Released" |
| Just Legal | Wayne | Episode: "Body in the Trunk" | |
| Reno 911! | Agent Bruce Padul | Episode: "Spanish Mike Returns" | |
| The New Adventures of Old Christine | Doug | Episode: "Exile on Lame Street" | |
| Four Kings | Sheldon Dratch | Episode: "Elephant in the Room" | |
| Twins | Eric Weiner | Episode: "Sneaks and Geeks" | |
| NCIS | Ross Logan | Episode: "Deception" | |
| 2006–2009, 2012, 2015 | The Game | Irv Smiff | Recurring role |
| 2007 | Viva Laughlin | Jonesy | 2 episodes |
| Boston Legal | Matthew Steinkellner | Episode: "Dumping Bella" | |
| Desperate Housewives | Nick | Episode: "Not While I'm Around" | |
| 2009 | Hannah Montana | Baz B. Berkley | 2 episodes |
| Three Rivers | Dale Coffey | Episode: "Place of Life" | |
| It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia | Tad | Episode: "The Gang Exploits the Mortgage Crisis" | |
| Burn Notice | Stacey Conolly | Episode: "Fearless Leader" | |
| Bones | Joe Fillion | Episode: "The Cinderella in the Cardboard" | |
| 2011 | The Mentalist | Kieran Carruthers | Episode: "Rhapsody in Red" |
| Castle | Tony | Episode: "To Love and Die in LA" | |
| 2012 | Are You There, Chelsea? | Elliot | 2 episodes |
| 2012–2014 | The Legend of Korra | Bolin | Voice, main cast |
| 2014 | Intelligence | Nelson Cassidy | Main role |
| 2015 | Being Mary Jane | Arthur Holzman | 2 episodes |
| 2016 | Vinyl | Scott Leavitt | Main role |
| Blindspot | Douglas Winter | Episode: "Her Spy's Harmed" | |
| 2016–2017 | Justice League Action | Ronnie Raymond / Firestorm | Voice, recurring role (11 episodes) |
| 2017–2019 | Big Little Lies | Principal Nippal | Recurring role |
| 2017–2018 | I'm Dying Up Here | Kenny Vessey | 7 episodes |
| 2018–2019 | Black Lightning | Principal Mike Lowry | 5 episodes |
| 2018 | Tremors | Melvin Plug | Television film |
| Bunnicula | Dragon, Rock Monster | Voice, episode: "Bunn Vs." | |
| 2019 | Black-ish | Mr. Solomon | Episodes: "Wilds of Valley Glen" |
| Dynasty | Stuart | 2 episodes | |
| Lodge 49 | Dag | Episode: "The Door" | |
| 2020–2021 | All Rise | Juror Futrell | 2 episodes |
| 2020–present | The Boys | Adam Bourke | 4 episodes |
| 2021 | Never Have I Ever | Evan | Recurring role (season 2) |
| Them | Stuart Berks | 3 episodes | |
| Cobra Kai | Greg | Episode: "Party Time" | |
| 2021–2023 | Ghosts | Dan Herbst, Lawyer | 2 episodes |
| 2022 | Roar | Rodney | Episode: "The Woman Who Found Bite Marks on Her Skin" |
| Irreverent | Mackenzie 'Mack' Boyd | 10 episodes | |
| 2023 | Teen Titans Go! | Flash | Voice, episode: "Teen Titans Action" |
| Gen V | Adam Bourke | ||
| 2024 | The Big Cigar | Stephen Blauner | Miniseries |
| 2025 | The Rainmaker | Deck Shifflet | Main role |
Music videos
| Year | Title | Artist | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | "New Romance" | Miles Fisher |
Video game
| Year | Title | Voice role | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | The Legend of Korra | Bolin | |
| 2026 | The Boys: Trigger Warning | Adam Bourke |
References
- Office of the President – Ms. Emma N. Byrne, Secretary, Intraweb.stockton.edu, October 10, 2011
- Newsbank.com, October 17, 2012, January 4, 2014, dead
- P.j. Byrne, prod.tcm.com, en
- February 15, 2016, P.J. Byrne Talks New HBO Hit Series Vinyl, Appearing in The Wolf of Wall Street, New York and More, January 30, 2019, Downtown Magazine NYC
- P. J. Byrne, TV Guide, March 27, 2019
- Barton, Steve, August 31, 2010, P.J. Byrne the Latest to Cheat Death in Final Destination 5, January 8, 2019, Dread Central
- Cook, Justin, March 1, 2017, The Legend of Korra actor P.J. Byrne joins Dwayne Johnson's Rampage, January 8, 2019, Flickering Myth
- Jaime Padula, P. J. Byrne, The New York Times, July 8, 2007, October 10, 2011
- The Master of Improv – P. J. Byrne, Resident, Travin, Michael, June 2, 2017, March 27, 2019, March 27, 2019, dead
- D'Alessandro, Anthony, April 15, 2019, Peter Facinelli, Jordan Calloway, P.J. Byrne, Talitha Bateman & More Join STX Horror Pic Countdown, September 10, 2024, Deadline, en-US
- Scheck, Frank, December 12, 2019, Mob Town: Film Review, September 10, 2024, The Hollywood Reporter, en-US
- Kit, Borys, June 24, 2021, Olivia Wilde, Spike Jonze, Phoebe Tonkin, Tobey Maguire Join Damien Chazelle's Babylon (Exclusive), September 10, 2024, The Hollywood Reporter, en-US
- Reynolds, Maca, July 27, 2023, Dogs Fight Together in the First Trailer for Scooby-Doo and Krypto, Too!, November 3, 2023, MovieWeb, en
- P. J. Byrne (visual voices guide), November 3, 2023, Behind The Voice Actors
- Godfrey, Jake, March 17, 2024, Jack Black reuniting with The Farrelly brothers for Dear Santa, May 6, 2024, Film Stories
- Melissa, Billie, October 17, 2023, Timothée Chalamet Reveals He's Working With Elvis Prep Team for Bob Dylan Portrayal, May 6, 2024, Men's Journal , , Streaming, en
- Grobar, Matt, April 1, 2024, Jordan Alexa Davis & P.J. Byrne Round Out Cast Of David Robert Mitchell's 'Flowervale Street', May 6, 2024, Deadline, en-US
- Alexa, Laurén, January 22, 2024, First Look Revealed for Resurrected Coyote vs. Acme Feature, live, January 24, 2024, January 24, 2024, Animation World Network
- Cordero, Rosy, PJ Byrne, Toby Kebbell, Tracy Letts & Jay Duplass Cast In Amazon MGM Studios Film 'I Play Rocky', Deadline Hollywood, 16 October 2025, October 16, 2025
- November 6, 2018, Black Lightning – The Book Of Consequences: Chapter Four: Translucent Freak, September 10, 2024, Starry Constellation Magazine, en-US
- Petski, Denise, December 18, 2020, Never Have I Ever: Utkarsh Ambudkar & P.J. Byrne Join Season 2 Of Mindy Kaling's Netflix Series, September 10, 2024, Deadline, en-US
- Petski, Denise, December 2, 2019, Them: Brooke Smith, Anika Noni Rose, P.J. Byrne, Malcolm Mays, Jeremiah Birkett & Sophie Guest To Recur on Amazon Anthology Series, September 10, 2024, Deadline, en-US
- Knox, David, September 23, 2021, Cast announced for Irreverent drama, September 10, 2024, TV Tonight, en-AU
- Panaligan, EJ, December 3, 2022, Gen V Trailer Takes 'The Boys' to College, Teases Appearances From Main Series Characters, December 4, 2022, Variety
- Otterson, Joe, July 6, 2022, Apple's Huey P. Newton Series Big Cigar Casts P.J. Byrne as Steve Blauner (EXCLUSIVE), September 10, 2024, Variety, en-US
- First Official The Boys Video Game Is a VR Exclusive for Meta Quest 3 and PlayStation VR2, December 9, 2025, Wesley, Yin-Poole
External links
Category:1974 births
Category:Living people
Category:21st-century American male actors
Category:American male comedians
Category:American male film actors
Category:American male television actors
Category:American male voice actors
Category:American people of Irish descent
Category:American people of Italian descent
Category:Boston College alumni
Category:Comedians from Bergen County, New Jersey
Category:Comedians from Essex County, New Jersey
Category:DePaul University alumni
Category:Male actors from Bergen County, New Jersey
Category:Male actors from Maplewood, New Jersey
Category:Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan alumni
Category:People from Old Tappan, New Jersey
