Gabriel Byrne to Photog: Have a Seat, B*tch!

61. We want to know who was that beautiful creature with actor Gabriel Byrne last night? The beauty that accompanied him to the 4th annual Irish Film and Television Awards last night. We never learned her name, but we can tell you she was Indian or Anglo-Indian, about 6 feet tall, with a beautiful heart shaped face, pale green eyes and long curly dark brown hair, and a lovely voluptuous Rubenesqe figure.
On the way in her gown was covered by a long black floral pashmina, and she was wearing black lace backless ballet evening slippers. In the hall she took off the pashmina to reveal a black lace backless sleeveless Grecian style evening gown with a sheer front panel, but black lined over the bust and below the hips.
All threw the evening Mr. Byrne had a look on his face like “I’m a very lucky man.” Though we never learned her name, we can tell you she has a very elegant British accent. When it was over he escorted her out past us with his arm on her shoulder, and a big smile on his face.
February 2007

Posted at 11:17AM on May 30th 2007 by The Tattler

62. Gabriel Byrne comes out of the closet
London, May 25, 2007 (ANI): actor Gabriel Byrne comes out of the closet ... as a chubby chaser!
“No doubt about it” says Irish actor Gabriel Byrne, “I like big women.” “Just look at pictures of my first real girlfriend, big Aine. She was a big woman. She was taller than me and bigger than what I consider to be the perfect woman’s figure, 38-24-38. She was more like 42-30-44, but that’s alright cause I like them big.”
“True she was a little different than what I usually like.” “She was blonde, blue eyed and fair skinned, and I usually like dark brown or black hair, green, hazel or brown eyes and olive complexions.” “I like the hair of Indian women the best. It always smells nice, they use very sweet smelling oils in their hair.”
“Most actresses are too skinny today. Fashion models all look to me like drag queens. They have no hips or thighs or rears. I like women that have some flesh on them so when you squeeze them it feels nice and soft. Hugging a skinny woman feels like you’re hugging a canvas bag full of tent poles.”
“You know that song ‘baby’s got back’? I know it’s so un-pc to say this nowadays but I like fat asses. Breast size I don’t care about. There are some nice double A’s out there. Just give me a woman with a big fat bubble ass. Watching a woman walk away in tight jeans with a big fat bubble ass, big round hips, full thighs swaying up and down and I’m ready to come all over myself.” “Even better if the jeans ride up and you can see the separation of both cheeks.”
“Or a big woman stuffed into a tiny bikini, the bottom real tight over her big fat bubble ass. Or in a short skirt bent over. Like the Queen song ‘Fat bottom girls making the rocking world go round’.

Posted at 11:34AM on May 30th 2007 by MissIndiaM(Saravasvati)

63. LoL! That's a riot! My friend's gonna love that one if she hasn't seen it already. Man does he know how to pour it on. PC usually sounds boring, but he spiced it up great. Nice to see he has such a great sense of humor! That is infinitely more attractive than any part of physical appearance. I truly enjoyed that post. Thanks!

"I like Big butts and I cannot lie..."

I still don't believe him, but that was extremely entertaining. That was my favorite set of quotes so far!

Posted at 7:41PM on May 30th 2007 by Brigid

64. Looks like I'm not the only one who is skeptical of actors motives for making their statements. Have you seen this response to Byrne's quotes about Oprah?

"Why would Gabey say such things? He's sort of right, but why does he care enough to actually talk about. Weird. Maybe he's in cahoots with that woman who is suing Oprah for racial discrimination, because she's white . Yeah, that's the ticket. "----- Source: Starpulse


I'd like to add, why is he reading O magazine to begin with? Weren't the airbrushed pic & the article titles on the cover enough to clue him in? If he seeks out info on women, why would he look in these mags to find out what they are thinking? He's got access to 'em all in person, lining up to tell him anything he wants to know.

Can I ask you a question? Both you & my friend said you googled to find these quotes, but how do you find what you're looking for so fast? I'm dependent on you guys to find these things. :( I guess you have them from before? It's very interesting reading btw. I have never seen so many articles on one person at the same time before.

Posted at 2:40AM on May 31st 2007 by Brigid

65. He says, "Women worry too much about the wrong things unfortunately." Then he proceeds to give them more to worry about by getting very specific about HIS very specific likes & dislikes. You don't think his female fans are then judging their appearance even more, in new & different ways ? I can picture women googling to see how Indian women remove excess hair, or to see the type of shampoo they use. I'm telling you, the women & girls I've worked with in shelters etc take these quotes as representative of what men prefer. That may not have been Byrne's intent, but the result is the same. They worry about the wrong things according to whom? To him? According to men? The wrong things are the complete emphasis on looks for women, not the specific types of looks. Those are personal preferences, & everyone's is different. He's still sending the same message as Oprah.

Posted at 5:21AM on May 31st 2007 by Brigid

66. As someone who has been blessed and cursed with beauty, I can tell you everyone has flaws it’s part of being human. I’m aware I’m beautiful, it’s hard not to be when your first memories are of your mother being told how beautiful you are, and how much you look like Elizabeth Taylor. Or how your mother should put you in beauty contests. Thank God she was against them and didn’t do it. All my life I’ve tried to be remembered for something other than my beauty. I always remember that there are a million women more beautiful than me, and a million women less beautiful, and that and a dollar will get me a ride on the subway.

I also am a big girl, almost 5’10, not fat, but not skinny either. You almost never see anybody built like me on T.V. or in movies. From the way you write I think you might be in the New York area, I look a lot like and am built a lot like CW 11 morning reporter Sukanya Krishnan, you can google the name. I don’t bother trying to fit anybodies idea about how I should look. I’m glad to hear Gabe likes chubby desi girls, cause a girl can dream can’t she?

I like the Dove adds that have women of all different shapes, sizes, ages and shades. We women should like ourselves for what we are and not try to conform to anybody else’s idea of beauty. It is nice though when a celebrity like Mr. Byrne admits to liking chubby women, or older women. Reminding us that not everybody feels beauty has to conform to a small niche.

Ever since Mr. Byrne spoke at an anti-war rally four years ago, stories about him have been absent on entertainment shows. You’ll also note since then he’s only done two American films since then. One was junk, the other was a good if misguided indie. Interestingly he’s done the most work in Britain, or in British films in a foreign location. An Australian film, and Canadian films.
I don’t think it’s a coincidence.

Posted at 2:25PM on Jun 11th 2007 by MissIndiaM(Sarasvati)

67. I'm aware of Sukanya Krishnan, & think she's gorgeous. I don't fit any of the conventional ideal body types in any way. I'm short, thin, a bit bigger in the middle & butt, small on top, skinnier legs... and always have been. Same basic shape & weight since my 20's. No tiny waist, no big boobs, no long legs. Would love to be meatier and proportioned among other things, but it's just not to be. No amount of diet and exercise is really going to change that & I'm not interested in killing myself to achieve a particular look. Too much work & I've got other fish to fry.

I'm not normally obsessive about my appearance, but then I hear someone saying, 'this is what women should look like' and the self-doubt creeps in. I see flaws, & they become magnified. Too skinny in some areas, too roly in others, cellulite, wrinkles... I never see any middle ground in the magazines. You gotta be big and voluptuous, or supermodel thin. No clothes off the rack fit me because the stores cater to either impossibly tiny or larger women. My point was that I should not have to feel like I need to alter my appearance for anyone, man or woman. I eat healthily, exercise etc but from what I see all around me it'll never be good enough because I don't fit into either category. I agree completely that women of all shapes & sizes ought to be represented and appreciated equally, and they are not. But why does the sum of our value lie in our bodies to begin with?

When you ask men to describe the perfect woman, they give a physical description and it is very specific. They cite particular hair color, eyes, measurements, height, weight, clothes right down to the underwear, and are exacting down to body hair. When you ask a woman for a description of the perfect man, she says things like sense of humor, intelligence, sensitivity, good with children, concern for the world around them etc. Each of those attributes encompasses a great many components. A woman's preference may include certain physical characteristics, but they are not normally confined to a specific type. She knows that physical, sexual attraction doesn't always kick in right away. She may for instance admire a well cut man with chiseled features, but she wouldn't necessarily gravitate towards such men. Although it seems to me there are a lot more empty-headed young girls these days who are superficial, and constricted now in their thinking, most will grow out of it at some point, whereas men tend not to because they don't have to.

Women's lack of confidence in their appearance fluctuates, but never goes away. Men are not haunted in the same way because they're not judged solely on looks. They're allowed to be old, fat, bald and revered because of their accomplishments. They usually not forced to prove they're still sexy. I'd like to hear more men talk about what they like about women in terms of things like the type of books they read or the type of humor they like best. Byrne is no idiot. Surely he must look beyond the book jacket in women. It would be more encouraging to hear him invite women to develop their minds instead of their bodies.

I didn't mean to be too critical of the Dove ads. I support their efforts. I just hate that women are required to prove their entire worth in terms of their physical appearance. Big, small, old, young, it always comes down to that. Larger women are often appreciated when young btw, & then time and kids etc take their toll, & those dimples & rolls are no longer prized. Those ads are most certainly a step in the right direction. I understand why you'd be pleased about Byrne's comments. I was too because it wasn't what you typically hear. I honestly don't get the attraction of emaciated women. I just don't like the idea of desirability so narrowly defined in any one direction. His specifications set the same impossible standards as O did in my mind. Send me some quotes where he talks about women as people, as opposed to the "I like 'em big" stuff as if women are THINGS to be acquired. Perhaps it's my past abuse by men talking, but I don't like being defined by my looks. It's difficult to maintain and build self-esteem on an image so restrictive that fades quickly.

From the types of projects that I have seen him in, Byrne seems to seek out the more meaningful, thought-provoking, 3 dimensional characters and plots. He is obviously intelligent enough to view women in more than such narrow terms. You must have some articles where he doesn't sound so external. I do realize also that he is only responding to the types of questions he is asked and that interviewers deliberately go for the more titillating read.

I don't think his anti-war statements are a hindrance to his ability to get commercial films. Some actors do Indies & charity work specifically for their resume to elevate the image that they're not really as self-involved as they really are. They know it sounds hip to say they don't care about money & fame. I did not get that impression in general however from Gabriel Byrne. But certain comments of his struck me as sort of self-promoting, premeditated pc-that-pretends-not-to-be-pc. It seems to me that actors must be under a lot of pressure to say all the right things.

I think activism among actors generates more interest not less. Most people are not supporting this war. An anti-war stance is not career damaging today. There's a very manipulative sleight of hand currently taking place that tries to paint activist celebs as victims losing work for being outspoken, while knowing full well that such behavior makes them controversial & edgy, & that sells. Sean Penn is an outsider, & he gets great work consistently without playing Hollywood games.

I got the impression that Byrne goes where the interesting work takes him, and not so much that American films don't want him. Sadly, the studios in Hollywood do indeed favor a very youth oriented, juvenile mentality that excludes many groups, but I'm also turned off by the elitist attitude that the American film industry is beneath everyone else. It disparages American audiences too, & implies we all support mindless entertainment. Distancing oneself from Hollywood is not a bad thing, but then don't indulge in its opulence, the couture, the mansions, extensive travel etc and then complain about its racism, sexism etc. I think it is unfortunate that the Mumbai-based Hindi-language film industry is dubbed Bollywood. It makes it sound like Hollywood wannabes instead of an impressive enterprise attempting to broaden the scope of films to include multi-ethnic actors playing diverse characters in general.

Posted at 2:01AM on Jun 12th 2007 by Brigid

68. Snark, we really like Gabe. If you look at the earlier posts you can see Brigid convinced me not to turn my back on him. Time also has a way of putting things in prespective as well. He is a man, and men starit or gay usually b.s. a lot. We are not bothering Gabe. I’m sure he has a very nice life and isn’t aware of our existence. As long as he keeps giving good to excellent performances in movies, t.v. and on the stage we’ll be happy.

I got the big rear interview from a British “babe” magazine; you know a Maxim type of magazine.
I was a beautician, cosmetologist, and esthetician many years ago. I can tell you strait or gay, men are vainer than women. Gabriel looks like he has his eyebrows thinned. I can’t say whether it’s through tweezing, plucking waxing or threading, but his eyebrows are very neat. Indian men usually thread and use mustache wax on their brows. Gabriel used to dye his hair. Someone familiar with dying hair could tell. Then I guess he realized that graying and gray hair is very sexy to many women.

I certainly don’t think that Gabriel is in “cahoots” with the women suing Oprah. I think he needed something to deflect from some of the bad press he was getting from both the Clinton soirée and the chair-throwing incident. He knew that with older women and big women he would be a hit for saying this. I’m sure he regrets the Clinton soirée now since Rupert Murdoch has put his support behind Hillary, over the years Murdoch through his rags has tried to smear Gabriel for his left leanings.
Also a friend of mine just turned 57 last week as Gabriel did on May 12th. All my friend did was ask if he looks 57. He doesn’t, neither does Gabriel. I’m sure Gabriel was having a bit of a mid life crisis. His Oprah remarks coming about two weeks after his birthday.
I hope in the future Gabriel returns to his biting political remarks. He took on Christopher Hitchens better than anyone. Debated Hitchens without insulting him but floored him so bad that Hitchy couldn’t come up with any witty comebacks. Then he verbally abused the big bully Hitch outside the debate in a way that Hitchy boy deserved.

I don’t think Gabe meant any harm from his remarks. He’s a man and men are b.s.ers.

Posted at 11:46AM on Jun 14th 2007 by MissIndiaM(Sarasvati)

69. Byrne debated Hitchens? Man, I'd have loved to have seen that! I miss all of the good stuff. Got any excerpts on that in your files? The fact that the stuff he said came from a Maxim type magazine really puts things into perspective for me. The things he said, the way he said them, make a lot more sense to me in that context, although it still turns me off.

The starpulse quote about him being in cahoots with the people suing Oprah was not intended to be interpreted as fact, even by its author. I was just using it to illustrate how we read too much into celeb comments. Guess I had to learn my own lesson on that one.

I am in agreement with Snark. The Hilton saga is equal to the Iraq war in that it's getting more depressing every day, we're being bombarded with useless info, & feel powerless to stop it.

The problem with the film industry in general is even distribution and promotion of films. Hollywood is making meaningful films, but they're not showing them in theaters near me. Unless they feature stars like the nauseating Brangelina crowd, most of us don't get to see them until they come out on video. That's fine by me personally because I often experience too many distractions in today's multiplexes, (I mean you can hear the dialogue from the films showing in the rooms located on either side of you). But the downside of that is that audiences are not as exposed to and are therefore unaware of the quality films out there. They are geared towards what's currently being shown & promoted, & tend not to go out of their way to dig beneath the surface. They don't have the time & it's too much work. In turn, the crappy ones get all of the attention, make all the money, and the studios continue to make the claim that audiences want only witless wonders. They offer box-office receipts as their proof. Silliness has it place to be sure, but it's not healthy to eat it for breakfast lunch and dinner.

Byrne and others have an uphill battle to fight on that one. Kudos to their efforts to try.

Posted at 10:33PM on Jun 14th 2007 by Brigid

70. “There is nothing worse than a woman who opens her mouth and nothing intelligent comes out. She could be the most beautiful woman in the world, but if she doesn’t have a brain in her head I have no interest in her.”
Gabriel Byrne

“I like the intelligence of women. I like when you are having a conversation with a woman and she says something you’ve never heard of, and teaches you something you didn’t know. “
Gabriel Byrne

“The most amazing thing I ever did? I was visiting a friend one time and his granddaughter had a habit of letting her hamster run on the floor out of the plastic ball. My friend was not a lightweight then, and he did not see the hamster and stepped on it by accident. The little girl picked it up crying. It seemed to be moving to me. So I took it in my hands and gave it mouth to mouth. It sat up in my hands. So there I was breathing the breath of life into a little hamster. It was amazing. Then guess who wound up paying the vet bill.”
Gabriel Byrne

“The animal I like most? Cats. You can never tell a cat what to do. They own you and mark you as theirs. One of the most beautiful things I can remember is holding a newborn baby kitten in my hands. So tiny, eyes and ears closed. One time I found an abandoned three-week-old kitten. I remember taking him home in my coat. I had to feed him kitten formula in a special bottle for two weeks, until he could start eating soft food. Holding a little kitten mewing while you are finding out what he needs is a good way to meet women. They all come up to you, wanting to see the little thing.
So all you guys that hate cats, shame on you. You can’t stand something that won’t listen to you.
He grew up into a big fat mouse-killing tomcat. I had to have him fixed though, he like decorating the house with his scent. Remember to have your animals fixed anyway. Unwanted kittens and puppies have a hard life.”
Gabriel Byrne

Posted at 12:51PM on Jun 20th 2007 by MissIndiaM(Sarasvati)

71. Byrne takes a pot-shot at Oprah Winfrey's airbrushed pic
"Women look at those pictures and say, 'Why don't I look like that?' And husbands pick it up and say, 'Why doesn't my wife look like that at 50?'"
London, May 19, 2007: 'The Usual Suspects' star Gabriel Byrne has made a quip at Oprah Winfrey's cover pic on a magazine, which presents the talk show host as very young. Via The London News.Net
Posted by roboblogger May 19, 2007 | Permalink | Comment?

I knew the Starpulse blog was not meant to be taken seriously. I also think too much is made of Paris Hilton, and not serious news. Beyond the studios, many formally classy cable networks now only show junk. A&E, Bravo and AMC changed to junk a few years ago. Before that they were good venues for good classy films. Now basically P.B.S. is now the best for that.

I put the hamster thing and the cat thing to lighten up things a bit.

“The women that intrigue me the most always are the most intelligent. My first real girlfriend big Aine was a very intelligent woman. My ex-wife Ellen Barkin is a very intelligent woman. Nothing turns me off more than vacuous ness. You have to care about something, have an idea of something in life.”
Gabriel Byrne

Posted at 10:58AM on Jun 21st 2007 by MissIndiaM(Sarasvati)

72. Yes! Now that's what I'm talking about! Thanks for those! LOL. I knew you'd have some great quotes. Those are the kind of comments that will give a woman confidence in herself and will only improve her life by making her independent, rather than hopelessly trapping her in a physical ideal that she can never achieve or maintain. Those quotes will go a long way in a positive direction.

You had me up to the cats. Cats are intelligent and independent, and you can't tell them what to do it's true. But they are selfish, lazy, narcissistic creatures who expect everyone to do their bidding without offering anything in return. They are also not as self-sufficient as they pretend to be. They'll egotistically sidle up a tree, taunting the dogs below, but then they can't get back down by themselves, so they resort to tears, whining as if they're dying, and demand a fireman pull himself away from rescuing someone who is in real danger in order to have their own personal whims catered to. After they are rescued, they'll scamper off to indulge themselves further without so much as a thankyou or an ounce of concern for the chaos they caused. Kittens are indeed adorable and easy to love and nurture as babies, but that gets old fast because there's no give and take as they grow. They grow but cannot mature. But isn't that just like a man to admire such qualities? lol.

Give me a dog who will risk his life to pull me out of a well, or run to get help while the cat stands there laughing gleefully in my face at my misfortune. I'm involved with Support Dogs for the Handicapped. They are amazing companions & helpers, very intelligent, loyal, hardworking, yet playful animals who will walk through fire to save you. They need lots of love and attention, but they give it back in spades. They are valuable too not only to the disabled, but to the elderly, law enforcement, firefighters, entire families etc.

Byrne seems from your quotes to be a devoted dog who is attracted to sexy, impulsive uninhibited cats, but doesn't want to commit to them for long because eventually he needs them to love him back as much as does them, but they either can't or just won't. He'd be better off with an intelligent, faithful friend who can give him a formidable fight and a ferocious f**k. You know, a liberated, clever, self-assured woman who is not a prude, but not a crazy, unreliable, conceited biotch who he can't trust or depend on in a crunch.

Posted at 10:31PM on Jun 21st 2007 by Brigid

73. I am a cat woman. I have three sweet loving loyal pussycats. Don't get me wrong, Ilove dogs too. I had a beautiful beagle for 13 years til she passed away. I do love cats the best though. From house cats to Tigers and Lions. I have always had cats. That aloofness and self interest is all an act. I find cats to be very loving creatures. My cats love to sit on my lap and purr. They love to nose kiss me.
I try to save as many stray cats as possible. I have a friend who works for Friends of Animals. She picks them up and her orginazation finds homes for them.
Gabriel's a good guy in my book. Guy's who like cats don't need to posses women. They can let women be independant.

Posted at 3:17PM on Jun 22nd 2007 by MissIndiaM(Sarasvati)

74. You make a good point. Definitely don't need a man who needs to possess you. But it should go both ways. Independence is to be encouraged, but not to the extent that one half of the couple remains at arm's length until they happen to feel like sharing. I don't dislike cats though. They're pretty clean and keep their own schedule which is good for anyone who can't be home all the time. But they give affection only according to their own terms.

I don't generally care for them walking across kitchen countertops or slinking around on top of the fridge staring down like they're ready to pounce at any moment. Guess I've had too much experience with the sweet faced purrs of a man who seemed to be showing affection, only to find out that he was actually sidling up, silently gathering information in order to control my every move. The sneaking around, stalking prey etc. Creeps me out sometimes.

Of course it'd be a shame for me to denounce all cats. But cats are mysterious. That always sounds exciting and intriguing, but based on my personal experience, I now prefer a lot less mystery and less self-centeredness. I don't want them to feign aloofness to get my attention, & they gotta be willing to share equally and sacricifice for others, not just when it's good for them.

But you're right. If he can abide a completely self-sufficient woman, he clearly does not feel a need to possess her. Unless of course it was all a ruse to attract women. lol. Nah, men don't like to work that hard, & I hardly think he's desperate for female attention.

Posted at 12:59AM on Jun 23rd 2007 by Brigid

75. Lol! I think that's great. As long as you don't lose yourself in the process. A willingness to go to great lengths to please someone you love is one thing (admirable), being his (or her) slave is another. It must be reciprocated. He should be willing to bend over backwards to please her as well. I see a lot of women who give him what he wants sexually at any time, share him with other women (when she clearly doesn't want to no matter how open-minded she CLAIMS to be) while she is not permitted to demand the same from him. By the same token, I see women behave like whores so they don't have to get a real job, using sex to further a relationship. She doesn't have to use her body but she does because she has no self-respect. I'm for true equality, sharing of mind, body and soul. For a woman, her power seems to lie solely in her body and her willingness to sell it. The mind it seems is used to play mind games to get men to do her bidding. I don't care for the reduction of woman as an object who only use her brains to satisfy superficial needs.

And no offense, but the rest of us aren't the prudes we are constantly accused of being. We just don't feel a need to brag to anyone who'll listen in order to convince ourselves we are worthy. I notice a lot of non Americans feel a need to keep reiterating over & over that they are so much more open & enlightened than we are , like they're trying desperately to make themselves believe it, yet they leave their own in droves to come to America and by hook or by crook indulge fully in the American way of life. For the few who give back, they have no qualms about using what is deemed dirty capitalist-made money to fund their altruism, and rarely do they give up their life of luxury if and when they get it. I think they protest too much.

There are a great many generous wealthy Americans who should not be made to feel guilty about living well. I will never be one of them, but I give what I can whenever I can, both time & money. I hate those lists that tell how much a person has given to such & such charities. If they give to an AIDS charity one year, & a different charity the next, they're accused of no longer caring about AIDS. If they give to Africa, they don't care about Iraqi orphans. If you help anyone in need you are fulfilling your moral obligations. The more you have, the more you give, but who you give to should not be criticized unless the money is being used to harm or kill. American generosity is never enough for some people. Sure there are lazy, apathathetic, greedy ones, but they exist in the poorest countries as well. Those faults belong to everyone, and will manifest in terms of opportunity.

Posted at 11:48PM on Jun 25th 2007 by Brigid