Denis Leary Movies

Denis Leary in Rescue Me….I know it is a television show…but one of my favorites.

Want to know the best Denis Leary movies?  How about the worst Denis Leary movies?  Curious about Denis Leary box office grosses or which Denis Leary movie picked up the most Oscar® nominations? Need to know which Denis Leary movie got the best reviews from critics and audiences? Well you have come to the right place….because we have all of that information.

Denis Leary (1957-) is an American actor, writer, producer, singer and comedian.   His IMDb page shows 64 acting credits since 1987.  In the table below, Ultimate Movie Rankings ranks 33 of his movies in 6 different sortable columns.  Television roles, cameos, shorts and straight to dvd movies were not included in the rankings.

Drivel part of the page:  I have liked Denis Leary since his MTV days.   I have seen his stand-up comedy show in person, I have enjoyed his movie work (even saw Operation Dumbo Drop in theaters), I loved his television show Rescue Me and I have read a couple of his books.   As I was reading his latest book, Why We Don’t Suck…it occurred to me that I should do an UMR page…..so that is exactly what I did.

Denis Leary in 1994’s The Ref

Denis Leary Movies Ranked In Chronological Order With Ultimate Movie Rankings Score (1 to 5 UMR Tickets) *Best combo of box office, reviews and awards.

Denis Leary Movies Can Be Ranked 6 Ways In This Table

The really cool thing about this table is that it is “user-sortable”. Rank the movies anyway you want.

  • Sort Denis Leary movies by co-stars of his movies
  • Sort Denis Leary movies by adjusted domestic box office grosses using current movie ticket cost (in millions)
  • Sort Denis Leary movies by yearly domestic box office rank or trivia
  • Sort Denis Leary movies how they were received by critics and audiences.  60% rating or higher should indicate a good movie
  • Sort by how many Oscar® nominations and how many Oscar® wins each Denis Leary movie received.
  • Sort Denis Leary movies by Ultimate Movie Rankings (UMR) Score.  UMR Score puts box office, reviews and awards into a mathematical equation and gives each movie a score.
Denis Leary has voice Diego in five Ice Age movies

Possibly Interesting Facts About Denis Leary

  1. Denis Colin Leary was born in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1957.

2.  Denis Leary graduated from Emerson College (in Boston).  While attending Emerson College he founded the Emerson Comedy Workshop, a troupe that continues on-campus today.

3. Emerson College gave Denis Leary a  honorary doctorate….so he is officially Dr. Denis Leary.

4.  Denis Leary earned fame when he ranted about R.E.M. in a MTV sketch.  Other commercials for MTV quickly followed, in which Leary would rant at high speeds about a variety of topics.

5.  Denis Leary wanted to be a NHL hockey player…..but that did not work out….but he has his very own hockey rink at his house.

6. Denis Leary founded the Leary Firefighters Foundation (LFF) charity in response to the Dec. 3, 1999, warehouse fire that killed six firefighters in his hometown of Worcester, Massachusetts. His cousin Jeremiah Lucey was among the six heroic firefighters killed. Leary also established LFF projects for New York’s Bravest in response to the FDNY’s losses in the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and in New Orleans to help restore firefighting capabilities destroyed in Hurricane Katrina, 2005.

7. When 9/11 happened,the Leary Firefighters Foundation went into action and was hailed as “the second-quickest charity” to get money into the hands of grieving families. One auction alone raised $600,000.

8.  Dennis Leary has been married one time and has two children.

9.  Denis Leary and Willem Dafoe frequently get confused with each other.  What do you think? Seperated at birth?

10.  Check out Denis Leary’s career compared to current and classic actors.  Most 100 Million Dollar Movies of All-Time.

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13 thoughts on “Denis Leary Movies

  1. The Funny or Die video is hilarious. You don’t often see actors being this honest about their movies. Compared to the legends here he is indeed an utility player.

    1. Hey In The Shadows….glad you like the Funny or Die video. I agree with you 100%….it is very very funny….and very very candid. Glad you like the “utility player” comment too. Thanks for coming out of the shadows to post this comment.

  2. Denis Leary eh? The voice of Diego in the Ice Age animated series. Has he done anything else? [cue Bruce grinding his teeth] 😉

    Kidding. I’ve seen 13 of the 33 films listed, and that includes about 11 Ice Age movies. [stop it Steve!] Oh okay, favorites include – The Ice Age Saga, A Bug’s Life, Demolition Man, Amazing Spider-Man and The Thomas Crown Affair.

    Jesus Son? They dared make such a film? Whoa!

    Not sure he looks like Willem Dafoe, maybe from a distance.

    Good stuff Bruce. Voted Up!

    1. Hey Steve
      1. His movie career might not be too stellar….but his role in Rescue Me…shows the man has some acting ability. He has another show called The Job that is very funny. I recommend both series.
      2. The Ice Age movies rule his list….but he still has another 30 or so movies.
      3. Tally count….me 25 you 13….see told you I was a fan.
      4. I like all of your favorites….did you check out the video? It has some pretty funny comments on the making of Demolition Man.
      5. I have not seen Jesus’ Son…..but I did not make that title up…..somehow it did not make much money…lol.
      6. I think he and Dafoe look alike….so I can see people getting them confused…..but now that they both have Spidey movies maybe the confusion has died down…..as “loved you in Spider-man now can be said to both actors.
      Good feedback….thank you.

  3. Somewhere between 1993 and 1996, Z-100 a top 40 station in NYC experimented with an alternative top 40 format. On one of the customary top 100 of the year surveys, Denis made the chart with a song called “A**hole”.

    In 2016 Denis ranked # 883 on the Oracle of Bacon Top 1000 Center of the Hollywood Universe list (he’s down to 929 now). THese are the actors on the 2016 list he had appeaered in a film with.

    4 SAMUEL L. JACKSON Loaded Weapon 1 (1993)
    4 SAMUEL L. JACKSON Strictly Business (1991)
    6 ROBERT DE NIRO Wag the Dog (1997)
    18 BRUCE WILLIS Loaded Weapon 1 (1993)
    24 RANCE HOWARD Small Soldiers (1998) (passed away last week)
    27 DENNIS HOPPER Jesus’ Son (1999)
    28 CHRISTOPHER WALKEN Suicide Kings (1997)
    31 JOHN TURTURRO Company Man (2000)
    33 FRANK WELKER A Bug’s Life (1998)
    37 SALLY KIRKLAND Gunmen (1993)
    39 DANNY GLOVER Operation Dumbo Drop (1995)
    40 HARRY DEAN STANTON Sand (2000)
    50 STEVE BUSCEMI Double Whammy (2001)
    50 STEVE BUSCEMI The Real Blonde (1997)
    53 PAUL GIAMATTI THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (2014)
    57 MIKE STARR Two If by Sea (1996)
    59 MICHAEL PAPAJOHN The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)
    60 JOHN LEGUIZAMO COSMIC-SCRAT-TASTROPHE (2015)
    60 JOHN LEGUIZAMO Ice Age (2002)
    60 JOHN LEGUIZAMO ICE AGE: COLLISION COURSE (2016)
    60 JOHN LEGUIZAMO Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012)
    60 JOHN LEGUIZAMO Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009)
    60 JOHN LEGUIZAMO Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006)
    60 JOHN LEGUIZAMO Scrat’s Continental Crack-Up: Part 2 (2011)
    67 JAMES HONG Operation Dumbo Drop (1995)
    68 RAY LIOTTA Blow (2001)
    68 RAY LIOTTA Operation Dumbo Drop (1995)
    70 MARK FALVO Draft Day (2014)
    72 ROBERT FORSTER Lakeboat (2000)
    73 JOHNNY DEPP Blow (2001)
    74 WILLIAM HURT Do Not Disturb (1999)
    75 WOODY HARRELSON Wag the Dog (1997)
    91 JAMES EARL JONES The Sandlot (1993)
    93 LUIS GUZMAN Double Whammy (2001)
    97 CHARLES DURNING Lakeboat (2000)
    101 LIN SHAYE Loaded Weapon 1 (1993)
    103 F. MURRAY ABRAHAM Loaded Weapon 1 (1993)
    120 ANDY GARCIA Lakeboat (2000)
    126 TERENCE STAMP Love Walked In (1997)
    133 TOMMY LEE JONES Small Soldiers (1998)
    134 FAYE DUNAWAY The Thomas Crown Affair (1999)
    135 MARK MARGOLIS The Thomas Crown Affair (1999)
    142 ERNEST BORGNINE Small Soldiers (1998)
    146 FRANK LANGELLA Draft Day (2014)
    146 FRANK LANGELLA Small Soldiers (1998)
    150 SYLVESTER STALLONE Demolition Man (1993)
    155 DUSTIN HOFFMAN Wag the Dog (1997)
    167 J. K. SIMMONS Love Walked In (1997)
    167 J. K. SIMMONS The Ref (1994)
    168 STAN LEE The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)
    168 STAN LEE THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (2014)
    177 WILLIAM H. MACY Wag the Dog (1997)
    182 MATTHEW MODINE The Real Blonde (1997)
    185 WHOOPI GOLDBERG Loaded Weapon 1 (1993)
    186 ROSANNA ARQUETTE Draft Day (2014)
    187 DARYL HANNAH The Real Blonde (1997)
    191 JOE MANTEGNA Lakeboat (2000)
    191 JOE MANTEGNA Underworld (1996)
    194 BEN GAZZARA The Thomas Crown Affair (1999)
    195 VINCENT PASTORE The Ref (1994)
    195 VINCENT PASTORE Who’s the Man? (1993)
    203 SIGOURNEY WEAVER Company Man (2000)
    206 KEVIN COSTNER Draft Day (2014)
    207 BEN STILLER IN SEARCH OF TED DEMME (2010)
    213 MARSHALL BELL Operation Dumbo Drop (1995)
    213 MARSHALL BELL Sand (2000)
    217 JAMES WOODS True Crime (1999)
    223 GREG BRONSON BLOW (2001)
    223 GREG BRONSON WAG THE DOG (1997)
    224 KEVIN DUNN Draft Day (2014)
    224 KEVIN DUNN Small Soldiers (1998)
    226 PIERCE BROSNAN The Thomas Crown Affair (1999)
    228 SEAN PENN Hurlyburly (1998)
    232 CHARLES NAPIER Loaded Weapon 1 (1993)
    237 STEPHEN DORFF Judgment Night (1993)
    239 JEREMY PIVEN Judgment Night (1993)
    243 CHRISTOPHER LAMBERT Gunmen (1993)
    243 CHRISTOPHER LAMBERT Loaded Weapon 1 (1993)
    249 STEPHEN ROOT Ice Age (2002)
    249 STEPHEN ROOT Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006)
    262 COLM MEANEY Monument Ave. (1998)
    273 BOB GUNTON Demolition Man (1993)
    274 BRUCE DERN Small Soldiers (1998)
    276 KIRSTEN DUNST Small Soldiers (1998)
    276 KIRSTEN DUNST Wag the Dog (1997)
    282 CHRISTOPHER LLOYD The Real Blonde (1997)
    286 CHRIS ELLIS Wag the Dog (1997)
    301 BILL COBBS Demolition Man (1993)
    306 ADAM LEFEVRE The Ref (1994)
    313 GEORGE KENNEDY Small Soldiers (1998)
    322 MICHAEL SHANNON Jesus’ Son (1999)
    327 HELENE CARDONA FINAL (2001)
    341 RICHARD KIND A Bug’s Life (1998)
    346 KEVIN SPACEY A Bug’s Life (1998)
    346 KEVIN SPACEY Hurlyburly (1998)
    346 KEVIN SPACEY The Ref (1994)
    348 CHARLIE SHEEN Loaded Weapon 1 (1993)
    354 JACK BLACK Demolition Man (1993)
    354 JACK BLACK Ice Age (2002)
    354 JACK BLACK Jesus’ Son (1999)
    378 CUBA GOODING JR. Judgment Night (1993)
    381 JOHN HAWKES Sand (2000)
    383 ROSEMARY HOWARD THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (2014)
    386 JIM BELUSHI Wag the Dog (1997)
    389 JOHN DIEHL Monument Ave. (1998)
    390 JACK KEHLER True Crime (1999)
    395 PENELOPE CRUZ Blow (2001)
    398 PATRICK STEWART Gunmen (1993)
    408 TCHEKY KARYO Operation Dumbo Drop (1995)
    415 RAYMOND J. BARRY THE REF (1994)
    418 CHRIS COOPER THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (2014)
    419 ELLEN BURSTYN Draft Day (2014)
    425 JENNIFER TILLY Do Not Disturb (1999)
    434 CLINT EASTWOOD True Crime (1999)
    437 MICHAEL BOWEN True Crime (1996)
    438 JOHN RATZENBERGER A Bug’s Life (1998)
    449 ROB SCHNEIDER Demolition Man (1993)
    456 JORDI MOLLA BLOW (2001)
    458 PETER MCROBBIE THE NEON BIBLE (1995)
    464 CHRISTINA RICCI Small Soldiers (1998)
    465 FRANKIE FAISON The Thomas Crown Affair (1999)
    475 COLM FEORE THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (2014)
    479 WILL PATTON Jesus’ Son (1999)
    483 DORIS MCCARTHY THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (2014)
    486 ANTHONY J. SACCO THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (2012)
    488 RHYS IFANS RITE OF PASSAGE – THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN REBORN (2012)
    488 RHYS IFANS THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (2012)
    498 SAM ROCKWELL Strictly Business (1991)
    502 MAX PERLICH Blow (2001)
    514 ALAN CUMMING Company Man (2000)
    522 JAY O. SANDERS The MatchMaker (1997)
    539 TERRENCE HOWARD Who’s the Man? (1993)
    542 MICHAEL MCKEAN Small Soldiers (1998)
    542 MICHAEL MCKEAN True Crime (1999)
    545 ROBIN WRIGHT Hurlyburly (1998)
    550 ROBERT COSTANZO Underworld (1996)
    561 PAUL GUILFOYLE (II) Company Man (2000)
    563 DAVID KOECHNER WAG THE DOG (1997)
    580 SAUL RUBINEK Lakeboat (2000)
    590 VICTOR ARGO Double Whammy (2001)
    595 VINCENT LARESCA THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (2012)
    595 VINCENT LARESCA THE REAL BLONDE (1997)
    596 FAMKE JANSSEN Monument Ave. (1998)
    603 JAY LENO Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006)
    603 JAY LENO Wag the Dog (1997)
    607 CATHERINE KEENER The Real Blonde (1997)
    608 FRANCES FISHER TRUE CRIME (1999)
    614 SIMON PEGG ICE AGE: COLLISION COURSE (2016)
    614 SIMON PEGG ICE AGE: CONTINENTAL DRIFT (2012)
    614 SIMON PEGG ICE AGE: DAWN OF THE DINOSAURS (2009)
    615 MICHAEL ARTHUR THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (2012)
    628 JANEANE GAROFALO THE MATCHMAKER (1997)
    628 JANEANE GAROFALO WHEN STAND UP STOOD OUT (2003)
    631 JAMIE FOXX THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (2014)
    632 PAM GRIER A Decade Under the Influence (2003)
    634 JON LOVITZ LOADED WEAPON 1 (1993)
    634 JON LOVITZ SAND (2000)
    641 NORMAN REEDUS SAND (2000)
    645 JOHN MICHAEL HIGGINS WAG THE DOG (1997)
    670 SANDRA BULLOCK Demolition Man (1993)
    670 SANDRA BULLOCK Two If by Sea (1996)
    671 WILLIAM SHATNER Loaded Weapon 1 (1993)
    684 PETER FALK Lakeboat (2000)
    690 MIGUEL SANDOVAL BLOW (2001)
    692 ROBERT PICARDO SMALL SOLDIERS (1998)
    700 ADRIAN MARTINEZ THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (2014)
    715 TERRY CREWS Draft Day (2014)
    717 HALLE BERRY Strictly Business (1991)
    720 HARRY SHEARER Small Soldiers (1998)
    724 MARTON CSOKAS THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (2014)
    753 SAM ELLIOTT Draft Day (2014)
    772 DICK MILLER Small Soldiers (1998)
    776 JANE LYNCH ICE AGE: DAWN OF THE DINOSAURS (2009)
    778 LARRY CEDAR BAD BOY (2002)
    785 W. EARL BROWN Draft Day (2014)
    793 ALEX ROCCO A Bug’s Life (1998)
    798 JULIE DELPY Sand (2000)
    803 TIM CURRY Loaded Weapon 1 (1993)
    841 WOODY ALLEN Company Man (2000)
    851 WESLEY SNIPES Demolition Man (1993)
    864 CHAZZ PALMINTERI HURLYBURLY (1998)
    879 BILLY CRUDUP JESUS’ SON (1999)
    879 BILLY CRUDUP MONUMENT AVE. (1998)
    887 MARSHALL DANCING ELK LUCAS DOUBLE WHAMMY (2001)
    888 MICHAEL BADALUCCO LOVE WALKED IN (1997)
    888 MICHAEL BADALUCCO TWO IF BY SEA (1996)
    895 ANTHONY LAPAGLIA COMPANY MAN (2000)
    899 EDIE MCCLURG A Bug’s Life (1998)
    901 BENJAMIN BRATT DEMOLITION MAN (1993)
    918 JEFFREY JONES Company Man (2000)
    948 ART LAFLEUR The Sandlot (1993)
    950 LUCY LIU TRUE CRIME (1999)
    971 BRAD WILLIAM HENKE Draft Day (2014)
    985 ARTHUR J. NASCARELLA THE REF (1994)
    986 J.T. WALSH Loaded Weapon 1 (1993)

    Actors on the 2000 list who have since fallen off and appeared in a film with him (Denis wasn’t on then). Rank is for 2000.

    25 RODDY MCDOWELL A Bug’s Life (1998)
    65 ROBERT LOGGIA Wide Awake (1998)
    272 VITO SCOTTI Loaded Weapon 1 (1993)
    313 JAMES TOLKAN Underworld (1996)
    318 RICHARD BRIGHT The Ref (1994)
    318 RICHARD BRIGHT Who’s the Man? (1993)
    352 PAUL GLEASON Loaded Weapon 1 (1993)
    390 BUCK HENRY The Real Blonde (1997)
    438 GLYNIS JOHNS The Ref (1994)
    461 FRANK MCRAE Loaded Weapon 1 (1993)
    516 MADELINE KAHN A Bug’s Life (1998)
    570 YAPHET KOTTO Two If by Sea (1996)
    603 GENA ROWLANDS The Neon Bible (1995)
    622 JIM BROWN Draft Day (2014)
    622 JIM BROWN Small Soldiers (1998)
    631 MEG RYAN Hurlyburly (1998)
    642 MARTIN SCORSESE A Decade Under the Influence (2003)
    667 MICHAEL JETER True Crime (1999)
    677 DANIEL VON BARGEN The Real Blonde (1997)
    729 CRAIG T. NELSON Wag the Dog (1997)
    743 WILLIAM WINDOM True Crime (1999)
    748 ANTHONY ZERBE True Crime (1999)
    750 SALLY FIELD The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)
    750 SALLY FIELD THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (2014)
    828 RUTANYA ALDA The Ref (1994)
    841 NIGEL HAWTHORNE Demolition Man (1993)
    882 JULIA STILES WIDE AWAKE (1998)
    900 KIM CHAN Who’s the Man? (1993)
    904 ROGER CORMAN A Decade Under the Influence (2003)
    912 BEATRICE WINDE The Real Blonde (1997)
    945 GEORGE GAYNES Wag the Dog (1997)
    988 KATHLEEN TURNER The Real Blonde (1997)

    I can come up with 22 Oscar winners Denis has appeared with, you probably came come up with a few more.

    CHRIS COOPER THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (2014)
    CHRISTOPHER WALKEN Suicide Kings (1997)
    CUBA GOODING JR. Judgment Night (1993)
    DUSTIN HOFFMAN Wag the Dog (1997)
    ELLEN BURSTYN Draft Day (2014)
    EMMA STONE RITE OF PASSAGE: THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN REBORN (2012)
    EMMA STONE THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (2012)
    EMMA STONE THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (2014)
    ERNEST BORGNINE Small Soldiers (1998)
    F. MURRAY ABRAHAM Loaded Weapon 1 (1993)
    FAYE DUNAWAY The Thomas Crown Affair (1999)
    GEORGE KENNEDY Small Soldiers (1998)
    HALLE BERRY Strictly Business (1991)
    J. K. SIMMONS Love Walked In (1997)
    J. K. SIMMONS The Ref (1994)
    JAMIE FOXX THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (2014)
    KEVIN SPACEY A Bug’s Life (1998)
    KEVIN SPACEY Hurlyburly (1998)
    KEVIN SPACEY The Ref (1994)
    PENELOPE CRUZ Blow (2001)
    ROBERT DE NIRO Wag the Dog (1997)
    SALLY FIELD The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)
    SALLY FIELD THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (2014)
    SANDRA BULLOCK Demolition Man (1993)
    SANDRA BULLOCK Two If by Sea (1996)
    SEAN PENN Hurlyburly (1998)
    TOMMY LEE JONES Small Soldiers (1998)
    WHOOPI GOLDBERG Loaded Weapon 1 (1993)
    WILLIAM HURT Do Not Disturb (1999)

    1. Hey Dan
      1. Wow I am amazed that Denis Leary is in the Top 1000…..not amazed that he seems to be working his way off the list.
      2. I like his song…..but since we are a G rated website…it seemed better to not even mention it….but it is certainly a huge part of his entertainment legacy.
      3. Stan Lee at #168? That seems wrong….if you watched all of his performances in a row….you might have enough material for a quick tv episode.
      4. On the second list….seeing Roddy McDowall’s name going from massive heights to off the list completely is bittersweet.
      5. 22 Oscar winners is pretty good for so many low budget almost forgotten films.
      Good information as always…your efforts are appreciated.

      1. Making the top 100 if the year means Z-100 played it a substantial amount of time. I don’t remember if they bleeped him when he would say that word.

        1. I can only imagine how short his song would be if all the bad words would be taken out of the song….it would be a 30 second song….lol.

    1. Hey Megan…..he is indeed a very funny guy. His career never really took off….but his has had a good career….even if he is a “utility player”…lol. He is a good character actor…and a good lead actor on television…I loved his shows…The Job and Rescue Me.

    1. Hey Taylor….glad to see another Denis Leary fan. I agree his Firefight Foundation is on one the good ones out there. Thanks for stopping by.

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