James Thomas Kevin Byrnes (born September 22, 1948) is an American-Canadian actor, voice actor, and blues musician. He is known to television audiences for his roles as FBI agent Daniel "Lifeguard" Burroughs on the crime drama series Wiseguy (1987-90, 1996), and as Joe Dawson in the Highlander franchise.
Byrnes was nominated for a Genie Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the film Harmony Cats (1992). For his music, Byrnes has won the Juno Award for Blues Album of the Year three times.
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Early life
Byrnes was born in St. Louis, Missouri on September 22, 1948. His mother was a homemaker, and his father was a municipal accountant. He began performing blues at the age of 13, and acted as a teenager in local theatre productions. Prior to his acting career, he considered becoming a priest and attended seminary. He studied acting at Saint Louis University and Boston University.
