Gabriel Byrne OF ‘WAR OF THE WORLDS’

ON EPIX

Where does doing “War of the Worlds” fit into the overall strategy of the career you’ve built?

I never thought I would go into acting as a profession. Films were things that I went to see, and I was absolutely awestruck by them. One of the great rewards, I suppose, is that it has given me a living

... but it also has allowed me to go through all these lives and worlds that I normally never would have

experienced.

Also, it’s allowed me to work with people I idolized as a kid. Did I ever think I would be working with these legendary actors that I saw in the cinema when I was in Dublin as a teenager? I’m amazed by that, and amazed that I’ve gotten to do so many different roles in so many different countries.

What do you consider the main joy of acting to be for you now?

The life of an actor is very up-and-down.There are great things and things that are not so great, and the pursuit of that life teaches you a great deal

about life and about yourself.

I turned down a film that won the actor who took it an Academy Award. It’s a bit like selling a house that goes up in price; you think, “Ah, I should have held on” ... but I can’t not be grateful for

the opportunities I’ve had and the satisfaction that they’ve given me.

After having done three seasons of HBO’s “In Treatment,” what are your thoughts about the series now continuing with Uzo Aduba as its star?

I found, as an actor, that it was a limiting kind of experience ... very challenging and critically well received, but I didn’t think that going back to do another season was going to be anything that I

really wanted. I like the idea now of being able to do something short and then go home.