John R. Howley grew up working on a sunflower farm in Connecticut. Now he lives in Manhattan as an actor, prominent Gaeilgeoir, and apple fritter fanatic.

In his feature film debut, Bleeding (2024), John has top billing as the courageous central protagonist fighting to save his family from addiction. According to reviews, “Howley is dazzling as Eric…there is a bright and busy future ahead for this young man” (Reel News Daily). Bleeding was featured in Variety for winning Dances with Film’s Best Midnight Feature Award. The movie is distributed by Cinverse and is streaming on Screambox and all VOD platforms.

John also spends considerable time speaking i nGaeilge (in Irish) as the bunaitheoir and uachtarán (founder and president) of GAELTACHT NYC, an organization that hosts bi-weekly events for Irish speakers. As a Gaeilgeoir organizer, John has been profiled in multiple online publications and has collaborated with the Irish Consulate, the New York Public Library, and many other organizations.

A recent graduate of Columbia University’s B.A. theatre program, John won three College awards for his work as a student-actor.