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 as one of The New York Times’ “5 Horror Movies to Stream Now” and is ranked on Rotten Tomatoes’ “100 Best New Horror Movies of 2025.” The movie is distributed by Cineverse and is now streaming free on Amazon Prime. John makes his television debut as the leading man of Perfect Sundays, portraying the emotional and economic struggles of modern dairy farmers. The series is in production and will be released soon.

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.