Ciaran Hinds taks the lead in 'The Eclipse'

Blessed with leading man good looks and a level of talent that makes every performance he gives an event, it’s quite strange that Ciaran Hinds, 57, has often been passed over for leading man roles.

“I usually turn up like a bad penny for a moment or two here there and everywhere,” he tells the Irish Voice, making light of the fact but acknowledging it too.

But all that’s changing now. Over the last decade Hinds, who hails from Belfast originally, has quietly become a go-to actor for some of the most sought after roles in theater (where he first came to prominence) and film (where he’s finally carrying the films himself).

This month he can be seen in his award winning turn as a bereaved husband in “The Eclipse”, a supernatural shocker directed by Conor McPherson. After that he’ll star in “Life During Wartime,” the pitch black but highly anticipated new film from virtuoso director Todd Solondz (Hinds plays a pedophile just released from prison).

But it’s the size of the roles that signal a new direction for Hinds career.

“When Conor and I were doing ‘The Seafarer’ on Broadway a couple of years ago he passed me this rough draft of ‘The Eclipse’ and asked me if I might be interested in playing Michael, the lead. At the time it was quite a threadbare draft, but working with Conor in the theater I knew he had a lot in his armory, philosophically and psychologically,” Hinds says.

“Even though it was a mystery to me I had no hesitation in saying, ‘Well, if you want me to do it I’ll be thrilled, wherever we go with it.’”

Hinds’ is the emotional center of “The Eclipse” (you can catch it at the Craic Fest at the Tribeca Cinema on Saturday, March 6) playing a father, son and bereaved husband. He’s sensational in the role, giving a riveting performance that will remind audiences why he’s in such demand with directors worldwide.

Says Hinds, “Michael’s just a small town teacher, that’s all he is. I think Conor wanted the human scale of the film to be honest and real, so that when the supernatural or the paranormal hits people will have a huge reaction to it. They’ll think, ‘S***, he’s really in deep trouble…’

“Because if you believe in Michael and follow his journey you discover he’s broken hearted, he’s suffering panic attacks, he’s on rocky ground emotionally and psychologically.”

It’s up to the audience to decide if the night terrors Michael is witnessing are real or imaginary, the product of his mind or a genuine haunting. We know he’s been devastated by the loss of his wife and the suicide of his father, we know that emotionally he’s holding on by a thread, but ghosts?

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Nster.com