“My cousin Jerry Lucey and five other firefighters died in a warehouse fire in Worcester, Mass. - my hometown - right in the middle of our old neighborhood downtown when a homeless couple started a fire to keep warm and the entire building went up. My cousin died trying to save homeless people who had already left the building.”

Denis Leary is an American actor and writer from the 1980s to present. He gained prominence for his roles in crime dramas and comedies, including *Homicide: Life on the Street* and *Rescue Me*, as well as his sharp, often darkly humorous writing for television and film. His work blends gritty realism with a distinctive, witty voice.