Glen Hansard (born 21 April 1970) is an Irish singer-songwriter and actor. He is vocalist and guitarist for Irish group The Frames and one half of folk-rock duo The Swell Season. Hansard is said to have quit school at age 13 to begin busking on local Dublin streets. He first came to public attention as guitar player 'Outspan Foster' in the Alan Parker film The Commitments, a role he subsequently regretted, believing it distracted from his music career.