Dan O'Herlihy
Daniel Peter O'Herlihy (May 1, 1919 – February 17, 2005) was an Irish[1] actor of film, television and radio.[2] With a distinguished appearance and rich, resonant speaking voice, O'Herlihy's best-known roles included his Oscar-nominated portrayal of the lead character in Luis Buñuel's Robinson Crusoe (1954),[3] Brigadier General Warren A. Black in Fail Safe (1964), Marshal Ney in Waterloo (1970), Conal Cochran in Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982), Grig in The Last Starfighter in (1984), "The Old Man" in RoboCop (1987) and its 1990 sequel, and Andrew Packard in the television series Twin Peaks (1990–91).[4]
Dan O'Herlihy | |
|---|---|
O'Herlihy in 1956 | |
| Born | Daniel Peter O'Herlihy May 1, 1919 |
| Died | February 17, 2005 (aged 85) Malibu, California, U.S. |
| Citizenship | Ireland United States (1983–2005) |
| Alma mater | University College Dublin |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, voice actor |
| Years active | 1944–1998 |
| Spouse | Elsa Bennett (m. 1945) |
| Children | 5, including Gavan O'Herlihy and Lorcan O'Herlihy |
Early life and education Edit
O'Herlihy was born in Wexford, County Wexford in 1919, but moved with his family to Dublin when he was young. He was educated at Christian Brothers College in Dún Laoghaire and later studied at University College Dublin, graduating in 1944 with a degree in architecture, following in his father's footsteps.[3]
He developed a keen interest in acting during his university studies. He joined several amateur theatre groups and joined the Abbey Theatre as a bit player. After graduating from the university, he decided to pursue acting full-time, working at the Abbey and Gate Theatre, first as a set designer, then later as an actor.[2]
Career Edit
O'Herlihy's first acting role came in 1944, when he played the lead in the Gate's production of Red Roses For Me, written and directed by Seán O'Casey. He appeared in some fifty plays at the Gate.[5] He made his film debut in Carol Reed's Odd Man Out in 1947,[6] which was shot on-location in Belfast, and also worked extensively in radio.[2] His first American film role was as Macduff in Orson Welles' version of Macbeth (1948).[6]
In 1952, he starred in the Red Scare film Invasion, U.S.A. and, in 1954 in Luis Buñuel's Robinson Crusoe, which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor.[6] O'Herlihy recalled that the producers of the film wanted Buñuel to use Orson Welles for the role, with Buñuel refusing, saying he was too big and too fat.[6] They arranged a screening of Welles' Macbeth to show how a bearded Welles would look but Buñuel demanded O'Herlihy who appeared in the film.[7]
O'Herlihy was later featured in The Young Land in 1959 as Judge Millard Isham. In 1960, he played Sir Harry Ivers, an upper-class English drifter who joins Alan Ladd in a plot to ruin an Arizona cattle town by robbing its bank in the western One Foot in Hell. In 1964, he starred in Fail Safe in the role of General Black, or "Blackie". In 1969, he was cast in The Big Cube and 100 Rifles. In 1970, he starred in the epic Waterloo, playing the part of Michel Ney, the marshal of France. In 1982, he starred in Halloween III: Season of the Witch as Conal Cochran and in 1984, he appeared in The Last Starfighter as Grig, Alex Rogan's reptilian co-pilot, navigator and sidekick. In 1986's The Whoopee Boys he played a judge and in 1987, he appeared in RoboCop as "The Old Man". That same year, he was cast in John Huston's The Dead. In 1990, he appeared in RoboCop 2, the sequel to the 1987 film.
O'Herlihy had a fairly extensive career in television, having appeared on Rawhide, The DuPont Show with June Allyson, Adventures in Paradise and Target: The Corruptors!. He portrayed Larry "Ace" Banner in the first season of The Untouchables in the episode titled "The Big Squeeze". He was cast as Stephen Jordan in the last season of Checkmate episode " "Referendum on Murder". He also appeared on The Americans and The Man from U.N.C.L.E. in the episodes "The Fiddlesticks Affair" and "The Yo-Ho-Ho and a Bottle of Rum Affair" and on Route 66 in the episode "To Walk with the Serpent". In 1962, he was cast as Glenn Kassin in "The Earth Mover" episode of Empire. He appeared on Bonanza (episode: "The Artist" as Matthew Raine).
In 1963–1964, he was in The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters. On The Long, Hot Summer, O'Herlihy became the lead star, having replaced Edmond O'Brien in the part of Will Varner midway through the program's single-season run. In 1966, he appeared in the episode "Have You Seen the Aurora Borealis?" of The Road West, starring Barry Sullivan. In 1974, he appeared in QB VII and played the Senior American Officer, Col. Max Dodd in the second series of BBC's POW drama Colditz. In 1976, he guest-starred in an episode of Gibbsville. In 1978, he guest-starred in the second part of the Battlestar Galactica episode "Gun on Ice Planet Zero" as Dr. Ravishol. O'Herlihy also portrayed the ill-fated lumber tycoon Andrew Packard in the cult television program Twin Peaks (1991) and in the Batman: The Animated Series episode "Deep Freeze", voicing the villainous theme park mogul Grant Walker. In 1998, O'Herlihy acted in his last film, The Rat Pack, playing Joseph P. Kennedy Sr.[7]
Personal life Edit
Dan O'Herlihy married Elsie Bennett in 1945. He was the brother of director Michael O'Herlihy and the father of actor Gavan O'Herlihy, visual artist Olwen O'Herlihy and architect Lorcan O'Herlihy. He and his wife had nine grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. One grandchild, Mica O'Herlihy, is a filmmaker whose work has been shown at the Sundance Film Festival. Another, Alana O'Herlihy, is a photographer and director who has collaborated with Miley Cyrus.
O'Herlihy became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1983.[8]
Death Edit
O'Herlihy died of natural causes in Malibu, California in 2005, aged 85. His personal papers are held in the University College Dublin Archives.
Complete filmography Edit
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1947 | Hungry Hill | Harry Brodrick | |
| 1947 | Odd Man Out | Nolan | |
| 1948 | Macbeth | MacDuff | |
| 1948 | Larceny | Duke | |
| 1948 | Kidnapped | Alan Breck | |
| 1950 | The Iroquois Trail | Lieutenant Blakely | |
| 1951 | Soldiers Three | Sergeant Murphy | |
| 1951 | The Highwayman | Robin | |
| 1951 | The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel | Commando Captain (uncredited) | |
| 1951 | The Blue Veil | Hugh Williams | |
| 1951 | The Last Half Hour: The Mayerling Story | Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria | |
| 1952 | At Sword's Point | Aramis Jr. | |
| 1952 | Actor's and Sin | Alfred O'Shea / The Narrator (segment "Actor's Blood") | |
| 1952 | Operation Secret | Mike Duncan | |
| 1952 | Invasion, U.S.A. | Mr. Ohman | |
| 1953 | Sword of Venus | Danglars | |
| 1954 | Robinson Crusoe | Robinson Crusoe / Crusoe's father | |
| 1954 | The Black Shield of Falworth | Prince Hal | |
| 1954 | Bengal Brigade | Captain Ronald Blaine | |
| 1955 | The Purple Mask | Brisquet | |
| 1955 | The Virgin Queen | Lord Derry | |
| 1957 | That Woman Opposite | Dermot Kinross | |
| 1958 | Home Before Dark | Arnold Bronn | |
| 1959 | Imitation of Life | David Edward | |
| 1959 | The Young Land | Judge Millard Isham | |
| 1960 | A Terrible Beauty | Don McGinnis | |
| 1960 | One Foot in Hell | Sir Harry Ivers | |
| 1961 | The Big Bankroll | Detective Phil Butler | |
| 1962 | To Walk with the Serpent | John Westerbrook | |
| 1962 | The Cabinet of Caligari | Caligari / Paul | |
| 1964 | Fail Safe | General Black | |
| 1969 | How to Steal the World | Professor David Garrow | |
| 1969 | 100 Rifles | Steven Grimes | |
| 1969 | The Big Cube | Charles Winthrop | |
| 1970 | Waterloo | Marshal Michel Ney | |
| 1972 | The People | Sol Diemus | |
| 1972 | The Carey Treatment | J.D. Randall | |
| 1974 | The Tamarind Seed | Fergus Stephenson | |
| 1976 | Banjo Hackett: Roamin' Free | "Tip" Conaker | |
| 1976 | The Quest: The Longest Drive | Mathew Hatcher | |
| 1977 | Good Against Evil | Father Kemschler | |
| 1977 | MacArthur | President Roosevelt | |
| 1977 | Deadly Game | Colonel Edward Stryker | |
| 1977 | Woman on the Run | Crandell | |
| 1979 | Mark Twain: Beneath the Laughter | Mark Twain | |
| 1981 | Death Ray 2000 | The Director | |
| 1981 | Artemis 81 | Albrecht Von Drachenfels | |
| 1982 | Halloween III: Season of the Witch | Conal Cochran | |
| 1983 | The Last Day | American Ambassador | |
| 1984 | The Secret Servant | Professor John Tyler | |
| 1984 | The Last Starfighter | Grig | |
| 1986 | The Whoopee Boys | Judge Stenrhill | |
| 1986 | Dark Mansions | Alexander Drake | |
| 1987 | RoboCop | The Old Man | |
| 1987 | The Dead | Mr. Browne | |
| 1988 | A Waltz Through the Hills | Uncle Tom | |
| 1990 | RoboCop 2 | The Old Man | |
| 1990 | Twin Peaks | Andrew Packard | |
| 1993 | Love, Cheat & Steal | Hamilton Fisk | |
| 1998 | The Rat Pack | Joe Kennedy |
References Edit
- ^ "Irish actor Dan O'Herlihy dies, 85". 18 February 2005.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ a b c "Dan O'Herlihy". The Independent. 9 October 2011. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
- ^ a b "Dan O'Herlihy". ucd.ie. from the original on 12 March 2015. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
- ^ Maurer, Mark (15 October 2014). "The 5 Actors 'Twin Peaks' Will Be Missing When It Returns in 2016". indiewire.com. Penske Business Media, LLC. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
- ^ "Obituary: Dan O'Herlihy". the Guardian. 21 February 2005. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
- ^ a b c d McLellan, Dennis (19 February 2005). "Daniel O'Herlihy, 85; Irish Actor Was a Best Actor Oscar Nominee". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
- ^ a b Vallance, Tom (21 February 2005). "Dan O'Herlihy". The Independent. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
- ^ Carpenter, Dick (20 June 1983). "Names and Faces". The Boston Globe. p. 1. ProQuest 294268153.
Clearly not a man to act precipitously, Dan O'Herlihy has become an American citizen. The 64-year-old Irish actor, nominated for an Oscar for his lead role in 'The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe,' was one of a group naturalized Friday in Los Angeles.