Gladys O'Connor (28 November 1903 – 21 February 2012) was a British-born Canadian

character actress A character actor is a supporting actor who plays unusual, interesting, or eccentric characters.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrieved 7 August 2014, "..a breed of actor who has the ability to be ...

. Born in London, O'Connor moved with her family to

Hamilton, Ontario Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Hamilton has a population of 569,353, and its census metropolitan area, which includes Burlington and Grimsby, has a population of 785,184. The city is approximately southwest of T ...

, Canada in 1912, eventually settling in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

. After several decades as a businesswoman, O'Connor pursued an acting career in the 1980s, appearing in films such as '' Police Academy 3: Back in Training'' (1986), ''

Billy Madison ''Billy Madison'' is a 1995 American comedy film directed by Tamra Davis. It stars Adam Sandler in the title role, Bradley Whitford, Bridgette Wilson, Norm Macdonald, Darren McGavin, Mark Beltzman, and Larry Hankin. The film was written by Sandler ...

'' (1995), ''

Fly Away Home ''Fly Away Home'' ( ''Flying Wild'' and ''Father Goose'') is a 1996 family drama film directed by Carroll Ballard. The film stars Anna Paquin, Jeff Daniels, and Dana Delany. ''Fly Away Home'' was released on September 13, 1996, by Columbia Pic ...

'' (1996), ''

Harriet the Spy ''Harriet the Spy'' is a children's novel written and illustrated by Louise Fitzhugh that was published in 1964. It has been called "a milestone in children's literature" and a "classic". In the U.S., it ranked number 12 in the 50 Best Books fo ...

'' (1996), ''

The Long Kiss Goodnight ''The Long Kiss Goodnight'' is a 1996 American action thriller film co-produced and directed by Renny Harlin, and produced by Shane Black and Stephanie Austin with screenplay written by Black. It stars Geena Davis, Samuel L. Jackson, Tom Amandes ...

'' (1996), and ''

Half Baked ''Half Baked'' is a 1998 American stoner comedy film starring Dave Chappelle, Jim Breuer, Harland Williams, and Guillermo Díaz. The film was directed by Tamra Davis, co-written by Chappelle and Neal Brennan and produced by Robert Simonds. The ...

'' (1998). O'Connor's last role was in 1998.

Early life

Born in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, England, United Kingdom in 1903, she and her family moved to Canada when she was nine. Before becoming an actress, she worked as a saleswoman, accountant and bookkeeper.

Career

O'Connor began acting in American television series and films in the middle of the 1980s. Her first appearance was in '' Police Academy 3: Back in Training'' in 1986. Some of her other credits are '' Stepping Out,

Matrix Matrix most commonly refers to: * ''The Matrix'' (franchise), an American media franchise ** ''The Matrix'', a 1999 science-fiction action film ** "The Matrix", a fictional setting, a virtual reality environment, within ''The Matrix'' (franchis ...

, and

''. She played a cranky but kind farm woman in ''

'' (1996). Her last role came in 1998 when she played Mavis in the television movie ''

The Garbage Picking Field Goal Kicking Philadelphia Phenomenon ''The Garbage Picking Field Goal Kicking Philadelphia Phenomenon'' (also known simply as ''The Philadelphia Phenomenon'') is a 1998 American television movie starring Tony Danza from Walt Disney Pictures. Plot Barney Gorman (Tony Danza) works har ...

''.

Death

She died in 2012 in

at the age of 108.

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

* 1903 births 2012 deaths British television actresses British centenarians British film actresses British emigrants to Canada Canadian people of English descent Canadian television actresses Canadian centenarians Canadian film actresses Women centenarians {{TV-actor-stub