Liam Redmond (27 July 1913 – 28 October 1989) was an Irish

character actor 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 b ...

known for his stage, film and television roles.

Early life

Redmond was one of four children born to cabinet-maker Thomas and Eileen Redmond. Educated at the Christian Brothers schools in Dublin, he later attended

University College, Dublin University College Dublin (commonly referred to as UCD) ( ga, Coláiste na hOllscoile, Baile Átha Cliath) is a public research university in Dublin, Ireland, and a member institution of the National University of Ireland. With 33,284 student ...

and initially read medicine before moving into drama.

Acting career

While Director of the Dramatic Society he met and married the society's secretary Barbara MacDonagh (sister of

Donagh MacDonagh Donagh MacDonagh (22 November 1912 – 1 January 1968) was an Irish writer, judge, presenter, broadcaster, and playwright. Personal life MacDonagh was born in Dublin on St Cecilia's Day in 1912. He was still a young child when his father Th ...

and daughter of 1916 Rising leader

Thomas MacDonagh Thomas Stanislaus MacDonagh ( ga, Tomás Anéislis Mac Donnchadha; 1 February 1878 – 3 May 1916) was an Irish political activist, poet, playwright, educationalist and revolutionary leader. He was one of the seven leaders of the Easter Rising ...

and Muriel Gifford). They had four children. Redmond was invited to join the

Abbey Theatre The Abbey Theatre ( ga, Amharclann na Mainistreach), also known as the National Theatre of Ireland ( ga, Amharclann Náisiúnta na hÉireann), in Dublin, Ireland, is one of the country's leading cultural institutions. First opening to the p ...

in 1935 as a producer by

William Butler Yeats William Butler Yeats (13 June 186528 January 1939) was an Irish poet, dramatist, writer and one of the foremost figures of 20th-century literature. He was a driving force behind the Irish Literary Revival and became a pillar of the Irish liter ...

, the Irish poet. Yeats wrote his play ''Death of Cuchullain'' for Redmond to star as Cúchullain, hero of one of Ireland's foundational myths. Redmond made his acting debut at the

in 1935 in

Seán O'Casey Seán O'Casey ( ga, Seán Ó Cathasaigh ; born John Casey; 30 March 1880 – 18 September 1964) was an Irish dramatist and memoirist. A committed socialist, he was the first Irish playwright of note to write about the Dublin working classes. ...

's ''The Silver Tassie''. His first stage appearance was in 1939 in New York City in ''The White Steed''. After returning to

Britain Britain most often refers to: * The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands * Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...

at the outbreak of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

he was a regular on the London stage. He was one of the founders of WAAMA, the Writers', Artists', Actors' and Musicians' Association, a precursor of Irish Actors' Equity. His insistence that "part-time professionals" – usually civil servants who acted on the side – should be paid a higher rate than professional actors for both rehearsal time and performance, effectively wiped out this class, raising the wages and fees of working actors. He starred in

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

, among other plays starring in Paul Vincent Carroll's 1939 ''The White Steed''; in 1955 playing Canon McCooey in ''The Wayward Saint'' winning the

George Jean Nathan George Jean Nathan (February 14, 1882 – April 8, 1958) was an American drama critic and magazine editor. He worked closely with H. L. Mencken, bringing the literary magazine ''The Smart Set'' to prominence as an editor, and co-founding and ...

Award for his performance, and in 1968 starring in

Joe Orton John Kingsley Orton (1 January 1933 – 9 August 1967), known by the pen name of Joe Orton, was an English playwright, author, and diarist. His public career, from 1964 until his death in 1967, was short but highly influential. During this brie ...

's ''Loot'' and

Brian Friel Brian Patrick Friel (c. 9 January 1929 – 2 October 2015) was an Irish dramatist, short story writer and founder of the Field Day Theatre Company. He had been considered one of the greatest living English-language dramatists. (subscription req ...

's ''The Loves of Cass Maguire''. Redmond worked in TV and film throughout the 1950s to the 1980s and was regularly seen in TV series such as '' The Avengers'', ''

Daniel Boone Daniel Boone (September 26, 1820) was an American pioneer and frontiersman whose exploits made him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. He became famous for his exploration and settlement of Kentucky, which was then beyond the we ...

'', ''

The Saint The Saint may refer to: Fiction * Simon Templar, also known as "The Saint", the protagonist of a book series by Leslie Charteris and subsequent adaptations: ** ''The Saint'' (film series) (1938–43), starring Louis Hayward, George Sanders an ...

'' and ''

Z-Cars ''Z-Cars'' or ''Z Cars'' (pronounced "zed cars") is a British television police procedural series centred on the work of mobile uniformed police in the fictional town of Newtown, based on Kirkby, near Liverpool. Produced by the BBC, it debuted ...

''. He was often called upon as a character actor in various military, religious and judicial roles in films such as ''

I See a Dark Stranger ''I See a Dark Stranger'' – released as ''The Adventuress'' in the United States – is a 1946 British World War II spy film with touches of light comedy, by the team of Frank Launder and Sidney Gilliat, and starring Deborah Kerr and ...

'' (1946), '' Captain Boycott'' (1947), ''

High Treason Treason is the crime of attacking a state authority to which one owes allegiance. This typically includes acts such as participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its diplo ...

'' (1951), '' The Cruel Sea'' (1953), ''

Playboy of the Western World ''The Playboy of the Western World'' is a three-act play written by Irish playwright John Millington Synge and first performed at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin, on 26 January 1907. It is set in Michael James Flaherty's public house in County Mayo (o ...

'' (1962), ''

Kid Galahad ''Kid Galahad'' is a 1962 American musical film starring Elvis Presley as a boxer. It was released by United Artists in August 1962 and opened at #9 at the American box office. ''Variety'' ranked it #37 on its list of the top-grossing films of 19 ...

'' (1962), '' The Luck of Ginger Coffey'' (1964), ''

Tobruk Tobruk or Tobruck (; grc, Ἀντίπυργος, ''Antipyrgos''; la, Antipyrgus; it, Tobruch; ar, طبرق, Tubruq ''Ṭubruq''; also transliterated as ''Tobruch'' and ''Tubruk'') is a port city on Libya's eastern Mediterranean coast, near ...

'' (1967), '' The Ghost and Mr. Chicken'' (1966) and ''

Barry Lyndon ''Barry Lyndon'' is a 1975 period drama film written, directed, and produced by Stanley Kubrick, based on the 1844 novel ''The Luck of Barry Lyndon'' by William Makepeace Thackeray. Starring Ryan O'Neal, Marisa Berenson, Patrick Magee, Leonard ...

'' (1975). His performance as the kindly occult expert in the cult horror film ''

Night of the Demon ''Night of the Demon'' (in the United States, released as ''Curse of the Demon'') is a 1957 British horror film, produced by Hal E. Chester and Frank Bevis, directed by Jacques Tourneur and starring Dana Andrews, Peggy Cummins and Niall MacG ...

'' (1957) is a favourite of fans of the film. Redmond retired to Dublin and died, aged 76, after a long period of ill health, in 1989. His wife Barbara predeceased him in 1987.

Selected filmography

* ''

'' (1946) – Uncle Timothy * '' Captain Boycott'' (1947) – Martin Egan * '' Daughter of Darkness'' (1948) – Father Cocoran * '' Saints and Sinners'' (1949) – O'Driscoll * ''

Sword in the Desert ''Sword in the Desert'' is a 1949 American war film directed by George Sherman. It was the first American film to deal with the 1947–1948 Civil War in Mandatory Palestine and marked the first significant feature film role for Jeff Chandler. Plo ...

'' (1949) – Jerry McCarthy * ''

The Twenty Questions Murder Mystery ''The Twenty Questions Murder Mystery'' is a 1950 British crime film directed by Paul L. Stein and starring Robert Beatty, Rona Anderson, and Clifford Evans. The film is a strange hybrid: with the Twenty Questions sections being a true studi ...

'' (1950) – Echo News editor * ''

'' (1951) – Cmdr. Robert Brennan * ''

The Gentle Gunman ''The Gentle Gunman'' is a 1952 British drama film directed by Basil Dearden and starring John Mills, Dirk Bogarde and Elizabeth Sellars. The film is based on a 1950 play of the same title by Roger MacDougall that was televised by the BBC in S ...

'' (1952) – Connolly * '' The Cruel Sea'' (1953) – Watts * ''

Devil on Horseback ''Devil on Horseback'' is a 1954 British sports drama film directed by Cyril Frankel and starring Googie Withers, John McCallum and Jeremy Spenser. Its plot involves a boy who pursues his ambition to be a jockey. The screenplay was by Scottis ...

'' (1954) – Scarlett O'Hara * '' Happy Ever After'' (1954) – Regan * ''

Final Appointment ''Final Appointment'' is a 1954 British comedy thriller film directed by Terence Fisher, and starring John Bentley, Eleanor Summerfield and Hubert Gregg. It also features Arthur Lowe, later to become famous for his portrayal of Captain Main ...

'' (1954) – Inspector Corcoran * ''

The Passing Stranger ''The Passing Stranger'' is a 1954 British crime film written and directed by John Arnold, produced by Anthony Simmons (who also wrote the original film story) and Ian Gibson-Smith, with Leon Clore serving as the film's executive producer, for ...

'' (1954) – Barnes * ''

The Divided Heart ''The Divided Heart'' is a 1954 British black-and-white drama film directed by Charles Crichton and starring Cornell Borchers, Yvonne Mitchell and Armin Dahlen. The film is based on a true story of a child, whose father was a member of Slove ...

'' (1954) – First Justice * '' The Glass Cage'' (1955) – Inspector Lindley * '' 23 Paces to Baker Street'' (1956) – Joe * ''

Jacqueline Jacqueline may refer to: People * Jacqueline (given name), including a list of people with the name * Jacqueline Moore (born 1964), ring name "Jacqueline", American professional wrestler Arts and entertainment * ''Jacqueline'' (1923 film), ...

'' (1956) – Mr. Lord * ''

Yield to the Night ''Yield to the Night'' (also titled ''Blonde Sinner'' in the US) is a 1956 British crime drama film directed by J. Lee Thompson and starring Diana Dors. The film is based on the 1954 novel of the same name by Joan Henry. The storyline bears a ...

'' (1956) – Prison Doctor * '' Safari'' (1956) – Roy Shaw * '' The Long Haul'' (1957) – Casey * ''

'' (1957) – Mark O'Brien * ''

Rooney Rooney may refer to: People *Wayne Rooney, English football manager and former player *Rooney family, of the Pittsburgh Steelers American football franchise *Rooney (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name) * Rooney (given nam ...

'' (1958) – Mr. Doolan * ''

The Diplomatic Corpse ''The Diplomatic Corpse'' is a 1958 British comedy thriller film directed by Montgomery Tully and starring Robin Bailey, Susan Shaw and Liam Redmond. It was produced as a second feature by ACT Films. The film's sets were designed by the art dire ...

'' (1958) – Inspector Corcoran * ''

She Didn't Say No! ''She Didn't Say No!'' is a 1958 British comedy film directed by Cyril Frankel and starring Eileen Herlie, Perlita Neilson and Niall MacGinnis. Based on the 1955 novel ''We Are Seven'' by Una Troy, an attractive young Irishwoman has six children ...

'' (1958) – Dr. Cassidy * ''

Ice-Cold in Alex ''Ice Cold in Alex'' is a 1958 British war film set during the Western Desert campaign of World War II based on the novel of the same name by Christopher Landon (screenwriter), Christopher Landon. Directed by J. Lee Thompson and starring John Mi ...

'' (1958) – Brigadier (D.D.M.S.) * ''

No Trees in the Street ''No Trees in the Street'' is a 1959 British crime thriller directed by J. Lee Thompson and written by Ted Willis, from his 1948 stage play of the same name. The film is set in the slums of London. It depicts the life of impoverished teenager T ...

'' (1959) – Bill * '' Alive and Kicking'' (1959) – Old Man * ''

The Boy and the Bridge ''The Boy and the Bridge'' is a 1959 British drama film produced and directed by Kevin McClory. It featured Ian Maclaine, Liam Redmond, James Hayter, Geoffrey Keen, and Arthur Lowe. The film was shot during the summer of 1958 and set around L ...

'' (1959) – Pat Doyle * ''

Scent of Mystery ''Scent of Mystery'' is a 1960 mystery film, the first to use the Smell-O-Vision system to release odors at points in the film's plot. It was the first film in which aromas were integral to the story, providing important details to the audienc ...

'' (1960) – Johnny Gin * ''

Under Ten Flags ''Under Ten Flags'' ( it, Sotto dieci bandiere) is a 1960 Italian-American war film directed by Duilio Coletti and starring Van Heflin, Charles Laughton, and Mylène Demongeot. It was entered into the 10th Berlin International Film Festival. ...

'' (1960) – Windsor * '' The Valiant'' (1962) – Surgeon Commander Reilly * ''

The Phantom of the Opera ''The Phantom of the Opera'' (french: Le Fantôme de l'Opéra) is a novel by French author Gaston Leroux. It was first published as a serial in from 23 September 1909 to 8 January 1910, and was released in volume form in late March 1910 by Pierr ...

'' (1962) – Police Insp. Ward (uncredited) * ''

'' (1962) – Father Higgins * ''

'' (1963) – Michael James * '' The Luck of Ginger Coffey'' (1964) – MacGregor * ''

The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders ''The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders'' is a 1965 British historical comedy film directed by Terence Young and starring Kim Novak, Richard Johnson, and Angela Lansbury. It is based on the 1722 novel '' Moll Flanders'' by Daniel Defoe. ...

'' (1965) – Convict Ship Captain * '' The Ghost and Mr. Chicken'' (1966) – Kelsey * ''

'' (1967) – Henry Portman * ''

The 25th Hour ''The 25th Hour'' is the 2001 debut novel by David Benioff. A film adaptation, for which Benioff wrote the screenplay, was directed by Spike Lee and released in 2002. Background The idea for the book came when Benioff returned home to New York ...

'' (1967) – Father Koruga * ''

The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin ''The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin'' is a 1967 American Western comedy film directed by James Neilson, produced by Walt Disney Productions, starring Roddy McDowall, Suzanne Pleshette, Hermione Baddeley, and Karl Malden. The film's screenpl ...

'' (1967) – Capt. Swain * '' The Last Safari'' (1967) – Alec Beaumont * ''

Till Death Us Do Part ''Till Death Us Do Part'' is a British television sitcom that aired on BBC1 from 1965 to 1975. The show was first broadcast in 1965 as a ''Comedy Playhouse'' pilot, then as seven series between 1966 and 1975. In 1981, ITV continued the sitcom ...

'' (1968) – Mike's Father * ''

David Copperfield ''David Copperfield'' Dickens invented over 14 variations of the title for this work, see is a novel in the bildungsroman genre by Charles Dickens, narrated by the eponymous David Copperfield, detailing his adventures in his journey from inf ...

'' (1970, TV Movie) – Mr. Quinion * ''

'' (1975) – Mr. Brady – Nora's Father * ''

Philadelphia, Here I Come ''Philadelphia, Here I Come!'' is a 1964 play by Irish dramatist Brian Friel. Set in the fictional town of Ballybeg, County Donegal, the play launched Friel onto the international stage. Plot ''Philadelphia, Here I Come!'' centres around Gareth ...

'' (1975) – Senator Doogan (final film role)

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Redmond, Liam 1913 births 1989 deaths Abbey Theatre Irish male stage actors Irish male film actors Irish male television actors 20th-century Irish male actors Irish expatriate male actors in the United States