Dan O'Herlihy
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Daniel Peter O'Herlihy (1 May 1919 – 17 February 2005) was an Irish actor. His best-known roles included his Oscar-nominated portrayal of the title character in
Luis Buñuel Luis Buñuel Portolés (; 22 February 1900 – 29 July 1983) was a Spanish and Mexican filmmaker who worked in France, Mexico and Spain. He has been widely considered by many film critics, historians and directors to be one of the greatest and ...
's ''Robinson Crusoe'' (1954), 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'' (1984), "The Old Man" in ''
RoboCop ''RoboCop'' is a 1987 American Science fiction film, science fiction action film directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner. The film stars Peter Weller, Nancy Allen (actress), Nancy Allen, Dan O'Herlihy, Dani ...
'' (1987) and its 1990 sequel, and Andrew Packard in the television series ''
Twin Peaks ''Twin Peaks'' is an American Surrealist cinema, surrealist Mystery film, mystery-Horror film, horror Drama (film and television), drama television series created by Mark Frost and David Lynch. It Pilot (Twin Peaks), premiered on American Broad ...
'' (1990–91).


Early life and education

O'Herlihy was born in
Wexford Wexford ( ; archaic Yola dialect, Yola: ''Weiseforthe'') is the county town of County Wexford, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Wexford lies on the south side of Wexford Harbour, the estuary of the River Slaney near the southeastern corner of the ...
,
County Wexford County Wexford () is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster and is part of the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. Named after the town of Wexford, it was ba ...
in 1919, but moved with his family to
Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...
when he was young. He was educated at Christian Brothers College in
Dún Laoghaire Dún Laoghaire ( , ) is a suburban coastal town in County Dublin in Ireland. It is the administrative centre of the county of Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown. The town was built up alongside a small existing settlement following 1816 legislation th ...
and later studied at
University College Dublin University College Dublin (), commonly referred to as UCD, is a public research university in Dublin, Ireland, and a collegiate university, member institution of the National University of Ireland. With 38,417 students, it is Ireland's largest ...
, graduating in 1944 with a degree in architecture, following in his father's footsteps. He developed a keen interest in acting during his university studies. He joined several amateur theatre groups and joined the
Abbey Theatre The Abbey Theatre (), also known as the National Theatre of Ireland () is a theatre in Dublin, Ireland. First opening to the public on 27 December 1904, and moved from its original building after a fire in 1951, it has remained active to the p ...
as a bit player. After graduating from the university, he decided to pursue acting full-time, working at the Abbey and
Gate Theatre The Gate Theatre is a theatre on Cavendish Row in Dublin, Ireland. It was founded in 1928. History Beginnings The Gate Theatre was founded in 1928 by Hilton Edwards and Micheál MacLiammóir with Daisy Bannard Cogley and Gearóid Ó Lochla ...
, first as a set designer, then later as an actor.


Career

O'Herlihy's first notable 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. He made his film debut in 1947 in
Carol Reed Sir Carol Reed (30 December 1906 – 25 April 1976) was an English film director and producer, best known for '' Odd Man Out'' (1947), '' The Fallen Idol'' (1948), '' The Third Man'' (1949), and '' Oliver!'' (1968), for which he was awarded th ...
's '' Odd Man Out'', which was shot on location in
Belfast Belfast (, , , ; from ) is the capital city and principal port of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan and connected to the open sea through Belfast Lough and the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel ...
, and also worked extensively in radio. His first American film role was as Macduff in
Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American director, actor, writer, producer, and magician who is remembered for his innovative work in film, radio, and theatre. He is among the greatest and most influential film ...
' version of ''
Macbeth ''The Tragedy of Macbeth'', often shortened to ''Macbeth'' (), is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, estimated to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the physically violent and damaging psychological effects of political ambiti ...
'' (1948), followed by supporting roles in films such as the Red Scare fantasy '' Invasion, U.S.A.'', the Kiplingesque '' Soldiers Three'' and a series of swashbucklers, such as ''
The Black Shield of Falworth ''The Black Shield of Falworth'' is a 1954 American Technicolor historical adventure film from Universal-International, produced by Robert Arthur (film producer), Robert Arthur and Melville Tucker and directed by Rudolph Maté. It stars Tony Cur ...
'' (1954). His career took an upward turn in 1954 when he played the title role in
Luis Buñuel Luis Buñuel Portolés (; 22 February 1900 – 29 July 1983) was a Spanish and Mexican filmmaker who worked in France, Mexico and Spain. He has been widely considered by many film critics, historians and directors to be one of the greatest and ...
's ''
Robinson Crusoe ''Robinson Crusoe'' ( ) is an English adventure novel by Daniel Defoe, first published on 25 April 1719. Written with a combination of Epistolary novel, epistolary, Confessional writing, confessional, and Didacticism, didactic forms, the ...
'', which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. 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. They arranged a screening of Welles' ''
Macbeth ''The Tragedy of Macbeth'', often shortened to ''Macbeth'' (), is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, estimated to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the physically violent and damaging psychological effects of political ambiti ...
'' to show how a bearded Welles would look, but O'Herlihy's performance as Macduff convinced Buñuel to cast O'Herlihy instead. O'Herlihy was later featured in 1959 in '' The Young Land'' as Judge Millard Isham and as Dave Edwards in
Douglas Sirk Douglas Sirk (born Hans Detlef Sierck; 26 April 1897 – 14 January 1987) was a German film director best known for his work in Hollywood (film industry), Hollywood melodramas of the 1950s. However, he also directed comedies, westerns, and war f ...
's remake of '' Imitation of Life''. The following year he played Sir Harry Ivers, an upper-class English drifter who joins
Alan Ladd Alan Walbridge Ladd (September 3, 1913 – January 29, 1964) was an American actor and film producer. Ladd found success in film in the 1940s and early 1950s, particularly in films noir and Westerns. He was often paired with Veronica Lake in ...
in a plot to ruin an Arizona cattle town by robbing its bank, in the western '' One Foot in Hell''. O'Herlihy was also cast as Dr. Caligari in '' The Cabinet of Caligari'',
Robert Bloch Robert Albert Bloch (; April 5, 1917September 23, 1994) was an American fiction writer, primarily of crime fiction, crime, psychological horror fiction, horror and Fantasy Fiction, fantasy, much of which has been dramatized for radio, cinema and ...
's reimagining of the German silent classic, in 1962. In 1964, he starred in '' Fail Safe'' in the role of General Black, or "Blackie", who nukes New York on presidential orders. 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 Michel Ney, 1st Prince de la Moskowa, 1st Duke of Elchingen (; 10 January 1769 – 7 December 1815), was a French military commander and Marshal of the Empire who fought in the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. The son of ...
, 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 ''RoboCop'' is a 1987 American Science fiction film, science fiction action film directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner. The film stars Peter Weller, Nancy Allen (actress), Nancy Allen, Dan O'Herlihy, Dani ...
'' as "The Old Man". That same year, he was cast in
John Huston John Marcellus Huston ( ; August 5, 1906 – August 28, 1987) was an American film director, screenwriter and actor. He wrote the screenplays for most of the 37 feature films he directed, many of which are today considered classics. He rec ...
'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 Checkmate (often shortened to mate) is any game position in chess and other chess-like games in which a player's king is in check (threatened with ) and there is no possible escape. Checkmating the opponent wins the game. In chess, the king is ...
'' episode " "Referendum on Murder". He also appeared on ''
The Americans ''The Americans'' is an American historical drama, period spy fiction, spy drama television series created by Joe Weisberg for FX (TV channel), FX. It aired for six seasons from 2013 to 2018. Weisberg and Joel Fields also served as showrunners ...
'' 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 An empire is a political unit made up of several territories, military outpost (military), outposts, and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a hegemony, dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the ...
''. He appeared on ''
Bonanza ''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 12, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 431 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running Western, the second-longest-running Western series on ...
'' (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 An aurora ( aurorae or auroras), also commonly known as the northern lights (aurora borealis) or southern lights (aurora australis), is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly observed in high-latitude regions (around the Arc ...
?" 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 Colditz () is a small town in the district of Leipzig (district), Leipzig, in Saxony, Germany. It is best known for Colditz Castle, the site of the Oflag IV-C prisoner-of-war camp, POW camp for officers in World War II. Geography Colditz is situa ...
''. In the same year he took a role in the film, '' The Tamarind Seed'', which starred
Omar Sharif Omar Sharif (, ; born Michel Yusef Dimitri Chalhoub ; 10 April 1932 – 10 July 2015) was an Egyptian actor, generally regarded as one of his country's greatest male film stars. He began his career in his native country in the 1950s. He is bes ...
and
Julie Andrews Dame Julie Andrews (born Julia Elizabeth Wells; 1 October 1935) is an English actress, singer, and author. She has garnered numerous accolades throughout her career spanning over eight decades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Fi ...
. In 1976, he guest-starred in an episode of '' Gibbsville''. In 1978, he guest-starred in the second part of the ''
Battlestar Galactica ''Battlestar Galactica'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Glen A. Larson. It began with the original television series in 1978, and was followed by a short-run sequel series, '' Galactica 1980'', a line of book adaptat ...
'' 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 ''Twin Peaks'' is an American Surrealist cinema, surrealist Mystery film, mystery-Horror film, horror Drama (film and television), drama television series created by Mark Frost and David Lynch. It Pilot (Twin Peaks), premiered on American Broad ...
'' (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.


Personal life

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, architect Lorcan O'Herlihy, and visual artist-turned-theatrical producer Olwen O'Herlihy. One grandchild, Micaela O'Herlihy, is a filmmaker whose work has been shown at the
Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with 423,234 combined in-person and online viewership in 2023. The festival has acted ...
. Another, Alana O'Herlihy, is a photographer and director who has collaborated with
Miley Cyrus Miley Ray Cyrus ( , born Destiny Hope Cyrus, November 23, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, actress and director. Regarded as a contemporary pop icon, Cyrus has been recognized for her evolving artistry and image reinventions. She is ...
. O'Herlihy became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1983.


Death

O'Herlihy died of natural causes in Malibu,
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
in 2005, aged 85. His personal papers are held in the University College Dublin Archives.Stone, Rob; Guitierrez-Albilla, Julian (2013).
A Companion To Luis Buñuel
'. Chicester, WS : Wiley-Blackwell. pp. 299–300. .


Complete filmography


See also

* List of Irish actors * List of Academy Award winners and nominees from Ireland * List of actors with Academy Award nominations


References


External links

*
O'Herlihy in ''The Long Hot Summer'' (1965–66)
youtube.com; accessed September 3, 2015. {{DEFAULTSORT:O'Herlihy, Dan 1919 births 2005 deaths Actors from County Wexford Alumni of University College Dublin Irish emigrants to the United States Irish male film actors Irish male radio actors Irish male television actors Irish male voice actors Male actors from Dublin (city) Naturalized citizens of the United States People educated at C.B.C. Monkstown People from Wexford, County Wexford 20th-century American male actors 20th-century Irish male actors