Patrick O’Connell (29 January 1934 – 10 August 2017) was an Irish actor. O'Connell began his acting career appearing in various films, such as the Brian Keith war movie, "The McKenzie Break" (1970), "Cromwell" (1970) and the Simon Rouse drama "The Ragman's Daughter" (1972). He also appeared in "The Human Factor" (1980) with Nicol Williamson, the drama "Runners" (1983) with Kate Hardie and the horror feature "Dream Demon" (1988) with Kathleen Wilhoite. His film career continued throughout the eighties and the nineties in productions like the drama "Nanou" (1988) with Imogen Stubbs and "Don't Get Me Started" (1993). He also appeared in the TV special "Fool's Fire" (PBS, 1991–92). He also worked in television during these years, including a part on "Life Goes On" (ABC, 1989–1993). O'Connell final role was in "Baskets" (FX, 2015-). He was also an artist known for his paintings, drawings, linocuts and etchings.

Early life

Patrick O'Connell was born in

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 ...

, but was brought up in

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...

, England, and after attending Birmingham Theatre School, he won a scholarship to train at Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (

RADA The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, also known by its abbreviation RADA (), is a drama school in London, England, which provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in Bloomsbury, Central Lond ...

Theatre

His theatre work included: Stan Man in

Arnold Wesker Sir Arnold Wesker (24 May 1932 – 12 April 2016) was an English dramatist. He was the author of 50 plays, four volumes of short stories, two volumes of essays, much journalism and a book on the subject, a children's book, some poetry, and ot ...

's ''

Roots A root is the part of a plant, generally underground, that anchors the plant body, and absorbs and stores water and nutrients. Root or roots may also refer to: Art, entertainment, and media * ''The Root'' (magazine), an online magazine focusin ...

'' at the

Belgrade Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...

, Coventry, the

Royal Court A royal court, often called simply a court when the royal context is clear, is an extended royal household in a monarchy, including all those who regularly attend on a monarch, or another central figure. Hence, the word ''court'' may also be app ...

and the Duke of York's (1959), Camille Desmoulins in ''Poor Bitos'' at the Duke of York's with

Donald Pleasence Donald Henry Pleasence (; 5 October 1919 – 2 February 1995) was an English actor. He was known for his "bald head and intense, staring eyes," and played more than 250 stage, film, and television roles across a nearly sixty-year career. Pleas ...

(1963), created the role of Gunner O'Rouke in John McGrath's ''Events While Guarding the Bofors Gun'' at

Hampstead Theatre Hampstead Theatre is a theatre in South Hampstead, in the London Borough of Camden. It specialises in commissioning and producing new writing, supporting and developing the work of new writers. History The original ''Hampstead Theatre Clu ...

(1966), '' US'' (an experimental play about the Vietnam War) with the

RSC RSC may refer to: Arts * Royal Shakespeare Company, a British theatre company * Reduced Shakespeare Company, a touring American acting troupe * Richmondshire Subscription Concerts, a music society in Richmond, North Yorkshire, England * Rock Ste ...

, directed by

Peter Brook Peter Stephen Paul Brook (21 March 1925 – 2 July 2022) was an English theatre and film director. He worked first in England, from 1945 at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, from 1947 at the Royal Opera House, and from 1962 for the Royal Shak ...

at the

Aldwych Aldwych (pronounced ) is a street and the name of the List of areas of London, area immediately surrounding it, in the City of Westminster, part of Greater London, and is part of the West End of London, West End West End Theatre, Theatreland. T ...

(1966), Macduff to

Paul Scofield David Paul Scofield (21 January 1922 – 19 March 2008) was an English actor. During a six-decade career, Scofield achieved the Triple Crown of Acting, winning an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Tony Award for his work. Scofield ...

's Macbeth directed by Peter Hall with the RSC, at Stratford and the Aldwych (1967), Kent in ''King Lear'' at the Young Vic (1981), McLeavy 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 murder in 1967 committed by his partner, was short but highly i ...

's '' Loot'' with

Leonard Rossiter Leonard Rossiter (21 October 1926 – 5 October 1984) was an English actor. He had a long career in the theatre but achieved his highest profile for his television comedy roles starring as Rupert Rigsby in the ITV series '' Rising Damp'' from 19 ...

at the Ambassador's and the

Lyric Lyric may refer to: * Lyrics, the words, often in verse form, which are sung, usually to a melody, and constitute the semantic content of a song * Lyric poetry is a form of poetry that expresses a subjective, personal point of view * Lyric, from t ...

, directed by

Jonathan Lynn Jonathan Adam Lynn (born 3 April 1943) is an English film director, screenwriter, and actor. He directed the comedy films '' Clue'', '' Nuns on the Run'', '' My Cousin Vinny'', and '' The Whole Nine Yards''. He also co-created and co-wrote the ...

(March 1984 - Jan '85), and Henry IV in The Henrys with the ESC at

The Old Vic The Old Vic is a 1,000-seat, nonprofit producing theatre in Waterloo, London, England. It was established in 1818 as the Royal Coburg Theatre, and renamed in 1833 the Royal Victoria Theatre. In 1871 it was rebuilt and reopened as the Royal ...

, directed by

Michael Bogdanov Michael Bogdanov (15 December 1938 – 16 April 2017) was a British theatre director known for his work with new plays, modern reinterpretations of Shakespeare, musicals and work for young people. Early years Bogdanov was born Michael Bogd ...

(1986).

Television

His television work included Derek in the factory-set "Lena, O my Lena" by

Alun Owen Alun Davies Owen (24 November 1925 – 6 December 1994) was a Welsh playwright, screenwriter and actor, predominantly in television. However, he is best remembered by a wider audience for writing the screenplay of The Beatles' debut feature f ...

for

Armchair Theatre ''Armchair Theatre'' is a British television drama anthology series of single plays that ran on the ITV network from 1956 to 1974. It was originally produced by ABC Weekend TV. Its successor Thames Television took over from mid-1968. The Ca ...

directed by

Ted Kotcheff William Theodore Kotcheff (; April 7, 1931 – April 10, 2025) was a CanadianUS Director Ted Kotcheff Granted Bulgarian Citizenship. Bulgarian Justice Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva on Friday granted citizenship to Ted Kotcheff, a US director bor ...

(1960), Ashton in

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...

( The End of Tomorrow) directed by Richard Martin (1964), Nobby in The Coming Out Party (the Wednesday play) (1965), Guido in The Big Spender (1965–66), Dr. Lassiter / Willy / Nobby Clark in

Dixon of Dock Green ''Dixon of Dock Green'' is a BBC police procedural television series about daily life at a fictional London police station, with the emphasis on petty crime, successfully controlled through common sense and human understanding. It ran from 1955 ...

(1966 / 68 / 72), Rogers in The Saint (1967), Colour Sgt. O'Brien in the Thames TV series ''

Frontier A frontier is a political and geographical term referring to areas near or beyond a boundary. Australia The term "frontier" was frequently used in colonial Australia in the meaning of country that borders the unknown or uncivilised, th ...

'' (1968), D.I Gamble in ATV's Fraud Squad (1968–70), Mick in Sling Your Hook (the Wednesday play) (1969), Martin Stewart in The Patriot Game by

Dominic Behan Dominic Behan ( ; ; 22 October 1928 – 3 August 1989) was an Irish writer, songwriter and singer from Dublin who wrote in Irish and English. He was a socialist and an Irish republican. Born into the literary Behan family, he was one of the mo ...

, Thames TV directed by

Piers Haggard Piers Inigo Haggard, OBE (18 March 1939 – 11 January 2023) was a British director who worked in film, television, and theatre. Early life A member of the Haggard family, he was born in London, the son of Morna Gillespie and the actor, poet ...

(1969), Mallory in Callan (1970),

O'Neill The O'Neill dynasty ( Irish: ''Ó Néill'') are a lineage of Irish Gaelic origin that held prominent positions and titles in Ireland and elsewhere. As kings of Cenél nEógain, they were historically one of the most prominent family of the Nor ...

Elizabeth R ''Elizabeth R'' is a BBC television drama serial of six 90-minute plays starring Glenda Jackson as Queen Elizabeth I of England. It was first broadcast on BBC2 from February to March 1971, through the ABC in Australia and broadcast in the Un ...

(1971), Ryder in The Persuaders (1971), Reagan in

the Protectors ''The Protectors'' is a British action thriller television series created by Gerry Anderson. It starred Robert Vaughn as Harry Rule, Nyree Dawn Porter as the Contessa Caroline di Contini, and Tony Anholt as Paul Buchet. It was Anderson's seco ...

(1972), Edward Hammond in BBC TV series, The Brothers (1972–77), Manton in The Professionals (1980), Dan Glover in

Enemy at the Door ''Enemy at the Door'' is a British television drama series made by London Weekend Television for ITV. The series was shown between 1978 and 1980 and dealt with the German occupation of Guernsey, one of the Channel Islands, during the Second Wo ...

(1980), Jack Blair in LWT's 13-episode series of

We'll Meet Again "We'll Meet Again" is a 1939 song by English singer Vera Lynn with music and lyrics composed and written by English songwriters Ross Parker and Hughie Charles. The song is one of the most famous of the Second World War era, resonating with ...

(1982), Brian Wilkinson in

Yes, Minister ''Yes Minister'' is a British political satire sitcom written by Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn. Comprising three seven-episode series, it was first transmitted on BBC2 from 1980 to 1984. A sequel, ''Yes, Prime Minister'', ran for 16 episodes fr ...

(1982), Jack Vaizey in

Inspector Morse Endeavour Morse, GM, is the namesake character of the series of "Morse" detective novels by British author Colin Dexter, a Detective Chief Inspector in the Thames Valley Police in Oxford, England. On television he was portrayed by John ...

(1993), Harry Hopwood in

The Bill ''The Bill'' is a British police procedural television series, broadcast on ITV (TV network), ITV from 16 October 1984 until 31 August 2010. The programme originated from a one-off drama, "Woodentop (The Bill), Woodentop" (part of the ''Storyb ...

(1989 / 91), Gerard in

Peak Practice ''Peak Practice'' is a British drama series about a GP surgery in Cardale — a small fictional town in the Derbyshire Peak District — and the doctors who worked there. It originally starred Kevin Whately as Dr Jack Kerruish, Amanda Burton ...

(1993), James White in

Casualty Casualty may refer to: *Casualty (person), a person who is killed or rendered unfit for service in a war or natural disaster **Civilian casualty, a non-combatant killed or injured in warfare * The emergency department of a hospital, also known as ...

(1994), and John Callard in Dangerfield (1995).

Filmography

*''

Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English statesman, politician and soldier, widely regarded as one of the most important figures in British history. He came to prominence during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, initially a ...

'' (1970) - John Lilburne *''

The McKenzie Break ''The McKenzie Break'' (also known as ''Escape'') is a 1970 British war drama film directed by Lamont Johnson and starring Brian Keith, Helmut Griem, Ian Hendry and Jack Watson. It was written by William W. Norton, produced by Arthur Gardn ...

'' (1970) - Sgt. Maj. Cox *''

The Ragman's Daughter ''The Ragman's Daughter'' is a 1972 British romantic crime–drama film directed by Harold Becker and adapted by Alan Sillitoe from his short story of the same name. It was Becker's first film during the 1970s and stars Simon Rouse and, in her ...

'' (1972) - Tony, 35 yrs (written by Alan Silitoe) *'' The Human Factor'' (1979) - Reader *''

Spaghetti House ''Spaghetti House'' is a 1982 Italian comedy film directed by Giulio Paradisi. It is loosely based on the Spaghetti House siege that occurred in 1975. Plot In an attempted armed robbery of an Italian restaurant in London, the staff members are ...

'' (1982) - Mallory *'' Runners'' (1983) - The Hostel - Warden *'' The Shooting Party'' (1985) - Charlie Lyne *'' Nanou'' (1986) - Nanou's father

References

External links

*
Patrick O'Connell at TCM
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oconnell, Patrick Irish male film actors Irish male stage actors Irish male television actors Male actors from Dublin (city) 1934 births 2017 deaths