Dan O'Herlihy

Template:Short description Template:Use Hiberno-English Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox person Daniel Peter O'Herlihy<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> (1 May 1919 – 17 February 2005) was an Irish<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> and American<ref name=":0"/> actor. His best-known roles included his Oscar-nominated portrayal of the title character in Luis Buñuel's Robinson Crusoe (1954),<ref name="Biography">Template:Cite web</ref> 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 (1987) and its 1990 sequel, and Andrew Packard in the television series Twin Peaks (1990–91).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Early life and education

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.<ref name="Biography"/>

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.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He made his film debut in 1947 in Carol Reed's Odd Man Out,<ref name="latimes">Template:Cite web</ref> which was shot on location in Belfast, and also worked extensively in radio.<ref name=":0"/> His first American film role was as Macduff in Orson Welles' version of Macbeth (1948),<ref name="latimes"/> 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 (1954).

His career took an upward turn in 1954 when he played the title role in Luis Buñuel's Robinson Crusoe, which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor.<ref name="latimes"/> 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.<ref name="latimes"/> They arranged a screening of Welles' Macbeth to show how a bearded Welles would look, but O'Herlihy's performance as Macduff convinced Buñuel to cast O'Herlihy instead.<ref name="independent">Template:Cite web</ref>

O'Herlihy was later featured in 1959 in The Young Land as Judge Millard Isham and as Dave Edwards in Douglas Sirk's remake of Imitation of Life. The following year 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. O'Herlihy was also cast as Dr. Caligari in The Cabinet of Caligari, Robert Bloch'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, 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 the same year he took a role in the film, The Tamarind Seed, which starred Omar Sharif and Julie Andrews.

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.<ref name="independent" />

Personal life

Dan O'Herlihy married Elsie Bennett in 1945.<ref name="Biography"/> He was the brother of director Michael O'Herlihy,<ref>Gardella, Kay (March 28, 1984). "Delightful Forsyth Tales from Ireland". New York Daily News. p. 75. Retrieved July 5, 2024.</ref> and the father of actor Gavan O'Herlihy,<ref>"The O'Herlihy Dynasty". Martinsville Bulletin Entertainer. April 14, 1978. p. 13. Retrieved July 5, 2024.</ref> architect Lorcan O'Herlihy,<ref>Finnerty-Pyne, Sinéad; Goldin, Greg; O'Herlihy, Lorcan (2020). Architecture Is a Social Act: Lorcan O'Herlihy Architects [LOHA]. Amsterdam: FRAME Publishers. p. 52.</ref> and visual artist-turned-theatrical producer Olwen O'Herlihy.<ref>Contrada, Fred (May 12, 1997). "Theatre Background: She's the Force Behind the Show; Olwen O'Herlihy has served as production manager, producer and director". The Republican. p.B-1. Retrieved July 5, 2024.</ref> One grandchild, Micaela O'Herlihy,Template:Citation needed is a filmmaker whose work has been shown at the Sundance Film Festival.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Another, Alana O'Herlihy,Template:Citation needed is a photographer and director who has collaborated with Miley Cyrus.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

O'Herlihy became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1983.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Death

O'Herlihy died of natural causes in Malibu, California in 2005, aged 85.<ref>Willis, John; Monush, Barry (2006). Screen World Film Annual. New York: Applause Theatre & Cinema Books. p. 394. Template:ISBN.</ref> His personal papers are held in the University College Dublin Archives.<ref>Stone, Rob; Guitierrez-Albilla, Julian (2013). A Companion To Luis Buñuel. Chicester, WS : Wiley-Blackwell. pp. 299–300. Template:ISBN.</ref>

Complete filmography

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	King of the Roaring '20s: The Story of Arnold Rothstein aka The Big Bankroll	Detective Phil Butler
1962	To Walk with the Serpent	John Westerbrook
1962	The Cabinet of Caligari	Caligari / Paul
1962	Bonanza	Matthew Raine	Season 4 episode 3 : "The Artist"
1963	The Alfred Hitchcock Hour	Simon Carter	Season 1 Episode 17: "Forecast: Low Clouds and Coastal Fog"
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 CEO of OCP Corp.
1987	The Dead	Mr. Browne
1988	A Waltz Through the Hills	Uncle Tom
1988	L.A. Law	Vernon Kepler	Season 2 Episode 20: "Chariots of Meyer"
1990	RoboCop 2	The CEO of OCP Corp.
1991	Twin Peaks	Andrew Packard
1993	Love, Cheat & Steal	Hamilton Fisk
1994	Batman: The Animated Series	Grant Walker	Voice, Season 3 Episode 10: "Deep Freeze"
1998	The Rat Pack	Joe Kennedy

See also

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

External links

• Template:IMDb name
• O'Herlihy in The Long Hot Summer (1965–66), youtube.com; accessed September 3, 2015.