Milo O'Shea

Milo Donal O'Shea (2 June 1926 – 2 April 2013) was an Irish actor. He received nomination for the BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer for his breakthrough role of Leopold Bloom in Ulysses, and was twice nominated for the Tony Award for Best Lead Actor in a Play for his performances in Broadway productions of Staircase (1968) and Mass Appeal (1982). along with his friend Donal Donnelly. His father was a singer and his mother a ballet teacher. Because he was bilingual, O'Shea performed in English-speaking theatres and in Irish in the Abbey Theatre Company.

He was discovered in the 1950s by Harry Dillon, who ran the 37 Theatre Club on the top floor of his shop the Swiss Gem Company, 51 Lower O'Connell Street Dublin. Early in his career O'Shea toured with the theatrical company of Anew McMaster.

Career O'Shea began acting on the stage, then moved into film in the 1960s. He became popular in the United Kingdom, as a result of starring in the BBC sitcom Me Mammy alongside Yootha Joyce. In 1967–68 he appeared in the drama Staircase, co-starring Eli Wallach and directed by Barry Morse, which stands as Broadway's first depiction of homosexual men in a serious light. For his role in that drama, he was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play in 1968. Among his other memorable film roles in the 1960s were the well-intentioned Friar Laurence in Franco Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet and the villainous Dr. Durand Durand (who tried to kill Jane Fonda's character by making her die of pleasure) in Roger Vadim's counterculture classic Barbarella (both films were released in 1968). In 1984, O'Shea reprised his role as Dr. Durand Durand (credited as Dr. Duran Duran) for the 1985 Duran Duran concert film Arena (An Absurd Notion), since his character inspired the band's name. He played Inspector Boot in the 1973 Vincent Price horror/comedy film Theatre of Blood.

He was active in American films and television, such as his memorable supporting role as the trial judge in the Sidney Lumet-directed movie The Verdict (1982) with Paul Newman, an episode of The Golden Girls in 1987, and portraying Chief Justice of the United States Roy Ashland in the television series The West Wing. In 1992, O'Shea guest starred in the season 10 finale of the sitcom Cheers and in 1995, in an episode of the show's spin-off Frasier. In the episode of Frasier, he played Dr. Schachter, a couple's therapist who counsels the Crane brothers together. He appeared in the pilot episode of Early Edition as Sherman.

Other stage appearances include Mass Appeal (1981) in which he originated the role of Father Tim Farley (for which he was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play in 1982), the musical Dear World in which he played the Sewer Man opposite Angela Lansbury as Countess Aurelia, Corpse! (1986) and a 1994 Broadway revival of Philadelphia, Here I Come.

O'Shea received an honorary degree from Quinnipiac University in 2010.

Personal life O'Shea's first wife was Maureen Toal, an Irish actress, with whom he had two sons.

Acting credits Film Year Title Role Notes1940 Contraband Air Raid Warden Uncredited1946 Great Expectations Condemned criminal Uncredited1950 Talk of a Million Signwriter 1958 Never Love a Stranger Off-Screen Narrator Uncredited 1959 This Other Eden Pat Tweedy 1962 Mrs. Gibbons' Boys Horse 1963 Carry On Cabby Len 1964 Never Put It in Writing Danny O'Toole 1967 Ulysses Leopold Bloom 1968 Romeo and Juliet Friar Laurence 1968 Barbarella Concierge / Durand-Durand 1968 Journey into Darkness Matt Dystal (episode 'The New People')1969 The Adding Machine Mr. Zero 1970 Paddy Harry Redmond 1970 The Angel Levine Dr. Arnold Berg 1970 Loot Mr. McLeavy 1971 Sacco & Vanzetti Fred Moore 1973 The Love Ban Father Andrew 1973 Theatre of Blood Inspector Boot 1973 Steptoe and Son Ride Again Doctor Popplewell 1973 Digby, the Biggest Dog in the World Dr. Jameson 1974 Professor Popper's Problem Dr. Klein 1974 Percy's Progress Professor Crabbit 1979 Arabian Adventure Khasim 1980 The Pilot Doctor O'Brian 1982 The Verdict Judge Hoyle 1985 The Purple Rose of Cairo Father Donnelly 1989 The Dream Team Dr. Newald 1990 Opportunity Knocks Max 1991 Only the Lonely Doyle 1992 The Playboys Freddie 1997 The Butcher Boy Father Sullivan 1997 The Matchmaker Dermot O'Brien 2000 Moonglow Peter Brener 2002 Puckoon Sgt. McGillikuddie 2003 Mystics Locky

Television

Theatre

Awards and nominations