Milo O'Shea

Milo O'Shea
O'Shea in Ulysses (1967)
Born
Milo Donal O'Shea

(1926-06-02)2 June 1926
Dublin, Ireland
Died2 April 2013(2013-04-02) (aged 86)
Manhattan, New York, U.S.
Resting placeDeans Grange Cemetery
EducationChristian Brothers
OccupationActor
Years active1940–2005
Spouses
(m. 1952; div. 1974)
Kitty Sullivan
(m. 1976)
Children2 sons (with Toal)

Milo Donal O'Shea (2 June 1926 – 2 April 2013) was an Irish actor. He was twice nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his performances in Staircase (1968) and Mass Appeal (1982).

Early life

O'Shea was born and brought up in Dublin and educated by the Christian Brothers at Synge Street school, 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. At age 12, he appeared in George Bernard Shaw's Caesar and Cleopatra at the Gate Theatre. He later studied music and drama at the Guildhall School in London and was a skilled pianist.

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.

O'Shea starred as Leopold Bloom in Joseph Strick's 1967 film version of Ulysses. 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, Colm and Steven. He divorced her in 1974.

He was married to the Irish actress Kitty Sullivan, whom he met in Italy, where he was filming Barbarella and she was auditioning for Man of La Mancha. The couple occasionally acted together, such as in a 1981 Broadway revival of My Fair Lady. O'Shea and Sullivan had no children together. They both adopted United States citizenship and resided in New York City, where they both lived from 1976.

Death

O'Shea died on 2 April 2013, in New York City following a short illness at the age of 86.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1940 Contraband Air Raid Warden Uncredited
1946 Great Expectations Condemned criminal Uncredited
1950 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

Year Title Role Notes
1951 The Passing Show Performer Episode: "The Years of Change"
1957–1958 Armchair Theatre Performer 2 episodes
1958 Theatre Night Shawn Keogh Episode: "The Hearts a Wonderer"
1960 ITV Television Playhouse Performer 3 episodes
1960 On Trial Charles Armstrong Episode: "W.T. Stead"
1961 The Play of the Week Presenter Episode: "Waiting for Godot"
1961 No Hiding Place Perkins Episode: "Mr. and Mrs. Smith"
1962 Out of This World Jacob Luke Episode: "Pictures Don't Lie"
1962 Z-Cars Caxton / Chauncey 2 episodes
1963 Maupassant Brument Episode: "Women and Money"
1963 First Night Benjy Spillane Episode: "My One True Love"
1964 Festival Leopold Bloom Episode: "Bloomsday"
1960-1965 ITV Play of the Week Performer 4 episodes
1965 Drama 61-67 Sam Quilly Episode: "Drama 65' Murder Shoes"
1965 Theatre 625 Mulligan Episode: "Portrait of the North"
1966 The Wednesday Play Brother Arnold Episode: "Silent Song"
1966 Pardon the Expression Uncle Mike Episode: "Heads Down"
1966 Thirty-Minute Theatre Fred Episode: "Friday Night's the Best Night"
1967 Uncle Charles Renzo Phillipe Episode: "Mrs. Phillipe is Hurt"
1968 Journey to the Unknown Matt Dystal Episode: "The New People"
1965-1969 Out of the Unknown Monty/Henry 2 episodes
1969 Galton and Simpson Comedy Alec Hemphill Episode: "Pity Poor Edie"
1970 On the House Mr. McGonigle The Great McGonigle
1970 The Glorious Uncertainty Sam Price TV movie
1968–1971 Me Mammy Bunjy Kennefick 21 episodes
1971 Jackanory Storyteller 5 episodes
1971 Andorra The Teacher TV movie
1972 Tales from the Lazy Acre Various roles 7 episodes
1973 And No One Could Save Her Patrick Dooley Television movie
1973 The Protectors Prince Carpiano Episode: A Case for the Right
1973 Orson Welles Great Mysteries Father Crumlish Episode: "In the Confessional"
1974 QB VII Dr. Lotaki 3 episodes
1968–1974 Comedy Playhouse Various Roles 2 episodes
1974 Microbes and Men Paul Erlich 2 episodes
1975 My Son Rueben Dennis Baxter Episode: "Better to Have Loved and Lost"
1977 The Best of Families Patrick Rafferty Mini-Series
1977 Peter Lundy
and the Medicine Hat Stallion
Brisly TV movie
1980 Portrait of a Rebel:
The Remarkable Mrs. Sanger
Higgins TV movie
1980 A Time for Miracles Performer TV movie
1984 Two by Forsyth Performer TV movie
1984 Jennifer Slept Here Grandpa Episode: Life with Grandfather
1984 Ellis Island Casey O'Donnell 3 episode miniseries
1985 Arena (An Absurd Notion) Duran Duran Short video
1986 St. Elsewhere Brendan Connelly Episode: "Lost Weekend"
1987 Broken Vows Monsignor Casey TV movie
1987 Angel in Green Father Mahon TV movie
1987 Once a Hero Abner Bevis 3 episodes
1987 Who's the Boss Judge Kresheck Episode: "Car and Driver"
1987 The Golden Girls Buddy Rourke Episode: "Charlie's Buddy"
1988 Beauty and the Beast Evan Brannigan Episode: "Temptation"
1991 The Commish Frank Atkins Episode: "No Greater Gift"
1992 Cheers Uncle Roger Episode: "An Old-Fashioned Wedding"
1993 Murder in the Heartland Clem Gaughan 2 episodes
1995 Frasier Dr. Schachter Episode: "Shrink Rap"
1996 Early Edition Sherman Episode: "Pilot"
1998 Spin City Father Larry Episode: "The Paul Bearer"
1999 Swing Vote Justice Greene TV movie
1999 Oz Dr. Frederick Garvey 3 episodes
2000 Madigan Men Milo 2 episodes
2003–2004 The West Wing Chief Justice Ashland 2 episodes, (final appearance)

Theatre

Year Title Role Venue Ref.
1968 Staircase Harry C. Leeds Biltmore Theatre, Broadway
1969 Dear World The Sewerman Mark Hellinger Theatre, Broadway
1976 Mrs. Warren's Profession Rev. Samuel Gardner Vivian Beaumont Theatre, Broadway
1976–1977 Comedians Eddie Waters Music Box Theatre, Broadway
1977–1978 A Touch of the Poet Jamie Cregan Helen Hayes Theatre, Broadway
1979 Pygmalion Alfred Doolitte Ahmanson Theatre, California
1981 My Fair Lady Uris Theatre, Broadway
1981–1982 Mass Appeal Father Tim Farley Booth Theatre, Broadway
1986 Corpse! Major Walter Powell Helen Hayes Theatre, Broadway
1989–1990 Meet Me in St. Louis Grandpa Gershwin Theatre, Broadway
1994 Philadelphia, Here I Come! S.B. O'Donnell Center Stage Right, Broadway

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Nominated work Result
1968 British Academy Film Awards Most Promising Newcomer Ulysses Nominated
1968 Tony Awards Best Actor in a Play Staircase Nominated
1982 Mass Appeal Nominated
1982 Drama Desk Award Best Actor in a Play Nominated
1982 Outer Critics Circle Best Actor in a Play Won

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