Dan O'Herlihy

Dan O'Herlihy
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Portrays:	Ravashol
Date of Birth:	May 1, 1919
Date of Death:	February 17, 2005
Age at Death:	85
Nationality:	IRL
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Dan O'Herlihy (born May 1, 1919 in Wexford, Ireland; died February 17, 2005 in Malibu, California) was an Irish actor who portrayed Dr. Ravashol, the brilliant but morally conflicted creator of the Theta-class lifeforms and the Ravashol pulsar weapon, in the Original Series two-part episode "The Gun on Ice Planet Zero".

Career

Born in Wexford, County Wexford, Ireland, O'Herlihy initially pursued architecture rather than acting. He moved with his family to Dublin as a young boy and was educated at Christian Brothers College in Dún Laoghaire. He studied at University College Dublin, graduating in 1944 with a degree in architecture. While at university, O'Herlihy joined several amateur theatre groups as a bit player to earn money, and after graduating decided to pursue acting full-time.

Theatre Origins

O'Herlihy worked at both the Abbey Theatre and Gate Theatre in Dublin, initially as a set designer before transitioning to acting roles. His first notable acting role came in 1944 when he played the lead role of Ayamonn Breydon in the Gate Theatre's production of Red Roses For Me, written and directed by Seán O'Casey. He appeared in approximately seventy plays at the Gate and Abbey theatres before moving into film and radio work.

Film Debut and Early Career

O'Herlihy made his film debut in 1947 with British director Carol Reed's Odd Man Out, shot on location in Belfast. Reed discovered O'Herlihy while watching him perform at the Abbey Theatre. O'Herlihy later expressed profound respect for the director, stating: "I was more in awe of [Carol Reed] than any director I've ever worked with, more even than Buñuel."

His first American film role was as Macduff in Orson Welles' version of Macbeth (1948), followed by supporting roles in films such as the Red Scare thriller Invasion, U.S.A. (1952), Soldiers Three (1951), and the swashbuckler The Black Shield of Falworth (1954).

Robinson Crusoe and Oscar Nomination

O'Herlihy's career took a significant turn in 1954 when he was cast in the title role of Luis Buñuel's Robinson Crusoe, earning him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. According to O'Herlihy, the film's producers initially wanted Buñuel to cast Orson Welles in the role, but Buñuel refused, saying Welles was too large for the part. When producers arranged a screening of Welles' Macbeth to demonstrate how a bearded Welles might appear, Buñuel instead noticed O'Herlihy's performance as Macduff and demanded him for the lead.

Filming began on July 7, 1952, on the west coast of Mexico near Manzanillo, Colima. O'Herlihy performed each scene twice—once in English and once in Spanish—for simultaneous release versions. According to O'Herlihy, the script was used only for the first week of shooting; afterward, he and Buñuel would discuss the story and character reactions directly without reference to written dialogue. Turner Classic Movies critic Michael T. Toole noted that "O'Herlihy's lean, hungry, athletic performance was the key to the film's success."

At the 27th Academy Awards in 1955, O'Herlihy competed against formidable talent: Marlon Brando (On the Waterfront – winner), Humphrey Bogart (The Caine Mutiny), Bing Crosby (The Country Girl), and James Mason (A Star Is Born). Because the Mexican production was considered a B-movie by Hollywood standards, O'Herlihy invested his own money to arrange a Los Angeles theatrical run and offered free admission to Screen Actors Guild members to ensure voting awareness.

1950s-1960s Film Work

Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, O'Herlihy appeared in notable films including Douglas Sirk's Imitation of Life (1959), The Young Land (1959), and One Foot in Hell (1960). He gained particular recognition for his portrayal of Brigadier General Warren A. Black in Sidney Lumet's Cold War thriller Fail Safe (1964), playing an anguished U.S. Air Force general contemplating catastrophic orders. Variety praised the ensemble cast, noting that "Dan O'Herlihy, Edward Binns and Fritz Weaver score as army officers." TV Guide later described his performance as "very sensitive."

Other significant film roles included Marshal Ney in the epic Waterloo (1970) and a dual role as Dr. Caligari in Robert Bloch's psychological thriller The Cabinet of Caligari (1962).

Television Career

O'Herlihy developed an extensive television career beginning in the 1950s with appearances in anthology programs including General Electric Theater, Playhouse 90, The United States Steel Hour, Cavalcade of America, and Screen Directors Theatre.

His episodic television work spanned decades and included appearances on Dr. Kildare, The Untouchables (as Larry "Ace" Banner in "The Big Squeeze"), The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters (1963-1964, as Dr. Sardius "Doc" McPheeters opposite young Kurt Russell), Bonanza (in the episode "The Artist" as Matthew Raine with Lorne Greene), The Big Valley, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Mission: Impossible, Ironside, and Hawaii Five-O. He appeared in the miniseries QB VII and took on the lead role in The Long, Hot Summer series, replacing Edmond O'Brien as Will Varner midway through the program's single-season run in 1965.

By the 1970s and 1980s, O'Herlihy continued with guest-starring roles on series including Serpico, The Bionic Woman, The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries, Barnaby Jones, Murder, She Wrote, Remington Steele, and Charlie's Angels. He also worked in television films such as Mark Twain: Beneath the Laughter.

Later Career and Genre Films

In the 1980s and 1990s, O'Herlihy experienced a career resurgence with roles that introduced him to younger audiences. He portrayed the kind-spirited alien mentor Grig in the science fiction film The Last Starfighter (1984), appearing unrecognizable in elaborate makeup and prosthetics. Starlog magazine interviewed O'Herlihy extensively about the role in their September 1984 issue, with the cover story titled "Dan O'Herlihy: Full-Time Actor, Part-Time Iguana," discussing his experience working under heavy prosthetic makeup as the reptilian alien navigator.

He achieved renewed recognition playing villainous roles, including the homicidal toymaker Conal Cochran in Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982). O'Herlihy reflected on the role: "Whenever I use a Cork accent, I'm having a good time, and I used a Cork accent in [Halloween III]. I thoroughly enjoyed the role, but I didn't think it was much of a picture, no." He also portrayed "The Old Man," the ruthless CEO of Omni Consumer Products, in RoboCop (1987) and RoboCop 2 (1990), roles that made him a favorite among science fiction and fantasy fans. Starlog magazine's June 1988 issue featured another extensive interview with O'Herlihy titled "Dan O'Herlihy: Tycoon of Tomorrow!" discussing his portrayal of the sinister OCP chairman in Paul Verhoeven's dystopian satire.

O'Herlihy received critical acclaim for his performance as Mr. Browne in director John Huston's final film, The Dead (1987), an adaptation of James Joyce's short story. O'Herlihy called it "a lovely experience to be with such a group [of accomplished Irish players] again." He also became part of the cult television series Twin Peaks (1990-1991), portraying the inscrutable lumber tycoon Andrew Packard in several episodes. The Irish Times noted he "seemed as much at home among the impeccable cast of John Huston's wonderful swansong" as "among the ensemble cast of David Lynch's entertainingly enigmatic 1990s TV series, Twin Peaks."

In April 2001, Starlog published a comprehensive career retrospective interview with O'Herlihy titled "The Man Alone," conducted by film historian Tom Weaver. This interview was later expanded for Weaver's 2002 book Science Fiction Confidential: Interviews with Monster Stars & Filmmakers.

Voice Acting

Towards the end of his career, O'Herlihy took on voice acting roles for animated series. He provided voice work for The Pirates of Dark Water and voiced Mr. Freeze in the Batman: The Animated Series episode "Deep Freeze". His final on-screen role was portraying Joe Kennedy in the 1998 television film The Rat Pack.

Personal Life

O'Herlihy married Elsie Bennett on August 16, 1945, at University Church, St Stephen's Green, Dublin, and they remained married until his death sixty years later. In 1959, the O'Herlihys moved from Los Angeles to Malibu, California, where they resided for the remainder of their lives. The couple had five children: Olwen (a visual artist and theatrical producer), Patricia, Gavan (an actor), Cormac, and Lorcan (an architect). His son Lorcan fulfilled the architectural aspirations O'Herlihy had originally pursued, becoming a prominent Los Angeles architect.

His son Gavan appeared in numerous television series including Happy Days, Star Trek: Voyager, and Twin Peaks (where he worked alongside his father). One of O'Herlihy's granddaughters, Micaela O'Herlihy, became a filmmaker whose work has been shown at the Sundance Film Festival.

O'Herlihy was the brother of television and film director Michael O'Herlihy, who directed numerous episodes of popular series including Star Trek, Gunsmoke, and Hawaii Five-O. O'Herlihy became a naturalized United States citizen in 1983.

Friend Michael B. Druxman recalled that O'Herlihy "was famed for his sense of humor," noting that he would wear his lizard costume from The Last Starfighter while "driving home from the studio to see if anyone noticed."

In a 1988 interview, O'Herlihy expressed his ongoing passion for acting: "I'm not excessively 'theater' or excessively an actor, but if I stay away for more than six months, I get edgy. I like to work and I don't really see a time when I would retire."

O'Herlihy died of natural causes at his Malibu home on February 17, 2005, less than three months before what would have been his 86th birthday. He was 85 years old. The Irish Times obituary described him as "a tall, imposing figure who oozed gravitas on screen whenever required." His widow, Elsie, continued to reside in Malibu until moving to Camarillo, California, where she died at age 95 on June 2, 2019.

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