Milo O'Shea



Milo O'Shea (born 2 June, 1926, in Dublin, Ireland) is an Irish character actor, recognizable for his bushy eyebrows, resounding voice and impish smile.

He was raised in Dublin, Ireland and educated by the Christian Brothers at Synge Street, along with his friend Donal Donnelly, who was born in England but raised in Ireland.

He began acting on the stage, then moved into film in the 1960s. He became popular in the UK 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 way.

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 as the well-intentioned Friar Laurence in Franco Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet, and as the villainous Dr. Durand Durand in Roger Vadim's counterculture classic Barbarella (both films were released in 1968).

He has continued to be active in American films and TV, such as in the movie The Verdict, and the TV series The West Wing.

He is married to the Irish-born actress Kitty Sullivan, with whom he has occasionally acted, most notably in a production of My Fair Lady. They do not have any children. He and his wife have both adopted United States citizenship.

Selected filmography

 * Ulysses (1967)
 * Romeo and Juliet (1968)
 * Barbarella (1968)
 * The Adding Machine (1969)
 * Me Mammy (1968–70)
 * Theatre of Blood (1973)
 * Percy's Progress (1974)
 * Arabian Adventure (1979)
 * The Verdict (1982)
 * The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985)
 * The Dream Team (1989)
 * Opportunity Knocks (1990)
 * Only the Lonely (1991)
 * The Playboys (1992)
 * Murder in the Heartland (1993)
 * The Matchmaker (1997)