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Barry Fitzgerald

Barry Fitzgerald

Acting

March 9, 1888 – January 14, 1961 (died at 72)
Dublin, Ireland
Male
47 Movies
6 TV Shows

Brother of actor Arthur Shields, with whom he performed in several films, most notably John Ford's The Quiet Man (1952). One of the very few character actors ever to achieve star status. Fitzgerald was the only player ever nominated for the Academy Award for both Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor in the same year for the same role. The recognition was for Going My Way (1944). After he received this double nomination, the Academy immediately changed their rules to prevent this from happening again, rules which have remained unchanged to this day. One of Hollywood's finest character actors and most accomplished scene stealers, Barry Fitzgerald was born William Joseph Shields in 1888 in Dublin, Ireland. Educated to enter the banking business, the diminutive Irishman with the irresistible brogue was bitten by the acting bug in the 1920s and joined Dublin's world-famous Abbey Players. He subsequently starred in the Abbey Theatre production of Sean O'Casey's Juno And The Paycock, a role that he recreated in his film debut for director Alfred Hitchcock in 1930. He was coaxed to the U.S. in 1935 by John Ford to appear in Ford's film adaptation of another O'Casey masterpiece, The Plough and the Stars (1936). Fitzgerald took up residence in Hollywood and went on to give outstanding performances in such films as The Long Voyage Home (1940), How Green Was My Valley (1941), None But the Lonely Heart (1944), And Then There Were None (1945), Two Years Before the Mast (1946) and what is probably the role for which he is most fondly remembered, The Quiet Man (1952). He won the Academy Award For Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of gruff, aging Father Fitzgibbon in Going My Way (1944). He was also nominated for the Best Actor Oscar for the same role and was the only actor to ever be so honored. Barry Fitzgerald died in his beloved Dublin in 1961.

And Then There Were None
And Then There Were None

And Then There Were None

1945 7.0

as Francis Quinncannon

Age 57 (now 72)
The Naked City
The Naked City

The Naked City

1948 7.2

as Lt. Dan Muldoon

Age 59 (now 72)
Bringing Up Baby
Bringing Up Baby

Bringing Up Baby

1938 7.5

as Mr. Gogarty

Age 49 (now 72)
The Quiet Man
The Quiet Man

The Quiet Man

1952 7.3

as Michaleen Oge Flynn

Age 64 (now 72)
Going My Way
Going My Way

Going My Way

1944 6.7

as Father Fitzgibbon

Age 55 (now 72)
How Green Was My Valley
How Green Was My Valley

How Green Was My Valley

1941 7.3

as Cyfartha

Age 53 (now 72)
Juno and the Paycock
Juno and the Paycock

Juno and the Paycock

1930 4.7

as The Orator

Age 42 (now 72)
The Long Voyage Home
The Long Voyage Home

The Long Voyage Home

1940 6.6

as Cocky

Age 52 (now 72)
None But the Lonely Heart
None But the Lonely Heart

None But the Lonely Heart

1944 6.4

as Henry Twite

Age 56 (now 72)
Union Station
Union Station

Union Station

1950 6.5

as Inspector Donnelly

Age 62 (now 72)
The Catered Affair
The Catered Affair

The Catered Affair

1956 7.2

as Jack Conlon

Age 68 (now 72)
Tarzan's Secret Treasure
Tarzan's Secret Treasure

Tarzan's Secret Treasure

1941 5.9

as Dennis O'Doul

Age 53 (now 72)
The Sea Wolf
The Sea Wolf

The Sea Wolf

1941 7.2

as Cooky

Age 53 (now 72)
California
California

California

1947 6.8

as Michael Fabian

Age 58 (now 72)
The Dawn Patrol
The Dawn Patrol

The Dawn Patrol

1938 6.8

as Bott

Age 50 (now 72)
The Story of Seabiscuit
The Story of Seabiscuit

The Story of Seabiscuit

1949 6.0

as Shawn O'Hara

Age 61 (now 72)