Barry Fitzgerald

Also Known As: William Joseph Shields, Барри Фитцджеральд

Biography: 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.

Department: Acting

Place of Birth: Dublin, Ireland

Adult: No

Birthday: March 09, 1888

Age: 137 years old

Gender: Male

Deathday: January 14, 1961

Popularity:

1.96%

Known For:

Cradle of Genius
Bringing Up Baby
The Quiet Man
And Then There Were None
The Naked City
The Sea Wolf
Tarzan's Secret Treasure
How Green Was My Valley
Union Station
The Story of Seabiscuit
The Amazing Mrs. Holliday
The Dawn Patrol
Going My Way
Juno and the Paycock
The Saint Strikes Back
None But the Lonely Heart
The Long Voyage Home
San Francisco Docks
The Catered Affair
The Stork Club
California
Variety Girl
Welcome Stranger
Incendiary Blonde
Top o' the Morning
The Plough and the Stars
Rooney
Easy Come, Easy Go
Ebb Tide
The Sainted Sisters
I Love a Soldier
Two Tickets to London
Happy Ever After
Two Years Before the Mast
Full Confession
Four Men and a Prayer
Miss Tatlock's Millions
Pacific Liner
Silver City
Corvette K-225
Broth of a Boy
Duffy's Tavern
Guests of The Nation
Bing Crosby: Rediscovered
Marie Antoinette
Ha da venì... don Calogero!
Santa Claus and the Tenth Avenue Kid