Edmond O'Brien

Edmond O'Brien was one of the most respected character actors of the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s.

Edmond O'Brien was born Redmond O'Brien on September 10, 1915 in New York City.

O'Brien began his show business career as a magician, reportedly tutored by Harry Houdini. In high school, was a student of theatrics and later majored in drama at Columbia University.

Edmond O'Brien made his Broadway debut at the age of 12 in 1936, playing in such plays as The Gravedigger, Hamlet, and Romeo and Juliet.

O'Brien made his film debut as Gringoire in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939).

He would later appear in such classics as Brute Force (1947), White Heat (1949), D.O.A. (1950), The Greatest Show on Earth (1952), The Barefoot Contessa (1954), The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), The Longest Day (1962), Birdman of Alcatraz (1962), Seven Days in May (1964), and The Wild Bunch (1969).

O'Brien was nominated for an Acadmey Award for Best Supporting Actor for Seven Days In May (1964).

Edmond O'Brien won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in The Barefoot Contessa (1954).

During World War II, he served in the U.S. Army Air Forces and appeared in the Air Force's Broadway play and film Winged Victory.

Edmond O'Brien died on May 9, 1985 of alzheimer's disease.