Barry Fitzgerald
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.
Photos
Films (47)
Bing Crosby: Rediscovered
2014 · Self (archive footage)
Cradle of Genius
1960 · Self
Broth of a Boy
1959 · Patrick Farrell
Rooney
1958 · Grandfather
The Catered Affair
1956 · Jack Conlon
Santa Claus and the Tenth Avenue Kid
1955 · Harold "Stretch" Sears
Happy Ever After
1954 · Thady O'Heggarty
The Quiet Man
1952 · Michaleen Oge Flynn
Ha da venì... don Calogero!
1952 · Don Calogero
Silver City
1951 · R.R. Jarboe
Union Station
1950 · Inspector Donnelly
The Story of Seabiscuit
1949 · Shawn O'Hara
Top o' the Morning
1949 · Sergeant Briany McNaughton
Miss Tatlock's Millions
1948 · Denno Noonan
The Sainted Sisters
1948 · Robbie McCleary
The Naked City
1948 · Lt. Dan Muldoon
Variety Girl
1947 · Barry Fitzgerald
Welcome Stranger
1947 · Dr. Joseph McRory
Easy Come, Easy Go
1947 · Martin L. Donovan
California
1947 · Michael Fabian
Two Years Before the Mast
1946 · Terence O'Feenaghty
The Stork Club
1945 · Jerry B. 'J.B.' / 'Pop' Bates
And Then There Were None
1945 · Francis Quinncannon
Duffy's Tavern
1945 · Bing Crosby's Father
Incendiary Blonde
1945 · Michael 'Mike' Guinan
None But the Lonely Heart
1944 · Henry Twite
I Love a Soldier
1944 · Murphy
Going My Way
1944 · Father Fitzgibbon
Corvette K-225
1943 · Stooky
Two Tickets to London
1943 · Capt. McCardle
The Amazing Mrs. Holliday
1943 · Timothy Blake
Tarzan's Secret Treasure
1941 · Dennis O'Doul
How Green Was My Valley
1941 · Cyfartha
The Sea Wolf
1941 · Cooky
San Francisco Docks
1940 · The Icky
The Long Voyage Home
1940 · Cocky
Full Confession
1939 · Michael O'Keefe
The Saint Strikes Back
1939 · Zipper Dyson
Pacific Liner
1939 · Britches
The Dawn Patrol
1938 · Bott
Marie Antoinette
1938 · Peddler (uncredited)
Four Men and a Prayer
1938 · Mulcahay
Bringing Up Baby
1938 · Mr. Gogarty
Ebb Tide
1937 · Huish
The Plough and the Stars
1936 · Fluther Good
Guests of The Nation
1935 · Captured British soldier
Juno and the Paycock
1930 · The Orator
