03/04/2013 - Irish actor who starred in Ulysses and Barbarella dies at age of 86

Irish character actor Milo O’Shea passed away in New York on Tuesday after a brief illness. He was 86. O’Shea began his acting career on stage and then became popular on television after he appeared in the BBC show Me Mammy. His memorable film roles include Leopold Bloom in Joseph Strick’s acclaimed adaptation of James Joyce’s Ulysses (1967) for which he was nominated for a Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles BAFTA; Friar Laurence in Franco Zeffirelli’s Romeo And Juliet (1968) and Dr. Durand Durand in Roger Vadim’s Barbarella (1968).

Ireland’s Minister for Arts Jimmy Deenihan said in tribute, “Milo O'Shea was a giant of stage and screen. During his career in theatre and film, both at home and abroad, he is remembered for the quality of his performances in a range of challenging and often groundbreaking roles. His portrayal of Leopold Bloom in Ulysses was a particular highlight of his film career, a role that many people recall when they think of him. His performance in Zeffirelli’s Romeo and Juliet also stands out.”

“But many audiences will also remember him with great fondness for the roles he played in some of the most popular television series of recent times including Frasier and The West Wing. Over his life, he reached the widest audiences from across the globe - on stage, on film, and on television - and was internationally recognised for the quality of his work. I would like to express my deep condolences to his family, and to his many friends, at this time,” Deenihan added.

O’Shea’s wife, the actress Kitty Sullivan, survives him.