Gavan O'Herlihy
Born: 1951-07-29 in Dublin, Ireland
Died: 2021-09-15
Known For: Acting
Biography
Gavan O'Herlihy (6' 2½" | 1.89 m) an Irish actor, was born on April 29, 1954 (Taurus) in Dublin, Ireland, the son of Elsa Bennett and Irish actor Dan O'Herlihy. He has a Brother, Cormac O'Herlihy and a sister, Patricia O'Herlihy. He is the brother-in-law of Cornelia Hayes O'Herlihy, nephew of Michael O'Herlihy, and Uncle of Micaela O'Herlihy and Colin O'Herlihy. In his youth, he was an avid tennis player, and even became Irish National Tennis Champion. He is known for Willow (1988), Never Say Never Again (1983) and The Descent: Part 2 (2009), but has over thirty screen credits to his name, most of them having cast him in villainous or antagonistic roles such as Death Wish 3, Never Say Never Again, Superman III, and Tales From The Crypt. His role as Airk Thaughbaer in the 1988 fantasy Willow is one of the few heroic roles the burly, fair-haired Gavan has managed to get, as well as the dashing American officer Captain Leroy in Sharpe's Eagle. He also played the lost jock son "Chuck Cunningham" in the first season of Happy Days (1974). Is actually younger (by about two months) than Ron Howard, who played his "younger" brother on the show, but it was not a very big part and he was eventually written out by being sent to college and then disappeared with no mention. He did not want to get stuck in television, preferring the film medium. Gavan appeared in the pilot episode of Star Trek: Voyager entitled "Caretaker" as the Kazon First Maje, Jabin. He has a son named Rogan and a daughter named Misty.
Filmography
2009
- The Descent: Part 2 as Vaines
2002
- Butterfly Man as Bill Kincaid
- Cruise of the Gods as Mickey
2000
1997
- Midsomer Murders as George Arlington
- Jonathan Creek as Hal Drucker
- Prince Valiant as King Thane
- Sharpe: The Legend as Leroy
- Top of the World as Lieutenant Logan
1995
- Star Trek: Voyager as Maje Jabin
- The Shooter as Dick Powell
1993
- The Last Outlaw as Marshal Sharp
- Sharpe's Eagle as Captain Leroy
1991
- Conagher as Chris Mahler, Cowboy
1990
- Twin Peaks as Officer Preston King
1989
- Tales from the Crypt as Richard
- Lonesome Dove as Dan Suggs
- Red King, White Knight as Clancy
1988
- China Beach
- Willow as Airk
1985
- Death Wish 3 as Manny Fraker
- The Dirty Dozen: Next Mission as Conrad E. Perkins
1984
- Sherlock Holmes as John Garrideb / James Winter
- Cover Up
- Space Riders as Ron Harris
1983
- Never Say Never Again as Jack Petachi
- Agatha Christie's Partners in Crime as Julius P. Hersheimmer
- Superman III as Brad
- The Secret Adversary as Julius P. Hersheimmer
1982
1980
- A Rumor of War as Stanton
1979
- Mark Twain: Beneath the Laughter as Young Clemens
1978
- A Wedding as Wilson Briggs
- Sergeant Matlovich vs. the U.S. Air Force as Art Stinson
- The Amazing Spider-Man
- A Death in Canaan as Father Mark
1977
- The Ghost of Cypress Swamp as Big Bob Landers
1976
1974
- Happy Days as Chuck Cunningham
- The Six Million Dollar Man as Dan
- Police Woman as Gordon Stuart
- The Healers
- The California Kid as Tom
1973
- Call to Danger as Mechanic
1970
- The Mary Tyler Moore Show as Josh McBride (as Gavin O'Herlihy)
1969
- Marcus Welby, M.D. as Herb Frane