Irish-born actor Dan O'Herlihy, whose distinguished, six-decade career was highlighted by an Oscar® nomination for Best Actor in Luis Bunuel's The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe (1954) has died of natural causes at his Malibu, California home. He was 85.

He was born on May 1, 1919 in Wexford, Ireland. Curiously, he never displayed a strong desire for acting in his youth, and earned a degree in architecture from the National University of Ireland in 1945. Still, he had earned some extra money doing bit parts for Dublin's legendary Abbey Theatre during his studies, and when he was encouraged by some of the members of the repertoire to pursue acting, he began his stage career in earnest with the Abbey Players. It was there that British director Sir Carol Reed caught him in a small role and cast him in O'Herlihy's film debut, the slick political thriller Odd Man Out (1947), starring James Mason. The following year he was cast as Macduff in Orson Welles' Macbeth (1948), and with Welles' help, relocated to Hollywood shortly after. O'Herlihy would spend the next few years working on the stage for both Welles Mercury Theater, as well the Hollywood Repertory Theater, which O'Herlihy also owned and managed.

The role of Macduff in Macbeth would prove to be fruitful to O'Herlihy's career when Luis Bunuel viewed the film years later. Adapting Daniel Dafoe's classic novel The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe (1954) for the big screen, Bunuel originally thought of casting Welles in the lead, but he was far more impressed with O'Herlihy's looks and presence. Indeed O'Herlihy's lean, hungry, athletic performance was the key to the film's success with both critics and audiences, and it brought O'Herlihy the only Oscar® nomination of his career.

Although he wouldn't have a film part as rich as Robinson Crusoe, O'Herlihy had some decent roles over the years: Lord Derry opposite Bette Davis in The Virgin Queen (1955); a cruel husband who manipulates his wife (Jean Simmons) into an emotional breakdown in Home Before Dark (1958); the lead in the offbeat remake The Cabinet of Caligari (1962); and probably his best role outside of Crusoe, General Warren Black in the sharply etched political thriller Fail Safe (1964).

Yet if O'Herlihy became a familiar face to American audiences in the last 50 years, it's because television would become a second home for him during the majority of his career. He appeared on acclaimed anthology programs in the '50s (General Electric Theater, Playhouse 90, The United States Steel Hour); popular shows of the `60s (Bonanza, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, and his own western series The Travels of Jamie McPheeters 1963-64 with a young Kurt Russell as his son); '70s (Charlie's Angels, The Bionic Woman); and '80s (Remington Steele, Murder, She Wrote) and was seldom out of work during this time.

Toward the end of his proud career, O'Herlihy did make some surprising choices, like the lizard-like alien in The Last Starfighter (1984); the firm executive in Robocop (1987); and a fine turn as the creepy mill owner Andrew Packard in David Lynch's celebrated cult epic series Twin Peaks (1990-91). However, an actor of his grace and dignity was always a welcomed component to any project. O'Herlihy was last seen as Joseph Kennedy in the television movie The Rat Pack (1998). He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Elsie; five children, Olwen, Patricia, Gavan, Cormac and Lorcan; 10 grandchildren; and a great grandson.

by Michael T. Toole