Actor Milo O'Shea dies aged 86

Irish actor who starred in Ulysses and Barbarella, and who starred in TV shows such as Cheers and Frasier, dies at age of 86.

Milo O'Shea in 1969. The Irish actor died on 2 April 2013 aged 86 Photo: ITV/Rex Features

Irish actor Milo O'Shea, who starred in cult classic Barbarella, has died in New York, aged 86.
 

O'Shea, who was born in Dublin on 2 June 1926, was a cinema and television actor and well-known for his roles in Franco Zeffirelli's Romeo And Juliet, and his performance as Leopold Bloom in the 1967 adaptation of James Joyce's Ulysses.

He played the dastardly Dr. Durand Durand (who tries to kill Jane Fonda's character by making her literally die of pleasure) in Roger Vadim's 1968 film Barbarella, and the 1980s pop band Duran Duran took their name from the character he played. In 1984, O'Shea reprised his role as Dr. Durand Durand (credited as Dr. Duran Duran) for the concert film Arena.

Early success on stage in Dublin followed him to the UK where he made a strong impact with Glory Be! at the Theatre Royal, Stratford East. He was equally adepy on stage and screen.

O'Shea also appeared in US hit television series Cheers, Frasier, The Golden Girls, St Elsewhere and The West Wing. In the UK, he starred in the BBC comedy Me Mammy during the late 1960s and early 70s. His ability to play comic roles — he played a shrink to two psychiatrists in Frasier — was highlighted in 2003, when he starred in Puckoon, a movie based on a comic novel by Spike Milligan.
 

n 1982, he starred alongside Paul Newman in the legal drama, The Verdict, and he also worked alongside Irish director Neil Jordan in the Butcher Boy.
Ireland's Arts Minister Jimmy Deenihan said today: "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 ground-breaking 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."
Mr O'Shea lived in New York since 1976 and is survived by his actress wife Kitty Sullivan, sons Colm and Steven and grandchildren. He died after a short illness.