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Home/People/Gavan O'Herlihy
Gavan O'Herlihy profile photo
Born
Jul 29, 1951Died: Sep 15, 2021
Lived 70 years
Place of Birth
Dublin, Ireland
Known For
Acting
Gender
Male

Career Highlights

26
Movies
21
TV Shows
IMDb Profile

Gavan O'Herlihy

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.
The Descent: Part 2 poster

The Descent: Part 2

as Vaines
2009
Cruise of the Gods poster

Cruise of the Gods

as Mickey
2002
Butterfly Man poster

Butterfly Man

as Bill Kincaid
2002
Sharpe: The Legend poster

Sharpe: The Legend

as Leroy
1997
Prince Valiant poster

Prince Valiant

as King Thane
1997
Top of the World poster

Top of the World

as Lieutenant Logan
1997
The Shooter poster

The Shooter

as Dick Powell
1995
The Last Outlaw poster

The Last Outlaw

as Marshal Sharp
1993
Sharpe's Eagle poster

Sharpe's Eagle

as Captain Leroy
1993
Conagher poster

Conagher

as Chris Mahler, Cowboy
1991
Red King, White Knight poster

Red King, White Knight

as Clancy
1989
Willow poster

Willow

as Airk
1988
Death Wish 3 poster

Death Wish 3

as Manny Fraker
1985
The Dirty Dozen: Next Mission poster

The Dirty Dozen: Next Mission

as Conrad E. Perkins
1985
Space Riders poster

Space Riders

as Ron Harris
1984
The Secret Adversary poster

The Secret Adversary

as Julius P. Hersheimmer
1983
Never Say Never Again poster

Never Say Never Again

as Jack Petachi
1983
Superman III poster

Superman III

as Brad
1983
Mark Twain: Beneath the Laughter poster

Mark Twain: Beneath the Laughter

as Young Clemens
1979
A Wedding poster

A Wedding

as Wilson Briggs
1978