Actor. He is best remembered for his portrayal of the headstrong Owen Glynn in "The Quiet Man" (1952). Born into a respectable middle-class family, following his service in the Irish Army Medical Corps during World War II, he began his career appearing as a leading man in stock companies. While appearing in a stage production at the Abbey Theatre, he was discovered by director Jack Votion who happened to be seated in the audience that evening. Impressed by his average physique, distinctive voice, and reddish good looks, he took notice of his potential and arranged for him to begin a career in the film industry starting with him appearing in a major role in "Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome" (1947). From there, he would go on to flourish as a notable character actor appearing in over 140 features; often typecast as husbands, fathers, relatives, boyfriends, blue-collared guys, athletes, foreigners, city slickers, cowboys, bailiffs, guards, policemen, detectives, reporters, landlords, neighbors, curmudgeons, clergymen, authority figures, retail clerks, salesmen, butchers, waiters, doormen, chauffeurs, bartenders, educators, clergymen, politicians, jurors, educators, aristocrats, and patriarchs. He appeared in such feature films as "Dick Tracy's Dilemma" (1947), "Beyond Glory" (1948), "Roughshod" (1949), "The Glass Menagerie" (1950), "Lorna Doone" (1951), "What Price Glory" (1952), "Niagara" (1953), "Ring of Fear" (1954), "Moonfleet" (1955), "Diane" (1956), "The Guns of Fort Petticoat" (1957), "Valley of the Dragons" (1961), "Mary Poppins" (1964), "Follow Me, Boys!" (1966), "The Happiest Millionaire" (1967), "Bandolero!" (1968), "The Day of the Wolves" (1971), "Roller Boogie" (1979), and "The Dead" (1987). On television, he appeared in numerous guest spots on such syndicated sitcoms as "Cavalcade of America," "Medic," "Lux Video Theatre," "Telephone Time," "Celebrity Playhouse," "Broken Arrow," "The 20th-Century Fox Hour," "The Adventures of Jim Bowie," "Steve Canyon," "Have Gun - Will Travel," "The Californians," "One Step Beyond," "Alfred Hitchcock Presents," "Overland Trail," "Wanted: Dead or Alive," "Wagon Train," "Shirley Temple's Storybook," "Surfside 6," "Adventures in Paradise," "Checkmate," "Tales of Wells Fargo," "Thriller," "The Rifleman," "Bonanza," "Perry Mason," "My Three Sons," "My Favorite Martian," "Honey West," "Convoy," "The Outer Limits," "Tarzan," "Iron Horse," "Insight," "Lancer," "Mannix," "Daniel Boone," "Gunsmoke," "Kate McShane," "Little House on the Prairie," "S.W.A.T.," "Columbo," "Battlestar Galatica," "General Hospital," "Falcon Crest," "Simon & Simon," "Fantasy Island," "Murder, She Wrote," and "The Magical World of Disney." During his career, he was a naturalized United States citizen, was a member of the Screen Actors Guild, was supportive of the Motion Picture and Television Fund, had been a regular parishioner of the Catholic church, was a member of the Hollywood Democratic Committee, had been a theatrical instructor for the Pasadena Playhouse, was one of the founding members of the Canyon Theatre Guild, presided as a chairman for his local charters of the American Red Cross and Feeding America, was a commercial model for the Forbes Agency, had been the celebrity spokesman for Harp Lager, was a notable audiobook narrator, and he was married to actress Peggy Webber from 1983 until his death (their union produced no children). Following his 1993 retirement, he spent the remainder of his life being a regular attendee at autograph conventions, and was involved in charitable and religious ventures until his death.