BARRY FITZGERALD

'Barry Fitzgerald' (March 10, 1888 – January 14, 1961) was an Academy Award winning Irish actor. Born 'William Joseph Shields' in Dublin, Ireland. He worked as a civil servant, and joined the Abbey Theatre. Starring in such plays as Sean O'Casey's ''Juno and the Paycock'', a role he recreated for Alfred Hitchcock in his screen debut in 1930. He is the older brother of Irish actor Arthur Shields. Fitzgerald was an avid golfer, and known to be a "hacker," Fitzgerald could easily lull opponents into small "bets" and once on the putting green would relieve them of their money. His small stature did nothing to aid in the distance required to be a truly good golfer, but it was his keen eye for the greens that kept others from wagering too great a bet once the tad of a man had a putter in his hand. He once shared his "loot" with a caddie who provided him greater insight into the putting greens of his own country club in Woodland Hills, California.
Fitzgerald went to Hollywood to star in another O'Casey work, ''The Plough and the Stars'', directed by John Ford. He had a successful Hollywood career in such films as ''The Long Voyage Home'', ''How Green Was My Valley'' (1941), ''And Then There Were None'' (1945), and ''The Quiet Man'' (1952). Fitzgerald achieved a feat never before (or since) seen in the history of the Academy Awards: he was nominated for both the Best Actor Oscar ''and'' the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for the same performance, as "Father Fitzgibbon" in ''Going My Way'' (1944). (Academy Award rules have since been changed to prevent this from reoccurring.) He won the Best Supporting Actor Award, and later broke the head off it while practicing his golf swing.
Fitzgerald has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, for movies at 6220 Hollywood Blvd. and for television at 7001 Hollywood Blvd.

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★ List of people on stamps of Ireland

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