Edmond O'Brien

Edmond O'Brien, with his birth name being Eamon Joseph O'Brien, was an American actor of stage, screen, and television, and film director whose career spanned almost four decades. He was both a leading man and a character actor in American cinema. His notable film appearances include hits like 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame' (1939), 'Seven Days in May' (1964), and 'The Other Side of the Wind' (2018). His learnings from his early days, doing magic shows for children and his keen interest in acting led him to Fordham University and then to the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre on a scholarship. He devoted his talents to a range of genres, from noir thrillers to westerns to political dramas. He shifted between lead and supporting roles, winning an Academy Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and earning two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

O'Brien was also known by his last name spelled backward, Neirbo the Great. Losing his father at an early age, he built an impressive array of skills, and despite fluctuations in his weight and transitioning to character roles, he was able to maintain his steady presence on screen. In his film career, O'Brien shone in genre-defining film noirs and managed to evolve with the industry, shifting to television with relative ease. He transitioned from an actor to a director, even launching his production company, O'Brien-Frazen. Despite struggling with Alzheimer's disease in his later years, he left a permanent mark on Hollywood cinema.