Jack MacGowran

Jack MacGowran (born John Joseph MacGowran, 13 October 1918 – 30 January 1973) was an Irish actor celebrated for his intensity on both stage and screen. Born in the Ranelagh area of Dublin to Catholic parents Matthew and Gertrude (née Shanahan) MacGowran, he was the second of three children and attended Synge Street CBS before working briefly for Hibernian Insurance. He made his theatrical debut in a Gilbert & Sullivan operetta at the Gaiety Theatre, quickly joining the Abbey Players where his talent for interpreting the works of Samuel Beckett and Seán O'Casey earned him a reputation as one of the era’s most compelling performers. Notable stage achievements include his portrayal of Lucky in Waiting for Godot at the Royal Court Theatre, his turn as Joxer in the Broadway musical Juno (1959), and his work with the Royal Shakespeare Company in Endgame at the Aldwych. In 1966 he recorded the LP MacGowran Speaking Beckett to mark Beckett’s 60th birthday, and he received the 1970‑71 Obie Award for Best Performance by an Actor in the off‑Broadway production MacGowran in the Works of Beckett. His close friendship with Peter O'Toole, forged during his London years, later led to their collaboration in Lord Jim (1965). He also portrayed Gandhi in a 1971 Broadway rendition directed by José Quintero.