Emmett Corrigan

Emmett Corrigan, born Antoine Zilles on June 5, 1867, in Amsterdam, Netherlands, was a Dutch-born American actor whose career encompassed both stage and screen. Sources vary on his birth year, with some citing 1867, 1868, or 1871. He originally studied for the priesthood before turning to performance, making his stage debut in Baltimore at the age of fourteen and later attending Ilchester College.

Corrigan's Broadway career spanned from 1890 to 1924 and included a wide range of productions. Among his notable stage roles, he played Sheik Ilderim in the 1899 Broadway production of Ben-Hur and returned to that production as Simonides in a revival the following year. He starred in Men and Women and The Governor's Lady, and also appeared in The Deep Purple, which ran from 1910 to 1911, The Yellow Ticket in 1914, and The Eternal Magdalene. Between stage engagements, Corrigan toured extensively with stock companies. One of his final stage appearances came in 1925, when he played Captain Flagg in a San Francisco production of What Price Glory?

His screen work began during the silent era, with film credits including Greater Love Hath No Man in 1915, Husband and Wife in 1916, and The Rendezvous in 1923. Corrigan continued working into the early sound period, appearing in a number of films in 1932 alone, among them The Beast of the City, The World and the Flesh, The Golden West, Silver Dollar, Man Against Woman, Me and My Gal, The Night Mayor, and The Bitter Tea of General Yen. He also appeared in Corsair in 1931.

Corrigan died on October 29, 1932, of a heart attack while watching a card game at the Maskers Club in Hollywood. He was 65 years old.