Henry O'Neill

Henry O'Neill (August 10, 1891 – May 18, 1961) was an American actor born in Orange, New Jersey, who built a career spanning stage and screen over several decades. He became particularly recognized in film for portraying gray-haired fathers, lawyers, and other dignified authority figures throughout the 1930s and 1940s.

O'Neill left college to join a traveling theater company, marking the beginning of his acting career. He served in the United States Navy during World War I, and in the years that followed held various jobs, including working as an usher at a funeral home, before returning to the stage. He made his Broadway debut in The Spring in 1921 and went on to perform on Broadway through 1933, appearing in productions including Conquest, Foolscap, I Loved You Wednesday, Trick for Trick, and Shooting Star, the last of which marked his final Broadway appearance. During his stage years he also worked with the Provincetown Players and the Celtic Players.

In the early 1930s O'Neill transitioned to film, accumulating a substantial body of screen work. His credits included The Big Shakedown (1934), the Western Santa Fe Trail (1940), the musical Anchors Aweigh (1945), The Green Years (1946), and The Reckless Moment (1949). His final film appearance was in The Wings of Eagles (1957), starring John Wayne.

In 1924, O'Neill married Anna Barry. They had one child and remained married until his death. He served on the board of directors of the Screen Actors Guild and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. O'Neill died in Hollywood, California, at the age of 69, and is interred at San Fernando Mission Cemetery in North Hollywood.