Biography
So striking in appearance that Technicolor inventor Herbert Kalmus was said to have used her red-haired and green-eyed image to promote his creation, Maureen O'Hara was an Irish-born actress whose versatility allowed her to move gracefully from dramas to comedies and even period adventures. She was a favorite of director John Ford, who cast her in five of his films, including "How Green Was My Valley" (1941), "Rio Grande" (1950) and "The Quiet …
Career Milestones
| Met actor Charles Laughton, who changed her name to Maureen O'Hara; later appeared opposite him in "Jamaica Inn" and "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" (both 1939) | ||
| Owned and wrote a general interest column for the tourist magazine, The Virgin Insider, which she ultimately sold to Gannett in 1980 | ||
| Performed on radio as a child | ||
| Under contract to 20th Century-Fox | ||
1926 | Began acting at age six (date approximate) | |
1934 | Joined the Abbey Theater in Dublin as an ingenue at age 14 before entering films (date approximate) | |
1936 | Tested for the screen in London at age 16 (date approximate) | |
1938 | Film debut in "Kicking the Moon Around" (bit part) | |
1939 | US film debut in "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" | |
1939 | Under contract at RKO Studios | |
1941 | Starred in first of five films for director John Ford, "How Green Was My Valley" | |
1950 | Made first of five films opposite John Wayne, "Rio Grande" | |
1956 | Last of five films for director John Ford, "The Wings of Eagles" | |
1971 | Made last of five films opposite John Wayne, "Big Jake"; was also last feature for two decades | |
1973 | Retired after starring in the NBC TV-movie "The Red Pony" with Henry Fonda | |
1979 | After husband's death, assumed presidency of Antilles Airboats, a commuter seaplane service in the Caribbean; sold controlling stock to Resorts International; remained with the company as president until 1981 | |
1991 | Made return to feature films after a 20-year absence in "Only the Lonely" | |
1995 | Starred in the CBS TV-movie "The Christmas Box" | |
1998 | Played the lead in the TV-movie "Cab to Canada" (CBS) | |
1999 | Served as Grand Marshal of the annual St Patrick's Day parade in NYC | |
2000 | Starred in the CBS movie "The Last Dance" | |