Liam Redmond (27 July 1913 – 28 October 1989) was an Irish actor of stage, film and television.
Contents
Early life and education
Redmond was one of four children born to cabinet-maker Thomas and Eileen Redmond. Educated at the Christian Brothers schools in Dublin, he later attended University College, Dublin and initially read medicine before moving into drama. While Director of the Dramatic Society he met and married the society's secretary Barbara MacDonagh (sister of Donagh MacDonagh and daughter of 1916 Rising leader Thomas MacDonagh and Muriel Gifford).
Career
Theatre
Redmond was invited to join the Abbey Theatre in 1935 as a producer by William Butler Yeats, the Irish poet. Yeats wrote his play Death of Cuchullain for Redmond to star as Cúchullain, hero of one of Ireland's foundational myths.
Redmond made his acting debut at the Abbey Theatre in 1935 in Seán O'Casey's The Silver Tassie. His first stage appearance was in 1939 in New York City in The White Steed. After returning to Britain at the outbreak of the Second World War he was a regular on the London stage. He made his West End debut Paul Vincent Carroll's 1939 The White Steed at the Trafalgar Theatre. In 1975, he starred as Flaherty in The Playboy of the Western World at the Royal National Theatre.
He also starred on Broadway, among other plays starring in The White Steed; in 1955 playing Canon McCooey in The Wayward Saint winning the George Jean Nathan Award for his performance, and in 1968 starring in Joe Orton's Loot and Brian Friel's The Loves of Cass Maguire.
Film and television
Redmond worked in TV and film throughout the 1950s to the 1980s and was regularly seen in TV series such as The Avengers, Daniel Boone, The Saint and Z-Cars. He was often called upon as a character actor in various military, religious and judicial roles in films such as I See a Dark Stranger (1946), Captain Boycott (1947), High Treason (1951), The Cruel Sea (1953), Playboy of the Western World (1962), Kid Galahad (1962), The Luck of Ginger Coffey (1964), Tobruk (1967), and The Ghost and Mr. Chicken (1966). His performance as the kindly occult expert in the cult horror film Night of the Demon (1957) is a favourite of fans of the film.
His last film role was as Mr. Brady in Stanley Kubrick's historical epic Barry Lyndon (1975).
Advocacy
Redmond was one of the founders of WAAMA, the Writers', Artists', Actors' and Musicians' Association, a precursor of Irish Actors' Equity. His insistence that "part-time professionals" – usually civil servants who acted on the side – should be paid a higher rate than professional actors for both rehearsal time and performance, effectively wiped out this class, raising the wages and fees of working actors.
Personal life
Redmond had four children with his wife Barbara MacDonagh.
Death
Redmond died in Dublin, aged 76, after a long period of ill health, in 1989. His wife Barbara predeceased him in 1987.
