David Patrick O'Hara (born 9 July 1965) is a Scottish stage and character actor. A graduate of the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London, he is best known to audiences for his numerous supporting roles in high-profile films; including Irishman Stephen in Braveheart, dimwitted mobster Fitzy in The Departed, hitman Mr. X in Wanted, and Albert Runcorn in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1. He portrayed Det. Danny 'Mac' McGregor on The District, and Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey on The Tudors.
David O'Hara | |
|---|---|
| Born | 9 July 1965 Glasgow, Scotland |
| Alma mater | Royal Central School of Speech and Drama |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1984–present |
Early life
editO'Hara was born in Glasgow, Scotland, the son of Martha (née Scott) and Patrick O'Hara, a construction worker. He lived with a large Catholic family, and was raised in the Pollok Housing Estate.[1] His family was Catholic and of Irish descent. After leaving school he was accepted for a Youth Opportunities Programme, at a community theatre based at the Glasgow Arts Centre which toured local schools. At age 17, he moved to London to study at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, but left after two terms because of a shortage of funds. He went back to Scotland and landed a role in Bill Forsyth's Comfort and Joy, then returned to Central to finish his last term, where he was the understudy to Ralph Fiennes in A Midsummer Night's Dream.[citation needed]
Career
editO'Hara appeared in a number of Shakespearean productions, including Romeo and Juliet at the Regent Park Open-Air Theatre and The Comedy of Errors at The Pleasance. He spent a season with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Barbican Centre, where he starred in Bite of the Night, which was directed by Danny Boyle. He appeared as the "mad" Irishman Stephen in Braveheart.
O'Hara had a featured role in the US series The District, which he left after one season to return to the UK. In 2006, O'Hara appeared as Fitzy, one of Jack Nicholson's chief mobsters in the Oscar-winning film The Departed.[2]
In June 2009, O'Hara was filming The Tudors in Dublin.[3] He played Albert Runcorn and Harry Potter disguised as Runcorn in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1. In April 2017, O'Hara appeared as Alistair Fitz in Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. as Leo Fitz's father.
Film
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Comfort and Joy | Engineer | |
| 1986 | Link | Tom | |
| 1989 | Resurrected | Male Nurse | |
| 1992 | The Bridge | Phillip Wilson Steer | |
| 1995 | Braveheart | Stephen | |
| The Near Room | Harris Hill | ||
| 1996 | Some Mother's Son | Frank Higgins | |
| 1997 | The Devil's Own | Martin MacDuff | |
| The Slab Boys | Terry Skinnedar | ||
| The Matchmaker | Sean Kelly | ||
| 1999 | Fever | Will | |
| The Match | The Mechanic | ||
| Janice Beard 45 WPM | O'Brien | ||
| 2001 | Made | The Welshman | |
| 2003 | Den of Lions | Ferko Kurchina | |
| Stander | Allan Heyl | ||
| 2004 | Hotel Rwanda | David | |
| 2006 | Tristan and Isolde | Donnchadh | |
| The Departed | Patrick "Fitzy" Fitzgibbons | ||
| 2008 | Doomsday | Michael Canaris | |
| Wanted | Mr. X | ||
| 2009 | Darfur | Freddie Smith | |
| Jack Said | The Boss | ||
| 2010 | The Kid | Terry | |
| Golf in the Kingdom | Shivas Irons | ||
| Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 | Albert Runcorn | ||
| 2011 | Cowboys & Aliens | Pat Dolan | |
| Whole Lotta Sole | Mad Dog Flynn | ||
| 2012 | Contraband | Jim Church | |
| Best Laid Plans | Curtis | ||
| 2013 | The Groundsman | Keith | |
| 2014 | Reach Me | Thumper | |
| 2015 | The Messenger | DCI Keane | |
| 2016 | Dias Santana | Calum Mackie | |
| The Rising | James Connolly | ||
| Dirt Road to Lafayette | Tom | ||
| 2017 | In Extremis | Alex | |
| 2019 | Cold Pursuit | Sly | |
| The Professor and the Madman | Church | ||
| 2022 | ’’Deus, The Dark Sphere’’ | Ulph | |
| 2024 | Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 | Bowler Hat Surveyor |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | One by One | Andy | 3 episodes |
| 1990 | Taggart | Malcolm Durie | Episode: "Evil Eye Part One" |
| 1991 | Chimera | Reynolds | 2 episodes |
| Jute City | Duncan Kerr | 3 episodes | |
| 1990–92 | Screen Two | Michael / Ronnie Wilson | 2 episodes |
| 1993 | Full Stretch | Steve Bissell | Episode: "Ivory Tower" |
| 1994 | Grushko | Lev | 2 episodes |
| The Tales of Para Handy | Robert Grant | Episode: "The End of the World" | |
| Open Fire | Armed Robber | Television film | |
| 1996 | Prime Suspect | DS Rankine | 2 episodes |
| 1997 | Oliver Twist | Bill Sikes | Television film |
| 1999 | Jesus | John the Baptist | |
| 2000 | Donovan Quick | Clive | |
| 2000–01 | The District | Det. Danny 'Mac' McGregor | |
| 2001 | Crossfire Trail | Rock Mullaney | |
| 2004 | Pulling Moves | Nuts & Bolts | Episode: "All Day Long" |
| 2005 | The Commander | DCC Stephen 'Blackdog' Blackton | Television film |
| 2007 | Damage | John Ward | |
| 2008 | Trial & Retribution | DI Jack Mullins | Episode: "The Box: Part 1" |
| 2010 | The Tudors | Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey | 9 episodes |
| 2012 | Covert Affairs | Dmitri Larionov | Episode: "Let's Dance" |
| 2013 | Luther | DSU George Stark | 4 episodes |
| 2015 | Gotham | Reggie Payne | 2 episodes |
| 2017 | Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. | Alistair Fitz | 3 episodes |
References
edit- ^ David O'Hara Biography (1965–) at Filmreference.com
- ^ "The Departed". Warner Bros. 28 November 2006.
- ^ David O'Hara set for "The Tudors" Archived 22 July 2010 at the Wayback Machine. MovieWeb
External links
edit- David O'Hara at IMDb